Passing up a free horse

hellsdarkrose

hellsdarkrose

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My YO offered to give me the horse I have just started to loan through the yard for free and I said no
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I must be mad.

she is 17yrs old and will be having her foal later this year and I was offered her obviously for after her foal has been weaned.

trouble is with saving for a house and the fact that she has joint problems which mean she is only for light hacking/schoolwork and will probably only be in work for another couple of years joints all being well. I thought it just wasn't right for me as I would then be left with a horse to sell as a companion and i'm so soft I probably wouldn't be able to sell her
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I feel awful in a way because I know I would look after her well and be kind to her but I know I wouldn't be able to keep her in the long term.

Just wondered what you would have done in my position.
 
i would say that you can only loan her because you got to think as time goes on shes going to need alot more care etc farrier ,vet ,feed so i would tell the truth this way she can make different arangements
 
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I would also have said no
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You are right in that you could be left with a horse that is going to cost you just as much as one that could be in full work.

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It helps to here that. I have ben waiting for years to be able to have my own horse and having turned a free one down I just feel bad. If my mum had lived closer I know she would have looked after her for me if it came to the companion stage but sadly she lives 50 miles away and can't drive.
 
You could always ask for a loan to run on a 12 month basis...

If at the end of the year she is not sound enough to be ridden then the owner has the responsibility of deciding what to do with her..... although by then you will prob be attached too!!
 
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You could always ask for a loan to run on a 12 month basis...

If at the end of the year she is not sound enough to be ridden then the owner has the responsibility of deciding what to do with her..... although by then you will prob be attached too!!

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Thats the problem I would get too attached for my own good. It is also a money basis. If I loan through the riding school I get lessons included don't have to worry about vet, insurance, feed, worming etc it's all in the price and i can ride on non lesson days basically 4 times a week. Whereas if I owned her I would have to pay for all the above seperately and still try to save for my house :S
 
please dont feel bad about this....you are thinking very sensibly and that is a good thing...horses are not like cats and dogs - they can cost you alot of money and need alot more time...
I too am very soft and like you would find it hard to say no.
I was offered two horses before I bought the one that I own....
The first horse I was offered had back issues and needed to be gelded...I worked at my vets at the time and could get everything at a low cost and race horses were going for free all the time...this horse was a gentle sort but had kiss spine problems and it wasnt guaranteed they would be resolved....my vet friend actually talked me out of it and in the end the horse got put down...I was gutted....
the 2nd horse I was offered had a dipping back. He was lovely and I could of said yes quite easily but it just didnt feel right. The lady was an instructor, had bought this horse to event and the scans had not come back good from the vet, so she was basically just passing him on for the next horse she had just bought...I couldnt believe it....I said no to him too in the end and he went off to some people she didnt really like the look of in southampton...!
It took my three more years before I got my lad....it was def worth the wait...I would have struggled finincial paying all the costs, as well as mortgage payments etc...just like you really....
Its def worth waiting until you have the money really.....free horses are always about and the last thing you need really is to have a horse that you dont really know that well, paying loads of medical costs for & that you cant really ride, build a good bond with and enjoy...
its tough but good call....dont beat yourself up over it...
 
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