Posting pictures of horse that is no longer yours?

[AED20011]

To keep it simple, old owners still frequently post pictures of my horse online and have recently changed their profile picture to one of them and my horse.

I bought the horse from a local person (who is fairly well known locally) and have struggled with feeling compared to them which might be why I feel so uncomfortable with them posting pictures, especially after two years. The profile picture just seems to have pushed it a bit too far for me.

I know that I’m probably being unreasonable and I’m not going to do anything about it but I’m just wondering if anyone else thinks it’s inappropriate to post pictures online of a horse you no longer own?

 

[[153312]]

If they took the photo legally it is their property to do as they wish

 

[Gallop_Away]

I don't think it's inappropriate. The horse was theirs when the photo was taken and perhaps the photo holds special memories for them.
If it bothers you that much perhaps just unfollow them on social media so you don't see the photos.

 

[milliepops]

i'm usually a total overthinker but even i wouldn't think twice about posting pictures of a horse i had owned. if it was happy memories then it's nice to look back on things.

 

[AmyMay]

i'm usually a total overthinker but even i wouldn't think twice about posting pictures of a horse i had owned. if it was happy memories then it's nice to look back on things.

I agree.

 

[Rowreach]

I think it depends on the context, to a degree. The person I bought mine from carried on telling everyone the horse was hers and what she was planning to do with her over the following show season. All in my presence! And she often posted pictures of her on FB. Probably still does, but she's blocked me now so I don't know for sure

Hopefully in your case she's just missing your horse a bit and will soon change her profile pic to something else.

 

[AED20011]

I know it’s all in my head. I think probably because I would never post pictures of an old horse.

 

[AmyMay]

I think probably because I would never post pictures of an old horse.

Why on earth not? ??‍

 

[LadyGascoyne]

i'm usually a total overthinker but even i wouldn't think twice about posting pictures of a horse i had owned. if it was happy memories then it's nice to look back on things.

Completely agree with this.

I post pictures of me with previous horses all the time. Even ones I didn’t own but rode for other people.

I can’t understand why one wouldn’t?

I also post pictures of places I no longer live in, like our house in New Zealand. Or cars I no longer own, like my beloved MG. It’s an experience that happened to me and just because someone else now lives in that house or drives that car, it doesn’t mean my experiences didn’t happen or aren’t valid.

 

[AED20011]

I think it depends on the context, to a degree. The person I bought mine from carried on telling everyone the horse was hers and what she was planning to do with her over the following show season. All in my presence! And she often posted pictures of her on FB. Probably still does, but she's blocked me now so I don't know for sure

Hopefully in your case she's just missing your horse a bit and will soon change her profile pic to something else.

I know her well and she’s really kind and has been super helpful with the horse. I think its just because the horse was always known locally as ‘hers’ and took a while for people to forget that. Didnt feel like she was ’my’ horse until very recently.

 

[AED20011]

Why on earth not? ??‍

To be honest I couldn’t give you a direct reason. Just not something I’d feel right doing.

 

[AED20011]

Completely agree with this.

I post pictures of me with previous horses all the time. Even ones I didn’t own but rode for other people.

I can’t understand why one wouldn’t?

I also post pictures of places I no longer live in, like our house in New Zealand. Or cars I no longer own, like my beloved MG. It’s an experience that happened to me and just because someone else now lives in that house or drives that car, it doesn’t mean my experiences didn’t happen or aren’t valid.

I know. I’m definitely being unreasonable and get your point entirely. Probably just a self esteem issue I need to sort out.

 

[AmyMay]

To be honest I couldn’t give you a direct reason. Just not something I’d feel right doing.

Hey ho

 

[IrishMilo]

I ride quite a few horses who belong to other people and I don't tend to post those online (unless I'm friends with the owner) as I'm not sure that's my right (owners might not want their horse and its location/history on here for example), but I'd have no problem posting pics of horses that I owned.

 

[PurBee]

That wouldnt bother me, unless she’s stating online its still her horse...i.e blatantly lying. I imagine the horse is happy memories for her, and likes to share pics of happy memories.

I have someone who takes pics of inside my personal life/space/home when they visit, and share those pics with people online who i dont know - that irks me, and isn’t respectful imo. Take pics of the outside landscape/area/trees/plants, even my animals …but inside someone’s personal space/home is another boundary entirely.

There’s a line of privacy and respecting that, that differs for everyone.

 

[luckyoldme]

To be honest I couldn’t give you a direct reason. Just not something I’d feel right doing.

I have to admit I never post pictures of a mare I sold without checking it out with her new owner.
Just seems to me to be the polite thing to do.

 

[bouncing_ball]

I have to admit I never post pictures of a mare I sold without checking it out with her new owner.
Just seems to me to be the polite thing to do.

Really. I owned a horse for 5 years, sold him and I’m still in touch and Facebook friends with new owner. I repost memories of him that were significant when Facebook shows them as anniversaries eg going to beach / show photos etc. why not?

 

[Red-1]

I post pictures of previous horses without a thought, as long as they are pictures of me with that horse. It is my memory, my photo and perfectly legitimate.

I also have photos sent to me of previous horses enjoying their new homes. If it is a particularly nice one, I ask permission to post that, so people who knew the horse can see how well they are doing. I am also very proud when my ownership has set the horse up to be enjoyable for someone else. I would never post a photo of the new owner/rider without their express permission though.

I have posted photos of horses that I have ridden for people, but again only with express permission. It would be rude/unprofessional not to ask permission.

I am surprised that PurBee has someone posting photos from inside their house without permission, that would be rude!

In fact, I ask permission before posting photos of anyone else on FB, unless they are incidental in the background at a public place. I even asked, when I did Baby Horse's blog, where there was a background shot of a pro rider in the background, who was out of focus. I asked because it was when Baby Horse was on their private yard, at livery when we had building work at home. I didn't count that as a public place, like a show would be. I also asked when I posted a photo of the vet doing teeth at my home, then asked again before posting on HHO, as the permission was only for FB!

If I am in a group of friends and we are taking photos, such as at a party, I will tell them, before I take the photo, that it will be for FB, so they can remove themselves if they wish.

But my own memory of me on my own horse, no, that one is mine!!!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I still share pictures of Dolly and Jenny. Special ponies, special memories. It never occurred to me that the new owners would find that difficult. I'd stop if it did but I guess I wouldn't know?!

 

[luckyoldme]

Really. I owned a horse for 5 years, sold him and I’m still in touch and Facebook friends with new owner. I repost memories of him that were significant when Facebook shows them as anniversaries eg going to beach / show photos etc. why not?

Why not indeed!
It's nothing personal, we just feel differently about it. ?

 

[Peglo]

It would depend on the context of the posts for me. If it was sharing a memory on Facebook I wouldn’t have a problem with that. But I think I might feel a bit weird if they were pulling up unposted pictures (probably wrongly but we feel how we feel) and would also depend what the captions were.

I’ve never sold a horse though and really just post pictures from that day rather than older ones from years ago so I guess I’m maybe not in a position to say if they should or shouldn’t post as it’s different to how I use my own SM.

 

[scats]

Millie’s old owner occasionally posts a photo of her from when she had her. I really never think anything of it to be honest.

 

[Identityincrisis]

You are being completely unreasonable!

That said I really wanted a horse but knew the owner well (a friend) but decided not to buy it as i knew the old owner would always talk about it in a proprietary way in future, as in, as if she still owned it or all success would be down to her. I have been proved right since, when she sold another horse and does exactly that.

Anyway, i digress, in normal circumstances, it is completely reasonable to post photos of a horse you once owned

 

[[153312]]

Out of interest OP if you rode a horse at a riding school/on a holiday would you post pics on your own socials?

If its just their own social media as well it is their page/s too and they control who is/isn't able to see it, so it's not like it's in the public domain or doxxing you/your horse (which would be a different matter entirely!)

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I have only posted a couple of pics of The Wee Coloured Job since I sold him. All pictures that were of his time with me. 3x in total I think and I actually think I used the same pic. The first time was to say well done to his new owners on his first ridden showing class and win - I didn't tag them as no one really knew who he had been sold to. The second time was when he qualified for HOYS and the third time to was to wish them luck at HOYS the day he was competing.

I wouldn't put up pics just randomly and for no reason. Thats just weird.

 

[foxy1]

I love it when the old owners post pictures of my horse, it shows me how much she was loved (and still is) ?

 

[nagblagger]

AED, i must admit, going against the trend here,i agree with you, i would be uneasy if a previous owner had changed their profile pic to 'my horse' .
If she has other horses that she owns, why would she need to use a photo of one that she had sold.?
Strange.....

 

[The Irish Draft 2022]

Yeah if it’s random I would say it odd and she is probably just regretting selling the horse which could be a problem because she could ask to buy the horse back. Why would you bother posting photos now when you didn’t at the time.

 

[Gallop_Away]

AED, i must admit, going against the trend here,i agree with you, i would be uneasy if a previous owner had changed their profile pic to 'my horse' .
If she has other horses that she owns, why would she need to use a photo of one that she had sold.?
Strange.....

Perhaps selling the horse was a difficult decision? Perhaps the picture holds special memories for her? Or perhaps she just likes thus particular photo?
Either way you have no control over what photos she may or may not post on her own social media and I can't fathom why you would want to?
My mare's old owner is still in touch and has photos of her on social media, as does the lady that owns the stud that bred her. I don't resent them being there.
They are both part of my mare's past. She would not be here if it wasn't for her breeder, and the lady I bought her from did a fantastic job starting her ridden education.
I love seeing how far my girl has come, and am grateful to both her breeder and previous owner for being part of making her the amazing horse that I am lucky enough to own.

 

[AED20011]

AED, i must admit, going against the trend here,i agree with you, i would be uneasy if a previous owner had changed their profile pic to 'my horse' .
If she has other horses that she owns, why would she need to use a photo of one that she had sold.?
Strange.....

It’s the profile picture that makes me uncomfortable. Although I may not like her posting pictures of the horse I understand she can do whatever she want with her own images.

She also sold another horse only a few weeks before selling mine and never seen any pictures of that one.