Question re.: free to good home

Fuzznugget

Fuzznugget

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 October 2010
Messages
852
Location
Here & there
gloucestershirehorseriders.webs.com
Why do people seem to want to fob off their older horses as 'free to good home' instead of pts if for whatever reason they can't keep the animal any more? I don't know, the ad in H&H for the 16.2hh 23 yr old gelding that is free to good home as a companion just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not anti people giving away horses for free - and as we all know, there is no such thing as a "free" horse - but when it's an older one, why not just pts?
 
Because some people are unable to face upto their responsibility to their animals, so pass the buck onto someone else. Cowards.
 
Because it may have a perfectly good life ahead of it as a companion! I get your point about fobbing off horses for free when they get older (therefore more costly), but it also seems wrong to say a horse should be PTS because it no longer has a conventional use value.
 
If a horse can't be ridden or has been retired due to a managable condition or just out of choice, then I guess it has little money value. Just because of this doesn't mean that it can't have a happy, relaxed last few years as a companion or 'lawnmower'. Obviously it is up to the owner to make sure that the horse is placed in a suitable home where it will recieve all of the necissary care... If the horse is not in pain, I don't see why it should be pts, there could be many reasons why the original owner is no longer able to keep the horse.
 
Each to their own, personally wouldn't take on an old horse as a companion, too expensive to feed and maintain. My boy will not be going to anyone when I can't ride him, he will be staying with me until the end even though I will not be able to afford livery for 2, he does't owe ne anything :)
 
Agree it saddens and sickens me as I cant imagine giving my old boy away to an uncertain fate ie meat man etc

I would turn in my own grave & would never forgive myself. Just couldnt do it.
 
I agree if the horse is healthy and can retire happily for a few more years as a companion thats gr8 ,

but if its on very high medication to keep it sound or is just being fobbed off to get out of making decision then its best PTS.

I know some people that wont keep old horses like a car once it hits its teens or twenties they dis-guard it get new one

I have pre arranged my horses to be gifted to Horse welfare if I snuff it . I could not give my horse away seen too many ending up at markets then going through hell poss shipped over to be;Belgium etc.

I would put age horse needs loving home is easy to do no real health issues just needs to live out his days as a companion
 
I just think people haven't really thought things through and are a bit naive. Many years ago when my ponies broke down and i wanted to ride, looking for companion homes for them just seemed the obvious thing to do. Of course it wasn't as easy as that, there weren't exactly queues of people wanting to take on the upkeep of my ponies who didn't have many selling points. Now, I know that was a blessing in disguise as had there been people after taking them, chances are they would have planned on running them straight through sales and making some easy cash.

I really think people don't know any better the first time they meet the situation that the horse they'd hoped to ride for years needs retiring or destroying. That's why these forums are really important to get the message across that giving away older horses is very risky and pts is not an unthinkable option.
 
But there are so many 'companion' horses out there already, the horse welfare organisations have many on their websites. I'm not saying that a healthy horse should be put to sleep, but many of these 'free' horses end up with the wrong people, and get pushed pillar to post before a final trip to the slaughterhouse. I know that it is not always the case, but in the present climate, with hay at a premium, how many people want a 16.2hh companion to feed?
 
KazzOnAPiano said:
Because it may have a perfectly good life ahead of it as a companion! I get your point about fobbing off horses for free when they get older (therefore more costly), but it also seems wrong to say a horse should be PTS because it no longer has a conventional use value.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. It never fails to surprise me how many horse people have absolutely no empathy with their horse and treat them as mere commodities. (I do however have a wry smile when they say PTS rather than kill them.)
 
I was given my elderly companion TB mare for free. However, her old owner is a friend and the horse is sound and well. She would never have given her away to a stranger and an uncertain future.
 
lhotse said:
But there are so many 'companion' horses out there already, the horse welfare organisations have many on their websites. I'm not saying that a healthy horse should be put to sleep, but many of these 'free' horses end up with the wrong people, and get pushed pillar to post before a final trip to the slaughterhouse. I know that it is not always the case, but in the present climate, with hay at a premium, how many people want a 16.2hh companion to feed?
Click to expand...

Exactly!
Why can't people understand that there are many worse things that can happen to a horse than *humane destruction*?
We always retire ours as field ornaments when they can no longer work, until the vet advises otherwise, but each one has cost us more than the working horses put together.
Why on earth would someone else want to pay all that money to keep someone else's horse going, when the owner can't be bothered?
 
Hi, The only people it seems to me who are offered "Free Horses" are those who own horses already. I mean if you advertise "Free to Good Home", you are I suppose taking a risk. It could got to the meat man or be doted on for the rest of its life, you take your chance. But then you are often told in publications that if you are a novice thinking of getting a horse, they advise you to get an older horse, who has been there and done that. My main problem with the free horse thing is if you have owned this horse for years, then you owe it some kind of respect, and the lack of respect given to some horses by some (not all) their owners often saddens me. So the problem is there is no happy medium they either want to give the horse away free to the first caller or you get an advertisment for a 22 year old gelding and they want 8k for it.:confused:
 
orsolya80 said:
Why do people seem to want to fob off their older horses as 'free to good home' instead of pts if for whatever reason they can't keep the animal any more? I don't know, the ad in H&H for the 16.2hh 23 yr old gelding that is free to good home as a companion just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not anti people giving away horses for free - and as we all know, there is no such thing as a "free" horse - but when it's an older one, why not just pts?
Click to expand...

Well if it is a calming companion you want something that size and age is just too expensive on maintenance,more like a 10..13 hh would suit the bill better. It does sound like someone shirking their responsibilities,the old horse deserves better.
 
orsolya80 said:
16.2hh 23 yr old gelding that is free to good home as a companion
Click to expand...


Does it say what is wrong with it heath wise??
makes u wonder

diamond has her issues at 23 uveitus to name one but she is doing sponsored rides. she has a few other issues things but she is healthy happy gets 100% best care she could want . I am not retiring her till the time is right , keeping them fit keeps them going longer and the oldest on my yrd is 29 still schooled and hacked out
 
Because it costs £200 to £450 depending on how and where you have it done?

I'm sure that some of these people are simply avoiding the cost, which is inexcusable in my book.
 
This subject really gets my hackles up!!! I think an old horse/pony should not be shoved about pillar to post just because present owner no longer has need/time/money for it, i do think it would be better off pts rather than that but i also believe that if you take on a horse and keep it untill the companion age than you should take the responsibility of looking after it when its finished its service to you, horses shouldnt be disposable. If you cant take the responsibility then you shouldnt of had the horse in my opinion (which im sure will get some stick!). Some people are terrible..3 months ago i purchased (for alot of money just to get it away!) a 35yo pony, that was being galloped into the ground with a stick by kids and with the attitude that 'we'll just buy another as this 1s about to drop dead' it was a hat rack,arthritic, bad feet, bad teeth etc etc. Proper care of teeth, proper food, proper farrier, physio and now she can easily pass for 20! She has gentle exercise with my kids to stop her siezing up and even is in use with our pony party buisness for the tiny tots and grooming as she is sooo patient and loving! AND she will live out the rest of her days for as long as shes happy and healthy with us!
 
I have had 2 free to good home horses, first was given to me because owner bought on impulse at melton and she was a state. She is a wild new forest mare and 15 years old, owner gave her to me as she was on livery (lots of restrictions) and i have my own land so could offer peace and quiet and gave the mare chance to recover. She is now in a loving home with a friend who can now handle her and she looks fantastic, will never be a riding mare but my friend needed a companion plus is into NH and this method has worked wonders for the mare. When i say wild though i mean totally untouched! She was petrified! Free to good home worked in this instance as she has a job to do as a field friend plus she has been given a second chance and has found a brill home.........My second free to good home is a 13 year old gelding, he is 13.3 and has been hammered so he has a spavin, i could sob when i look at him as he is the sweetest, safest little man i have ever met.... he is suitable for light hack only so i snapped him up for my novice daughter. He has taught her so much! I could pack her with a lunch and send them both off for the day, no worries at all. He is worth his weight in gold. He will have a home for life with us..... sorry for the ramble, i just wanted to share success stories x
 
Glad I don't.
My old horse stayed with me until the end of her days, I would never have passed her onto someone else, even though I hadn't ridden for 3 years, and would have liked a youngster.
Take a look at my thread from a while ago about 'free' horses, it might enlighten you to what goes on when a horse gets given away as a companion.
 
kcoop86 said:
This subject really gets my hackles up!!! I think an old horse/pony should not be shoved about pillar to post just because present owner no longer has need/time/money for it, i do think it would be better off pts rather than that but i also believe that if you take on a horse and keep it untill the companion age than you should take the responsibility of looking after it when its finished its service to you, horses shouldnt be disposable. If you cant take the responsibility then you shouldnt of had the horse in my opinion (which im sure will get some stick!). Some people are terrible..3 months ago i purchased (for alot of money just to get it away!) a 35yo pony, that was being galloped into the ground with a stick by kids and with the attitude that 'we'll just buy another as this 1s about to drop dead' it was a hat rack,arthritic, bad feet, bad teeth etc etc. Proper care of teeth, proper food, proper farrier, physio and now she can easily pass for 20! She has gentle exercise with my kids to stop her siezing up and even is in use with our pony party buisness for the tiny tots and grooming as she is sooo patient and loving! AND she will live out the rest of her days for as long as shes happy and healthy with us!
Click to expand...

Think we should have a "like" button on here. (and also to stressedmum)
 
Thank you i realise its hard when people are on livery it can be expensive to keep an un-rideable horse so i am very lucky to be able to accept lifes little unwanteds...i do also have a strong opinion on back yard breeding and the knacker man etc ....i will always praise the knacker man as he cleans up our mistakes x
 
lhotse said:
Glad I don't.
My old horse stayed with me until the end of her days, I would never have passed her onto someone else, even though I hadn't ridden for 3 years, and would have liked a youngster.
Take a look at my thread from a while ago about 'free' horses, it might enlighten you to what goes on when a horse gets given away as a companion.
Click to expand...

What makes you so judgemental?
I'm pleased you kept your old horse; I intend the same when mine gets old. I don't agree with passing on an older horse just as you, but again, just as you I wouldn't have it killed because it suited me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top