Really just not sure what to do!! Sorry - long.

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Christmas Crumpet

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I've got 2 horses at the moment - Happy, a 16.3hh 8 year old ex racehorse whom I bought 2 years ago and essentially retrained. We hunted the whole of 2008/09 season and he was wonderful. He is bombproof out exercising and the most willing and kind horse ever. He jumps whatever he's put at and I love hunting him. However, he has got spavin and had a few back issues because of the spavin. He has been off for about 9 months and is being brought back into work now. I rode him for the first time on Thurs and he behaved as though he'd been ridden the day before. Absolutely impeccably behaved. I sit on him and it feels so, so right. He is so kind and friendly and apart from his fear of the clippers and having a bath, he is just amazing. He does mess about at times - bouncing at the bottom of the gallops and not standing still at the meet out hunting but NEVER, EVER has done anything bad. Not even when we rode through a nest of wasps by mistake. Such a good pony.

My other horse, Bog, was bought to replace Happy when we weren't sure he was going to come right. He is a 5 yr old ISH who is lovely although does have a hell of a buck in him (which resulted in me breaking my leg in Jan). He jumps anything and has the potential to be amazing. He is far sturdier than the TB and is never sick or sorry. He is, however, a bit stupid to exercise, bucks when he doesn't get his own way out hunting - usually when I want to go slower than him, and he's a miserable sod to do at times.

The intention was to sell Happy, the TB, and keep Bog as my horse but I'm loving being back on Happy because I feel so safe. I just don't know what to do. OH is going to hunt this season but neither horse will really suit him - Happy too fine and won't carry him and Bog too babyish and a bit too sensitive for a gung ho jockey. Bog is worth about £6k and Happy probably not more than £2k due to being an ex racehorse with stripy legs due to being fired.

I can't afford to have 2 horses for myself and don't know what to do!! I feel so safe on Happy yet Bog is the one most likely to stand up to all the work I want to do. I am having lessons on them both starting in about 6 weeks (when Happy is fit enough). I've only just started riding again after breaking my leg so wanted to take it steady especially as I'm getting married in June and don't want to go down the aisle on crutches. I'm going to have to get rid of one to be able to get OH one that suits him. Do I sell Bog and use the money to get something sensible whilst hoping that Happy stands up to the work or do I sell Happy on (who I love more than life itself and feel so safe on) to someone who love him like I do?!!

Just don't know what to do.
 
It's a very tricky one, but i think you'd regret selling Happy... Could you not find something for the OH that would also meet your needs? or is OH also planning to compete?
 
You could put Happy out on full loan?
that way you don't have to lose him completely....

i have a mare that I'm very attached to but recently due to money issues had to put her out on loan as I just coudn't ever face selling her.

I took my time and made sure I had truly found the right people, they keep in touch a lot, I'm still fairly involved. They are giving her the care/attention that I could not afford at the time. I have been really lucky and have found the whole loaning experience to be a great solution for me and my horse.

i know you hear a lot of horror stories about loaning but mine has been a good one, I'm glad I did it.....
 
If it was me............... I would keep Happy. You seem to love him to bits and he is safe but still exciting. Tbh I really don't think that you could secure his future and certainly no-one would want to pay £2000 for a horse with spavins and that has been fired. People are giving away horses that have no leg issues for free.

It seems that you haven't bonded too much with the new horse and also your safety should be paramount, breaking a leg is no fun.

Perhaps you could sell Bog, purchase something for your OH and then just see how Happy gets on, then perhaps make the decision later on? Reading between the lines you seem to already know what you want and I think it is Happy! Good luck, tough decision!
 
I think I would be inclined to keep Happy too.
Could you not use your OH's horse at times to take the pressure off Happy?
Good luck. Tough decision
 
How bad is the spavin? My mare had it and she was good for everything except jumping.

If it was up to me, I would keep Happy - we have horses to enjoy, and when they suit you as well as Happy clearly does you, then it seems a shame to break that partnership. Also, you kind of owe it to him - wouldn't you feel dreadful if you sold him on to someone who didn't look after him as well as you think he would deserve.

I bought my horse to compete (fortunately he is a gentleman and great at all things outside the competition ring to). Over the winter he has been off with an injury and I'm just getting him fit again now. How I have enjoyed riding him without thinking of competing, just the two of us mucking around. It has made me remember why I started riding all those years ago.
 
I guess I don't have to make the decision now. Happy is on walking for 6 weeks. Bog is turned away until after the wedding and I'll be having lessons on them both when they are both ready and can decide nearer the autumn when hunting starts again. Might as well enjoy them without worrying too much!!! I just worry that I am loving Happy way more than Bog at the moment. I have also decided that Bog is just like Aaron off Emmerdale (if anyone watches it). God I'm sad!!
 
Its a tricky one alright. Purely from my interpretation of the tone of your post, I sense you love Happy much more than Bog. Although Bog is the more sensible choice for the work you want to do, you're heart doesn't seem to be in him. Why not keep Happy, and use the money from Bog to see if you and your OH could find a horse to suit both of you. That way if Happy is out of work for a while you can share the other horse.
Alternatively, I think the idea of loaning Happy to a kind home also sounds good. I think you'd regret selling him.
Good luck xx :-)
 
I am liking the idea of loaning him out because then he is still mine.

I know that, in the long run, Bog is by far the most sensible option because he is a tough little cookie and I just need to get to the bottom of him. He is also still a baby and because Happy was so easy when I got him despite being an ex racehorse straight out of training, I'd forgotten how sharp youngsters can be. I think breaking my leg also didn't help. So I'm sure lots and lots of lessons and xc sessions with an instructor will help hugely. Bog will also come on in leaps and bounds being exercised with another horse who is bombproof.

Happy is just a far nicer person and because I'm so used to him he never worries me. Bog has surprises up his sleeve and likes to test you once in a while so you can never quite relax as I found out when he bronked with me out hunting and I fell off breaking my leg!!

This is Bog...

Bog1.jpg


And this is Happy.

HappyWarksHedge.jpg
 
I agree with the consensus.... Keep Happy! There is nothing more important than a horse you feel happy and confident on! If you can find a horse for the OH that would suit you as well, all the better... There would be nothing worse than selling Happy and resenting Bog (great name) for not being Happy. I think in this instance, heart should rule head! Lovely pics :-)
 
I think you would regret letting Happy go. Sell Bog, it sounds like you haven't (and possibly won't) bond properly with him. Could your OH not look for a horse that would suit you both, so that in case Happy can't return to the level of work you want, you could share the new horse?

There are loads of us on here who have horses with spavin - the vets wrote my mare off aged seven, well she's almost thirteen now and loves being ridden - in fact she sounds a lot like Happy! They can and do come back to a decent level of work - and if in the future you find that he struggles, you could always look into putting him out on loan to a quiet hacking home and buying yourself something else.
 
another one for Happy - reread your post. All you keep really saying is how happy you are with Happy!!!

I have a Bog but he is my Happy (if that makes sense!)
 
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