Should I buy a second horse?

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Grumpymoo

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I have been thinking for a while about getting a Shetland as a companion for my horse. Although he has company where we are if I get my own I can section a bit of field off (he is a very good doer) and do my own thing with them.

Anyway a friend has a Fjord gelding for sale very cheaply and as it is a fav breed of mine I have enquired about him and he sounds perfect! He is broken and used for hacking at the moment and is great for a novice which would be perfect as my husband and mother in law could both ride out with me. It would cheap to keep but I am trying to be sensible about it before rushing off.

What I want to know is having two horses really that much more work? They would both live out full time and the fjord would probably only be worked once a week maximum in the winter and possibly more in the summer.

An I mad?

The long term plan is to buy our own land or house with land so would need a companion then anyway. Should I wait or just have a look (it's a two hour drive) and see what I think.

I would still need to speak to my husband......... :)
 
I'd say go for it personally! I have two riding horses and I love it and manage perfectly well. (this is also with another 2 small ponies and 3 small children so one extra really is nothing in my life!!)
 
No harm in going to have a look, you may get there and think its not for you, or you may think hes perfect and snap it up!

I have 2 horses myself and love the fact that theyre so different in personality and very different to ride. Yes it can be more time consuming and fitting riding them both around work can be hard, but you get youst to it, wouldnt have it any other way!
 
In my experience (and I'm trying to be dissuasive and sensible for you) :D having two does mean doubling up on all the essentials, (feed, hay, feet, backs, vets, etc) and time wise mucking out/poo picking will be doubled as will grooming/rugging. I would imagine a Fjord will need exercise to keep weight down, so a lack of work may not be a good thing. There can also be issues if you want to remove one from the field and then you end up needing a companion for the companion.

Personally I'd wait until you have your own land and get a companion then, you can put the money you will save not buying now towards your property. :)
 
I would always be worried that if you had a close companion for a horse, there would be problems when you separate them for riding. I've been at yards where companion horses have neighed constantly to each other when one goes out, plus heard a couple at a show at the weekend not concentrating as they were so busy calling out to each other!
 
I recently went from 0 to 1 then quickly from 1 to 2

The second isnt much more work despite being a sweet itch sufferer. So many of the things needed dont take much more time for two than one but then mine arent ridden and arent stabled at all

However the poo picking seems to have quadrupled for some inexplicable reason!
 
Thanks for all your input guys.

I have spoken to my friend who is in charge of who moves to the yard and she doesn't want anymore big horses as she is worried about grazing and the fields being torn up :(.

Gutted although she doesn't mind if i get a Shetland. :)

I know I am being spoilt brat but I really want him now - it makes it worse when someone says no to me it makes me want it more! Yes I am a baby!! Lol :)
 
With two horses you do have practically double the costs even if the companion is a small pony, they still need jabs, worming, farrier attention etc. Personally I don't have problems with taking one out - they soon seem to get used to the routine if you are sensible and calm about it.
One thing to think about to make life easier for all of you, horse and human, is to have two who will thrive on a similar management regime.
 
Personally no I wouldn't . I went from one to one horse one Shetland which was fine, then to a bigger pony , then to two horses and a pony which was a pita. I hardly had time to ride and spent most of it doing stables, fields, hay nets and feeds.


If your horse is a good doer I would section his field and save your costs and times until you get a house with land etc and then look.

I learnt to enjoy what I had and stop looking at others, I often see a cheap bargain and think ooh I could just ...... Then I think noooo not again !
 
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