Bertiebcool
Member
Sorry new here hope this is right place to post..
I own three amazing horses that all live at home. I am self employed, work from home & have young children, husband works a lot and have very limited help/support. I LIVE for my children and my horses and it breaks my heart to even contemplate this but head over heart I have limited time, funds and my children are growing up before my very eyes at a rapid pace.. so it’s my intention to look at downsizing my number of horses.
The problem is each of them are wonderful people and are very much part of the family and have their own job/purpose
I have a strong chunky 15 yo ID that I’ve owned for 10 years he acts like a 7yo. We are completed bonded, have mainly hunted together but his jump is capped at 80cm (ish) for courses and probably 1m for a one off with the wind behind him he’s a middle/heavy weight type and just not made for the big fences but if he would be could. He tries his heart out for me. We hunt and side saddle together. He doesn’t do much (if anything) to improve my riding ability but he is so easy. He has seen me through my pregnancies and really is my best friend on four legs. He doesn’t mind the schooling and goes well in an outline but lives for the hunting field. He is basically my hunter and hack. I think he’s too old for me to consider moving on (if I could bring myself to it. FYI he has no health issues and doesn’t act his age in any way) He is as bonded to me as I think a horse can be and in the 10 years I’ve owned him he’s really come into his own. I don’t think there is anything he could ever do that would unnerve me, we just know each other so well. my instructor says that the professional riders she’s seen ride him he doesn’t respond to under saddle like he does for me. We are very much one team. Because he is such a big boy he takes a lot to keep fit
I also have a 2 yo Youngster unbroken, gorgeous inside and out, amazing to handle. (Its always been my ‘dream’ to produce my own horse. The idea is that he will eventually be my ‘one amazing all rounder’ and will replace both current horses when they retire) Because of this I don’t feel like he can be moved on either. Plus if I sold or semi retired both other horses I would be potentially without my own ridden horse for the next 2 years.
That leaves me with my beautiful 12yo mare, sj/eventer all rounder. Very talented! Cost me a fortune when I bought her two years ago. I love riding her! Is my favourite to ride but is probably the one with the potential to unnerve me the most - she has her moments but she has equally saved my bacon a few times too! She turns her hoof to anything. Has given me lots of confidence jumping and is very genuine. Too strong for me to hunt (she’s a proven big country FM horse) she is an absolute machine. Never refuses, is a school master in many ways but can be sharp. She is probably too good for me but she has bought my riding on a lot and I’m sure she would/will continue to. I think we will develop and progress together. She loves to jump and do clinic, sj and event. I struggle with her brakes when hacking out in company/hunting and even sometimes alone.. FYI I’ve tried every bit going and had specialist dentist etc) she is highly competitive. She is prone to ulcers but I manage it through her diet and routine, she can be rather moody but is probably the most obedient horse I own, first to me in the field but is very much the lead horse of the others. I don’t trust her like I do my hunter. She purposely kicked me once out in the field (approx a year ago) but that said it was out of character and i dropped her straight at the equine vets and her ulcers had flared up so I think it was her way of telling me so. She hasn’t done anything since. She isn’t as loving as my other horses but can tell in her eyes she wants to be loved if that makes sense. She is perfectly compliant but is a cold but equally not unfriendly sort of horse. She has to have a routine and would probably be the one pacing the fence and stressed if bring in/turn out was excessively late. She thrives in routine (don’t they all) She was at a competition yard all her life before me. I probably won’t hunt her anymore and she isn’t suitable for side saddle.
The ideal would be to have just one horse that is the perfect all rounder for me (which is what I plan to make the youngster into and both my older horses are doing a great job of bringing youngster up on their part. we have a couple of people on livery so reducing down as much as to one horse wouldn’t be an issue)
My question is - am
I crazy for considering this? should I be keeping all three? I know I am very lucky to have such wonderful horses that get along and each have a job
Or should I be realistic and downsize and if so who should go?
Or should I be looking to rehome them all and find the perfect all rounder (if there such a thing ?)
I’m just so torn! If time and money weren’t an issue there would be no question that I would keep them all but I could really do with making life easier for myself. I feel like I’m spinning so many plates I’m not spinning any single plate as well as I should and trying to juggle 5 x kids, 3 x horses, work, house, garden etc seems near impossible.
Btw I do a bit of everything mainly hunt, side saddle, hack, jumping clinics. I am however hunting less as I just don’t have time (and I can’t justify taking a full day out to hunt plus a full evening hunt prep on a regular basis)
Thanks so much for listening to me ramble on, advice much appreciated
I own three amazing horses that all live at home. I am self employed, work from home & have young children, husband works a lot and have very limited help/support. I LIVE for my children and my horses and it breaks my heart to even contemplate this but head over heart I have limited time, funds and my children are growing up before my very eyes at a rapid pace.. so it’s my intention to look at downsizing my number of horses.
The problem is each of them are wonderful people and are very much part of the family and have their own job/purpose
I have a strong chunky 15 yo ID that I’ve owned for 10 years he acts like a 7yo. We are completed bonded, have mainly hunted together but his jump is capped at 80cm (ish) for courses and probably 1m for a one off with the wind behind him he’s a middle/heavy weight type and just not made for the big fences but if he would be could. He tries his heart out for me. We hunt and side saddle together. He doesn’t do much (if anything) to improve my riding ability but he is so easy. He has seen me through my pregnancies and really is my best friend on four legs. He doesn’t mind the schooling and goes well in an outline but lives for the hunting field. He is basically my hunter and hack. I think he’s too old for me to consider moving on (if I could bring myself to it. FYI he has no health issues and doesn’t act his age in any way) He is as bonded to me as I think a horse can be and in the 10 years I’ve owned him he’s really come into his own. I don’t think there is anything he could ever do that would unnerve me, we just know each other so well. my instructor says that the professional riders she’s seen ride him he doesn’t respond to under saddle like he does for me. We are very much one team. Because he is such a big boy he takes a lot to keep fit
I also have a 2 yo Youngster unbroken, gorgeous inside and out, amazing to handle. (Its always been my ‘dream’ to produce my own horse. The idea is that he will eventually be my ‘one amazing all rounder’ and will replace both current horses when they retire) Because of this I don’t feel like he can be moved on either. Plus if I sold or semi retired both other horses I would be potentially without my own ridden horse for the next 2 years.
That leaves me with my beautiful 12yo mare, sj/eventer all rounder. Very talented! Cost me a fortune when I bought her two years ago. I love riding her! Is my favourite to ride but is probably the one with the potential to unnerve me the most - she has her moments but she has equally saved my bacon a few times too! She turns her hoof to anything. Has given me lots of confidence jumping and is very genuine. Too strong for me to hunt (she’s a proven big country FM horse) she is an absolute machine. Never refuses, is a school master in many ways but can be sharp. She is probably too good for me but she has bought my riding on a lot and I’m sure she would/will continue to. I think we will develop and progress together. She loves to jump and do clinic, sj and event. I struggle with her brakes when hacking out in company/hunting and even sometimes alone.. FYI I’ve tried every bit going and had specialist dentist etc) she is highly competitive. She is prone to ulcers but I manage it through her diet and routine, she can be rather moody but is probably the most obedient horse I own, first to me in the field but is very much the lead horse of the others. I don’t trust her like I do my hunter. She purposely kicked me once out in the field (approx a year ago) but that said it was out of character and i dropped her straight at the equine vets and her ulcers had flared up so I think it was her way of telling me so. She hasn’t done anything since. She isn’t as loving as my other horses but can tell in her eyes she wants to be loved if that makes sense. She is perfectly compliant but is a cold but equally not unfriendly sort of horse. She has to have a routine and would probably be the one pacing the fence and stressed if bring in/turn out was excessively late. She thrives in routine (don’t they all) She was at a competition yard all her life before me. I probably won’t hunt her anymore and she isn’t suitable for side saddle.
The ideal would be to have just one horse that is the perfect all rounder for me (which is what I plan to make the youngster into and both my older horses are doing a great job of bringing youngster up on their part. we have a couple of people on livery so reducing down as much as to one horse wouldn’t be an issue)
My question is - am
I crazy for considering this? should I be keeping all three? I know I am very lucky to have such wonderful horses that get along and each have a job
Or should I be realistic and downsize and if so who should go?
Or should I be looking to rehome them all and find the perfect all rounder (if there such a thing ?)
I’m just so torn! If time and money weren’t an issue there would be no question that I would keep them all but I could really do with making life easier for myself. I feel like I’m spinning so many plates I’m not spinning any single plate as well as I should and trying to juggle 5 x kids, 3 x horses, work, house, garden etc seems near impossible.
Btw I do a bit of everything mainly hunt, side saddle, hack, jumping clinics. I am however hunting less as I just don’t have time (and I can’t justify taking a full day out to hunt plus a full evening hunt prep on a regular basis)
Thanks so much for listening to me ramble on, advice much appreciated
