Talk sense into me please!

S

Silvermiyazawa

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Tell me it's the wrong time and I shouldn't even be looking at horse adverts.

I have a full time job, a nearly 3 year old daughter and I'm expecting another baby. So WHY am I even looking?? In the last three days I have seen two fab 15+hh who would have been amazing for me. Just now I have seen a beautiful 13.3 highland who instantly said "I'd make lovely mother/daughter share". Make me stop. (The highland thing by the way is the fault of the lady who posted the gorgeous pics of the highland exploring farm machinery!)
 
Not going to talk sense into you at all what you need is a lovely highland with a calm temperament and a jolly sense of humour

Best thing about them is that most can be left for months and will not turn a hair when you get back on they are cheap good doers who with short over grazed grass keep trim and healthy. Mine are great with the tiniest of kids and will perform at the top for the experienced rider so I wont talk you out of it
Whats more they can be taught to not be bargy will stand out of your space waiting for an invite and will adore as much fuss as anything
My old girl I once came down to her paddock to find her with a bright pink mane and tail with pink stars and every scrap of her mane and tail in plaits every one ending in little sparkly jewels where the local kids from the housing estate next door had decided she was a real live My Little Pony
 
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I'll try and stop :P

Whilst there are many pros of having a horse or pony there a quite a lot of cons too! I'll try and list some of them!

  • Initial cost of the horse
  • Livery
  • Feeding
  • Shoeing
  • Vet Care
  • Dentist
  • Vaccinations
  • Travel from work/home
  • TIME!! Especially with having two young kids. I work 8.30 - 5 Mon - Fri and only live 7 miles from my stables. I'm barely at home and my OH never sees me in winter!

Next list of winter cons!
  • Extra feed
  • Bedding
  • Hay/Haylage
  • Rugs
  • Freezing cold days/nights
  • Mucking Out
  • Mud
  • Rain/Wind/Sleet/Snow!
  • Having to travel to your horse in the morning to turn out, then back up in the evening to do the endless list of chores!
  • Drying off yourself and you pony!

I can think of a million more too :P
 
Haha you're a brave lady! I'm not a parent myself, but I think it'd be quite hard with two young kids! Has your little one ridden yet?
 
She has sat on and been led about on my friend's trad cob (loved it) but she hasn't had lessons or done anything formal. She announced she wanted a donkey, a pony, a bike and a balloon for her birthday! 2 out of 4 isn't bad (the latter 2!!). Obviously there is no point in doing anything whilst I am pregnant, the highland idea is a serious contender for the future though should she and/or her little sibling show real interest. Otherwise I will pinch rides and cuddles (and even get mucking out and (especially) tack cleaning fixes) from kind friends' horses.
 
While I can see where you are coming from and dont want to seem to be a killjoy, I think you should wait and see how you feel once the baby is here. We have had 3 of our liveries have babies over the last year and they are all struggling to keep their horses going. They have all had a lot of support from their other halves but are finding they are too tired to enjoy their horses at the moment.
 
Still not going to help much I am afraid
Highland pony lives out 24/7 365days a year no stables so no bedding etc
Grass livery is cheap
Farrier 4 times a year at most as she hack out on the roads and is barefoot
dentist once a year if needed which is very rare
feed is cheap too as she is a good doer so gets a mug each grass nuts, linseed and a bit of grass chaff and 250 grms roughly of soaked speedibeet
Cant eat hay as it gives her the runs so we only buy about 10 bales per year.
Hardy bunch so only needs annual vaccinations otherwise never see a vet
Wormers twice a year as I poo pick every day and in a closed herd
biggest expense is the initial purchase and well fitting tack they are a bit hard to get the right stuff for
Dont need much time as to keep the weight down they are on restricted grazing so ten minute to check over and poo pick I can do all four of mine in an hour including driving 10 miles each way to get to them.
They do love people if you get the right one and will spend hours just being your best friend and are like nannies with small children my four year old granddaughter was running with the pony trotting beside her when she fell over right under pony's feet I thought OH GOD but pony stopped on a sixpence and looked down to make sure she was ok. I am certain there are other breeds or other ponies this good but the simplest kindest pony I have ever met is my highland
She in her time has been county show champion, at in hand ridden and as a worker and has taught about 50 local kids to ride and love ponies. My granddaughter recently learned to canter on her Granddaughter was terrified of horses after she was in my car when we were hit by a run away horse, but she adores the highland she is the only one she will happily play in the field on and around

Took her out tonight with a beginner rider to x country training for the other pony and she had a whale of a time galloping around the fences and even popped over a small log the rider had a grin from ear to ear
 
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Pfft, I look every other day, I WANT a riding horse! Can't afford a 3rd, have no time to do a riding horse any justice, yet I still look.....

Sorry that was no use at all :D
 
Will also add I bought a Mare and foal when I was six months pregnant with my third child so had three children under five at the same time too
 
JFTD said:
My work here is done :D
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It's your bl***y fault!!

The one I have seen for sale is originally from a stud we passed on holiday and I thought, hmm lovely as we passed them in the field.

The sensible side of me is trying to shout wait until DD is 6 and new littly is 3 and see how keen they are (then get one for me anyway!!). I think it's the time of year, I get itchy feet.
 
Silvermiyazawa said:
It's your bl***y fault!!

The one I have seen for sale is originally from a stud we passed on holiday and I thought, hmm lovely as we passed them in the field.

The sensible side of me is trying to shout wait until DD is 6 and new littly is 3 and see how keen they are (then get one for me anyway!!). I think it's the time of year, I get itchy feet.
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Don't be daft - buy one for you now, then one for your DD and then another for your latest! That's how highlands work - you need more than one as other breeds can't understand their accents!

I honestly don't know how some people live without them! :D
 
JFTD said:
Don't be daft - buy one for you now, then one for your DD and then another for your latest! That's how highlands work - you need more than one as other breeds can't understand their accents!

I honestly don't know how some people live without them! :D
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Me neither I certainly couldnt and I have tried but failed miserably I need to sell my young one and it is breaking my heart as I bred her and she is wonderful
No amount of money would get the old girl off me though
 
windand rain said:
Me neither I certainly couldnt and I have tried but failed miserably I need to sell my young one and it is breaking my heart as I bred her and she is wonderful
No amount of money would get the old girl off me though
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Sell your soul to Satan in exchange for keeping her?

I would :p
 
I'm sorry OP, but this just isn't the place to be asking wether you should have a new horsey. All they'll want is pics of it arriving on your yard and your cute daughter riding it at the local show!!

Please.......:cool:
 
Elsbells said:
I'm sorry OP, but this just isn't the place to be asking wether you should have a new horsey. All they'll want is pics of it arriving on your yard and your cute daughter riding it at the local show!!

Please.......:cool:
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I did recently find myself Googling beautiful lead rein/show outfits for us both. Would secretly LOVE to wear the big skirt and hat *rolls eyes and sighs*
 
I would if possible but selling her may be all that it makes it possible to keep her mum and the little git who will have to be shot if I cant keep him so it his satans soul that will be on the line at the end of the day. OH made redundant and only scraping by this year if he hasnt a job over the winter dont know what we will do
We manage on a shoestring now so cant make many cuts. Still wouldnt be with them at all so 38 years and only proper three holidays when family inheritances paid for them and always doing the best we can on very little money has made me very frugal so if she doesnt go we will manage just
They never have and never will suffer any form of money saving neglect they always get the best and always will will just have to cut back on other things if I cant find her the right home sometime soon
 
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