Teenage disinterest

TBH I blame the parents. ;-)

OP you can't buy an animal that could live for over 30 years for a child and expect them to feel the same about it through
- school
- university
- moving out
- having relationships
- starting a career
- getting married
- going travelling....
- whatever

No one at the age your daughter was when the horse was bought can, IMO, have the maturity or certainty around their future to make such a long term expensive and time consuming commitment.

If an adult buys their child a horse it is the adult's horse until agreed otherwise. They are just lucky if they share enjoyment in whatever child and horse do together.

Your daughter will be leaving you soon enough. This is a precious time for you to enjoy being a parent in the way you currently are for the last time. Enjoy it.

And, once results are known, have a little think and a quiet talk with your daughter about the horse's future.

And if you're so hung up on it competing to its current potential get out there yourself :-)
 
OP I regret the day I gave up horses,and would never do it again!I was 15 years old left school and getting ready for college as well as haveing a job and an idiot of a boyfriend who didnt like horses.I eventually gave up as couldnt cope with the pressure(yes even at the age of 15/16)and I just wanted a little break,which I never realised would be until I was 19(ok only a little while but long enough).Eventually I did buy my very own first horse,a gangly 18 month old cob x tb who is now 7 this year and shes absolutely stunning and shes taught me a heck of a lot in life and I would never sell her.But my partner now whom ive been with for 10 years is very understanding and enjoys spending time with them so much so he bought me another horse who he loves ;).Anyway my only advice would be...It sounds like she has a lot of decisions to make in her life at the moment and I think she knows deep down inside what she might want to do about said horse,And knows how much a commitment he is as she and him at one point were comitted to eachother and she clearly does love him.I think as a parent stick by her and just give her a nudge every so often as a wake up call and a reminder of what she wants to do.Or as wicked as it sounds find him a reasonable owner and tell her you sold him and see what her reaction is?;).But honestly good luck in what ever you decide and hope your daughter eventually if she does love him decides what you and her is best for him :) Sorry if ive waffled in im on a night shift and not slept along with a headache :(
 
I would love a horse like that. I started riding when I was 3 and always wanted my own pony. However my parents aren't horsey and couldn't afford it. I used to get riding lessons once a week or fortnight. In between I used to ride whatever I could.
My parents bought me a foal :eek: on christmas day when i was 9. Luckily they bought it of the yard next door who were a breaking/ schooling yard and stud so they helped us a lot with the pony. Not a very good idea on paper!
I got a pony on loan when I was 10 from a girl at the pony club, who was very naughty. He broke my nose the first week I had him, but eventually he became really good.
I outgrew the loan pony, and by this time the foal had grown up. I remember everyone at pony club and school had fancy j/a ponies and i had newly broken 4 year old! However he was a brillant pony, and ended up doing some BSja.
I sold him when I was 16 :( as I wanted to event. I bought a horse in the end from my neighbours again, a 16.3hh tb X wb who was very quirky. Turns out he had a kissing spine :( He had the op and has evented but I don't see him going higher than BE90. I can't sell him, but my dream is still to event one day!

I bet my poor parents wished that I lost interest at one point! :D :p
 
When I was 18 I loved my scruffy pony (what I would have given for him to be able to compete at any level though), but found it really difficult to cope with A levels, a boyfriend and health problems (asthma). We loaned him out for a few months which gave me a break.

But the biggest disaster was we had to then part with him as I was going to university. For various reasons he went to a dealer and I never found out what happened to him (although I hope he found a nice home as the dealer was keen to have him and didn't pay peanuts). Took me 27 years to get back in the saddle again.

He sounds like a pony you could get a keen loaner for which would give your daughter a break. Or maybe a share so that she could still ride him when she wants to. Thn he would be fit to compete. But I think that competition may just be too much pressure On top of everything else at the moment. I seem to remember being a teenage girl was hugely stressful in the 80s, and it seems so much worse now.

Paula
 
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