This horse owning is horrible!!!

It all sounds perfectly normal. After 26 years of owning horses i still worry about them now. I now 3 of them are toasty warm but i am worried that 1 of them might get a little chilly tonight as she is clipped out but she does have a thick rug on her so i know she won't but i still worry.
Enjoy your horse, it does get easier as you get to know your horse and you get to know what he needs.
 
Welcome to the club ;-)

Wait till it's 3am, tipping down with rain and blowing a gale. You'll start wondering whether you should drive 20 mins to the yard and put that thicker rug on....

Or you've left the yard for the evening and then you start questioning whether you shut the stable door/double checked that their rug is on safely etc!
 
ponypilotmum said:
you have a REALLY polite horse!

One of mine would be:

Is it dinner time yet?
Oooh itchy, I'll just push that fence over. Can't believe you put me in a field with HAY.
Is it dinner time yet?
Ach, another itch, I'll just slice my leg open.
Is it dinner time yet?
Move out the way I haven't eaten all day and my stomach thinks my throat's been cut.
Is it dinner time yet?
I'll just escape and help myself to the feed room if no-one's going to prvide something edible.
Is it dinner time yet?
Yes? Let me at it quick before the invisible monster eats it
I SAID stay away! Do not look at my dinner, I am starving!

Well, that was naff. I hate you.


Is it dinner time yet?
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Made me do an actual LOL!! Sounds like we have the exact same horse!!! Still love the little blighter tho! ; ) x
 
Where are you going with that bucket? It's empty you know, I just checked.
Hey, if you don't hurry up/move out the way I'm going to trample you
Wait, are you going in the feed room with my empty bucket?
I'm just going to pace the fence because I'm STARVING.
I dont care if you left hay out all night. It doesn't taste the same as unmolassed sugarbeet
Seriously. Hurry up. I'm about to die of starvation.
I swear, if you aren't out here in thirty seconds with my breakfast I'm going to eat the shetland.
Okay fine, maybe I'll just pull faces at her and stand here for a while.
Are you done yet?
BRB. Going for a gallop.
Oh, thank God, you're coming!
unmollassed sugarbeet and hifi lite? Are you kidding?
Don't even think about leaving without putting hay out
I swear, if you leave here and I'm still hungry I'll pull those faces that make people think I'm neglected. Don't think I wont.
 
ILikeThemHairy said:
So... I am now the proud owner of my first horse as a grown up (recently changed username if its confusing you!!) and this owning stuff is a weird business.

Is he too hot?
Is he too cold?
Im sure he looks thinner today?
He's not being very polite. Maybe its too much food?
He's never had a rug on, leave it off.
Its freezing, put one on!
Maybe thats why he looks thinner, cause all his food is being used to keep him warm.
Maybe putting one on will make him sweat up, he will definitely drop weight if he is stressed.
I wonder if hes making friends?
I hope he doesnt get picked on.
I hope he isnt picking on the others.
What if he doesnt like me?
What if he is so naughty the first time I ride him in his new surroundings I petrify my already slightly-wimpy self and never want to ride him again?
What if he turns into a plod and is no use for anything?
What if I ruin him?


Please tell me that everybody else goes through this??!! I am driving myself slightly insane...
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Glad I'm not the only one! As useful as these forums have been to me in lots of ways, they also don't help with the paranoia! I spent the first month convinced mine had lammi, ulcers, ill-fitting tack, was underrugged, was overrugged, was under-ridden, was over over-ridden, was under-fed, was over-fed, was not getting enough supplements... (although that's not to say I'm not extremely grateful for all the advice given to my worrying self :D)

After 3 and a bit months it is getting less stressful, although I still worry!
 
I'm terrified of buying Ned. Absolutely petrified!!
I'm lucky that I've known him for so long before I buy, so I'm used to his basic care and routines, but being his sole carer is scary D: I don't want to do it wrong and mess him up! He's so mentally fragile (Though thankfully physically tough) that it's very easy to put him back a step or two.

I'm sure we'll get through it!
 
Hello Nah, ooh good luck! When do you have him? I'm the same, I've known mine since he was 6 months old but his routine now is so different to his old one it makes me feel bad about changing it all and wonder how he will cope. How old is yours?
 
I'm with you on that one, Ellen Durow - 65 + years in and still anxious that I'll ruin whatever horse I am responsible for: also, thanks to anxiety- induced trawling of internet etc, now have far more to be worried about! Never had any neglect induced traumas though, or been reported to The Animal Welfare People - yet!
 
ZondaR said:
Still to come.....
Did his head bob? Is he lame?
Does that fetlock look puffier than the others?
Is that a bit of heat on that leg?
He was sound going to bed last night, he's lame this morning, should I call the vet or wait to see if he will get better himself?
Is the grass too rich and will make him lammy?

There is always something.
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Fabulous and so funny, we need to add......

There is not enough poo
The poo is too hard
The poo is too squidgy
Too much water drunk
Too little water drunk
The bed is too disturbed
It hasn't eaten up.................and then of course, the classic comment of
"he doesn't look right".

The wonderful world of horse keeping, never a day goes past without having a 'what if maybe' moment. This morning, for me, was the frosty grass question, turn out or not ?, the answer was to stuff it full of hay before letting it out to eat frosty grass, in the grand scheme of things I reasoned that if it was full of hay and had stretched it's legs before I ride it when the lanes have thawed, there is less chance of getting dumped by an over fresh horse that had not been turned out.

I am heading towards 40 years of keeping horses, I still worry about them,
but could not imagine life without them. I bred a foal recently and have another yearling, they could easily outlive me.....well thats another worry isn't it, because no one could possibly care for them like I do !!!

Time to stop worrying and enjoy our horses, we are all very fortunate to be in the company of our wonderful animals.
 
Ohh im with you on the poo one already!! Only he tends to scour a lot and his poo is getting harder so im actually quite poo-content at the moment. I cant believe I am even having this conversation on a Saturday night when I would usually be out drunk, instead I am too tired / dirty / smelly and know I have to be up early tomorrow to see him.

How things change!!

Had my first ride on him today though and despite lots of nerves, (almost!!) some tears, a bit of difficulty mounting up and a broken padlock on a tack box we had a lovely little hours ride out and all is well :) loving all of the replies about what peoples horses say!!

x
 
ILikeThemHairy said:
Hello Nah, ooh good luck! When do you have him? I'm the same, I've known mine since he was 6 months old but his routine now is so different to his old one it makes me feel bad about changing it all and wonder how he will cope. How old is yours?
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Thanks ^^ I should have him in feb! He's 11 or 12, I don't think anyone is sure of his birthday. Aw, I wish I'd known Ned as a baby, I bet he was so cute hehe!

I'm sure he'll cope fine, don't feel bad :) May take a little getting used to, but I'm sure you'll both be fine :D
 
Oh god I'm 6 months in and I'm exactly the same, I'm a natural worrier and he is my pride and joy so worry about everything!!!!
 
My first pony arrived last week and all I have done is worry! Just when I start feeling less anxious about one worry I think of another one - today it's 'did I ride him too soon after feeding?' (We only walked anyway so I don't know why I'm worrying!)

Good to know I'm not the only one though!
 
I'm 3 months in after a 25 year break :eek: and just beginning to chill about it a little bit. :D

I lost half a stone in the first fortnight though because I could hardly eat anything, I was so terrified by the thought of what I had done and the responsibility! :p

I'm most bamboozled now though by all the advice I'm getting -
You do need to feed her in addition to hay / You don't need to feed her
You don't need to rug her / you do need to rug her
You are using too much shavings / You are not using enough shavings
Your horse is fat / You are not giving her enough hay
You need to lunge her to build her back muscles / Lunging is bad for horses

:rolleyes:
 
ponypilotmum said:
you have a REALLY polite horse!

One of mine would be:

Is it dinner time yet?
Oooh itchy, I'll just push that fence over. Can't believe you put me in a field with HAY.
Is it dinner time yet?
Ach, another itch, I'll just slice my leg open.
Is it dinner time yet?
Move out the way I haven't eaten all day and my stomach thinks my throat's been cut.
Is it dinner time yet?
I'll just escape and help myself to the feed room if no-one's going to prvide something edible.
Is it dinner time yet?
Yes? Let me at it quick before the invisible monster eats it
I SAID stay away! Do not look at my dinner, I am starving!

Well, that was naff. I hate you.


Is it dinner time yet?
Click to expand...


Im still laughing at this!!! :D
 
Burmilla said:
I'm with you on that one, Ellen Durow - 65 + years in and still anxious that I'll ruin whatever horse I am responsible for: also, thanks to anxiety- induced trawling of internet etc, now have far more to be worried about! Never had any neglect induced traumas though, or been reported to The Animal Welfare People - yet!
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And then there's the waking up at 3am and thinking I should get up and go and check he's OK! Yes, I know its daft.:o
 
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