This might sound a bit morbid, but...

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Micropony

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Whilst I have no particular reason to fear imminent death, I want to make sure that if the worst happened my lovely little horse could have his pick of lovely homes.

He is a 5yo dutch warmblood and I would want him to go to someone who would give him a nice varied life as an amateur leisure competition horse and best friend. The ultimate all-rounder, if you like.

So I can say, hand on heart, the following:
Hacks alone or in company, goes first or last, good in traffic and open fields.
Goes in a snaffle at all times, never strong, spooky or silly.
Works nicely in the school. Went out unaff intro dressage for the first time last month, took it all in his stride and behaved impeccably, scoring over 70%.
Loads and travels well both alone or with another horse. Ties up nicely when he's out or at home.
Good to clip, shoe, for vet etc.
Stands nicely to be mounted
Nice stable manners.
Turns out alone or in a herd of geldings. Yard doesn't do mixed turnout, so no idea how he would be in a mixed herd. Happy to go on horse walker too.
Doesn't get silly if he's not had much turnout (miserable, but not sharp or badly behaved) or if he's not been ridden for a few days.

He is bred to jump, and is very good at it. I haven't jumped him myself yet as am still working on the basics on the flat, but had someone else teach him the basics last winter and they got as far as little 1m courses with fillers, water tray etc. I think I will be up to starting some jumping in the next few months and I would be aiming to get him out for some school hire, a little clear round and then maybe a bit of British Novice. Collecting rings at unaffiliated SJ terrify me.

We are heading out unaffiliated prelim next weekend, and if that goes well I am thinking about doing a local unaffiliated league competition thingy over the winter and possibly affiliating for the summer season as it gives us more shows and dates to choose from, and I am guessing the judging is probably more consistent.

I have no interest in cross country so that's not something I would want to pursue, although I had thought it might be fun to hire a course, show him the jumps and maybe have a little splash around in the water.

I am thinking we might try some low level endurance/pleasure rides, and then possibly a sponsored ride next year.

What else should I be adding to my list of things to do with him to make sure he would have his pick of lovely homes if I dropped down dead?
 
Sounds lovely! If you don't make it to Sunday, can I have him?? My mare is a brat and my other half kindly said to me the other day that if I dropped down dead he wouldn't know what to do with her because no-one would want her! I said that he was to find a home for my lovely gelding and then tell the new owners that they get a freebie appaloosa with the deal :-)

On a sensible note though I am guardian of my friend's horse in her will so if anything does happen to her I get the responsibility for sorting him out. It gave her peace of mind about the old boy we've both known and loved for many years.
 
Funnily enough me and my oh where chatting about it last night. He doesn't ride but is quite fond to my mare who I've only had for a few months. I said that he should sell her as I wouldn't want him tied to a hobby that isn't his own, he didn't think he could as he would be to attached to her. If he wanted to keep her and find someone to ride or loan that's fine but I think I would rather he sold her and used the money from that and all my stuff to build the hotrod he has always wanted. I want to know he is following his dreams.
With that in mind I better get cracking with her aversion to mud and puddles, she isn't know as 'the Princess' for no reason!
 
I had this conversation with my best friend just before I went on holiday. We decided she has full control if I die, but I'd like her to put my old mare down if for any reason she couldn't keep her, as I wouldn't want her passed on at her age, and she could sell or keep the youngster, seeing as she bred him he's partly hers anyway!
 
World Horse Welfare operate a scheme whereby you can gift your horse to them in your will. You need to be a member (but the top membership ranges include 3rd party liability insurance so good value anyway) and keep them up to speed on any chronic health issues. Oh, and leave a bequest too!
They will loan any suitable ones out under their carefully monitored loan schemes, but you do need to bear in mind that if the horse realistically has no future other than as a paddock ornament they might decide to PTS (in the horse's interest of course but with no emotional attachment).
They will supply the water tight wording when you enrol on the scheme.
 
I was saying the other month if for any reason I'm not around anymore my boy goes to my sister and if we somehow both going out together Ted is not to be sold or PTS and my mother is to keep him with my sisters (not horsey at all but we are getting there) and with help from others find him a suitable loaner or sharer but to stay on the same yard he will not under any circumstances ever be sold and that he is to stay owned by a family member and on the same yard he is now. May be selfish to some but even if I'm dead he's still mine as he will never be sold etc while I'm alive that wont change if I'm not.

Joked the other week with my mum that I'll write it on a post it and give it to her one day :D
 
AppyLover said:
I was saying the other month if for any reason I'm not around anymore my boy goes to my sister and if we somehow both going out together Ted is not to be sold or PTS and my mother is to keep him with my sisters (not horsey at all but we are getting there) and with help from others find him a suitable loaner or sharer but to stay on the same yard he will not under any circumstances ever be sold and that he is to stay owned by a family member and on the same yard he is now. May be selfish to some but even if I'm dead he's still mine as he will never be sold etc while I'm alive that wont change if I'm not.

Joked the other week with my mum that I'll write it on a post it and give it to her one day :D
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A horse is a big responsibility. Why would you want to force un-horsey family members into that? :S Assuming you wouldn't be paying for him forever out of savings, they would also have to put their own time/money into a passion that is not theirs.




As for my boy, my mum would take over his ownership and with the help of my best friend (and money from my savings!), ensure that he has a fabulous retirement somewhere on full livery where he can live out in a big herd, just be a horse. Both love him dearly, so would happily visit a few times a month to check he's okay and give cuddles!
 
I've got an agreement that in the worst case scenario each of my 5 horses already has a designated person (my 2 sisters plus 3 friends) who will take them on.
 
Mine will be PTS. I have no relatives so Solicitors will have to deal with everything ! Have left instructions but what do you do when there is no one to inform the Solicitors !
 
AppyLover said:
Ted is not to be sold or PTS and my mother is to keep him with my sisters (not horsey at all but we are getting there) and with help from others find him a suitable loaner or sharer but to stay on the same yard he will not under any circumstances ever be sold and that he is to stay owned by a family member and on the same yard he is now. May be selfish to some but even if I'm dead he's still mine as he will never be sold etc while I'm alive that wont change if I'm not.
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I think that's very selfish TBH. What if your mum couldn't keep him for any reason after you were dead. Imagine the guilt that she'd feel. Forcing your horse onto someone else under the condition that it'll never be sold isn't on.
 
With my last horse he would have been PTS as the chances of him finding a good home would have been nil. But this little chap is a joy and very easy and straightforward in every way so I would want to give him the best chance of finding a forever home with someone else. There's no earthly reason why he shouldn't. Family is not horsey, and my horsey friends either have their own or are not in a position to commit. But I would trust my friends and YO to choose a new home for him. Just looking for any gaps in my cunning plan to make him into the perfect all-rounder.
 
FlyingCircus said:
A horse is a big responsibility. Why would you want to force un-horsey family members into that? :S Assuming you wouldn't be paying for him forever out of savings, they would also have to put their own time/money into a passion that is not theirs.
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That's why I said to help find a loaner or a sharer :) to be honest I'm pretty sure I know who will have him in the end if it happened. She is my mother even if she paid someone to do it she would respect my wishes and do as I had asked, she sees them very regularly and they are like grandkids to her :) as that's the closest shes getting to them :D:D:D:D
 
OH and I have discussed this re Jay Man.

I have two people I would be happy for him to go to if they would like him, but OH is adamant he would be pts.

He is not the most straightforward horse, and has physical issues, so, as I will be dead, it will ultimately be up to OH.

TBF, if I die, I guess OH will have a lot on his plate. As long as he does not end up on the open market, where I doubt he would thrive, I am happy for OH to have the final say.

OH would never allow him to be sold on the open market, so although I do secretly hope he would allow him to go to one of the homes, if they would like him, it would not be as straightforward as a gift, so fair enough if he does not have the strength for all that and he PsTS instead.
 
SpringArising said:
I think that's very selfish TBH. What if your mum couldn't keep him for any reason after you were dead. Imagine the guilt that she'd feel. Forcing your horse onto someone else under the condition that it'll never be sold isn't on.
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Those terms are only under if both my sister and I were to die at the same time and I should probably have added she has agreed to this. I also have family members who are horsey and own many themselves :)

Completely respect your decision though as its not something you would feel comfortable doing :)
 
I've already organised where my horse will go should she outlive me - she is as important as my dog and cat. WE are all ata an age now where it will be a race as to who pops their clogs first.

I worry most about my cat as he doesn't like strangers at all - yet once he knows a person he will smooch. But you have to catch him first.
 
What happens if your designated beneficiary is in no position to be able to keep a horse at the time? It is a big commitment in money (yes, you could leave them sufficient) but also time, and they may have health problems of their own?
 
Micropony said:
Whilst I have no particular reason to fear imminent death, I want to make sure that if the worst happened my lovely little horse could have his pick of lovely homes.

He is a 5yo dutch warmblood and I would want him to go to someone who would give him a nice varied life as an amateur leisure competition horse and best friend. The ultimate all-rounder, if you like.

So I can say, hand on heart, the following:
Hacks alone or in company, goes first or last, good in traffic and open fields.
Goes in a snaffle at all times, never strong, spooky or silly.
Works nicely in the school. Went out unaff intro dressage for the first time last month, took it all in his stride and behaved impeccably, scoring over 70%.
Loads and travels well both alone or with another horse. Ties up nicely when he's out or at home.
Good to clip, shoe, for vet etc.
Stands nicely to be mounted
Nice stable manners.
Turns out alone or in a herd of geldings. Yard doesn't do mixed turnout, so no idea how he would be in a mixed herd. Happy to go on horse walker too.
Doesn't get silly if he's not had much turnout (miserable, but not sharp or badly behaved) or if he's not been ridden for a few days.

He is bred to jump, and is very good at it. I haven't jumped him myself yet as am still working on the basics on the flat, but had someone else teach him the basics last winter and they got as far as little 1m courses with fillers, water tray etc. I think I will be up to starting some jumping in the next few months and I would be aiming to get him out for some school hire, a little clear round and then maybe a bit of British Novice. Collecting rings at unaffiliated SJ terrify me.

We are heading out unaffiliated prelim next weekend, and if that goes well I am thinking about doing a local unaffiliated league competition thingy over the winter and possibly affiliating for the summer season as it gives us more shows and dates to choose from, and I am guessing the judging is probably more consistent.

I have no interest in cross country so that's not something I would want to pursue, although I had thought it might be fun to hire a course, show him the jumps and maybe have a little splash around in the water.

I am thinking we might try some low level endurance/pleasure rides, and then possibly a sponsored ride next year.

What else should I be adding to my list of things to do with him to make sure he would have his pick of lovely homes if I dropped down dead?
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i had a Will drawn up f.o.c as i was working at a firm of solicitors at the time and my horse was only seven and had no physical problems at the time. my y.o had took a shine to him and during a conversation joked leave me him if you die. so i asked her if she would give him a forever home and she promised she would so i left him her and a large sum of money in my Will. when i left the yard i tore it up. by that stage she probably wouldnt have wanted him anyway lol
 
Thanks FfionWinnie and SEL, he is a cracker! Don't want to be bumped off if it's all the same to you (!), but maybe I will just crack on as I am. I was secretly afraid lots of people would say things like 'well of course you must take him hunting, that should be part of every young horse's education if they are to be well rounded animals', and frankly I'm not sure they make brave pants big enough!
 
My parents know that if something bad happened to me that they are to keep my horse. I don't care if they let some professional loan him to compete as I don't think many amateurs would be willing to put up with his weirdness but they are not to sell him. I have a list of people though even amateurs who would take him despite his weirdness so it would just depend on who wanted him the most and would do best with him.
 
Ned would hopefully be kept as a companion at the yard until he had a vet bill that my parents didn't want to pay, then he'd be PTS. However, my parents could PTS if they wanted.

I would hope my parents would get in contact with Tamriels (the dog) breeder. They have a rescue set up for this very reason. A poor lady recently had to give up her pup as she was suddenly taken seriously ill and wouldn't get better. I'd like the breeder to find a good home, or for her to go to the people who own her full brother, as I know they love her a lot!
 
OP, what about doing some TREC?

It's also worth making sure he's happy to carry other riders- not necessarily novices, etc, but will go nicely for people other than you :)

I'm like you; I like my horse to have a decent CV in case the worst happens.

Aren't we a cheery bunch?!
 
Theocat said:
OP, what about doing some TREC?

It's also worth making sure he's happy to carry other riders- not necessarily novices, etc, but will go nicely for people other than you :)

I'm like you; I like my horse to have a decent CV in case the worst happens.

Aren't we a cheery bunch?!
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TREC! What a great idea, he'd love that! So far he's only had 4 people on his back, and the other three were paid to be there, so that's a good suggestion too, thank you.
 
I have just updated my will and left both horses and some money to WHW and our solicitor used their wording in my will. I'm hoping that old cob will be long gone before I am (he is probably around 30 at the moment) - although at one point this week we were fairly ready to kill each other. Young cob is only 5 and is fairly straightforward and so hopefully would find a good home. He is too small for my son and I don't feel that our YO could give him a home for life so WHW seemed the best option. I'm also trying to give him a good CV!
 
I have to update my will due a change of equines, but I appointed a guardian to oversee their rehoming. I didn't think it fair to bequeath them to anyone as, ashas been said, it could be a bit of an imposition but I don't have a horsey family and there are some people I wouldn't want to buy them so to protect them I appointed a trusted friend, if she wanted to keep them herself that would be fine but that would be her decision.
 
I was having a discussion about this the other day with someone

There are a growing number of people like me who buy cheap ponies as pets, I have always believed that they should be broken in well and experience a bit of life so they have a chance of a home if something happens to me or I cannot keep them for some reason

There are an alarming number of adverts appearing for sale for ponies in their teens that have never done anything and I personally believe I owe it to my ponies for them not to have to take such a chance in later life
 
If anything happens to me, I have left instructions that my mare could be sold as she's a fabulous all-rounder in good health, and my ISH is to be put to sleep.
He has numerous health problems, including a grass allergy and navicular and is quite quirky. He has trust issues and the only person who can sit on him is me (he turns himself inside out if anyone else tries to get on him), I know him like the back of my hand and I trust him, but he could be an accident waiting to happen in the wrong hands.
 
WelshD said:
I was having a discussion about this the other day with someone

There are a growing number of people like me who buy cheap ponies as pets, I have always believed that they should be broken in well and experience a bit of life so they have a chance of a home if something happens to me or I cannot keep them for some reason

There are an alarming number of adverts appearing for sale for ponies in their teens that have never done anything and I personally believe I owe it to my ponies for them not to have to take such a chance in later life
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i agree. i am appalled to see late teen to mid twenty horses for sale. even if my horse was physically fine (he is for what i do with him as he has had a lot of veterinary intervention) i would never sell my soul mate. he would go to retirement homing and because he needs regular work to keep him sound would probably only last a few months idle in the field as my vet has said as much. at least i know he would live out the rest of what life he had left in safe hands. i owe him this at least and a humane death eventually when it happens. until then he has a forever home with me.
 
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