those with more than one horse

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littlen

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How much more difficult is it?

How do you ensure both horses are ridden equally?

Cost wise, is it generally just double everything?

How.difficult is it if you work shifts?

Thanks
 
I have two, and quite miss having one! Its hard to ride both properly - I find that I do shorter rides with both rather than the longer rides that I did with one. Things like tack cleaning, clipping and trimming seem like much bigger deals - I like to do both at once. Plaitting for shows is a longer job. Their stuff takes up more room in the car.

Cost wise it is double. Could be more if the new horse needs more insurance or food... My second horse needs shoes more often than my first too!

I work shifts - but am away from home and my husband looks after them. I guess you'd just have to organise for two rather than for one...
 
Mine live out so on the looking after side, its not much different.
Ponies are both good-doers and similar weight/height so costs are doubled. - had I gone for a TB or something, I'd spend more on food/rugs etc.
Riding wise - youngster will be backed this year so have struggled to do lots of handling with one and riding with the other.

When both are ridden, the aim will be to ride and lead - taking turns about as to which is the ridden horse, so can go for longer hacks to get them fit.

I wouldnt be without ewither of them, but it was definitely way easier with one.
 
I have two - I actually think it's easier with two of them! They have company in the field instead of having to have individual turnout so they are allocated a larger field, more space to stretch legs and a hedge for shelter. Bringing in and turning out is easier as they provide security for each other.

I'm less obssessive about the little things as I have to spread my time across them both, worry less about a not so good hack or schooling session on one etc etc.

When I was younger my sister and I always had lots of ponies to ride for other people as well as our own each so only having one horse felt very strange to me!

Sometimes (especially in the winter when it's dark and cold riding after work) I wonder what kind of glutton for punishment wants two youngsters to bring on at the same time but I wouldn't swap them :)
 
Have recently gone back to two and yes cost wise double everything other than the new one is a good doer so will not need so much hard food.

One is on holiday at present but once he is back in work will have to plan carefully to balance working them both as well as working full time and being around enough to have a home life. It is going to be a balancing and juggling exercise with some days being lungeing I think if the other one is ridden out.
 
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I have 3. One is retired, one is a baby (rising 2) and the other is just being brought back into work. They all live out 24/7/365 so not too bad. Have been bringing the youngster in for handling, normally can fit in grooming and riding the cob for 30 mins, bringing the baby in for handling and feed/hay plus bring in the big mare for grooming in about 3 hours - on my days off :) i expect when the cobs work load increases and when it comes to backing the baby it will take longer.
I work p/t mornings ony 8 - 1 4 x per week, then go and do my own horses and be back before 3.30 when the kids come in from school :) on these days i just ride the cob and feed
 
I'll never do it again - I had 2 when my old horse was ill once (so actually only 1 to ride!) and it was too much. I am definately a 1 horse person. I actually have 3 at the moment - but 2 are youngsters out 24/7 at home so easy and cheap. My riding horse is on livery purely for the facilities. Once my rising 2 year old is ready to be backed she'll be sold along with the other younster and I'll be back down to 1 again. Much prefer devoting everything to 1 horse.
 
I have three and to be honest I would love to go back to the luxury of just having the one. My lot live out 24/7 and at home, my grazing is poor. Two get ridden and one is rising 3. I love them to bits but some days it’s like a full time job. I didn’t intend to have 3 horses; I bought 2 to be companions for my Section D when we moved to France. After the drought last year, hay is scarce in my area. I have now run out and cannot source any that I would consider suitable for feeding to horses. I am now having to feed them all 4 chaff based feeds a day and a small amount of the French equivalent of horsehage, it is costing me a small fortune. It is such a tie, everything revolves around my horses routine. Its unplanned things like drought, hay shortages, illness and injury that can really throw a spanner in the works and tip the balance. Owning one horse is much more simplistic and definitely less time consuming.
 
I have two and find it very easy, but I deliberately picked a yard with a lot of facilities. I have access to an indoor, outdoor, walker, hot water and solariums, which makes it easier being able to get into at least one arena and washing down after working them etc :)
I work full time and manage to work both of them at least 5 days a week. If im pushed for time I will lunge instead of ride or ride one and lunge the other.
And yes the expense is basically double everything :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
I only have one, but would love to have another! Would make life so much easier with turning out etc. I'd get one that wouldn't need riding or maybe one that my cousins could ride every now and then, something small and a good doer as my current horse is a poor doer so would only double the livery.
I can't afford another one though and don't have time for a second :(
 
I only have one to look after, and I'm very grateful for that!

There are two sisters on my yard with SEVEN horses between them (one retired, one semi retired, two ridden ones (both need work), one just backed and two unbroken youngsters.

Since they got the newest three the two ridden horses have taken a huge backseat and have got worse. They both say that they wish they didn't have the youngsters so they could concentrate on the ridden ones.
 
I have 3, but they live out and aren't on livery so it's not really any worse than having one - other than more poo picking in summer. Costs more in trimming / forage etc, but my first of the three gets more hard feed and needs haylage (others get straw) so it's not tripled cost-wise.

Timewise, it's not too bad - I just prioritise handling and riding over other things (like tack cleaning!). It helps that one is young and not broken and one is 19 and only in half-work in winter - by the time D is being broken, I doubt I'll be doing anything more than hacking with J. I prioritise riding Fergs, but if I'm short of time he's not the type to be troublesome if he has a few unscheduled days off...
 
I have two. Whilst only one was in work it wasn't too much of an issue but now I have two to work properly I find it hard work. I work 9-5 and don't get to the yard until nearly six. By the time I've fetched them in and ridden one I'm looking at getting on the second at 7. It's dark and cold and I really don't want to!

In the mornings I get up at six and leave the house at quarter to seven so I can go and turnout out and muck out both my boxes.

Everything takes twice as long, and yes it costs twice as much! I miss just having one and I miss only having one to ride but what can you do? They're here now!
 
I have 4 at the moment. A little new forest Mare who is just a companion. The other three (Arabs)are all ridden (Endurance) and I compete all three. I find that once they are fit, and they seem easier to get fit each year that they do not need a lot of ridden exercise.

I will often ride and lead as I can do the mileage that way. The rest of the work is done through lunging, also I school while out on a ride.

Mine also live out 24/7 all year round so have a good gallop around.

Costs : I have my own land and the grass is good. I have one livery (A friend that has one horse at the moment but is getting another one soon) We also split things up, such as I provide hard feed for all the horses and my friend buys the hay. I also have the use of my friends small field (about 3/4 of an acre, which we use in the winter)

As they live out the cost of bedding is reduced. We have a field shelter and the can get into the stables if they want. These have rubber matting and a small amount of bedding in them.

I do not find it is any more expensive to have them on my land as it would cost me to have one on livery.
 
I have three and it is very expensive (full livery) and it was much easier being a single person of one horse....if there is only one of you I would say 1 horse is the best
 
Me & my partner have 3 between us. It works out quite well really. We split costs in half between us and all get equal attention.

I don't think I could cope on my own with 3 though it would be Just too much!
 
I opened this thread expecting everyone to be saying how easy it was doing 2, 3, 4, 5 horses as that is quite often the response on HHO :eek: And in fact was the response a few years ago when I was considering getting a second horse.

Due to HHO and various other encouragements, I did get a second horse, and it's really hard work having 2. My old boy has been off games for several months, so at least I haven't had to ride them both, but I have just started bringing him back into work, and it is tough finding the time to do them both justice.

I don't regret having 2 as I really wanted to have something I could progress & compete on, but if my old boy were still in full-time competitive work, I wouldn't dream of having 2 - and in fact when he goes, there is no way I am getting another one.
 
Mine belong to the 5...well 6 of us but muggins here is the one left to groom properly and they all have 'issues'....of course I could have got 3 'normal' horses lol
 
Thanks everyone!!

My first horse is on part loan so ive got it easy atm! However i have seen a stunning mare and have fallen in love!!
A huge pro would be that me and sharer could ride together, and she is young with miles of potential. However I am not sure of the practicalities of 2 horses when working full time!
 
Have always had two believe it or not. Returned to riding 9 years after a long break and bought my first horse 8 years ago. Mini TX tried to monopolise him, even though she was just 8 and he was miles too big, and I wanted him to myself so we loaned her first pony after six months or so.

To be fair I have really known no different so we just get on with it. I do enjoy having them both though and cant imagine having only the one. They are both good doers, even though one events at Novice level and feed bills arent an issue. They both will go out as much as the weather permits so bedding not an issue either. Its just double the bill for rugs etc as they are the same size, plus farrier and vet and clipping. In fact we can mix and match a lot of stuff, apart from our saddles. I think the only downside for me is when its my turn to do the horses before work and I have two stables to muck out at horse oclock, and the other liveries are done and off, after mucking out just the one, but its a small price to pay for the joy they bring. I would add that I only ride my own horse. I do ride Mini TX's sometimes and sometimes she rides mine, but thats about it.
 
Well I've come to the conclusion that either I'm a glutton for punishment or I've got a screw loose! Just added a 4th (yesterday) to the family. (See Breitlingh in competition riders).
Started with a Fjord for my then 9 year old daughter, got sick of walking or cycling beside her so bought another, a KWPN mare supposedly for me to ride! and then we bred from her and now also have her, rising 2, son. The 4th arrived yesterday and hopefully will be my daughter's dressage Grand Prix horse.
I also work full time and none of them are out 24/7 or on full livery. In fact the last few weeks they haven't been able to use the fields because of all the rain we've had. :(
Couldn't possibly sell any of them and to be honest I enjoy my time at the stables on an evening. It's hard work yes, but worth the time and effort they require especially when my daughter is doing well with her dressage competitions.
Feel as though I've come full circle as I had 4 ponies when I was my daughter's age. :)
 
TheoryX1 said:
... and I have two stables to muck out at horse oclock, and the other liveries are done and off, after mucking out just the one....
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When I'm working, I have mucked out and turned out my 2 & gone before most of the other liveries or the yard staff even turn up in the morning :eek: ;)

OP - if you have one on part-loan, then it certainly makes things easier - I used to have a girl ride my veteran on a Sunday & then poo-pick for me, which was a big help :)
 
micramadam said:
Well I've come to the conclusion that either I'm a glutton for punishment or I've got a screw loose! Just added a 4th (yesterday) to the family.
Click to expand...

Ha love it! :) i think i must deffinately got a screw loose then... I have 8 and all of mine live out all year round. I have 2 retired, an 30 year old arab (who so far hasnt had to have a rug on in her life) and a connemara. I have 2 shetlands who will be put to harness (when ive actually made the cart for them to go in. :) ), 3 welsh ponies who will be 3 in march (they were wild when i got them so they are just getting used to being handled and having saddles and things put on their back and being long reined. and lastly my riding dartmoor pony, who i ride whenever i can (weather permitting and if i can catch her) if she doesnt want to go or do anything i cant catch her.

so with all but the arab mine are all mountain ponies and live out with no problems. all i spend money on is hay in the winter and worming. It works out cheaper at the moment to have 8 than to have 1 or 2. as i buy big bales or make big bales of hayledge and buy large bulks of wormer etc and works out cheaper than 2 horses.

I spend as much time with them and even if its sitting in the feild with them they still get the attention they deserve.
 
I have just gone back to having one, from having three! And he's an unridden shetty do I really only have a half :) I've put my main riding horse on loan, and sent the loan horse I had back. I'm in the process of moving, and once I do I'd like to go back to having 2 riding horses really. I enjoy the challenge, enjoy building relationships with both. Cost and effort is doubled for def, but so is reward. I try to pick two horses that are similar, because I think if you had for example one fatty good doer and one thinny you'd struggle with feed routines. I think at the end of the day, if you have enough time and money then you should go for it!
 
I have 4 and all 4 are in work. The pony and my mare are ridden by others, I work full time and I honestly struggle in the winter riding 2 and working full time. I work from home twice a week and try to ride one in my lunch hour but it's not ideal as I have I hack to a school. We are currently looking to buy our own yard when I hope things will be easier. Won't lie, it's xpensive and a struggle in winter ? The only way to do it I think is livery or having them at home.
 
More money, more time but double the enjoyment....or stress at times.

And say good bye to a social/love life!

But I wouldn't have it any other way :)
 
Bet the answers vary depending on the time of year you ask this question! I have three but one is on full loan and at same yard as my mare. My mare is in at night and on diy and I have a gelding at another yard who lives out. I don't really have time to ride both of them so my mare takes priority and at the moment my gelding gets ridden once a week by me although one of my friends rides him occasionally too so maybe twice a week. So right now my answer would be don't do it! Ask in the summer however and it's great having two to ride especially if one or both are out.
 
JoannaC, time of year, you're so right!

I've got 4. They all live out 24/7. Easy peasy through the summer and funnily enough last winter with all the snow wasn't too hard either, but with this wet, muddy and unpredictable winter I'm struggling. My laid back little herd have all turned into special needs cases. Am seriously questioning my sanity at the moment!
 
I have 6; 1 is on loan, 3 babies and 2 I can ride. My ones I ride have been pretty much been turned away for the winter, I lack facilities... I lack a lot of things, including marbles!! Lol

I think u can work things to cut costs but you will always spend more time and money no matter.

I have a good friendship with all my horses, and they all have their own horse friends too so I think everyone is happy... bar my dad lol
 
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