Too many horses for 1 person??? WDYT?

Why do people who can't be bothered to care for one horse adequately collect several ? I don't understand those who say its none of anyone's business. Turning a blind eye to poorly cared for horses is distressing, I can't do it.

I don't think anyone is criticising owners of multiple horses who provide good care.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Why do people who can't be bothered to care for one horse adequately collect several ? I don't understand those who say its none of anyone's business. Turning a blind eye to poorly cared for horses is distressing, I can't do it.

I don't think anyone is criticising owners of multiple horses who provide good care.
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Absolutely.

The thread establishes, early on, that there is no problem whatsoever with people owning/acquiring any number of horses providing each one is equally well cared for. The issue is people who collect horses without giving each one that level of care.
For some people, even one horse is too many. They just don't understand what is involved in caring for a horse.

OP was asking for views on the scenario where people acquire more and more horses without being able to provide good care for them. And then there's the indiscriminate breeding. Sorry, but I see this all over the place and my view is that it is just irresponsible.

Multiple horse ownership is not a problem in itself and some people seem to be getting the impression that they are being criticised just for having several horses. This is not the case.

I don't know what the answer is tbh but I think that the world would be a better place if people did not collect/hoard/breed horses without the means to provide high quality care.
 
I have six , three are competing and two I can hack out ,the third was a brood mare.

They are well looked after and want for nothing. I have a friend who competes occasionally on two of mine.

As my youngest horse is now 17 I will be looking for another youngster to take on.

I think if you can afford them then it is up to you how many you have.

As for others riding yours, then if that can happen it gives someone else a chance to ride if hey do not have their own.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Why do people who can't be bothered to care for one horse adequately collect several ? I don't understand those who say its none of anyone's business. Turning a blind eye to poorly cared for horses is distressing, I can't do it.

I don't think anyone is criticising owners of multiple horses who provide good care.
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This is something which really irks me and OP I can see where you're coming from. I desperately want a riding horse, this would take me to 3 and run me financially into a very difficult place so I haven't got 3. I've been told many times by people just to go for it and get the 3rd, I won't, because it would be wrong to do so.
 
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I spent most of my youth riding other peoples ponies, either because their children had lost interest or because I had more time and I am very grateful to those people. In my 20-30's I rode 5 days a week and worked full time and then I had my children so they came first. I am now one of those people who have a field full, they are all wormed trimmed, vaccinated and I have managed over four for the last 20 years, worked part time and had two children.
Whether you have one horse or 12(did I say 12) it takes commitment, I have been on livery yards where it has taken someone till 11.30 to feed, muck out and turnout their one horse where as all my six at the time where all done by 10.
My standard answer when someone comments about how many I have is, 'I am not having an affair, not an alcoholic and not spending in the shops everyday so leave me alone'. I also think there is something of a class thing, if I owned a country estate no one would think twice about me having a menagerie, it just some people that live on estates think that everyone should have their lifestyle, if I played polo I would need at least 6.
If someone had offered me the chance to ride their horse I would have jumped at it before I had the children, owning your own does get you into a bit of a rut and I used to have lessons as well. I also think that people who have only one horse become very over protective, the horsey equivalent of being house proud, for ever worrying about the slightest change in the weather and if its lame its almost as if its died. Someone I know horse went in a ditch when I found her in the dark I wondered if she or the horse had been attacked the amount of wailing and noise she was making, two hours latter after more histrionics than a death in Downton Abbey he calmly walks out of the ditch where he got in.
I would be grateful of the opportunity, the cheapest horse to ride is someone else's.
 
I know of several people round here who buy, sell, breed or swap horses regularly. Their horses have a rather rough life, but aren't reportable welfare cases. I don't know if the owners work or what their financial situations are as I don't know them well enough, but I don't care anyway whether they are on benefit or working.

How people afford their horses is absolutely no-one's business IMO.

They don't keep the horses as I would, but as they are their animals not mine, I stay out of it, unless it's a case of neglect which I feel should be acted on. I also think it's not on to publicize other peoples' personal finances on a forum.
 
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