Touchy Subject? Replacing your pet...

My mare was badly kicked Xmas eve 2004 and PTS New years eve 2004, had her for 4 years and was absolutley devastated. I went back to the yard I bought her from the following day as I did'nt know what to do with myself, to see the 4yr they had bred from her.

Thats where they introduced me to May, and I ended up bringing her home on the Monday. I would never have dreamed of going out looking for another, it just kind of happened and at least gave me something else to focus on.
 
My first horse was suddenly pts when I was 15, it was colic and very traumatic for me at the time watching him suffer for hours while the vet tried to save him. I found it very hard to deal with at that age. We started looking for another straight away, then my mum decided it was best not to get me another as I would have my exams coming up soon.

It left a massive hole in my life, horse wise and social wise (so many of my friends were at the stables). I had nighnmares about loosing my horse for years, I rode others but it was never the same. I never forgave my mum and dad for not getting me another, I felt like the had ruined my teenage years when having a horse is really fun (harsh maybe, but I still feel like that now). It made me very depressed as my life felt empty and like it had no purpose.

Then 18 months ago (9 years after I lost my 1st horse), I was left a fair amount of money and finally got to buy my dream. It was only then I got over loosing my first horse. Now at the age of 25 I hack out with all the kids, and do all the fun stuff I feel I missed out on.

If anything happened to my current horse I would definatly go and get another right away. Not to replace him as such but to enable me to carry on doing what I live for each day.
 
I went through a few horses because I couldn't stand to be horseless, yet hated them for not being my old mare.
Eventually gave up finding a replacement and decided to start looking at horses with potential for me to bring on and sell. Four years later I still haven't sold the first horse I bought and I'm not sure I ever would!
 
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I went through a few horses because I couldn't stand to be horseless, yet hated them for not being my old mare.


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I imagine this is how I would feel if I lost mine. She is a massive part of my life, everything is structured around her routine, I even chose to go a rather awful local university rather than a good one and rented a house locally so I could keep her at the same yard and still see her twice a day
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Although I cannot imagine having those horseless hours morning and evening I don't think I'd be prepared to sacrifice bits of my life like that for a different horse. I do all these silly things because I love B to bits and am prepared to give up my time and a chance of a good career for her
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but for another horse, no.

If I did get another one I would probably keep it on full or part livery if money allowed and have it purely for riding and competing when it suited me. I wouldn't sacrifice as much for a different horse, just as I wouldn't sacrifice as much for a stranger as I would for a member of my family.

I would also never let myself buy another Welsh Cob or any little black horse like her - it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to find an exact replacement, which will never happen and you'll only end up hating the horse for it which is unfair.
 
We had 5 horses and are now down to just 3. One was pts at 36 because he had cancer and we lost my husbands horse to colic at 26 years old. Although I was devastated by the loss of both horses I had to get up and do the other 3. I found it helpful and would try to find another horse asap. Am currently trying to persuade OH to let me buy another one I have my eye on. My old horse is 29 in January and I know I will find it incredibly hard to get over him when the time comes because I've had him since he was three and he is my betest buddy.
 
when i was 11 i was given (by a family friend) a wonderful welsh cob to bring on, and when i grew out of him, aged 15 my sister took him on and my parents bought me a horse. he was so different from the ponies i'd ridden up til then, he was sharp and a bit goofy at times. he was bl**dy hard work too. after my a levels i was offered a place at uni 300 miles from home, which i sort of knew i had to take - if i didn't i'd never go to uni, and never get where i wanted jobwise. we advertised beanie for sale, but as i came to leave for uni he hadn't been sold. and tbh i didn't want him to be either.
a few weeks into term mum phoned to say he was being vetted for someone the next day, but they would prob have him unless there was something major the vet found. when i went home for christmas (12 weeks after leaving for uni) the stable was empty, disinfected and bare. i was devastated. it felt as bad as losing one unexpectedly.
all thru uni i tried to ride out for people, i joined riding club and polo, and for all that it improved my riding - it wasn't the same. even when i went home and rode out on my sisters horse it wasn't the same.
talking to mum and dad about it i realised that it wasn't so much that we'd sold beanie - i knew deep down it had been the right thing to do, (he would have been to much for my sister, and the folk who bought him have him still, are lovely and have done brilliantly with him) it was that i needed that bond with a horse.
when i graduated, i moved home, sold my house in Aberdeen and sat on the proceeds.
i started exercising for people again, hunting youngsters for folk, and helping out on yards, hoping i'd hear of a nice one for sale, or come across a yearling i could buy for peanuts.... eventually this paid off, and i was offered a horse i was exercising. i jumped at the chance and i still have him now.

but god knows what i'd do if i lost him.... he's 12, only been lame once in 3 years and that cos he stood on himself, never been sick or sorry, always is so kind and laid back - he's perfect. i could certainly never replace him - even if i got another.
 
I knew that I was going to have to have my old horse put down before the next winter, and I went and bought another horse 6 months before I had him PTS. It didn't feel like I was replacing my old lad, as he was still part of the gang, and it gave me time to get used to my new horse without feeling like he was a replacement with a lot to live up to. No horse could EVER replace my oldie, he was quite unique!
 
I lost a horse about 8 years ago now in a really tragic accident. I was absolutely debvastated and vowed I could never love and lose another !

I lasted all of 3 weeks as I didn't know what to do with myself... 8 years down the line I still have Boo and she has been the best horse ever.. You don't replace the ones you lose you just fill the massive gap that they leave behind..

This time 6 weeks ago I thought I was losing Boo, Im not sure what I would have done if I had... she has a very very special place in my heart.
 
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