Uumm what to do!! Free horse anybody?

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thatsmygirl

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Iv got a lovely highland x gelding who is the sweetest pony ever only 3 yrs old but not going to make the height for me, so what do I do? Selling is totally out the question full stop. I had thought about maybe driving him when he's older which I don't know anything about so would be a learning curve for both off us , or perm loan has crossed my mind if I could find the right home, and if I could they would in theory have a free horse as I wouldn't request him back unless he wasn't being looked after or they handed him back. But would anybody be willing to take a horse that needs backing? I know a lot off people would shy off because off maybe being used for the donkey work so to speak reguarding the breaking but I would be more than happy to pay for breaking if the people was not capable off doing it. What would you do if your youngster didn't make the height but you loved him so much you won't part with him (selling) ? Any ideas would be great, i know the problems with loaning but surely I could find somebody who would love him as much as me but give him the fun in life I can't. He really is a saint but has sweetitch
 
7-8 months ago I'd have bit your hand off ....

Couldn't afford tO buy, but offered (God willing) home for life to the right horse.

Nothhing around then that fitted, so borrowed money from work and bought my Lyla.... (rising 6 ish backed 6montjs)

Am sure there is someone out there that can offer what you want....

Draw up proper agreement tho :) to protect you, loaner and your horse

Good luck - sounds lush :) x
 
Donnie darco that's what I'm thinking, there has a be a person who can't afford to buy but can afford the up keep and have all the love to give. I know a few around my area who give their horses everything but haven't the money to buy but you couldn't fault anything they do as they really do give the best care to theirs and somebody like that is who I would like. Oh I would do everything properly but prob wait untill next spring now when people would be looking
 
I think you might have more luck with getting someone to do the backing in exchange for a "free" horse if you drew up the loan contract in such a way so as to guarantee that you wouldnt try to take the horse back unless there were welfare concerns. Your position is a bit different from the ones you normally see where someone wants to put one out on a short term/indefinite loan and expects a loaner to do the backing without any certainty of long term benefit.
 
Gnubee yes I would be willing to do the contract like that but there's so many things I think about and am quite scared off doing something wrong. I also think maybe it would be best to back him myself before I homed him so at least I can see how they ride and treat him as iv had people before view one I had for sale and had all the talk but could hardly ride, was really bad and wouldn't want him messed up, I could lightly back him but feel I'm to big to ride him long term.
 
if he is a highland cross surely he would be able to take a fair bit of weight? not asking how much you weigh but is it a weight thing or a height thing(long legs) he sounds lovely but i think we NEED piccies please!!!!!!!! if you love him and dont want to do high level competing couldnt you keep him?:D:D
 
Splashgirl45 it's not sure much a height thing even though I'm 6ft but it's weight. He's gona make 14.1hh and he's xd with a heavy cob but I feel deep down that he isn't going to carry my weight ( 13stone) all the want is the best for him but I know if I sold him it would break my heart so that's a total NO. iv never felt such love for a horse and feel stupid cause I miss him when I'm at work which makes me feel bad as iv got 7 horses but he has a special place in my heart. He's a real mummys boy and when he sees me his little face lights up and he runs stright up to me and asks for a cuddle.
 
well what a good incentive to lose some weight!!!!!! sounds like it will be very difficult for you to let go, but we still need piccies of your little superstar please!!!!!!!!!! might be worth asking a vet about how much weight he could take when mature...... if he really couldnt carry your weight, could you not keep him and learn how to drive? thats something i would love to do if i had the time/money/facilities etc....
 
Iv tried losing weight, lost half a stone but it just seems to go back on. Nobody believes me when I tell them what I weigh as iv got the height so don't look over weight ( size 12) driving is a idea I'm quite keen on as he's going to be a very good doer and driving around the lanes would be good for his weight and could be fun but iv never tried it as I prefer to be on their backs :)
 
I am in the exact same boat.
I have a section D who just isn't growing, she's stalled on 13.3hh and not the tank type. I am too heavy for her so I've considered driving and other options like you.

I'm only 5'2" so not too tall, I have realised that if I lost the flab (3 stone), we'll be just fine :D

Now I just have to figure out how to lose and keep off 3 stone!

Is there no way you can keep him?

Sorry doesn't answer your question, I've only replied as I'm in the same boat and have a solution that's different to anything you mention.

Not actually sure I can acheive it though :(
 
I'm 6'1", weight 12.5 to 13 stone and ride a 14.2hh New Forest.

All things being equal, I would have said a Highland, bred to carry up to 20 stone of dead deer off of the hills, would probably be OK with 13 stone of live rider onboard.

What height were you expecting him to make?
 
Sorry I've since read the replies and see that you are 10 inches taller than me.
I do think at 13 stone you will be find on a highland cob cross. I have a 14.2hh cob and he'd tank off with you no bother. I also used to have a highland, he was freakily strong :D

I am different, I am a wee tubby. I suspect at 6 ft, its close to your normal weight range for your height so losing the pounds like me isn't really an option :(
 
Welshie squisher it's awful isn't it?iv said the same, if I can lose 2 stone ( would be happy at 11 stone) I wouldn't have this problem. Maybe we both need to get the will power? To make sure we can keep and ride our little babies? :)
neilM that's good to know, so your lad copes ok? Silly question as you wouldn't ride him else sorry :)
so would you be happy backing/riding my lad at 13 stone? I thought he would make 15hh about because off the cob in him but at the mo stands at about 14hh
 
It is awful, I've had Lily since she was 9 months and she means the world to me. If that's not motivation enough to lose weight I don't know what is.

Your lad may grow more yet, if it was me I'd wait a year to see and also see if I could get my weight down.

Now its easy for me to say to you lol, but after not even a mm of growth in over 6 months, I have convinced myself Lily isn't gonna grow anymore and I read on here many Welshies reach almost full height at 2 :(

We could create a cyber HH diet club, I wonder if anyone else would join :D
 
He's gona make 14.1hh and he's xd with a heavy cob but I feel deep down that he isn't going to carry my weight ( 13stone
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* splutters thatmygirl ........... 13 stone will be no problem for him if he has the bone / build that will go with his breeding ;). My neighbour breeds them and hers are built like tanks As neil said ....The breed was "designed" to carry stags off the hills.
 
Hey what a good idea a HH diet club, we could all post our weekly weigh in's and support each other and share tips etc. :)
iv had my lad since he was 7 months so the same as you really and it's so hard but yep think a diet could just be the way to go, gona join me? Do it for our babies
 
Whoa there! Before you do anything rash, my Connie x TB(ish) was only about 14hh this time last year when she was 4. She was away being broken and I went to ride her and was gutted as she felt so little. She is now, at 5, probably 14.2 and plenty big enough for me.

Is there a rush to decide or can you hang on a year or so. He may surprise you yet.
 
Oh yeah I'd join you :D
I hope to god I can do it, it would break my heart to part with Lily. I wanted a welsh cob for only 19 years!
Well I don't think I would part with her, I think she'd just become a pampered spoilt petting pony :)
But not quite what I had in mind.

I suspect there may be a few on here that would go for a diet club, not saying anyone is fat honest (just me) ;)
 
It is possible. I have a 3 year old connie gelding who has just gone out on loan to a lovely girl, who loves him to pieces but her mother couldn't afford to buy at this stage. I had broken my youngster though and he was good out hacking in heavy traffic etc. Being a 3 year old he is obviously green though so the girl a long with her instructor will be schooling him on. I couldn't let my gelding be sold but at the same time I was really struggling for time having another youngster and I couldn't leave him sat in the field and only ridden occasionally. He is a fantastic pony with such a good nature and the loaners cannot believe their luck in finding him!
 
thatsmygirl said:
Hey what a good idea a HH diet club, we could all post our weekly weigh in's and support each other and share tips etc. :)
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As a middle aged man, with a weakness for wine gums, who has to watch his eating for the sake of his pony, I will offer only one bit of advice.

Cut out the cake, sweets and fizzy drinks, and at dinner time, don't eat until you could burst. :eek:

My personal solution was to replace lunch time sandwiches with a couple of bits of fruit, and my motivation is always the thought of Harry struggling under my vast bulk :D

As for what H and I get up to; Anything from local hacking to a jumping, including fun rides and holidays when we spend up to six hours a day exploring Exmoor and the Quantocks. He manages just fine and is never happier than when out 'exploring' and jumping.

Harry

DSC_0018.jpg
 
Oh wow Harry is gorgeous Neil :D

As for the diet, yes if I just cut out the crap it would come off naturally. My weight was fine for my pony when I bought her, plus she was meant to be bigger but I quit smoking 5 months ago and I piled on 2 stone in just over 2 months :(
 
Oh good lord, you're NOT too heavy! Highland X cob would be more than capable of carrying that weight, and more. Could also grow quite a bit, so you really shouldn't worry yourself. You sound like you'd be able to tell if your pony was struggling anyway, so for goodness sake don't stress about it, just enjoy your pony.
 
he sounds a stunning horse and you are obviously madly in love with him so why do you have to do anything? just keep him, look after him, take him for walks and enjoy each other's company. If you get around to driving great, he may well be up to your weight anyway. I suspect that he will be. Why not just leave him until he is about 5 or 6 when his back will be a lot stronger and he will be far more grown and back him then? There are lots of things that you can do in the meantime to educate him.
He sounds as if he is going to be easy to do anything with and it would be a shame to put him on loan and find you could in fact have ridden the grown up version.

In the meantime lots of long reining will teach him loads and do wonders for the diet :D (yours :D)

don't forget that horses don't have to "do" anything to be happy, I have 3 rescue horses all of whom came to me as youngsters and because they had been very ill treated they were unable to make it as riding horses. They are perfectly happy just being horses. :)

as someone said, enjoy him. There are lots of people who would love to have a horse that they adore so much. He sounds like a little star.
 
Thanks so much everybody you have made me feels lot happier about it, I'm not going to make the decision next spring now and am going to see what the next few years bring. :)
we already go for walks and he loves everything we do, I do love him so much and the funny thing is I brought him un seen and as soon as the lorry opened and I saw him I just feel for him and he's everything I could want.
NeilM you are right but what a soft spot for choc I have but yep I'm going to use my lad as the reason to lose weight and not let him down, oh starting Monday so best eat all the choc that's left in the house this week end :)
harry is lovely by the way a real looker :)
welsh squisher let me know how you get on, maybe a bit off support from each other and we could both do it :) good luck x
 
i love your pony neilm! i have a 14.2 connmara and thought i was a bit heavy for him at around 9 stone but when he bombs off with me and does 12 mile endurance rides i know we are ok! i wouldnt want any more weight on him so i try and keep active by taking the dog for long walks and cycling to the yard in the summer and having my main meal at lunchtime so i have more time to burn it off! i also tend to graze rather than have large meals,
 
Hi there,

He sounds lovely! I'd be tempted to go down the permanent loan route (you have the time to find the "right" person for him) and it could work really well.

I loaned my mare out a few years ago due to work commitments and.....nine years later, she is still with the same girl and loved as much as I do! I couldn't bear to sell her as I'd backed her etc, but due to work commitments and divorce (!!!!), couldnt keep her at the time. Katie who has her has done loads with her and its worked brilliantly.

Good luck!

x
 
thatsmygirl said:
Iv tried losing weight, lost half a stone but it just seems to go back on. Nobody believes me when I tell them what I weigh as iv got the height so don't look over weight ( size 12) driving is a idea I'm quite keen on as he's going to be a very good doer and driving around the lanes would be good for his weight and could be fun but iv never tried it as I prefer to be on their backs :)
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Oh dear, I was going to pm you as I love handling, but at the moment have to sell my boy, and just want something small to play around with, I would have thought a Highland would carry 13 stone, they were bred to carry stags down from the hills.
 
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