vent/advice needed pls.

[noodle_]

I love my horse to bits, she happiest when shes got attention on her....i do enjoy riding to a point, but its got to the stage where we cant go out due to transport issues, and even when we go to a show she tries her heart out but shes so spooky as shes not getting out enough as is. (she dosent scare me btw, except hacking then shes pure dangerous so we cant/dont)

I bought my horse to compete with... (bring her on before that as shes 5), but we have been out a few times and done ok (qualified 2nd round dressage trailblazers with a death grip on the reins), took her jumping etc... she tries really hard. She was, however, backed at 4 and never turned away. i did consider turning her away this winter, but riding was going well and I have (had??), plans to do some winter jumping and some arena eventing through the year. However my job, and rising costs mean i just cant

Im NOT selling her, loaning her etc, but i do feel she would majorly benefit from a holiday. Probably given my job a very long holiday??? Im considering putting her in foal (TO KEEP)!! before anyone lynches me. This would give me 18 months aaway from riding, my mare a nice holiday and frankly a job which i know she would love (shes a slag always in season, and flirts with the poor gelding next door lol)

Mabey this is winter talking? im not a fair weather rider and will ride in anything, been having lessons etc, but both me and my mare have lost interest in the past few months of riding - even if we have gone out competing its good but im not sure im cut out for it.

Appologies for the ramble/vent.....advice/virtual slaps welcome.....

 

[AmyMay]

You'd be turning her away for two years if you put her in foal in the spring, and stop riding her now.

And if you can't afford to compete at a localish level - you probably can't afford to breed from your mare.

Winter is always difficult and it can be hard to remain enthusiastic. I have to say I always give the horse a holiday after the New Year, to give us both a break.

Why not think about doing a bit of hunting? Great, great fun and a great educator for you and the horse?

 

[PaddyMonty]

A break over winter is one thing, putting in to foal a completely different story.
It generally costs around £2k by the time you get a foal on the ground. You can do a lot of competing for that money.

 

[LaurenBay]

It is actually expensive to breed a foal, so you would have to think long and hard about that. Why can't you just give her some time off? Does she really need a "job" to do. I'm sure she will be happy just being turned out, with grass and company, until your ready to bring her back into work.

Plus if you did put her in foal, wouldn't really be a break for you as such. Infact you will probably spend more time at stables then you did before.

 

[polly1976]

If rising costs and your job mean you cannot compete or give your horse the time she needs, then i do not think putting her into foal is going to help.
Is your job likely to be any different time the foal arrives? You will have 2 to pay for, look after, school etc.
It is hard and i am no expert, but perhaps you should commit some time to more work with your mare in her current state (maybe a short break - couple of months) or perhaps the kindest thing to do would be to sell her/loan her to someone who does have the time and money to do the things you mention.
Hope you find a solution.

 

[noodle_]

sorry should have said; its not about the money!


I think its more the we both need a holiday

loaning.sharing is not an option. I could turn her away for upto 2 years if needed, happily, but i think id rather her have a job to do and also breed the type of horse i want while this happens (to be honest)!

she was backed at 4 and never turned away.... shes become very flat, I can take her out and shes the same.


Im also not after abreak from her...... just from riding/the pressure that comes with it. Shes by no means a superstar....

My original plan when i bought her was to breed in 2013 anyhow (to keep)!

Hope that clears things up a little.

 

[Phoebe]

I can only advise on breeding... I raised two foals from birth to 4 year olds and I still own the one and it is incredibly hard work. You literally cannot relax whilst they are tiny and first born and you cannot have a day off from handling them without paying the price later. The costs far far outweigh buying a youngster and escalate massively if you have them professionally backed like I did. It was an expensive lesson both financially, but especially time wise as I wanted to do it properly to try to assure their future. They are literally wild when born and I really didn't appreciate how much work they would be :/

 

[polly1976]

Well maybe take a short break and try again in the spring. You could just do a bit of work on the ground for the next few months, walking her out in hand etc to help with any hacking should you return to it.
Some horses never get turned away again once bought in to work. But as you know you horse better than any of us only you can tell if it is a break she needs. Good luck

 

[noodle_]

I will give it some serious thought yes

She does imo need a break, she would probably benefit from just chilling in the field, eating alot and doing not a lot else for a few months.

Mabey its just winter making me feel a bit eugh, but also currently in my life im coming to the end of my 3 year party (uni), and realising I have to have a direction in life and growing up, and riding isnt now my priority (horse stiill is!, but not riding her) hope that makes sense.

 

[AmyMay]

sorry should have said; its not about the money

However my job, and rising costs mean i just cant

Confused now....

Anyway, in your shoes if you're struggling I'd give her a break over the winter and then get back on board in the Spring. I wouldn't consider putting her in foal as to me it sounds as if it's an excuse not to ride etc. And if you don't want to do that any more you should consider selling her.

However, if she's just flat because she's bored - go out and do things with her. You'll both enjoy it and get your mojo back.

It sounds to me as if you just have winter horse owning blues.....

 

[Cuffey]

If your job is demanding and keeps you away from home you may have to consider sending her to a stud for the birth--is that affordable?

 

[ThePony]

sorry should have said; its not about the money!


I think its more the we both need a holiday

loaning.sharing is not an option. I could turn her away for upto 2 years if needed, happily, but i think id rather her have a job to do and also breed the type of horse i want while this happens (to be honest)!

she was backed at 4 and never turned away.... shes become very flat, I can take her out and shes the same.


Im also not after abreak from her...... just from riding/the pressure that comes with it. Shes by no means a superstar....

My original plan when i bought her was to breed in 2013 anyhow (to keep)!

Hope that clears things up a little.

Breeding is a mega hit and miss way to get what you want - buy it instead otherwise you will just build up a stock of 'nearly but not quite' youngsters! You obviously love your mare, but if she is by no means a superstar then you would be mad to breed from her anyway. There are an awful lot of average youngsters out there, for what it would cost you to put her in foal to a decent stallion (even assuming the very lucky senario of minimal vet costs) then you could buy something lovely that fits the bill perfectly for you for that amount of £. Also, if you are hitting some niggles with your mare and find it hard to fit everything in now, then expect to find it 100 times harder with a foal on the ground (assuming everything goes well).

I would give her a break for a couple of months and then start picking things up again. Perhaps you know of a good instructor who might be able to help you see how you could motivate her? Some things just turn horses off, maybe trying different activities might help her find enjoyment again? Fun rides and endurance really light my mare up! Would prob be also worth having a vet check to be sure she isn't running a bug or has a health/soundness problem that could be causing this.

 

[noodle_]

yes ^ theres no way id be doing a home birth for the first. I will be around at that time but im no way experienced enough to deal with it.

 

[AMH]

Sorry, probably going to sound a bit harsh here but if you're struggling to muster the enthusiasm to do one, how will it be when you have a youngster to bring on AND your mare to ride? Since you say loaning/sharing is not an option, I assume you intend to do it all yourself...

If I've read correctly and you're just finishing uni, it's a big decision to tie yourself down with a mare and foal just at the moment - one horse is easy enough to move but it's a devil's own job to find competent people who don't cost the earth to keep foals.

 

[noodle_]

lol dont appologise i posted on the forum to get all views



I bought her to compete. We cant have our own transport for a long time off yet, and blagging lifts once a month is a huge task so it puts a massive downer on things.

I think my other issue is if i cant compete i dont want to ride bratty but i pay for her, and work my backside off for my horse but I want to go out more but cant. (nothing to do with the cost....its locating/booking transport etc), thats demotivating in itself.

thanks for you POV

 

[joeanne]

Foals are cute, fluffy and HUGE amounts of hard work, time and effort to get a well balanced individual out of it.
Unless you have an exceptional mare, I wouldn't bother.
If she needs time off, give her some, but don't use it as an excuse to produce what could turn out to be yet another unwanted foal.

 

[Kenzo]

Turn her away over winter and bring her back to work in Spring/Summer time, this gives her a break (time to mature mentally) and you'll probably feel more up for it (all guns blazing) when summer arrives, where you'll have more time to focus on her training and she might of just done a bit of growing up in the meantime.

I think putting her in foal will only set you both back further.

Remind yourself why you bought her, did you buy her to breed with or bring on and compete?

A horse can come along way in a year, there will always be set backs with some youngsters, they can be a dream at 4 and nightmare at 6, you just have to be patient and not give up, focus on the positives.

Start a fresh in spring and set yourself some goals for next summer.

 

[AMH]

lol dont appologise i posted on the forum to get all views



I bought her to compete. We cant have our own transport for a long time off yet, and blagging lifts once a month is a huge task so it puts a massive downer on things.

I think my other issue is if i cant compete i dont want to ride bratty but i pay for her, and work my backside off for my horse but I want to go out more but cant. (nothing to do with the cost....its locating/booking transport etc), thats demotivating in itself.

thanks for you POV

I have exactly the same problem. I must admit that not having my own transport does limit my options, and blagging lifts is a pain.

I have a full time job and live half an hour from the yard where my little mare is on full livery. Last week I didn't ride at all during the week due to the usual Christmas goings on with work. But I accept that it's going to be like that at the moment. It's the most miserable part of the year, we're in the depths of winter. But I just ride when I can and don't beat myself up about it. Once Christmas is out of the way I can get on and start to build towards the Spring, and maybe get some competition done on the way.

I know I can't compete without all the prep work, it's part and parcel of what we all do. So fo now I'll focus on that as much as possible.

 

[noodle_]

thanks all

FWIW when the times right i plan to breed her with http://www.stallionsonline.co.uk/stallion_38868.html

or very similar.

I will sleep on it (for a while!) and talk to some more people, breeders etc too as well as my instructor.

 

[MissSBird]

Without wanting to sound like the harsh bell of reality, if you're getting towards the end of university the last thing you want to do is breed a foal. Don't do it.

If you are in a four/five year degree, then you don't have any idea whats about to hit you pressure and time wise. If you're just finishing you're last year...well to be frank I've also just finished and the world out there is tough. If you're a normal student, to find a job (unless you are very very lucky and already have something in which case ignore this entirely) you will probably spend months (if not a year) searching and have to relocate to wherever that job wants you to go. That's stressful enough with one horse, nevermind with a foal included. Not all livery yards will allow foals and youngsters as well, so that makes moving very difficult.

Also, as others have pointed out, as much as you adore your mare the reality is that she has no competition record and a history of less than ideal behavioural characteristics. She's not a prime candidate to be bred from, and with so many unwanted horses out there we all have a duty to control and stop excessive breeding.

If you want something to work with, why not consider a youngster with the bloodlines to be what you want, or an ex-racer to work with and restore to be a good riding horse. There's an awful lot of satisfaction in that!

I'm the same as you; I find it difficult to be motivated without competitions. And I'm now considering a phd, which means no competing for three years and cutting out as many costs as possible. I'm worried about motivation, but I'll be doing my best to keep going by setting other goals. For example, the 101 jumping/schooling/dressage exercises books are fantastic for ideas and I'm setting out to try and master those. I'm also going to look into doing alternative sports with my horse to train him for other things, specifically horse boarding as my sister is interested in the boarding side of it. If you can try and find other goals not directly related to competition, you will hopefully be able to conquer the demotivation monster!

Good luck!

 

[noodle_]

^ thanks

I already have a job (and its going full time in june).

Ive had an ex-racer, they are not for me...! Lovely horses but no.


Im sure i bought that book y akno!,,,, will go on the hunt for it... Mabey its winter and ive utterly lost motivation.......i ride in all weathers - hail/rain etc

I will consider giving her a month/two off and see how she goes and then get back on her. It may be just she needs a break as much as I do from being ridden.

Thanks for the advice.