Views on not riding your own horse

056775

056775

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People seem a bit split on this, do you think its bad management to own a horse that could be ridden and not ride it - provided that it is looked after?

I have a pony that I could ride but choose not to as am too big for him although he happily take my weight I just look a bit silly, whats more I am not a fan of not having "sides" when riding!!

He's very happy in his semi retirement and I have just found a lovely jockey (after 5 years pretty much out of work) to ride him - but people are often shocked and horrified at all the money and time I spend to not ride him!

I also know some one who doesn't ride due to health problems and another because the shes a bit old. The horses are well cared for but neither have sharers to ride them when they could do.

Is it really that bad to have them as pets for what ever reason?
 
I have no problem with it

If the horse requires exercise (it's overweight, kept in for long hours-24/7 etc) then yes it's poor management if not exercising (not necessarily riding).

I enjoy having horses, when I ride it's a bonus, but not the be all and end all and mine are very happy doing what they want! :)
 
I know many people who have horses for riding and see them as machines. They're expensive 'pets' and shows real dedication to want to keep them as such. I think it's lovely
 
It's nobody else's business what you do with your horse, if you don't want to ride then you don't have to, if your horse is happy then who cares? :) I have a horse and she does get ridden but if I don't ride I don't feel bad because I know she's healthy and happy and although she loves working she's equally happy munching grass and galloping around in her field :)
 
At the minute I am only riding my pony on average about once a week which doesn't count much as riding really, at least not in my books anyway. However there isn't much I can do because I live away at uni, I try to come home once a week to see and ride him but that's the best that I can do at the minute, still during holidays I'm back to normal so it's not all bad!

But at the minute I do feel like he is an expensive pet, however like I said I have the holidays and only another year at uni so it's not forever :D
 
I'm pregnant at the moment so not riding mine (he's been off 2 months) and I guess it'll be at least 9/12 months before he gets back into work. Clearly I can't ask him but he seems happy as larry with his early retirement!
Out 24/7 when fields not under water and just brought in for fuss/ grooming - can't imagine why this would concern him in any way.

(agree with above tho if over weight or stuck in some alternative would be needed)
 
I ride a friend's horse who before she purchased her was a well trained jump prospect. She's only ridden her occasionally so she relies on someone else to do so. I've just started riding her and was quite shocked at how dull she's become because she's been used to hack out on for the past two years and has had absolutely no schooling. I don't think there is anything wrong with that btw but horse does have potential so I'm hoping to start having lessons on her to see if we can get her schooling back to a decent level as she could potentially make a good dressage horse.
As long as horses are not neglected and are well cared for, then someone does not need a reason to keep them :)
 
Totally agree BUT if horse wasn't in work & being kept as a " stable ornament" I wouldn't agree ( obviously not including horses on box rest , oldies etc )

muddygreymare said:
It's nobody else's business what you do with your horse, if you don't want to ride then you don't have to, if your horse is happy then who cares? :) I have a horse and she does get ridden but if I don't ride I don't feel bad because I know she's healthy and happy and although she loves working she's equally happy munching grass and galloping around in her field :)
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Its your choice obviously :) if you can afford to keep a horse like this and it is well cared for then I think this is lovely.
I do have a problem with people having horses and not caring for them but at the end of the day they are the ones pouring money down the drain to keep a horse they dont want
 
I have a serious health problem and for a few years had sharers to help exercise my horses. I moved them home last year and as they live out I haven't bothered getting anyone to ride them mainly because I haven't had anywhere to school etc. I'm having an arena built next week so I'm hoping to bring them back into work myself. If my health prevents that then one will be ridden by someone else and the other will be a field ornament. I've had them for 12 years + so I'm not going to sell or rehome them if I can't ride them. Either way I'm sure they don't care if they are ridden or not or who by, they are happy as they are.
 
I'm not riding mine at the moment because shes an absolute fruit loop. She is in 24/7 but gets turnout in the menage. I won't risk riding her as shes dangerous at the moment.

However she is moving yards on Sat, so hopefully I will be back on board again soon.
 
I do think some level of exercise is healthier for horses it keeps their joint moving and should help to keep ( if done well ) their back and abdominal muscles in good shape .
But it's a big jump from thinking that to saying its wrong to keep a horse and not riding, provided the horse is well cared for and comfortable and happy and the owner is enjoying it then it's nothing to do with anyone else .
 
The owner of my share horse hasnt ridden in months now because he had a bad fall and has hurt his back, but he loves the horse to bits and enjoys seeing him every day - then he has me to ride him and he can be the proud dad watching us get better and better together, and competing for the first time next weekend!

I think a lot of people get pleasure out of being an 'owner' and not neccessarily riding, there is a lot to enjoy about caring for the horse and the riding isnt always the best bit.

As long as the horse is happy and gets some sort of exercise (whether that be T/O, horse walker, sharer etc) then who cares what other people think. A happy healthy horse is all that matters, whether you ride or not is your choice and irrelevant to everyone else.
 
Pink, my old cob, is actually owned by a friend. The hasn't ridden her for many years but still pays everything for her. Pink is AMAZING fun to ride but spent the previous 4yrs retired. I now ride her occasionally but she doesn't need ridden. She's perfectly happy being a pet.
 
Don't see a problem with owning a horse and not riding providing horse is well looked after and is turned out (unless on box rest) and the owner enjoys keeping a horse/pony just to play with.

My TB mare was injured and couldn't be ridden but she was fine in the field, still enjoyed being groomed and I enjoyed looking after her so that's what I did for another 3 years until she had to be PTS, totally unrelated to injury
 
I think it is entirely the owners business and I have been perfectly happy just enjoying looking after my horse when I haven't been able to ride, and would happily continue to do so forever more if I needed to, e.g. if I was injured I wouldn't sell my horse just because she wouldn't get ridden, she wouldn't care!

The only thing with this is, if you are going to keep the horse forever then fine, but can anyone really guarantee this? What if something happens to the owner? Wouldn't it be better to at least find someone to hack it out every now and then (I am not talking about you as clearly this is what you are doing) so it is still capable of being worked, I think if you had to sell for any reason then that would be the best thing, like when you see a 17 year old ex broodmare that has NEVER been ridden, I think well why not at some point in their lives make that an option for them?
 
LollyDolly said:
At the minute I am only riding my pony on average about once a week which doesn't count much as riding really, at least not in my books anyway. However there isn't much I can do because I live away at uni, I try to come home once a week to see and ride him but that's the best that I can do at the minute, still during holidays I'm back to normal so it's not all bad!

But at the minute I do feel like he is an expensive pet, however like I said I have the holidays and only another year at uni so it's not forever :D
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Im with LollyDolly! only managing about once a week due to freak weather, dark nights and a demanding job! Roll on the spring!
 
I thought it was interesting that Carl Hester said he gets almost as much pleasure from watching Charlotte ride as he does riding himself. I am happy watching others riding my chap plus I'm getting rather lazy in my old age about riding (although he wants for nothing in his daily care).
 
I posted in the 'strange liveries' about a woman who never rode her horse. It wasn't the fact she didn't ride it was the elaborate tales about what she was going to do when she rode & the £1000's she spent on tack, boots etc that never even got tried on the horse that made me think she was strange.
Despite this I do honestly believe that as long as a horses needs are met, it is well cared for & it's happy just being a pet then who cares.....but be honest about it.
I'll happily admit I've got 2 pet horses :)
 
I have a "pet" horse - nasty fall 4 years ago, and just can't bring myself to get back on. She's fed, groomed, looked after. Maybe someone else could happily ride her, but after my fall I wouldn't take the risk.
 
Goldenstar said:
I do think some level of exercise is healthier for horses it keeps their joint moving and should help to keep ( if done well ) their back and abdominal muscles in good shape .
But it's a big jump from thinking that to saying its wrong to keep a horse and not riding, provided the horse is well cared for and comfortable and happy and the owner is enjoying it then it's nothing to do with anyone else .
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I agree with this - for example horses with arthritic change especially should be kept fairly fit as this helps prevent stiffness and muscle helps to protect the joints a bit more. But generally speaking as long as the horse is well looked after it doesn't really matter whether it is ridden or not, even if it is talented and others think it is 'wasted'.

However, I have seen several horses kept as pets where the owners can't really be bothered to look after them properly, especially in the summer when they are living out and they are left to become obese. But that is a completely different scenario than having a horse and loving it, without riding.
 
I must confess I hardly ever ride mine, my older mare has health problems and hasn't been ridden for years but I walk her in hand which she enjoys as long as she is sound. My cob I just don't really enjoy riding him but he lives out and is totaly happy. I restrict his grazing if he is gaining too much weight and I ride him more in the summer. My miniatures are walked in hand which two of them love but to be honest the eldest one would much prefer to be left alone to graze 24/7. As long as they are healthy and happy I am ok with that. I am sure the horses don't mind not being ridden at all.
 
Our lad isn't ridden. He is a strapping 16.1, healthy and sound middleweight 12 yo. We had no idea when we bought him that the owner was a well known dodgy dealer. (She said it was her horse)She sold him as quiet to ride and so he is, if you just want to walk about, but we found out after a few months of getting his feet into decent condition and sending him to be "re-schooled" that he had never been backed. He had spent a few short weeks being "mastered" by a dealer before being sent to the sales as unrideable, ending up with the meat man and from him to the dealer we bought him from. He has been left with major worries when being ridden, but we took him back to leading and obedient on the lunge and long reins, got a professional to ride him. But we can't afford that too often so he was turned out for the winter. So we lunge him and long rein him, play with him and get him nicely trimmed and smart. But there is no way I will ever ride him, I don't bounce any more.

He is gorgeous, fantastic natured and you can do anything with him...except ride him!
 
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