Waste of a horse

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casserolecollie

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After 20 years+ of lessons/sharing other people's horses I finally have the time and money to buy a horse of my own! I am just looking for a happy hacker sort, I am quite short and light so thinking 14.2ish native/cobby type, maybe something older that needs a quieter life and would just enjoy hacking/beach rides/maybe the odd sponsored ride. I would be able to ride most days and there is no shortage of varied hacking where I would be keeping it.

I have a lot of experienced people to help me and a lovely yard to keep a new horse at, but a friend of a friend threw me a bit yesterday by saying she thought it would be unfair on a horse just to be hacked about and not to be competed or shown, and that I should stick to sharing if that is all I would be doing. She is a very experienced horsewoman so it has dampened my enthusiasm a bit, do you think it is enough for a horse to just be hacked about, or do you think they need to do more in life to be happy?
 
Wot complete tosh!!! I know lots of people who all they do is hack their horses and never do any comps. Competing isn't for everyone and the idea that a horse 'needs' to be competed to be happy? Words fail me!
 
I think most horses would be happier just being hacked out and not competed or shown. All the ones I have had have been happy just hacking. Go ahead and get yourself a horse if you want one and can look after it. There are lots of horses who would be happy in a hacking home.
 
Most horses would be very happy just being hacked! What rubbish. I can think of only one horse who would want to do more, and she is a well bred competition mare who is very sharp and I don't think hacking would busy her brain enough. All of the other horses I can think of would be very happy just hacking (even happier with no work at all lol).
 
What a weird thing for her to say - I suspect she might not be as 'experienced' as she makes out! Lots of horses are quite happy just hacking, and some actively prefer such a life to the pressures of showing and competing.
 
OK - after me - *fingers in ears and la la la can't hear you* - this is what you do next time your 'friend of a friend' starts speaking... she is talking a load of rubbish. Buy the horse and have a great time!
 
Absolute rubbish.

Some horses are very happy being field ornaments... as long as they have company and food they are not bothered by the rest.

They enjoy a change in variety in ridden work from time to time and sometimes some horses that have competed up to a very high level always don't enjoy complete retirement but what you are planning is great so go for it!
 
What?????? What a load of rubbish!!!!!! It's true some types of horse, proper competition horses may not settle to a life of just hacking but the type your looking for and age etc would be more than happy to hack. Still don't understand why so many people underestimate hacking. Your out and about in the countryside and meet all manner of things which your horse has to face safely. You will be doing beach rides and sponsored rides as well. Remember horses don't have ambition. Sounds to me as though you can offer the perfect home!! Get looking and good luck!! X
 
Thanks so much for putting my mind at rest. I would obviously ask the owner of any potential new horse/pony if they think their horse would be happy with that sort of lifestyle, but I had thought surely there must be horses out there with a similar mindset to me! Can get excited about searching again now!
 
Absolutely not.
Hacking can be so varied, horses see lots of different things and most horses love it.
Maybe you need to ditch that so called "expert friend" and find another, or go it alone and trust your gut feelings.
 
Yup, absolute tosh! Get your horse and enjoy your hacking, unfortunately for many people, hacking isn't much of a pleasure because of busy roads and not much off road work. Yours sounds lovely, lucky you! Enjoy it.
 
Actually the total opposite is true There are very few horses that actually enjoy competition and also only a very few that dont like hacking. Competition is for owners not horses they dont care much what they do as long as they are warm well fed and able to mix with others I would guess that the vast majority would like to have the rest of their days just being pampered on what ever routine they are used to. I would certainly sell you one if I had one suitable it sounds like a lovely home
 
Oh what *******s! That's someone desperately trying to show off, and no doubt someone who isn't actually nearly of the standard they think they are! Even the most top level competitive riders will tell you the best thing horses can do is hacking. Because if a horse can work on it's own away from other horses then you have something pretty good going on. It's the most unnatural thing for them to do on their own if you think about it!

Sounds like you're in more than a good position to now enjoy your own horse so don't listen to anyone who might say otherwise. I think of we asked horses what they really enjoyed they'd say being fed, cared for and cherished, and if you can offer that to a horse then that's all that matters!
 
both of mine are/will be happy hackers. poor, hard done by creatures with their secret ambitions of county shows and HOYS :D

a well schooled, well mannered hack that will cross varied terrain, cope with gates, traffic, cows and sheep, who enjoys a good view and will go alone and in company is worth its weight in gold IMO.
 
Even former high level competition horses can enjoy a low key lifestyle. Mine gets hacked out once in a blue moon, lives out 24/7 with his mate, and is as happy as larry. I don't think he's even noticed that he's only been on a lorry 4 times in the last two years!
 
Your friend is obviously not very knowledgeable if she thinks that.

I don't have my own horse transport so competing is not easy for me to do, so I mainly do just hacking about and have lessons and I really enjoy both I don't think either I or my pony misses out.

There is a good quote in an old book I have called "Keeping a pony" by Lucy Rees. It says "ponies do not care about winning cups and rosettes, about being clean or impressing the neighbours; they do care about friendliness, amusement and food and feeling safe from attack"

The sort of horse you are going to get sounds just the sort that would be right for what you are wanting to do.
 
Does she think that a horse that isn't competing is miserable?! What a strange attitude. I'd say the opposite is true in a lot of cases.
 
Umm what a stuck up snob that woman sounds. All I use my boy for is hacking at the moment, and I'm hoping to hunt him next season. He loves his job. He gets bored in the school tbh.

I love popping a jump out hacking. My boy has cleared 3ft easily but you can just tell he's happiest hacking up the mountains where we live.

I have no interest in competing and I know my horse and what he enjoys better than anyone. He is far from "wasted"!
 
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Nonsense, when I retired I got a pony and people said to me, why not get a horse?
Yes a great clumsy thing that is the vets best friend and that I need a mounting block, and all the rest of it, ponies are fun, hacking is fun, crikey!
 
OP my big horse has a decade of eventing internationally, for the last 4 years while I've had kids he's been a happy hacker and absolutely happy to do that. Horses live in the moment, they worry about whether they are warm or cold now, or whether they have food/ water now, I guarantee they don't worry about whether they are having a plod around the woods or whether they should be out at a show.

Mine had the first bath yesterday of the year, I rode after and he was an idiot, it took me 30 mins to realise he thought bath = event !!
 
Hmmm, what a strange woman! Don't let her dampen your enthusiasm, go get yourself a lovely friend to explore & have fun with. That's the whole point I think, it doesn't matter what you do with your horse, as long as you're enjoying it! I've had horses for 40 years & have never had one who doesn't like varied hacking (even the high maintenance warmbloods)! :D
 
Im afraid I'd lose a lot of respect for this 'friends' opinions after spouting such rubbish.

Have fun searching for a new horse, there will be plenty of horses out there looking for a hacking buddy!
 
What a load of absolutr rubbish!" your friend is talking total tripe. I have a show type cob who occasionally hacks around the place and a full brother to an eventer. Hes also very pretty. Do I show, event, hunt? NO I hack them around the village lanes when I feel like it. I enjoy looking after them and grooming them. I too have been verbally abused about it. Been told I could sell them for "A lot of money". I tell such people to Bu$$er off and mind their own buisness. Id I want 2 x £10,000 horses as pets thats my business and no one elses, they are very well cared for and lead a lovely life grazing most of the time in the paddocks. I'm sure they enjoy it more than being dragged around in a trailer and competed when they'd prefer to be chillin,. Tell your friend to get lost and shut up its no one elses business.
 
You buy that horse and if you want to put glitter on its hooves and flowers in its mane and go for a hack, you do just that!!!!
I used to have a horse that was "HOYS standerd" so I was told went to one PC show never bothered again. Oh the horror on the other liveries faces.
Like a horse cares as long as they have grass in their bellies.
Does she think her horse comes back from the show and tells the other horses how it won a rosette and the horses who've been for a potter about are jealous.
The word is Anthropomorphism, Tell her to look it up.
 
casserolecollie said:
After 20 years+ of lessons/sharing other people's horses I finally have the time and money to buy a horse of my own! I am just looking for a happy hacker sort, I am quite short and light so thinking 14.2ish native/cobby type, maybe something older that needs a quieter life and would just enjoy hacking/beach rides/maybe the odd sponsored ride. I would be able to ride most days and there is no shortage of varied hacking where I would be keeping it.

I have a lot of experienced people to help me and a lovely yard to keep a new horse at, but a friend of a friend threw me a bit yesterday by saying she thought it would be unfair on a horse just to be hacked about and not to be competed or shown, and that I should stick to sharing if that is all I would be doing. She is a very experienced horsewoman so it has dampened my enthusiasm a bit, do you think it is enough for a horse to just be hacked about, or do you think they need to do more in life to be happy?
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What a crock of ******......this "experienced" horsewoman doesn't have a clue!! You get that horse and give it the lovely life it will have with you. There really are some spiteful idiots in the horse world, who just want to bring others down. Who cares about shows and competitions? the horse certainly doesn't!
 
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