What do I do with a horse I can't ride?

MrsMozart said:
You've just gone from:

Being interested in playing games with her;

You said there was someone at your yard that might be interested in loaning her;

You've been advised of grass livery, which is way cheaper than the livery you are currently paying,

yet you have ordered the Hunt and you are pleased the bullet was free.

No point to this post, other than to say that, for the first time since I've been on here, someone's words made me feel sick.

It's not that you are having the mare put to sleep, no doubt it is the best thing for her given the alternative, it's the attitude. I hope that you do not bother to get another horse.

^^ Agreed^^

So OP you have the money to pay for a horse that CAN be ridden yet not one that can't?? :mad:

Owners like you disgust me. There is no reason for you not to provide that poor mare with a retirment. I decided that being able to give my old man a nice retirment ment more to me than the riding.
Your selfish. Pure and simple.
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HappyHorses:) said:
Owners like you disgust me. There is no reason for you not to provide that poor mare with a retirment. I decided that being able to give my old man a nice retirment ment more to me than the riding.
Your selfish. Pure and simple.
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Hang on a minute!!!! Not everyone is in the position to keep a horse that is unridable!
I am not condoning OP's actions (or rather her attitude over it), but far better PTS than be passed from pillar to post, or worse still, forgotten about stuck in a field somewhere.
I am lucky I am able to keep my OAP's ridable or not. Not everyone is and its not for you to judge if someone would like a horse they can actually ride. Horses are an expensive hobby, so not unreasonable to expect to be able to enjoy the experience!
Bang out of order.....
 
Yes, Puppy, I would. Gonna jump on me for that?

I'm not a charity. Having horses is a hobby and I would never pass her on to someone else to be harmed. But I'm also not a charity. It would also help my decision that the mare hates life, people, and everything else!
 
when i bought my mare she was a mess unrideable and dangerous but hey 4 yrs makes a difference - now sadly she is losing her sight( shes 12) that horse owes me nothing and given so so so much- i have been given 2-3 yrs with her she will live her days out even when i can not ride her at all - limited to school on bright days now and when that day comes i will be with her strong . when we take on a horse we owe them to care for them wether we can ride them or not - may upset some people but they are not a throw away commodity - we hold responsibility -be it teaching a young one manners to stay with them for life or caring for that horse that as so tried to please you
 
babymare said:
when i bought my mare she was a mess unrideable and dangerous but hey 4 yrs makes a difference - now sadly she is losing her sight( shes 12) that horse owes me nothing and given so so so much- i have been given 2-3 yrs with her she will live her days out even when i can not ride her at all - limited to school on bright days now and when that day comes i will be with her strong . when we take on a horse we owe them to care for them wether we can ride them or not - may upset some people but they are not a throw away commodity - we hold responsibility -be it teaching a young one manners to stay with them for life or caring for that horse that as so tried to please you
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Spot on!
 
HappyHorses:) said:
No not bang out of order!

Your sticking up for someone who has the money yet can't be bothered?! :mad:

Nice.
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Errr no. Not sticking up for, merely making the point that not everyone is in the position to keep an unridable horse.....a high maintanence one at that.
Are you sure the OP can afford to keep her mare at grass livery AND a ridable horse? No.....didn't think so.
FWIW my OAP's stay with me retired, until the end. Doesnt mean I cannot see that not everyone has that option.
 
Tempi said:
Wow - it seems that as soon as a horse is no longer rideable people will just PTS these days.

I would find a nice retirement home for her, if you go on google there will be ones around your area i am sure.

My horse will be with me for life until the time comes when she is in physical pain and/or her quality of life has deteriorated. Im not just going to have her shot when the time comes that she is no longer rideable!
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Totally agree Tempi! the thought of it just turns my stomach. Shows the difference between those who love horse riding and those who truly love their horses.
 
So what, if you can only afford one horse, you get it at 4, it cant be ridden at 6, for example, you think people should keep it and pay out for it until its 20? 30? and never have another horse?! God, what a wonderful world you must live in.

Our horses that have been with us and worked for us and we love them will stay with us to the end. However, if I reached a point where I could not fund them, yes, I would have them PTS rather than sold on. Thankfully we will hopefully never be in that situation - the mare is technically my MILs horse so she pays - but some people are millionaires!

God if people came on here posting to say they were selling on their lame aged mare you'd all rip their heads off!
 
Berkeley said:
Any pay £350 p/m for something I can't use? Pah!
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^ This comment, Joanne, was the one that disgusted me. ^

I am not on here to have an argument with you. My point was she was happy to pay for a horse she can ride yet not one she can't. Poor horse.

Jeeze its allaboutme.com nowdays :(
 
Puppy said:
Oh, I see. You'd put her to sleep so that you could spend your money on something rideable.
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I was wanting to say that but chickened out!

I'm so glad I'm a sentimental old (young really) fool who will keep my horse as long as he is happy and healthy, and not give a stuff if I could never ride him again. He owes me nothing and I owe him so much, certainly a happy retirement if and when required.

He's 19 but in NO WAY ready to retire. It made me sad when a poster in this thread said that was 'over the hill'. We were 3rd in our last HT. We would have won but had time penalties for going too fast. Oops! I was also a novice when I bought him, but I chose to learn and improve.

21 is not really that old. The horse could live happily for the next 10 years or more.
 
Best thing you can do is give him up as a companion for FREE to a good home that you can have vetted.[/QUOTE]

oh dear, i think this is maybe how this problem started in the 1st place!
 
flamehead said:
So what, if you can only afford one horse, you get it at 4, it cant be ridden at 6, for example, you think people should keep it and pay out for it until its 20? 30? and never have another horse?! God, what a wonderful world you must live in.
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Flamehead, for once I'm 100% with you. I retired my old pony with navic at 15 and got a replacement. When the replacement was unsound at seven should I have retired and kept her? Then my gelding who I owned for six years - when he permanently broke down at twelve should I have retired him not pts? Either I'd own three crocked horses now with no chance of riding in sight (not counting my sister's old pony as well!) or if I'd not had the money for any replacements while I cared for the retirees I'd still be waiting to get a riding horse as the old pony is still alive and well, now aged 30!

The current trend for viewing horses as pets and not working animals is not realistic. If anyone wants a horse as a pet, fine - lucky horse, but FFS don't look down at other people who want their horse to do a job, and if it can't do that job, or another job which it can be sold for, doing the responsible thing and PTS.
 
HappyHorses I agree the way the OP posted could have been worded a whole less flippantly. Cant say she endeared herself to me either with that comment. BUT....she is the one ultimately paying more to keep her horse than my friend does for the payments AND insurance for her nice new car (which sounds a whole lot safer!)
Yes its a sad state of affairs, but the mare is too difficult for the OP to deal with, and has issues that should not be passed on. If the horse was "normal" she could sell it and replace it with something more suited to her needs. But its not. And its high maintenence. Not a native you can throw out not worry about. An aged TB mare.
Kindest thing for the mare (given OP's lack of willingness to keep it) is to have her PTS. At least that way she is not going to be passed onto ever more dire situations than the last.
The current climate is poor. People struggle to keep the horses they have owned for years. Useful animals that are being PTS. If they struggle, what chance would this girl realisticly have?
 
flamehead said:
So what, if you can only afford one horse, you get it at 4, it cant be ridden at 6,
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Well actually, I got my younger mare just before she turned 6, and found out she couldn't be ridden again shortly after turning 8. But yes, I love her, and I shall keep her till the end of her days. I miss riding, but I would miss having her there in my field each day even more.

you think people should keep it and pay out for it until its 20? 30? and never have another horse?! God, what a wonderful world you must live in.

Our horses that have been with us and worked for us and we love them will stay with us to the end. However, if I reached a point where I could not fund them, yes, I would have them PTS rather than sold on. Thankfully we will hopefully never be in that situation - the mare is technically my MILs horse so she pays - but some people are millionaires!

God if people came on here posting to say they were selling on their lame aged mare you'd all rip their heads off!
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No. I think it understandable putting to sleep a horse which you openly admit you don't want to pay to keep in retirement. I also think it perfectly understandable and sensible when people put to sleep old/retired horses that are not suitable to be passed on, when the owners find themselves in situations where they can no longer afford to keep them - if only more did that!

I just object to people who say that they love their horse, blah, blah, blah, but then suddenly claim they only can't afford it ONCE it is broken.

Really, I have friends who view their horses slightly different to my soppy ways, and are honest in saying that their horses have a job to do, were they not able to do it, then they would have to go - fair enough, I can understand and respect that. I just get really cheesed off with people who won't own up and say outright "I'd have it PTS so that I can afford something to ride" - as so often that is the fact on the matter (and to an extent with the OP here).
 
Im not saying its totally black and white - you should ALWAYS keep your horse til death OR you should NEVER. I'm just saying that there are very, very few people who can afford to just keep collecting horses that cant do their job. Now I can tell you I would definitely do my best to keep my baby forever, and my OH will keep his horse til death even if we have to live on a street corner to afford him - but Frankie pulled my OH through his parents divorce amongst other things and he means the world to him.

Slagging people off for having a horse PTS rather than sending them off to an uncertain future is wrong.

And Puppy, how wonderful to be you.
 
Puppy said:
I just get really cheesed off with people who won't own up and say outright "I'd have it PTS so that I can afford something to ride" - as so often that is the fact on the matter (and to an extent with the OP here).
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I said that to you and you told me that was wrong - and then someone else told me that people like me obviously didnt love their horses!!!!
 
Flame_ said:
Flamehead, for once I'm 100% with you. I retired my old pony with navic at 15 and got a replacement. When the replacement was unsound at seven should I have retired and kept her? Then my gelding who I owned for six years - when he permanently broke down at twelve should I have retired him not pts? Either I'd own three crocked horses now with no chance of riding in sight (not counting my sister's old pony as well!) or if I'd not had the money for any replacements while I cared for the retirees I'd still be waiting to get a riding horse as the old pony is still alive and well, now aged 30!

The current trend for viewing horses as pets and not working animals is not realistic. If anyone wants a horse as a pet, fine - lucky horse, but FFS don't look down at other people who want their horse to do a job, and if it can't do that job, or another job which it can be sold for, doing the responsible thing and PTS.
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Sure, money has to come into the equation. We arent all made of money afterall. But this OP suggested that she grudged paying for a horse she cannot ride. Just because she cannot ride it doesnt mean someone else cant, for all we know there may be someone willing to get on board and hey, they might get on great! afterall she does say having the horse PTS would be the last option......doesnt seem like it tho?....
 
I might be wrong and maybe noone has sugested this for a reason?? But why don't you advertise for help riding her? There are lots of people out there willing to help ride horses, she would be having more exersise that may well calm her down as you seem to have limited time to exersise her. And if you've lost your confidence with her a little somebody that is full of confidence may be able to help (: Teenagers are well know for having no fear!!!

As a teenager myself that untill recently helped out with a 16yr ex racer I love this idea! The horse I had I feel really improved, and was working in a soft outline and jumping well, after a couple of years (:
 
To me, this is coming down to a simple question..

Is an animal's life worth more or less than being able to ride?

Opinions?
 
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Absolutly disgusted with OP :mad:

I have 2 horses i cant ride, one i bought to re-back but its going to be alot longer before i can than i thought. Yes i could have sold her when i realized it was going to take longer, but i didnt, even if i can never ride her she will be with me until shes ready to be pts. Wether thats in 10 years or 20 i dont care!
She also cost me even more as i had to get her a companion - that i cant ride either!

Its like saying you would happily have your mum put down when shes healthy, happy and still young regardless of what shes given to you over the years :mad:
 
I believe that the horse has kissing spines and therefore cannot be ridden. But heyho, you better sell her on OP because putting her to sleep is horrific. Sell her on and hope someone else doesnt think "oh how bad can she be? I'll just get on." Btw, thanks button pushers!
 
elsazzo the whole point of recommending a pts is the mare is getting on in years.
It is unfair to expect someone else to take the headache of a potentially unridable animal at that age. A youngster you could give a bit of time to come right. This one does not have that kind of time. The OP is unwilling to keep her, therefore if she is not PTS, she will end up in a god awful shyte sale of the likes we have up the road.
I wouldnt wish that on any animal.
 
Its insightful to see so many members exposing their souls in this extremely sensitive post. I had no idea so many of you would respond, good and bad (and ugly in some cases).

I concede to the fact that the 'pah!' comment and calling the hunt was reckless. There was no conviction in my words. Honestly. Looking back, I was frustrated with the unfortunate approach some of you took to slash me - its so easy to wind those people up. I am not used to dealing with tunnel vision. Maybe that's why some of you will always be climbing a ladder with no rungs.

The post has been construed as me being insensitive, uncaring, fickle and insufferable towards my horse. Perhaps my construction of sentances was too assertive and the tone was too slap dash. I can assure you (although with some of you it may just bounce off or give you something else to bite at) that I am 100% committed to her best interests whether it be to pass her on as a companion, loan her to someone she can trust more, keep her or to take the dark plunge to PTS. Either way it will be a choice carefully constructed and executed with a conscience mind. It makes no difference whether I am wealthy or not, whether I am buying a 4x4 or a Gucci bag - I will make a decision based on my circumstances without third party pressure. Not that I feel pressued, even after swimming against the tide of some of your comments.

For the purpose of clarification only, and mainly for those of you who believed I would pts tonight on a whim (although I must admit I am disappointed in how easy it was for you to bite) I have not done so, nor will I - it was a simple pose. Nothing more. My initial point was to open suggestions to the floor - it is a shame people have become embedded in the idea of PTS. I did not assert this as the only option. Perhaps its an education for some of you to really look at the words which have been written.

I have just returned from being with her tonight, as I always do, ensuring she is tucked up in her freshly washed Rambo fleece, 2 nets of hay and lots of kisses.

She is too much for me, always has been - but I am a sucker for a sad case and sometimes I need to consider my options. Its my prerogative. If I decide to PTS, I will.

Don't judge me folks. Chill out. And don't have a go at eachother.
 
flamehead said:
I believe that the horse has kissing spines and therefore cannot be ridden. But heyho, you better sell her on OP because putting her to sleep is horrific. Sell her on and hope someone else doesnt think "oh how bad can she be? I'll just get on." Btw, thanks button pushers!
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What on earth did you say that deserved reporting? Everything you said seemed perfectly reasonable to me.
 
amymay said:
Does no one retire their horses any more:confused:
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Yes, I have a 34 yr old who is all but retired (gently ridden twice a week by friends just to keep her ticking over) and is in full livery at £650 per month. She owes me nothing and will be alive until she really doesn't want to be any more.

ETA I'm reschooling a 17 yr old at the moment, I regard him as young! Well he's the youngest of my three and still totally up for it and willing to learn.
 
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