What would you do if your horse..

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charlie55

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What would you do if your Dressage horse had a slight accident and can only be used as a happy hacker...

You can also only afford one horse...

You really want to compete in Dressage...
 
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Sulk......

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Find a sharer for mine and a dressage horse to also share.
Wouldn't sell hacker as (has been highlighted by 2 recent posts on here) they often get sold on by some-one with less scruples and after a quick money maker.
Would either loan to some-one I knew of/trusted/had good refs or PTS (harsh as it sounds, better than them being potentially sold on/passed about etc etc) if I was really keen on pursuing dressage/getting another to do dressage on.
 
i'd prob loan horse out to someone you knew if you could? also agree that I couldnt sell on as you wouldnt know where it would end up....sadly!

Or give to someone that wants a companion to their oldie or something?
then share/buy new horse

i'm in same boat...although think i've sorted my one out but best of luck
 
I would never sell him, but to be honest, i think id turn into a stalker if he went out on loan too. After the things ive seen and heard over the years, can you really trust someone to just hack??
 
This happened to me. My happy hacker has lived out this winter - so a lot cheaper and he loves it! I will look for him to go on loan in the spring (with all usual precautions and checks) and I have bought a youngster...

Although I can afford to keep happy hacker living out all year so I'm not at risk if he come's back from loan home at any point. If you can't afford that then I liked the two sharing option chaps 89 mentioned, that way if your's gets sent back you can give up your other share.
 
I'd sell it if it's young enough and loan it out if it's too old to sell. Life is too short and you are entitled to have some fun. Don't make the mistake of thinking that no-one but you can possibly look after your horse as well as you do. Have it freeze marked with an L on the shoulder, indicating that a loss of use payment has been made, even if it hasn't. That will stop it being sold on to someone who doesn't realise that it has a problem.
 
Have a paddy and then get on with life.

My mare damaged her sacroiliac 18 months ago and it kept swelling when she was being ridden. I was told that she needed lots of rest and then we would see if she would come right again. After lots of treatment she needed more time off. She isnt a happy hacker at all. I decided to put her in foal to give her a long break. Once the foal is weaned I will bring her back into work if her back can take it. I have missed riding her but theres not much I can do about it.

If you dont want to sell why not think about loaning her or finding a sharer. That way you will be able to keep an eye on what she is doing.
 
Well hacking is all I really want to do... and we rehome horses as hacks all the time.

Sadly I can't afford to take one on at the moment
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Yes. Until recently all I did was hack/very low grade schooling 3 times a week. And I have a friend who is quite nervous although experienced who just hacks with her horse.
If you find a person who comes recommended and visit now and then/stay in touch (without becoming a stalker
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) no reason why you can't try it.
My boy is now a light hack only, I've kept him and am in the lucky position of having a choice of 4 horses belonging to a lady who lets me ride for her, which is giving me a chance to focus on my riding alot more.
 
Finding somewhere near by that allows all year turn out is an option.
He is 10 and he really is a fab horse, but i wouldnt sell.
 
If you don't want to sell, then find a loan home and be prepared for the fact that at some point you may have to take the horse back on short notice.

You could also PTS. At least then you will know what has happened to the horse and it won't have been sold on and on and on.

This is a potential situation for me and it's not easy having to think through the options if you can only afford to keep one horse and that horse may live for more than twenty years, so good luck whatever you do.
 
Thankyou for all your comments. Its so disheartening. (sp)
He hasnt been wrote off yet, were going back to see what else we can try, but from what ive heard/read, its unlikely he will be able to do dressage again.

Im just looking for options really incase the words 'just a happy hacker' does come up, but, i will try everything possible first, even if he needs a year off to have a proper rest then that is fine with me and fingers crossed we will be the lucky ones x
 
Loan it out, if the loan home was really good and trustworthy after a period of time then sell it to the loaner.

If it is fit for hacking, light schooling occasional jumping then i think selling it to someone looking for a low level leisure horse wouldn't be too much of a risk. If you sell for a suitable price, it isn't the same as selling a broken down old crock and there are plenty of riders who want a nice hack and have little or no ambition. Selling a horse like that to a leisure home is probably safer than selling a competition horse generally as it is more likely to be a home for life!

Depending upon the nature of the injury and the work it was fit for I'd consider a riding school or RDA too, they have their downsides but the ones I know would take the responsible decision if the injury got worse and would not sell to an uncertain future.

If it is very light hacking only though I think loaning or sharing is the only safe option if you don't want to PTS.
 
Been there, done it- my lad was 11yo at the time. I would never ever part with him, I decided that he came first, even if I just had a horse I could only look at for the rest of his life. As it turns out, my cicumstances changed, and I could afford another one, and his prognosis improved, and I ended up with a horse that I could not only ride, but jump, compete, hunt etc still.
 
My horse Sam injured himself and is now loss-of-use but vet advised i can use him as a "happy hacker".

Initially I tried to loan Sam out and got myself another one (Rusty) on loan. But Sam's loan fell thru (he got injured again) and what I have actually done is move to a cheaper yard. Sam now lives out 24/7 and Rusty on DIY. (was on part livery before).

This leaves me no time for anything else. and I do question my sanity sometimes but I love them both.
Plan to get a sharer for Sam this spring/summer just so he does a bit more (as only usually find time to ride him once a week and not at all in winter as hacking routes are not floodlit. LOL)
 
Similar thing happened to me and I was gutted. She was 8yrs old and had to be retired completely. Its wierd as you do just get used to the idea of in my case not riding at all and once I had accepted it, I was fine. In my case I was able to hack her lightly at first and I did consider loaning her to a 'nice' lady on the yard so I could get another. I rode out with this 'nice' lady who said she took things easy and my god, she was a looney, trotting everywhere regardless of the ground so I decided against that. We decided to see how my mare coped and if she worsenned significantly to PTS, a few weeks later I found her one morning with colic, vet came, said she needed surgery and I then decided to PTS. She was a lovely mare, prob the best horse I had had but it really was a god send as I wasnt brave enough to have her PTS based on her ringbone, so the decision was really taken out of my hands.
I really feel for you.
 
how about a sharer or 2? you could get them to pay for the bulk of her keep between them and if she remains at your yard, you are able to keep an eye without feeling like you're spying. the bonus is you could also enjoy the odd hack on her too!

There are lots of people out there who want to ride 2 or three days a week without having to pay for lessons and without the cost, time and commitment needed to have their own...
 
I would turn away for a year on cheap grass or even retirement livery and see if he comes sound.

During that time, I'd loan a dressage horse or even lease - and then reassess in january 2011! sorted.
 
Well sadly I'm at the same junction as you - although my horse won't even be a happy hacker, she's had to be retired, so I really understand how you feel!
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Hope you find a solution
Kate x
 
I really wanted to event, my horse injured herself and now will not event. I could never part with her so i now happy hack and pop the odd jump as and when. But then again my attachment is to my horse, not to my discipline. Ive had her 8 years and she isnt going anywhere
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I have struck lucky though in that ive been helping bring on a youngster and have been offered the ride on a couple of lovely horses too. So in the end it turned out ok.
 
I think I would be upset, but like EKA says my attachment is more to my horse than the discipline I compete in, so I would just forget the dressage and enjoy the hacking, but that probably doesn't help as I bought George for his character more than for whether he could do dressage, jump etc.
 
There are loads of decent homes out there with ideal owners, don't tar everyone with the same brush!
I have two out on loan as basically hackers, and am often being asked for the same type. As long as the rules are set out and clear to both, and that you trust your instincts and do your homework, things can work out well.
There are bad people everywhere i'm afraid, but not all people are bad.
 
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I was going to say breed but just spotted he's a boy :-(

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NOOOOOooo! Just because a horse cannot be ridden does not qualify it as good enough to breed from. The world is full - overflowing in fact - with horses who are not brilliantly put together because somebody bred from them because they couldn't be ridden. Why on earth would you want to add to that?

More info from BHS responsible breeding campaign BHS Responsible Breeding campaign and here


To the OP, honestly, I would keep your horse and be happy to do whatever that horse can do. You can always help somebody else out as a sharer or groom in return for the odd competition.
 
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I was going to say breed but just spotted he's a boy :-(

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NOOOOOooo! Just because a horse cannot be ridden does not qualify it as good enough to breed from. The world is full - overflowing in fact - with horses who are not brilliantly put together because somebody bred from them because they couldn't be ridden. Why on earth would you want to add to that?

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Ha - the world is also full of people who are not brilliantly put together because of irresponsible breeding but that doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there who will love them does it ? This horse sounds to be competing at a good level of dressage - if it was a good mare put to a great stallion who is to say that is irresponsible? I mean come on get over yourself - people do a lot worse things to there horses !

OP sorry for hijacking your post
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No problem...

The vet is calling me tomorrow to have a long chat, probably go back to the vets for more scans or what ever he needs to do... And go from there.

What ever happens, and before i will even think of loaning him out, i will let him rest for a year and go from there i think. He is definetly worth the wait...

Thanks guy xx
 
Become a happy hacker, I change my disipline depending on what suits the horse, also another who says give the hrose the treatment and time you may end up pleasantly surprised.
I hae one old lda who's fully retired and after a year of that I worked things around so I could afford another one, now the new one is injured so were working through it and seeing where we end up. If I end up with two retired horses then so be it, no way can I afford a third.
But my retired chap is he needed something major he'd hae to be PTS instead as he's not insurable for vet cover.
Just have to do the best you can I guess. I did loan and then sell on a mare I had who retired with a suspensory problem.
 
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