Who believes in keeping horses for life?

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louise1967

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I have had 2 horses before my daughters current pony, which I have sold and then regretted. My daughter has lost interest in her pony who is a Welsh Sec a 12hh 17 yr old, I cant bare to get rid of him as I love him so much and dont want to regret another going. He has had so many homes before us and we have had him 3 yrs, is anyone else silly like me? I would like to find someone to ride him, but he is very lami prone, so needs a starvation paddock, hes not to have a rider too heavy, and no road trotting, hes a great lead rein pony, but a little naughty for a small child if he knows an adult isnt in control.
 
I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping a horse for life! He sounds adorable and you might find a family willing to help you with the work/costs if their child could come up to him.
 
We make the decision when we buy ours that they are with us for life, would your pony take to driving? That way he can have a useful job and you can take up a new hobby.
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I'm the same, we have a small pony who is old, but will be with us for life (circumstances permitting). IMO he's done a fab job teaching lots of children to ride and I couldnt bear to sell him. Even though he doesnt get ridden as much anymore (due to lack of time) he's happy out in the field. I just wish I could find another semi retired / retired oldie to come and live their happy days with him.
 
I love the idea of keeping a pony for life it's just the practicalities i.e. money, space and time that can put a stop to the dream. The Welsh A that I supposedly 'rescued' from the meat man will stay with me for life I hope. I really couldn't bear to sell him. I would however consider putting him on loan to stay at the same yard when he is old enough to ride as he should have a job to do. Who knows, he may even end up as my childrens pony in years to come!
 
A couple of people have mentioned driving, im not sure he would be anygood, he is a bit of a grumpy git that doesnt like work that much, he has a cushy life as my partners family own a farm with stables on, so he is all stable, straw & hay free, and has his own field. I do like having him, just a shame that I dont have my own horse anymore, I just get too attached to my pets, my dog had pups last yr and I wanted to keep all 8, i settled on keeping 2 in the end, so now have 3 labs, luckily the pony and all 3 labs get on and well all go out walking together.
 
I think i will have my big lad for life but the thought of it scares the sh*t out of me as he is 5 and i am 40 if he lives to 25 i will be 60 trying to controll a 16.3 nutcase
 
If you ever consider getting a horse for yourself in the future could the pony not be used as a companion? He doesn't have to be ridden to keep fit as lunging and long reining could suffice if you were not able to find a rider for him. I don't know if you are interested in showing or have done showing before but what about enjoying him as an inhand show pony? As he is getting on you could do veteran classes with him or young handler and similar if you had someone suitable to lead him up.
If you did ever get yourself another horse and went to shows etc then the pony could always be used as a travelling companion if you had a horse that found being transported stressful.
Failing that there is the loaning situation, but due to his size that maybe difficult unless you want him to move from where he is being kept. I say difficult as he will only really apply to a child and ideally you could do with finding someone who has a horse themselves but wants a pony for their child to introduce them into riding. It all depends on the farm where he is being kept and if they have other people's horses on there or just yours or family etc. I say that because most of the experience I have had of seeing ponies where I have been loaned out is on livery yards where the people have access to a selection of facilities or there are other horsey people around.
Of course these are all possible scenarios but you shouldn't have to justify to yourself the reasons for keeping him but I can understand why we do question ourselves.
 
If a horse and I are suited then yes, I have the intention of keeping them for life, but only if that life is comfortable, I won't keep a horse that has to be doped daily to keep it from feeling pain.

I won't keep a horse if it isn't capable of doing what I want and/or will be happier in another home doing another job. I also don't keep horses that I don't like (or they don't like me ) for some reason or another, or one that doesn't mesh with the others, that isn't fair on them, or me.

I have had several horses that I have kept until the end of their days, I have also had to decide to have a horse put down because circumstances dictated that I couldn't keep him and it was in his best interest not to be rehomed.

I don't keep my youngsters, I breed to sell on, I give them the best start I can though, they are all registered, and all impeccably mannered. I have just sold an aged mare that I am very fond of because the offer came up for her where she will have five star home for as long as she is comfortable. If that offer hadn't come along then yes, I am sure she would have been with me for a while yet.

Basically, it depends on the individual and circumstances. Life changes, what we honestly intend at one time isn't always feasible at another stage.
 
I agree in keeping the right horse for life you wouldn't sell your children would you! I inherited my soulmate when we were both 11 and we're now 29 nearly 30. Fortunately he is 16.2hh so I grew into him unlike most kids who grow out of several ponies. He is my horse of a lifetime and I can't imagine life without him. He has been retired for about 3 years now because of arthritis but he still lets my new horse know who's boss and fiercely portects his best pal a mini shetland who is the same age. My new horse who is 9 will be with me for life also as he was chosen very carefully, he had a lot to live up to!
 
All ours are lifers......
My Shetland is 23 now and i've had him since he was 4yrs old - he's too sharp for kiddies (unless they don't mind being bronched off) but will stand for hours being groomed i.e field ornament / companion. He lives with my mums Dressage horse who's 15yrs old, also owned since 4. Both will only leave our yard with 4 hooves in the air.
My mums younger Dressage horse is in Livery, and whilst she was finding him difficult to start with and nearly sold him (to a home she knew) she's now clicked and so attached he'll remain in her ownership whatever happens - she's 63, he's very talented and she's got a young rider lined up for a few years time.
 
FB will be with us for life. He is only 13 but we have been through so much with him in three years, he is family. He was my first horse, at forty years old!

Ari, I don't know. I haven't had him that long so not as much of a bond. He's only five and who knows what might happen in the future. By the time he is FB's age I will be fifty and may have decided riding is no longer for me. Someone might offer me large sums of money for him as he is well bred and good looking and if he does well at what I bought him for (endurance) I could probably sell him at a good profit. I just don't know.
 
I would advertise for a little rider for him. Make sure the parent is 'horsey', and make sure the pony is insured 9and get the parent to insure child too). Someone out there would love to have a pony to ride and brush, but may not have the facility or time to own their own, or maybe their parents want to be sure they'll like riding / are comitted before they invest. That way you get to keep him, have control over preventing lami, and he gets ridden and someone else gets joy from him. Stick an advert in your local tackshop and see where it goes from there.
 
I always buy with the intention of keeping for life...my horses are pets. I sold one pony years ago on impulse and have regrets it ever since although I now know she is in a good home and well looked after which helps.
I have my kids lead rein pony, my son's pet pony and daughters second pony..all outgrown plus my current and daughters current horses and a sob story that I couldn't turn my back on...

2 of the outgrown ponies are redundant (daughter is still sqeezing every ounce out of her second pony
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They do NOTHING and are quite happy doing nothing
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i think it would be lovely to keep horses for life but it isn't always realistic.

i love eventing and so any horse i have has to love eventing too.

i have an older horse who is here for life as i don't believe in passing older horses around.

i just sold my 4yro who i have owned since a weanling as although she has the breeding for eventing, she doesn't have the temperament or build- she is very relaxed and laidback and far too heavy to be a decent eventer.
so i sold her to a home where she can thrive, doing showing and lot of other activities without the expectation of going around Badminton.

i have a 3yro and a 5yro coming on who i hope to keep for a long, long time but if it becomes clear they don't enjoy eventing like i do i will sell them.
i would rather they went to a new home and were happy and in their element than staying with me and being forced to do something they don't enjoy.
 
All mine have been for life.

If you like yours so much and he is sound and looks good for his age why don't you take him out yourself and show him as an in hand veteran. You wont be the only one there are quite a few adults showing veteran ponies in hand
 
We tend to keep them for life too.

Your pony sounds likes our old grumpy man (Welsh sec A). Great with beginners and on a lead rein but a complete nightmare once children tell him what to do. For that reason and his age at the time we never sold him on when my sis lost interest. We have been very lucky in that he is a terrific companion pony and he costs very little to keep and he very occasionally gets sat on by my neices and nephews. However I honestly believe if he was never ridden again he wouldn't care and it would break his heart to leave us and the herd.

If I where you I would hold on to him.
 
We are lucky in that we have our own land so yes, our horses are hopefully here for life. So far we have a 31 year old donkey, a 17 year old with Cushings, a 21 year old pony and a 17 year old horse. Only the horse is in full work
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The 21 year old was my daughters ex jumping pony, very temperamental, and also recovered from a fractured tibia so not suitable to sell on (not that we could bear to part with her anyhow). A friends daughter is currently doing really well on her in lead rein and veteran classes, ask around at local PC etc, you may find someone interested in using your pony for lead rein.
 
We always intend to keep them for life but we have sold on 2 in the past (both my sister's not mine!) one being a fab pony who she'd grown out of and it'd have been daft to keep him and have him go to waste in our field. We could have loaned him but instead we sold him locally. Her horse, well he just caused a lot of upset due to his behaviour and didn't want to do what we wanted (ie jump) but that is it.

The rest are with us for life as others have been before. We are lucky though as have a fair bit of our own land so moeny isn't an issue so much (as in livery costs). Things may be different if i did have to pay livery and had an unsuitable horse. We eneded up keeping my 14.2hh after failed attempts to sell him and our conscience getting the better of us as he's just not relaible as a competition pony so we've been stuck with him and his erratic behaviour.

I could never have a horse PTS just because it wasn't suitable for me/wasn't able to be ridden due to behaviour issues etc and I felt it wouldn't be right to sell on. If the horse is physically healthy then i would take it as my responsibility to keep it for as long as it was happy.
 
I haven't read other posts but I was brought up to believe animals are for life. When I was growing up it was inconceivable that an animal would not live its life with us and my Dad was very much into making sure we were fully responsible before buying us anything.

My two horses both have issues meaning they are field ornaments and have been since a relatively young age, and they will live out their days with me.

As an adult though I have just bought and sold on my first pony, but he liveries with me and was sold to someone who has become a friend so I will see him grow up.
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I can only say that I will NEVER get rid of my welsh mountain pony, Buddie, he's only 12 but he's got arthritis.
He's my baby, Ive had him for 8 1/2 years!

I would love to say I'll never sell/get rid of Gimley and Bear but you never know whats round the corner.
Unless I have big changes which I prob would rather starve myself to keep them lol!
 
Its difficult for us. Our gelding, who is primarily my bfs and is his baby, is never going anywhere, not an option. But our mare, we love her but if we ran out of space and I wanted a horse that suited me more, we'd consider getting rid. But, saying that. we'd never ever give her up unless we KNEW that she was going to a family that gave her more than we could give.

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Hmmm....in a ideal world I do. My old lad will certainly stay with me, I cant imaging anyone else putting up with the git! OH's mare is more of a big dog/field ornament and although he threatens to sell and moans at the cost I doubt he ever would.

Daughters shettie was sold on last year otherwise I wouldnt have had the space/time/money for a new one.....the pony went off to a fab PC home and we get piccies and updates....new pony is much too big for daughter but shes growing into him and the idea is he will stay with us for life because even if she grows out of him ( she has legs up to her armpits) then I will be able to carry on riding him.
 
Yes I do, I have been at the riding school where I now keep Pickle for 11 years and have always known the ponies to be there for life. They work in the RS and then the owner jokes therefore earn there pension, we have a 36yo now who is retired and can't eat very well but he will stay until his quality of life means he has to be PTS.
 
My wondeful cob was a filed ornament for the last few yrs of life. We made the decision never to sell him after hearing horror stories of companions being sold on as riding nags. He did me proud over the years and he owed me nothing so was retired and i was happy to keep up the livery etc as he gave me so much pleasuer and stress releif from my job. Sadly he has gone and I still am gutted (2mth) but i have bought my new nag who is very cool and he will also have a home for life
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Mine will have a home for life unless circumstances ever dictated otherwise.
In his own way he's taught me bucketloads and owes me nothing. Plus I can't think of anyone else who'd put up with his antics! And I know if I couldn't keep him for w/ever reason, I am lucky that my mum would haev him off me and that, again, would be a home for life.
 
Nothing wrong with keeping a horse for life. I think it depends on the situation. I personally have sold quite a few horses now so I dont keep everything I buy, far from it. However, I also still have my very first pony and his companion!! Sadly, he got very serious concussive lami as a 5yo and has never been totally right since (ie. he is prone to absesses etc.) so we kept him as we couldn't bare to sell him as it would sort of be passing the problems on. He is now 21yrs old, and his companion 19. They will remain with us forever - it is a huge responsibility and quite a burden but they are my ponies and its up to me to provide them with a good life!
 
I do.
I have a 20yr old Tb mare, that I bought as a 4yr old to sell on (yeah, I know
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I also have a 5yr old and a 4yr old and have every intention of keeping them for life.
However, circumstances change, and if I were to fall ill, or be unable to cope with them for any reason, I may have to find a new home for the youngsters.
I wouldn't try to rehome my old mare, though, as I think it would be difficult to ensure she had a viable future.
IMO old horses are better put down by their original owner when the need arises, rather than passed on to an uncertain future.
S
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