Why do people do this???

[honetpot]

I think most people have no idea how much time keeping a horse, even if you are just riding it, takes. They buy them perhaps because they have been sharing, or have had lessons and then they are on thier own problem solving on a daily basis, and it easier to leave in the field and park the problem.
When I rode a lot, it was just a part of my routine, and when I had my children it was their hobby, so part of my child care, but because I have been doing practical stable management, and had total responsilty for horse care I was sixteen, childcare was harder.
Mine are now pets, but as long as I can care for them, and afford running expenses, how I spend my time and money is no one elses business. My only concern is that people are buying animals like its buying a car, they have always done this, but now it seems worse. They want something large smart and shiney, when really they only cope with small, good natured and basic, the people teaching them and selling to them need to sugar coat reality less.

 

[ycbm]

It would be terrible for horses if we stopped riding them they wouldn’t become pets they would be like cows slaughtered for meat in Europe . They certainly wouldn’t be owned by us it would be farmers. Yeah if you don’t want to ride that’s completely up to you and have your horses as pets. The equestrian world does need to improve its horse welfare.

Even the French are going off eating horses, trying to pass a law to ban it. The Italians eat quite a lot, but they aren't eating riding horses, they aren't big enough to be farmed for meat. The horses farmed for meat are heavyweights packed with muscle. If we stop riding, riding horses will stop being bred.

 

[windand rain]

I love horses but have been always a take it or leave it rider. I would not buy a horse to ride but to care for it, get me out of the house and because I love the work of caring for them. I love poo picking, feeding, grooming and just watching them interact. I don't miss riding I am in too much pain now anyway to ride. To be honest I feel the opposite to be the case why buy a horse just to ride it. Sharing my life with horses is far more important than sitting on one. Always has been, riding was icing on the cake of horse ownership

 

[Ratface]

The people who have unridden horses on full livery - if they're not doing them and not riding them, do they ever see them?

Yes, I see my horse twice a week. He is on full livery at his breeder's yard. He's old (29) and is kept in excellent conditions. I have complete trust in the YO. She bred him, and keeps him and his small group of relatives in safe and appropriate surroundings. His every need is met and I trust her and her staff team implicitly. We communicate regularly with each other by mobile phones.

 

[Lurfy]

I'm another who pays full livery and doesn't ride. I go out and hand walk him about 3 or 4 times a week. He has been retired there for several years.

 

[Red-1]

I have 2 rideable ones, one old and one younger. I rarely do anything with the older one as I am usually taken with the younger and can't be ar$ed with riding both, to be brutally honest. I wouldn't sell though because, well, who'd have him and he has a job as a companion.

Last 2 weeks I have been incredibly stressed. The younger one went 2 weeks out of work, just like that, because of my stress. I don't feel guilty, he is fine. I would rather not ride when stressed, although right now I am stressed to incapacity anyway. If anyone were to criticise me, I think I would bite their head off, tbh. Over winter, he went out of work too. He seemed fine about it.

When I was teaching, I was mainly teaching confidence clients, many of whom hadn't ridden for months or years. I would encounter so much prejudice and bad feeling against them from fellow liveries. No wonder some of them hadn't ridden in years as any efforts to start making progress were ridiculed. Often my job was to go and make a safe space (I usually hate that phrase lol) so they could learn to handle, lunge, long rein etc. We would get obstacles out, long rein round all sorts of stuff. One day, the saddle would look tempting and they would have a little sit. But, it took me going in and giving that handling and light playing some credence to give the owner confidence when before they were destroyed by the rolled eyes, looks and smarmy comments. If someone lacks confidence or is stressed then doing them down about what they do enjoy achieving does not help to bull them up to feel they want to try something else.

And then there are some who simply don't see a horse as a beast of burden. I have had some clients who had me just to help them have polite horses to handle and they never wanted to ride. To me, that is OK too.

I never really understood why the livery gang were so insulted when someone didn't want to ride. Maybe it made them think about their own rights and wrongs of pushing their horses to do what they were dong? Maybe it made them feel uncomfortable in all their nosebanded and martingaled glory?

Badly done feet, that annoys me a stack more than unridden horses. Obese ones, that annoys me too.

 

[gallopingby]

Why can’t people do what they like to do with the horses they own? Quite frankly it’s none of any one else’s buisness.They presumably have either bred or bought them, are paying for their feed, vet needs and either managing them at home, paying part or full livery or have some other arrangement. Far too many people with opinions they should keep to themselves in the horse world especially those on livery yards. Maybe they feel needed or are insecure underneath the opinionated gossiping?

 

[ycbm]

Yes, I see my horse twice a week. He is on full livery at his breeder's yard. He's old (29) and is kept in excellent conditions. I have complete trust in the YO. She bred him, and keeps him and his small group of relatives in safe and appropriate surroundings. His every need is met and I trust her and her staff team implicitly. We communicate regularly with each other by mobile phones.

You're going to have to tell us all how to communicate with our horses by mobile Ratface, I could do with a chat with Charlie from time to time.

 

[cauda equina]

You're going to have to tell us all how to communicate with our horses by mobile Ratface, I could do with a chat with Charlie from time to time.

I expect he'd like an Apple phone best!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Why can’t people do what they like to do with the horses they own? Quite frankly it’s none of any one else’s buisness.They presumably have either bred or bought them, are paying for their feed, vet needs and either managing them at home, paying part or full livery or have some other arrangement. Far too many people with opinions they should keep to themselves in the horse world especially those on livery yards. Maybe they feel needed or are insecure underneath the opinionated gossiping?

This !!

Once again , people judging and criticising others for no good reason.
As long as the horse is cared for ,how is it anyone else's business if the owner rides the horse or not ?

 

[ycbm]

I expect he'd like an Apple phone best!

Very sharp!

 

[Highmileagereindeer]

Asking for rational explanations is not passing judgement. If the sole intention of buying a horse is to turn it out in a field and basically ignore it, would it not be kinder to buy a picture or a shiny car? Domestic animals are bred to be around humans. If you are not going to interact with the horse, why bother? All posters have outlined their interaction with their own horses, I was simply curious as to why this doesn't always happen. As to keeping quiet as long as the horse is cared for - it is the people who come to the yard twice daily who end up contacting the people who don't to inform them of lameness, cuts etc..

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Asking for rational explanations is not passing judgement. If the sole intention of buying a horse is to turn it out in a field and basically ignore it, would it not be kinder to buy a picture or a shiny car? Domestic animals are bred to be around humans. If you are not going to interact with the horse, why bother? All posters have outlined their interaction with their own horses, I was simply curious as to why this doesn't always happen. As to keeping quiet as long as the horse is cared for - it is the people who come to the yard twice daily who end up contacting the people who don't to inform them of lameness, cuts etc..

I contact the YO if I spot something wrong. Perhaps try doing that, instead of assigning yourself the role of unpaid groom.

Our four live out 24/7 as a group. I'm sure that it may seem to most others that I rarely see them, but this is because I am neuro diverse and as such have all but perfected my schedule to avoid meeting anyone. In fact, I'm there daily. Husband is happy to interact and so he chats and such and is seen visiting the yard. Usually he does evenings and I do mornings.

 

[smolmaus]

On our yard of 18 there are 3-4 horses ridden regularly and one coming in to work. It's honestly one of the reasons I like it, if I wanted to take a year or more to get my pony going (almost) nobody was going to get on my case about it. The reasons why they aren't ridden vary from owner illness which is a big one, rider away at university and horse is on full livery and checked on by parents, lack of time with shift work, anxiety and lack of confidence and several that are just retired. There are a couple that I do think could do with a bit more personal attention; a groom very so often and something to keep their minds busy and out of mischief but by and large happy horses.

A person I know through the sanctuary has 5 big hairy rescued cobs at home just for the joy of them, no intention of ever sitting on any of them. They're as much pets as her dogs and when you see the happiness they bring you'd not question having them.

 

[honetpot]

When I was teaching, I was mainly teaching confidence clients, many of whom hadn't ridden for months or years. I would encounter so much prejudice and bad feeling against them from fellow liveries. No wonder some of them hadn't ridden in years as any efforts to start making progress were ridiculed. Often my job was to go and make a safe space (I usually hate that phrase lol) so they could learn to handle, lunge, long rein etc. We would get obstacles out, long rein round all sorts of stuff. One day, the saddle would look tempting and they would have a little sit. But, it took me going in and giving that handling and light playing some credence to give the owner confidence when before they were destroyed by the rolled eyes, looks and smarmy comments. If someone lacks confidence or is stressed then doing them down about what they do enjoy achieving does not help to bull them up to feel they want to try something else.

First of all I hate bullying in any shape or form, I have been on a large livery yard, and the tea room can be a lions den. Now here is my but. Not everyone is cut out to have their own horse, its 300-500kg which can cause severe injury, and that may not be just the owner/ handler so if they are not competant/confident why blame others?
I taught both my daughters to ride, and they rode well, but even as a young adults they were supervised, although they rode well they didn't have the competance for descision making and they had other things in their lives. Just because you wish something, it doesn't mean your wish is realistic.
We once tried an older jumping schoolmaster for my daughter, to buy. She rode it well in a show situation, but being realistic we as a family could not provide the right home for it, and it deserved the best.
I do not sell anything to anyone who does not have knowlegde and competance, when they come to view they have to take it out of the field, and tack it up themselves, because day one that is what they will have to do, if they turn up with a friend that rings alarm bells.
We all have to learn, and we all make mistakes, but if you are not progressing I think you have to reases your objectives.
When at livery I keep my opinions to myself unless its a welfare issue, or a child is likely to be injured. The only time I have regreted something is when I haven't flagged an issue to an adult, and what I feared happened.

 

[Gallop_Away]

I think if I only wanted to keep horses for riding, I'd part loan or go to a good riding school. For me there is so much more to owning horses than riding. Don't get me wrong, it is still an important part of why I have horses, but if circumstances changed for example if I couldn't/didn't want to ride anymore, I would still have horses. They bring so much more to my life than just riding.

 

[ycbm]

I think if I only wanted to keep horses for riding, I'd part loan or go to a good riding school.

That was my original intention this time round, but there's no comparison between riding a riding school horse and riding one in private ownership with one or two main riders. I tried to part loan/share but the horses I was offered were being managed in ways I couldnt accept or in places with poor hacking.

 

[Gallop_Away]

That was my original intention this time round, but there's no comparison between riding a riding school horse and riding one in private ownership with one or two main riders. I tried to part loan/share but the horses I was offered were being managed in ways I couldnt accept or in places with poor hacking.

True a riding school is certainly not the same. I was just making the point that, for me, if I only kept horses for the purpose of riding, I don't think I would bother to buy one. For me there's more to owning them than just riding.

 

[IrishMilo]

I agree in that I think most horses benefit hugely from ridden work.

I wouldn't keep a horse if I couldn't ride it. BUT, I don't think horses benefit, physically, from being ridden. When you think about the amount of lameness and behavioural issues (which I genuinely think are caused by pain 90% of the time) in ridden horses, it doesn't take a lot to connect the dots.

Horses are designed horribly - long backs not up to carrying weight, spindly, frail legs. Then on top of that you get poorly fitted tack, a lot of riders way too heavy for the horse and bouncing up and down like a sack of spuds, horses going round and round in circles in deep sand...

 

[equinerebel]

I wouldn't keep a horse if I couldn't ride it. BUT, I don't think horses benefit, physically, from being ridden. When you think about the amount of lameness and behavioural issues (which I genuinely think are caused by pain 90% of the time) in ridden horses, it doesn't take a lot to connect the dots.

Horses are designed horribly - long backs not up to carrying weight, spindly, frail legs. Then on top of that you get poorly fitted tack, a lot of riders way too heavy for the horse and bouncing up and down like a sack of spuds, horses going round and round in circles in deep sand...

All good points! I suppose I meant benefitting from ridden work for weight/enrichment purposes, but you're absolutely right. I agree that most behavioural issues stem from pain of some sort, IMO.

 

[bouncing_ball]

True a riding school is certainly not the same. I was just making the point that, for me, if I only kept horses for the purpose of riding, I don't think I would bother to buy one. For me there's more to owning them than just riding.

I keep a horse mainly to ride. But I would struggle riding someone else's horse. I want control of the the diet / forage / freedom / feet / saddle fit / back muscles etc. Else I feel guilty riding /participating if these things arent done well (and have never seen them all done well in horses available for share locally). And I want the relationship in saddle and on the ground.

 

[Annagain]

There were two on my yard (one recently lost quite young to colic) that could be ridden but never were. One was pampered within an inch of his life, his owner had had a bad fall on him out riding - concussion and amnesia, no memory of the fall and no witnesses and I think the not knowing why / what she could do to prevent it freaked her out. She tried a few times but just couldn't get back on. She adored him though and would never have contemplated selling him.

The other has been owned by the same person since he was a foal. She started him at 4 and he was a handful and I think she got a bit of a fright. He has a few allergies and can be a bit wheezy and she uses that as an excuse not to ride but I think he'd be fine most of the year. He's about 12 now and even just seeing him about the yard it's very clear he's a lot more grown up now (obviously) but she still seems to think of him as that 4 year old. She still rugs him far too well in winter, saying he loses weight (he's a very fat cob who had laminitis 2 years ago) without understanding that a 12 year old is going to be very different from a 4yr old in every aspect.

I get it though. Charlie and I parted company but had he not been saleable and I'd have been stuck with him, I could have seen myself getting to that position, without ever intending to have a rideable horse and not ride it. My confidence on him was shot, through no fault of his own.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

I know a number of people my age (40s-50s) who've had some bad experiences and just lost their nerve. Postnatal and/or menopausal anxiety is something that myself and lots of my friends have struggled with as well.

Most people have had bad experiences on the roads these days tbh, and that's only getting worse. And in my experience "bad behaviour" has often been down to kissing spines, PSSM, or other pain (of course, sometimes it is due to poor management, poor handling etc) And in those cares where a horse has been saying very loudly they don't want to be ridden, it's probably in their best interests to be retired.

Where I am, most people I know have a small amount of land, with fairly rubbish facilities if you're not feeling confident (I don't know many people who pay for livery at a yard with multiple beautiful arenas and miles of off road hacking). So ridden horses very easily slot into being largely happy pets

 

[Gallop_Away]

I keep a horse mainly to ride. But I would struggle riding someone else's horse. I want control of the the diet / forage / freedom / feet / saddle fit / back muscles etc. Else I feel guilty riding /participating if these things arent done well (and have never seen them all done well in horses available for share locally). And I want the relationship in saddle and on the ground.

Exactly, hence my point about there being more to owning a horse than JUST riding. Building a relationship/trust with my horses is something I gain pleasure from, which extends (for me personally) beyond riding.

 

[cauda equina]

I wouldn't keep a horse if I couldn't ride it. BUT, I don't think horses benefit, physically, from being ridden. When you think about the amount of lameness and behavioural issues (which I genuinely think are caused by pain 90% of the time) in ridden horses, it doesn't take a lot to connect the dots.

Horses are designed horribly - long backs not up to carrying weight, spindly, frail legs. Then on top of that you get poorly fitted tack, a lot of riders way too heavy for the horse and bouncing up and down like a sack of spuds, horses going round and round in circles in deep sand...

Surely it depends how a horse is ridden

Moderate exercise with a competent, appropriate sized rider, well fitting tack and teeth/back/feet all attended to as necessary is not going to hurt a horse (assuming he is sound in the first place) and will probably do him good, just as humans are better moving than not

 

[Sossigpoker]

Asking for rational explanations is not passing judgement. If the sole intention of buying a horse is to turn it out in a field and basically ignore it, would it not be kinder to buy a picture or a shiny car? Domestic animals are bred to be around humans. If you are not going to interact with the horse, why bother? All posters have outlined their interaction with their own horses, I was simply curious as to why this doesn't always happen. As to keeping quiet as long as the horse is cared for - it is the people who come to the yard twice daily who end up contacting the people who don't to inform them of lameness, cuts etc..

Well not caring for the horse isn't the same as just not riding. That's called neglect. But riding your horse doesn't mean it's not being neflected .And presumably on full livery the caring for bit would be done.

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

Surely it depends how a horse is ridden

Moderate exercise with a competent, appropriate sized rider, well fitting tack and teeth/back/feet all attended to as necessary is not going to hurt a horse (assuming he is sound in the first place) and will probably do him good, just as humans are better moving than not

That would be the ideal but how often is it seen? At least one of those elements is frequently missing, whether that's acknowledged or not, and the studies done on the levels of 'unseen' lameness in leisure horses are a bit depressing.

 

[WelshD]

the only non riding horse owners I cant understand are the ones who make a hell of a lot of noise about riding but never actually seem to do it

or actually worse - those who set up the instagram shots then promptly put the horse away

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

I wouldn't keep a horse if I couldn't ride it. BUT, I don't think horses benefit, physically, from being ridden. When you think about the amount of lameness and behavioural issues (which I genuinely think are caused by pain 90% of the time) in ridden horses, it doesn't take a lot to connect the dots.

Horses are designed horribly - long backs not up to carrying weight, spindly, frail legs. Then on top of that you get poorly fitted tack, a lot of riders way too heavy for the horse and bouncing up and down like a sack of spuds, horses going round and round in circles in deep sand...

I remember an eminent-in-her-field trainer saying in the course of coffee break conversation that if we did what was in horses' best interests we wouldn't be riding them.

 

[Tarragon]

I think it is ok to own a horse and not ride it, assuming you are providing an appropriate level of care and stimulation.
I actually "own" three ponies. One is 18 and field-sound only and doing a grand job as a companion pony for a friend. One is his full brother who is 25 years old and doing a grand job as companion with light duties and mentor to my current WIP riding pony. So, in my opinion, two valid reasons for having a non-ridden pony.
It was when I met someone who said they they wouldn't ride unless they were able to compete that took me aback. Such a foreign idea to me!