Why Do You Have More Than One Horse?

Because I play polo and thus need more than one pony in order to compete. I started off the year with 6 and now have 4, with one away on loan in her lovely home. Of other two one sold to a fabulous home and one has moved to a retirement home - so 3 at home now. Love them all to bits. I've promised my OH that I won't buy anymore!! ( famous last words.....!)
 
oo we've had a few over the years! They're like chocolates can't have just one.. :p:p

Started when I was 11-
2005-1 horse-was bought first pony for me and sister to share.
2006-2 horses-sister outgrown pony so less than a year later gets big thoroughbred thing. thoroughbred is mental to ride but sweet on ground so sold as broodie and still loving her job. few months later gets big ex kings troop horse.
2007-3 horse-mum decides she wants a horse que 3 horses
somewhere in there we get a little ginger shetland. she is sold on to fellow livery as young sibling loses interest :P
2009-sisters horse breaks with arthritis and damaging both back suspensories, can no longer compete bsja so she buys one who can.
2010-mum loans horse out as cba to ride it and she loves work
2011-mum gets horse back but sells to livery
2012-get a sweet horse on loan but owner is a badword and does not work out he goes back. I buy my own horse in May.
2013-mum buys a foal to as she likes the look of it and wants to do western when she is older. foal is a total dude. and that's it for now!
Sisters first horse is loving being on retirement livery, her comp horse is on a full loan in a great home, we still have the first pony and I bought my own horse as I need a bigger horse and first pony is a bit less able now due to an old injury. :p
 
I have always had more than one
One to ride
one as companion
one as companions companion
But now I have four I used to buy welll bred natives to show in hand and then hopefully sell at three for others to ride but I seem still to have two of those and now a third if she doesnt sell
My highland mare I bought asa 20 month old and showed her and kept her to ride she is 18 now so too old and too set in my ways to go anywhere
Dartmoor is OH ride and drive now he was supposed to be sold at three but he doesnt like children and therefore needs an adult home and at 128cm he is too small for most
Highland filly is the old girls daughter bred because we needed another baby to show and now ready to back or be sold first
Given up showing the babies now as too old to run with them
Connemara had since she was 4 months old thought I would sell her easily but kept her a bit long I think she is now the perfect pony absolutely wonderful but will have to go in the summer as her current rider is leaving uni and wont have time once she gets a job and if she goes away for work that will mean I have no rider again so She will be sold makes me sad as she is wonderful and a real star jumps 110cm courses and hacks alone or in company in any traffic so pretty much the ideal pony for a capable rider still a bit green in her schooling but getting there. She will need a special home prepared to let her settle as she is very bonded to individuals and takes her confidence from her rider
She is not for sale until later on after july if then though
 
Company for each other. Horses are herd animals and to keep one on its own IMO is not right.

I have two on my own farm. Both are ridden, together when my friend comes or on their own when I'm on my own. Both are fine left in the stable on their own for short periods, eg half a day or so, but I would not want either horse to live on its own.

My neighbour has a lovely pony. He's kept on his own, never goes anywhere, never gets ridden (she lost her confidence some years ago so doesn't ride anymore), never sees outside his own small field. Sometimes when mine are in the field next to him, he leans over the gate/wall for a groom and scratch, and sometimes goes round the field bucking and f**ting as these natives do, but he never gets to chase round the field with the others, or share a blade of grass or have the friendship of another horse. I feel sorry for him, and although he's well fed and cared for, I don't think the same thought has gone into his mental wellbeing.
 
I've always had one and been happy with it, but when my last one died and her companion was up for sale my mum was so devastated and had got so attached to Pottie that she boughthher for £1. Then we needed one to ride, and didn't want to share our field with anyone else, so we bought Denys. If we didn't have Pottie we'd have to keep Denys at a yard as we couldn't share a field with anyone again (too much hassle). So as long as we can afford it, we'll have both and our field!
 
I started off with one very good little mare, I bred from her and am now competing the son. I like him so much I bred a full sister now 2. I heard that my old dressage horse was about to be retired so I handed over £1 and bought him back as a schoolmaster seeing as he is still fit and sound at 21. The original little mare is now 23, 2 are in work and 2 are in a field all of them give my partner and myself a lot of pleasure.
 
I used to have 3 but that was because I had my own one and when my sister came about selling hers I couldnt bare for her to sell them so ended up with all of them! Its more because I get attached to easily then any thing else! I ended up selling the other 2 at a later date, although was very hard I have to add!, and I loved just having one! I have never felt the need to have more then one and when I do have I love them just as much but I dont enjoy it as much having to muck out more then one, ride two etc so im more then happy with just one personally :) Im now out of horses as such and now its my daughters turn to love and enjoy them so we just have the one pony for her. The only time I wish I had more then one is when my son perks up now and then that he wants to go out in the woods and then it would be nice to have a little Shetland or some thing so I could take them both out on hacks together but his not interested enough to justify another one x
 
Because my first boy doesn't want to do anything I like like jumping, he only likes hacking :(
If I sold him he would likely end up in tesco due to all his 'quirks', and I believe you take on the responsibility when you buy a horse so I can't sell him. We still hack out and I have a younger model who my OH can hack but also loves to move up a gear for me :D
 
My old boy was getting on so I part loaned a pony I could do more with - and ended up buying him! He's rather unsuitable for someone my age - he's a loopy Arab cross who is a horror at shows (but can go beautifully when he feels like it)

Then I decided I wanted something sensible to hack and do sponsored rides on, so bought a lovely cob mare last year.

And now I have 3!
 
I think I can see how people end up with more than one, sometimes they have ones that do different jobs, or they've got a retiree and a youngster, or a youngster and a ridden horse, or any combination thereof.

Myself, I have 3. I have my loan mare that I am hoping to buy, she is "my" horse, and I
thank God every single day for her Then I have my daughter's TB Gelding, he does a bit of everything Ibut he is not good in large groups on hacks) then...we have the TB mare, she is one of those maddening horses with lots of talent but very difficult to get her to focus, or load, but she is very good to hack (for my daughter, she scares me!)
 
Cath&Vinnie said:
Because i have an addiction! :o

& there is no rehab centres for people addicted to horses.
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^^This!

And 2) because I can't ride one out and leave one alone. I also can't ride and lead and leave the third alone. I also only have two friends that ride with me, so can't leave the fourth alone. You can see where this is going...

And last, but certainly not least, to annoy my Father in Law... :D
 
LaurenyLou said:
^^This!

And 2) because I can't ride one out and leave one alone. I also can't ride and lead and leave the third alone. I also only have two friends that ride with me, so can't leave the fourth alone. You can see where this is going...

And last, but certainly not least, to annoy my Father in Law... :D
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Ditto!!

And we foolishly bought a farm in France with 16 loose boxes and 32 acres of good land. We arrived with 3 horses, now up to 14.

My husband was warned - a good friend said to him "Are you mad? I hope you have hidden the cheque book".
 
Because their like chocolates you HAVE to have more than one !!
One older hunter mare one youngster coming on to replace her, for ridden work that is
 
Well I have 1 and would love another. My mares rising 12 and i've sort of persuaded my husband to ride so i'm borrowing a friends at the moment. Therefore i'm saving my pennies to buy a youngster to bring on and when shes backed and ready for hard work my mare can show her the works with a more experienced husband on her back. Well that's my plan i'm sure my husband will have other ideas :-)
 
horsesatemymoney said:
Do you have horses at the moment? The grey in your sig is lovely
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I'm afraid not - given up now - besides doing my bit for horses in general, I'm not really fit enough to look after even one the way I'd like to - I did think of owning an loaning but that has it's own problems and my days are now very full business wise - just how I used to find all that Horseytime is a mystery!

The grey in my sig was the love of my life - what's that poem in 4 weddings? - stop all the clocks? well, I still feel like that sometimes and she's been gone now twenty years!

Some more photos here:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/1stclassalan/8424564392/
 
Cortez said:
I have four, and can call on a dozen more, because we run a business that provides horses for film & TV and historical displays. I can only ride one at a time of course, but we need backups, actor's horses, and to be able to give horses a rest from what can be a physically and mentally stressful job by rotating between them. We also need to be able to provide different colours (greys, bays, blacks, pure white, for example).
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Ah if you're in that game do you know the Dents? I used to but lost contact along with one of the most sort after stunt women - she was once voted the Best stuntperson by other stuntpeople which is pretty good going - lived close to both but then moved.

Filmpeople are a weird lot aren't they? But then who am I to talk? Hahaha.
 
I can't have kids have no direct nieces or newphews to leave my money too.... I am not getting any younger- and when i am old in my care home - will i look back and say "do you remember that huge bank balance i had" or will I smile and remember the warmth of breath on my face, the smell of one of my horses, the time x did this or y did that ?
 
One of mines is getting on a bit now and just does hacking, pleasure ride and the odd common riding :)

So got a younger pony on loan to bring on and ride, shes on loan so yes I dont own her but I might as well as I have free rein lol :D
 
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