Why Do You Have More Than One Horse?

I have 3.5:

Useless one
Freebie (lives with mum though so he's the 0.5)
Companion for useless one
Useful one

Farmers where I keep horses often ask why I have 3 and why not just get rid of them and get a 'good' one to ride instead.

Sometimes I do wonder if they might be right....
 
I have 10 and far far too many.

Same old story - had land (too much) so started breeding five years ago. Then the bottom fell out of the market so am left with a variety of youngsters and broodies who are bankrupting me!

When I started five years ago, summers were good, winters drier and hay was £8 per bale (plus I made my own anyway), well bred youngsters were selling for 4 or 5K.

I even took on a freebie this november cos I'm a soft touch.

However, come spring I will be selling 3 of them but I know I will be uber fussy about where they go. Hey ho, still 10 years without one whilst I captured a hubby so reckon that's about even now.:D:D:D
 
OHs dad breeds and collects
OH breeds and collects
I collect the ones no-one else wants :o Only started by buying lovely littlun from OH

Was out with my lot last week and neighbour came over and commented that 'there was always one' at my lovely littluns, big sister who decided to take on 7 other horses, most above her and field leader in front of us. You could almost see the others rolling their eyes at her and not one took the bait.

All field ornaments atm, but a few will be backed soon. The oldies are left to it and have their job as broodies.
 
I only have one ;) But always said I would love to have one for dressage and one for show jumping...although it looks like if I get another one any time soon (highly unlikely) I will end up with 2 allrounders!
 
All these reasons really are making me chuckle. Non horsey people also make me chuckle with their questions like that. I ask the same when I meet people with more than one car, depending on their circumstances e.g. single and no kids = 3 cars... :confused: what IS the point in that!! OH being one of them lol He has his work van, thats fine, he has a silly fast car thing, ok a daytime car, but he's always looking for a 3rd car...get this...OF THE SAME CAR HE ALREADY HAS!!! so who really is the silly one here :D

I have 2 because everyone knows 1 horse alone doesn't do well. its nice to ride with a different character. One is quiet and you feel the love from her, the other is like "c'mon then! you gotta earn this ride" of course all this attitude oozes love too. Its also nice to go riding with others. Not many of my friends have their own to ride. I'd rather spend my money on them than trying to find storage space for stupid amounts of shoes, bag, clothes, dresses and crap I would defo buy if I didn't have the nags.
 
I have more than one because I just didn't enjoy riding my horse, he was too lively and it was always a chore. I used to be relived to get home, and rode him because I felt obliged too rather than because I wanted to. I started riding a horse for someone else and realized I still enjoyed riding I just didn't like the danger aspect! so when he needed a home I had him gladly.
Leaving me with two horses (and a little companion!)
I do now ride the first horse again when I can as I feel bad leaving him at home 24/7- like its not much of a life for him! I struggle to keep two though tbh.
 
No 1 fractured his leg and damaged a tendon so is now restricted to hacking
No 2 was bought to replace no 1 but broke herself after 5 months and is now turned away.
No.3 is on lwvtb to replace no 2 and no 1!
Im really hoping that this is where my run of pants luck ends!
 
Missmac said:
No 1 fractured his leg and damaged a tendon so is now restricted to hacking
No 2 was bought to replace no 1 but broke herself after 5 months and is now turned away.
No.3 is on lwvtb to replace no 2 and no 1!
Im really hoping that this is where my run of pants luck ends!
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oh dear :( doesn't the saying go 4th time lucky? i'm sure it has ended missmac. hope you find a solid no.4 :)
 
Well i think ive found a good one in number 3(a thouroughbred with a sense of self preservation!) So fingers crossed there will be no need for a no. 4!
 
I wasn't supposed to have 2 by my welsh a who was my first pony has arthritus meaning he can't be sold, plus an attitude that makes him hard to loan! So I have him, and a ridden pony.
 
The one I compete, keeps me sane, and the others are unsellables and they all have guaranteed safe and happy lives with me for the rest of their days.
 
Because I collect pretty things?! :D We breed shetlands (shock horror!!) so we have 10 of them. I have my ridden dartmoor show pony. My fell who will be out on veteran classes next year. The 3yo welsh d colt who will be my next ridden show pony before going on to stud - I believe that all mares and stallions should jave a career before breeding to prove themselves so to speak.

Kyle I have because I wouldn't let him go anywhere else once.his racing career ended. But he is a field ornent. Then Jeff came home as he quite simply was going NO WHERE else at the end of his racing days :D we have too much history.

Then Jeff broke so I got Laurel so I had a plaited horse to ride in the ring. Then 3 months after getting Laurel Gray broke and so he came home too :D

To be honest, if I had a crystal ball and knew that Gray was going to break when he did then I would never have got Laurel.

Thats why you have.more than one - so you always have something to ride of various heights and abilities no matter if you break one :D :D :D
 
I have 3.

TBx mare who is 39 & doesn't do a lot. I've had her since she was 3.
ISH who was a full-on showjumper but who turned out to have EPSM.
Ex-racer to 'replace' the ISH, who now has a mystery case of the go-slows too.

The ISH went on loan to a trekking centre for 2 years. He's been back a couple of months & is good for o/h to ride. He has a sharer who adores him & I'm having the odd ride atm cos the ex-racer is off games.

How many horses do you need to have **ONE** that's in good health physically & mentally, and able to compete???

T x
 
Because I had one on full loan and one on half loan and when I decided I wanted to move yards I had to buy them to be able to move them. I couldn't have left the half loan lad behind, so bought both.

I do think though when I end up with one it will remain as one. Well, maybe.
 
I have 5. I have questioned my sanity. I used to breed and will again when my homebred has more performance. But I hate selling the fillies and usually keep them for me as I'm a mare person. Obviously I'm not a big breeder. So I have 8yo Heidi. My first born. Could never sell my first born! Plus she's just the best horse on the planet. Maybe not the most talented horse ever but she would do anything you ask. Abba is 6 and my jumping mare. Cupcake is 2 and obviously busy being a baby. Stella is 13 and probably not going to breed from her again as I have the daughter to do that and I want to do more breeding from performance. But she has a home for life as she has given me wonderful babies and deserves the best I can give her. And then I have 17 YO Frank an ex chaser I bought as a riding horse. He was quite injured when I bought him and wasn't supposed to ever come sound. Anyway he did and he's another lifer.

I am nuts but I couldn't part with any of them. We also have client horses too. They are always part of the family until they go back home.

Terri
 
used to have one then moved to a new yard and he needed a companion so bought a 2 year old. then got the chance to owna horse that i would never be able to afford in a million years and has the possibility to be my horse of a life time :) so i sold my youngster to my step sister as she had fallen in love with her and was going to loan her anyway (Taz was never going up for sale we have had him for 9 years and have been his only owners he will be with us for life) so the yougster (missy) is still in the field with taz and is stabled beside him, just that she isnt mine although i do, do most things for her :o then we got rio from spain :) so thats why i have 2 also gives mum something to ride (she thought she'd be riding rio but then she saw how sharp and unpredictable he was and decided as she hasnt ridden in 6 years and she already has a bad back and hips that she would leave me to reschool him) so she rides taz for me and it gives me a hacking buddy :)
 
I have 3, one reason is because we keep them at home and so they keep each other company and if one goes to a competition then there are still a pair at home to keep each other company.

I do enjoy having a few in work because they are completely different to ride. So they keep me on my toes riding wise and because one is very difficult to ride, it gives me a break to ride the other who is much easier!

The older mare will soon be retired and then I have the 3 year old to take over.
 
Because I love them and can afford to keep them in the style they think they should be kept.:D:D:D:D:D:DIt's nice to see the young untouched very frightened foal you bought,slowly over 12 months turn into a mostly confident animal.:D:D:D:D:D
 
All these answers are very encouraging and making me think I should replace elderly horse and embrace the poverty! I have two but only because of a bereavement l love them both to bits but I would LOVE to get a foal again...last foal is twenty six next time!
 
Scarlett said:
Because I want to and it's my money and my time.

They do different jobs for me and are all as valuble as each other.
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This ^^

and because I figured riding different horses is good for my riding ability - so this way I have two to improve my riding - and double the amount of horsey hugs
 
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I had 3 for many years, very structured set up with two mature horses and a youngster to take over in due course, 20 + happy years ticked by, and then all I had left was an oldie who didn't last too long after his friends departed.

Despite wanting to give up, my family and friends encouraged me to keep going and I bought in, for the very time ever, a made horse. It was very odd just looking after one horse, that was back in 2004.

Then I spotted a little cob mare in dire need of some TLC, she slipped in quietly and was patched up, becoming rather nice, so nice in fact, that a dear friend muttered something about a foal. No..........I am slowing down.

The foal, now 17 months old is lovely and hopefully will be a maxi cob. Of course young horses need friends and somehow, another yearling arrived.

Then the original horse, purchased in 2004 managed to break himself big time and I have nothing to ride. The result of late night window shopping on horsequest settled in quickly. It's not a permanent thing, she is for sale, I have too many, but then again, she is rather lovely and very safe.

Remember the little cob mare that produced such a cracking foal in 2011......I have more sleepless nights to look forward to in June 2013, fingers crossed she will produce another cracker.

I have no idea why I have more than one, but I adore what I do, have lots to look forward to and am indebted to several people that make it all possible. So the answer to 'why have more than one horse' is .. to ensure I am up before the crack of sparrow fart every morning, to make my mother tell me, without fail, that I smell and to ensure I am late for work at least 3 mornings a week.
 
Why do I have more than one? Because I play polo, and need a minimum of two ponies.....and then it's good to have a spare.....and then I couldn't turn down an old pony who needed a new home...and I couldn't say no when a baby needed a new home...so now I have five of the critters! Love them all!
 
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