Win a horse competition - photos?

GG2B said:
I'm confused by the where you keep your current horse comment, does that mean those that already own one or more horses are entering? I was naively assuming it was those that couldn't afford the initial outlay of a horse but could afford to keep one that were entering.
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I''ve had photo request email too.

Yep anyone can enter, I currently have horse on loan.....but outlay would always be a problem.........

If you saw the level of detail that they eventually shortlist to, it won't be just anybody winning this, it will be someone very knowledgeble who can provide a good home! I don't think the organisers are that mad!
 
Moomin1...I think you are being quite narrowminded! NONE of us can really afford horses, we all still do it though!!!! On paper I cannot possibly afford a horse, in reality, I manage and horse is well cared for, has better coats than me......
 
unicornystar said:
Moomin1...I think you are being quite narrowminded! NONE of us can really afford horses, we all still do it though!!!! On paper I cannot possibly afford a horse, in reality, I manage and horse is well cared for, has better coats than me......
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Haha, with all respect US, I have spent the last 8 years clearing up the neglected mess of many many people who are unable to afford basic vet care and needs of their horses.

And I beg to differ, I CAN afford my horse's needs. Otherwise I wouldn't have her. End of.
 
Moomin1 said:
Haha, with all respect US, I have spent the last 8 years clearing up the neglected mess of many many people who are unable to afford basic vet care and needs of their horses.

And I beg to differ, I CAN afford my horse's needs. Otherwise I wouldn't have her. End of.
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I do get where you're coming from, but how many buyers have to provide proof of income/outgoings/disposable income when buying a horse from either a private seller, a dealer or the market. Really it's no different in that respect from any other sale, apart from the magazine is signing the cheque.
 
slumdog said:
I do get where you're coming from, but how many buyers have to provide proof of income/outgoings/disposable income when buying a horse from either a private seller, a dealer or the market. Really it's no different in that respect from any other sale, apart from the magazine is signing the cheque.
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No it's no different in that respect, but my point is that I feel it's immoral for a magazine to actually be contributing to a potential welfare issue. If they do the finance checks at the final stage, then I absolutely think it's a great idea though. :-)
 
Why? Just because many people do doesn't mean that many people don't and change in circumstances can be rather hard to predict. - no one will be able to show they can fund the horse for life unless they have a significant inheritance/wealth/unlikely to be entering the competition.

If you are an experienced, responsible horse person which this competition seems designed to attract and vet you would say nope, can't do this properly and advertise the horse (which will be a nice one and therefore saleable) for sale.

I'd be surprised if most people who get into financial difficulty allow their horse to be neglected rather than sell it.
 
ester said:
Why? Just because many people do doesn't mean that many people don't and change in circumstances can be rather hard to predict. - no one will be able to show they can fund the horse for life unless they have a significant inheritance/wealth/unlikely to be entering the competition.

If you are an experienced, responsible horse person which this competition seems designed to attract and vet you would say nope, can't do this properly and advertise the horse (which will be a nice one and therefore saleable) for sale.

I'd be surprised if most people who get into financial difficulty allow their horse to be neglected rather than sell it.
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Very true, many people won't end up neglecting them. But a 'win a horse' competition is highly likely to invite opportunists and dreamers, as are the £20 horses going for meat at a sale. Of course we can do little to stop this, but IMO a reputable magazine should not be contributing to this or promoting it. But like I say, a simple check of finance and credit would be great, and what they should do IMO.

Just my thoughts on the matter.
 
Moomin1 said:
I don't give a monkeys about YH or the person who wins. My concern is the horse. If we are on about charitable intentions, I can think of far more pleasing ways for YH to give money tbh.
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Blimey there really is no need to be so defensive, my post wasnt aimed at you, I was just explaining my previous comment to Springfeather.

I think we are all aware of how you feel about the competition, but regardless of that fact it is still going ahead, so what really does all the complaining accomplish
 
Paint Me Proud said:
Blimey there really is no need to be so defensive, my post wasnt aimed at you, I was just explaining my previous comment to Springfeather.

I think we are all aware of how you feel about the competition, but regardless of that fact it is still going ahead, so what really does all the complaining accomplish
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That wasn't defensive - that is my actual opinion, and I was responding to your post in general terms, not as a direct response. :-)

I'm quite sure people are allowed to express concerns over things, or disagree with things, even though it won't make any difference to the outcome.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm quite sure people are allowed to express concerns over things, or disagree with things, even though it won't make any difference to the outcome.
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Yes i absolutely agree, but you have to admit there comes a point where people can be over critical to the point that people just start ignoring the opinion becasue it's coming at them like a broken record. Readers either swicth off or leave the thread.
 
Would you feel better Moomin if YH simply ran a competition to win a sum of money? I don't see how this one is worse than a small scratch card win that would enable somebody to go and buy a horse.
 
Paint Me Proud said:
Yes i absolutely agree, but you have to admit there comes a point where people can be over critical to the pointothe people just start ignoring the opinion becasue it's coming at them like a broken record. Readers either swicth off or leave the thread.
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I'm not bothered at all if that's the case. I don't have to agree and keep quiet just to appease people who are on this thread. :-)
 
martlin said:
Would you feel better Moomin if YH simply ran a competition to win a sum of money? I don't see how this one is worse than a small scratch card win that would enable somebody to go and buy a horse.
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I don't care what they do, so long as they do simple finance checks if they are promoting using the money to buy a horse. It really wouldn't be hard for them to request proof of income and outgoings and a credit check. Like I say, you wouldn't get a bank loan without providing that information, so where a living animal is concerned, it should be just the same, if not a lot more stringent, than that.

But I fully accept not everyone is bothered about it to that same extent.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm not bothered at all if that's the case. I don't have to agree and keep quiet just to appease people who are on this thread. :-)
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again your reply is antagonistic and unneccessary. I didnt say you had to keep quite, you can do whatever you want to, just that your message wont be getting across because people will just stop reading it, and if you want to make people aware of the situation then fewer more succint words will have a greater effect.
 
Paint Me Proud said:
again your reply is antagonistic and unneccessary. I didnt say you had to keep quite, you can do whatever you want to, just that your message wont be getting across because people will just stop reading it, and if you want to make people aware of the situation then fewer more succint words will have a greater effect.
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They clearly are reading them - since they are responding. ;-)

How would you like me to word my concerns then? Open to suggestions?
 
Paint Me Proud said:
I didnt mean charitable in terms of the company giving money away with no return, I know they will get major publicity form it. I meant something charitable in terms of the one person who wins, YH wont really gain anything from that one person alone. If you get my drift?!
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No they won't, but they will from the hundreds/thousands (?) of people who subscribe to their magazine as a result of the publicity.

I have nothing much against the competition really, it's just a bit sad that the 5k could have been put to much better use.
 
Moomin1 said:
They clearly are reading them - since they are responding. ;-)

How would you like me to word my concerns then? Open to suggestions?
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Only a few people are responding now, only those of us who are obviously bored, lol!

Perhaps try being a little more open minded in your replies, aknowledge that people have the right to have the opposite opinion and maybe you wont get peoples backs up so much
 
unicornystar said:
Moomin1...I think you are being quite narrowminded! NONE of us can really afford horses, we all still do it though!!!! On paper I cannot possibly afford a horse, in reality, I manage and horse is well cared for, has better coats than me......
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With respect, that isn't true, there are plenty of people who can afford horses on paper and in real life - I do it.
 
Paint Me Proud said:
Only a few people are responding now, only those of us who are obviously bored, lol!

Perhaps try being a little more open minded in your replies, aknowledge that people have the right to have the opposite opinion and maybe you wont get peoples backs up so much
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Where have I said that people can't have their own opinion? Nowhere. I have simply put mine across.

It's not me that's telling someone that they are 'boring' other posters.....Now that IS trying to dictate to someone whether they post or not....
 
I do understand Moomin's argument - but surely an owner's finance is likely to change, anyway? I'm hoping to have my horse the next 20 odd years - there's every chance I could be made redundant, promoted, have a career change, have children, marry a multi millionaire (!!), get divorced or 101 things that could change the state of my finances.

Does that mean I shouldn't have a horse now?

I had only just graduated university when I bought my first horse. I didn't have a huge amount of income as I was at the bottom of a career ladder but I could afford a cheap-ish horse, managed to pay all his bills (including insurance, vets bills, regular physiotherapy, lessons & other related costs) & only had him PTS following a freak field accident.

After a break, I then bought a green, just backed youngster as despite now working full time in a graduate level role & have significantly more money on paper, I still don't have a mega budget to justify spending on a horse - as although I'm earning more, my outgoings are far greater too comparitely.

Neither person selling me either horse asked any questions about my finances.

I can of course, afford my horse's day to day outgoings - I save a % of my salary specifically for my horse, so I do have a safety net & generally just budget for my horse as I do my rent or any other bill I know I have. I've also got an emergency credit card & a non-horse related savings, so if the worst was to happen, I could afford whatever treatment my horse needs.

I don't have my horse at the poshest livery yard in the county, we don't compete, nor does he wear £80 worth of Anky saddle clothes or a £300 patent bridle to school him - as I can't afford it. Not can I afford to buy a £5,000 horse (nor do I want one) & I do have to sometimes limit what 'extra' spending I do on my horse - a £500 unexpected car bill this month, means I'm holding off ordering the second HKM saddle pad I liked & massage pad for P until another month. I'm a good responsible horse owner nonetheless :)

If I had the time, I'd have loved to win a second & would have entered - but, I can't afford the time of two!

Good luck those that have entered :)
 
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I've not heard anything. I think the closing date was the 10th Nov, but then the 20th for photos. I hope they let us know either way.
 
Moomin1 said:
But that's the point - it's designed for people who don't have the finances to get themselves up and running with a horse. I just don't think it's a great example to be setting. If they are vetting the contestant's financial state, income and outgoings, then great, but otherwise I think it's really not promoting good practice.

Plus, there are so many thousands of unwanted horses out there that it would be better to promote getting one from a charity in all honesty.
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What a load or rubbish!! I'm quite sure there are plenty of people who could perfectly well afford to buy a horse and just haven't found the right one yet, or see the opportunity to save themselves the purchase price, or get one that costs more than they had originally wanted to spend. The magazine vets the finalists really carefully, plus the winner has to agree to be monitored and used for articles down the line. I've known plenty of "rich" people buy a horse, then get bored with the whole idea and dump it with minimal care in a field, or loan it out to the first "Tom Dick or Harry" who came along, and not bother to check up on it. And how many people here have not come across cases of people who have bought a horse because of its breed, colour or its a stallion and they just fancied a stallion because it looks good, then found themselves totally overhorses? All the finalists have their riding assessed.

And as for prying into peoples' financial affairs, how rude are you? I accept that plenty of people do find themselves forking out way more than they anticipated, but lots of us here make sacrificies in order to keep their horses, because they don't have a rich husband or Daddy to pay for everything. I could afford to keep my horse under normal circumstances, but then I ended up having to find over £400 a month for the next decade in order to manage her medical condition. I couldn't afford it, so had to sacrifice just about everything to do it, but my horse was well-cared for, loved and made it to nearly 30 which was pretty good going considering her condition is largely still thought to be untreatable, the drugs harmful, and there is no hope, so don't bother.Did she suffer as a result of my total lack of funds? No, of course not.
 
I don't really see what is wrong with the competition, it seems the magazine are doing everything to make sure the horse well be cared for. I have (gulp) five horses, of those I have bought exactly zero of them myself, although I do pay for their keep. One was bought for me by my mum as I would never have been able to afford her, another by my OH, two were gifts from my godparents and one was a freebe. Where's the difference between that and a magazine paying?
 
If I was in the market for a new horse, I would have entered. I could afford £5k and all the keeping costs but why would I spend £5k if someone wanted to spend their money on me, and provide me with a lot of support afterwards with lessons, salddle fitting etc.

I really don't think readers of Your Horse - let's face it you're not going to be reading Your Horse unless you already have a considerable interest in and, probably, knowledge of horses - are suddenly going to enter a competition on a whim for a horse they don't really want and can't really afford. Even if they did and somehow got through the first stage, I'm sure any of those will be weeded out in the selection process. From what I remember reading of previous competitions the selection process was very rigourous and was about a lot more than just riding - stable management was tested, yards were visited etc. I'm sure I also read it's condition of entry that the horse must be insured. Not too sure how they police this but it's not like they haven't thought about it.

It's probably a luckier horse than most who are bought for £200 from Facebook - on one group I know there was one girl looking for a sanctuary to take the 'problem' horse she'd bought 6 weeks previously about 3 days after finally selling the 4yr old stallion she'd originally advertised for £3k then dropped and dropped the price until she was giving him away as she hqd nowhere to keep him but refused to geld him. not sure what happened to the 'problem' but she's now back there looking for a "fast and sparky" horse as she wants to jump. Being given as a competition prize to a knowledgeable, competent person, with support available to them is certainly not the worst thing that could happen to him/her.
 
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