World Horse Welfare request

Sadly not for a total freeloader! Something that could be a companion and gentle hack for a little girl would be good, but they only seem to have ponies that are crocked in some way, mentally or physically (I did check their website - there's nothing suitable). I don't know anyone who could afford to take one of those on. I know that sounds awful but with costs as high as they are, if I was looking for another I'd buy or rehome a nice foal.
 
Why can't so many of them be ridden? As Marmalade said, they still need the same amount of maintenance as one you could at least go for a mooch on

Also theres a couple who could be backed, e.g Fig why haven't they done some basics with them to make them more attractive to people?

Some of the companions are quite young too, thats a lot of years to have something that has issues, which it must if it cant at least plod around the lanes

E.g. Mischief looks a nice little mare, but cant be ridden, why not? It says she has no health concerns, so why cant she be ridden, if only light work/hacking?

Id also want it to be able to stable, couldn't be doing with something that didnt fit into the routine I like (in at night out in the day)
 
exracehorse said:
When I was looking. As a companion type. So many were ‘nervous, unpredictable, hard to catch, difficult with picking the feet out’. I couldn’t be bothered with all of that. I’m not spending hours in the dark trying to bring in a feral pony in the winter.
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If I was to consider a 3rd I would want a sensible herd leader, especially if I couldn’t ride. I’m afraid a tiny feral pony would drive me nuts!

@Crazy_cat_lady i read a few adverts from the taller ones in Aberdeen and it said they tried to ride them but they wouldn’t stay sound.
 
Our local has numerous available as companions only but none that could/ are ridden. I have a friend that has a horse from them and happily rides it (and he does the job of gentle happy hacker very easily) but they were horrified when they found at as was rehomed as a companion and they threatened to take him off her!
 
I considered a rescue for when the time comes with my old lad. I will need a companion for my ridden one. After a fair bit of thought I'm going for a youngster that could be broken to drive. I would've a ' rescue' but the type and price I would pay I will probably be rescuing one anyway!
 
I was once offered a super experienced driving pony via WHW. A really desirable type. But that was direct from a home WHW had placed him in years ago, to me situation and for various reasons I never did it. And I was anaecdotally told that the "good" ones never make it to the website as they have people waiting for them. But no idea if thats true.
 
I once applied for a youngster. I was turned down as I was too heavy. The youngster was years off being rideable, never mind what my potential future weight may have been. They will rather keep their horses than let them go to homes that could set them up for the future.
 
I'm Dun said:
I was once offered a super experienced driving pony via WHW. A really desirable type. But that was direct from a home WHW had placed him in years ago, to me situation and for various reasons I never did it. And I was anaecdotally told that the "good" ones never make it to the website as they have people waiting for them. But no idea if thats true.
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Yes I’ve heard the same. Even 10 years ago I heard this, and was on a yard that definitely “got the good ones”. The type of yard where ££ made your face fit.
 
Got too many of my own freeloaders given the market has dried up (understandably)!

So I am overwintering a lead rein pony (and leading her off mine for exercise), a kind, older happy hacker (at least my son enjoys hacking her alone) and two 2 year olds who I don’t think will be big enough to do more than back and find a new home for next spring.

Feel I’m doing my part already 🤣!
 
maya2008 said:
Got too many of my own freeloaders given the market has dried up (understandably)!

So I am overwintering a lead rein pony (and leading her off mine for exercise), a kind, older happy hacker (at least my son enjoys hacking her alone) and two 2 year olds who I don’t think will be big enough to do more than back and find a new home for next spring.

Feel I’m doing my part already 🤣!
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To be fair to the first two, they sound useful. A kind safe solo hack is worth a lot! But I know what you mean - they're limited in what they can do, even if they do that one thing very well.
 
I have no connection to WHW but from the sanctuary I did work at, the number of horses who have been rehomed rideable and who eventually come back broken is... disappointing. Or they get sold out from under loan contract and end up god knows where as now they're worth money.

A lot of people are absolute garbage. It probably speaks to the ethics of people here that nobody has even considered the above tbh but it happens! I did get a rescue who is rideable (some of the time lol) but I'd been there for 3 years at that point. There is definitely an element of the "good ones" going to people who are known to the organisation but that is about trust (in my opinion) rather than just favouritism.
 
smolmaus said:
I have no connection to WHW but from the sanctuary I did work at, the number of horses who have been rehomed rideable and who eventually come back broken is... disappointing. Or they get sold out from under loan contract and end up god knows where as now they're worth money.

A lot of people are absolute garbage. It probably speaks to the ethics of people here that nobody has even considered the above tbh but it happens! I did get a rescue who is rideable (some of the time lol) but I'd been there for 3 years at that point. There is definitely an element of the "good ones" going to people who are known to the organisation but that is about trust (in my opinion) rather than just favouritism.
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This is exactly why I took the so hard decision not to try and find my OCD/incurable neck arthritis 4 yo NF a companion home - he was so beautiful and well bred that some scumbag would have buted him up and sold on, no matter how closely I vetted potential homes. 😢
 
I’ve just taken on a pony from WHW. He’s loaned as a non ridden but he’s only 2 so the reason is obvious in his case. He was abandoned as a 1yo fully clipped and with a full set of shoes, apparently he was reported when seen being chased by youths throwing stones at him. He’s a little coloured trotter, I think we can all understand what his start in life was.

Perhaps in the future he could be a riding pony but his hind legs creak and crack when you pick up his feet and he struggles to balance. He may never really recover from his start in life and the hammering he’s taken.

The rehoming process was super easy and the staff were lovely. Speaking to them about some of their other horses, it’s easy to underestimate the mental scars some of these horses carry with them. So whilst they might look fine to ride the reality may be very different.

It doesn’t bother me that I’ll never do anything with him. It’s one if the reasons I wanted him actually, aside from obviously needing a companion anyway. I understand the expense only too well having owned horses all my life and have been through the thinking around why not buy myself a youngster with ridden potential, as my own horse is looking at an early retirement. But even if I did that I’d still need a companion as my own horse can’t be left alone, and I don’t want 3 horses.

I’m quite proud that I’m helping a bin end freeloading pony and i know he’ll always be safe when eventually he has to go back. There are good homes out there if people want to give one, some of the comments on this post make me sad.
 
bluehorse said:
some of the comments on this post make me sad.
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Why exactly? I agree that the situation is very sad (too many badly bred horses, abuse of horses, responsible horse keeping is so expensive that generosity is becoming out of reach for most people) but I don't think any of the comments here are particularly sad. They're just a reflection of the current reality in the UK.

I think for most people, it's one thing to pay for the upkeep of a much loved retired or sadly broken riding horse, or a foal who's gone wrong somehow and can't be ridden - i.e. a horse you have an existing emotional bond with and know as a friend - but another to make an up front commitment to taking on a horse who will never be ridden and may always be too mentally messed up to do anything except live in your field. They all cost the same thousands to keep, and most of us don't have any more thousands.

I'm absolutely not saying that anyone is wrong to take on such horses - it's a laudable thing to do if you have the time, land, and money - but people with spare of all three are pretty rare now.
 
smolmaus said:
I have no connection to WHW but from the sanctuary I did work at, the number of horses who have been rehomed rideable and who eventually come back broken is... disappointing. Or they get sold out from under loan contract and end up god knows where as now they're worth money.

A lot of people are absolute garbage.
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I was quite shocked by this though. That's terribly sad. I suppose I was being naive to think that people who acquire horses via charities might be a bit more conscientious than most - clearly that is not the case.
 
Having experience with a different charity they were moving towards unridden homes for a variety of reasons. Many of their 'unridden companions' would be fine to ride. However in times when charity donations are plummeting they had had to cut back on staff, and the staff capable of riding, breaking, schooling and assessing suitability were at the top of the list as those activities were a luxury rather than required for basic care. They also spent a lot of time matching horses with suitable riding homes (we all know how honest people are when describing their abilities!) which required more staff with experience in this specific area, plus horses were with the charity for longer before being rehomed wjich equals more cost. In addition they were finding that when people had problems with a horse (minor schooling issues - the sort that require a bit of patience and some sessions with a good instructor) there was an inclination just to send the horse back rather than the loaner trying to resolve them, as you would if you actually owned the horse. So they were getting a lot of the ridden horses returned.

So for a lot of reasons it is an awful easier/cheaper in both time and money to rehome as non ridden, in a time when charities are scrabbling for the pennies.
 
Widgeon said:
I was quite shocked by this though. That's terribly sad. I suppose I was being naive to think that people who acquire horses via charities might be a bit more conscientious than most - clearly that is not the case.
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I know, it is grim. But if a charity charges a £300-400 adoption fee for a horse that could have 10 times that value when ridden, there is always going to be people thinking about it. And if most horse people were decent there wouldn't be so many in sanctuaries/rescues in the first place.
 
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