Would you keep a sound horse as a pet?

Inthesticks

Inthesticks

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If you were giving up riding, but loved your horse, would you keep them as a pet?

Ie: You could afford it as they are at home
Horse seems fine and happy with no work

There is a guit theory of, they get bored with no work and look longingly over the countryside wishing they were getting out and about... humanising them really..
 
I would and intend to if ever my childhood ride comes up for sale. He's really too small for me now, but i'd buy him in a heartbeat and let him enjoy an early retirement if I couldn't find him a suitable rider.
 
I think it depends on why I had to give up riding. I would happily keep my old TB as a pet, and my Section A too but not sure about the 6 year old. I think I'd either send her to a pro, loan her to someone that was competitive or breed from her, it would be a shame for her to 'retire' at 6 just because I had stopped riding.
 
yes definately......as long as a horse has a good quality of life i.e. turnout, shelter if required, enough food and water , companionship, feet and teeth done regularly, whats different to keeping a dog, cat etc. they were not born to be ridden and i am sure most of them are happy to have a leisurely life....
 
There's all sorts of things you can do though even without riding. There is more than the two options, ride or leave in a field.

Horses enjoy groundwork, they enjoy clicker training, they enjoy going for walks. they enjoy loose lunging, they like being fussed with, groomed ect.

I've just spent a year with a pony I haven't been able to ride and have had an absolute ball. And I think the pony has too.
 
I have mine at home so also have 4 sound non ridden pets! 2 retired and 2 too small. They seem very happy but who knows, they may really be aching for the race track, XC or dressage arena? :D
 
Inthesticks said:
There is a guit theory of, they get bored with no work and look longingly over the countryside wishing they were getting out and about... humanising them really..
Click to expand...

You are joking, aren't you? They are out and about in the countryside filling their tummies, rolling, sleeping, pooping, filling their tummies, and pooping even more. They're horses, doing what horses do, if given the chance. All the other stuff is people activities on a horse's back.

My horses are very much my pets, sound or unsound.
 
Whenever I have a spare sound horse that I haven't got time to ride enough, I get someone to ride for me. Mostly its because a fit horse, is a healthy horse and they seem to do well with the stimulation that work gives.
 
If I couldn't ride any more, there is no way Shy is going anywhere. So yes, I would. I would probably try and find someone to go out on him, as he loves his rides out, but if not, he'd be a field ornament.
 
No - I couldn't justify the time and expense for a sound horse just to be a pet.

A retired horse would be different, as feel I owe them, but believe any fit and sound horse should have a job, even if just as a companion or occasional hack.

But each to their own.....
 
I do kind of do this with my TB mare. One day daughter might bring her back into work but right now she is just chilling being a companion to my friend's TB mare on the farm where we've kept horses for years. Don't know what will happen when the farm goes...but for right now I am keeping a horse as a pet I guess.
 
Personally I'd never keep a sound rideable horse as a pet. I have seen it too many times before and they are never as fit and healthy as their ridden counterparts. I'd have a non rideable horse as a pet and when my girl retires she will stay with me regardless but if ever I couldn't ride I'd be brave and sell her in the hope she'd have the same active life she's had with me as she gets very grumpy when not ridden.
 
I have a sound horse who is pretty well just a pet. I keep them at home so he costs me nothing and I can ride if I get the urge but haven't for ages. I thought he was perfectly happy but with their escape and vanish trick on Friday night I am now worried he is bored.
 
Yep, got two. Both in their 20s, one is definitely retired as she has been outgrown for years, the other may come back into work at some stage but if not will just slob around the field. They are kept at home so does keep costs down.
 
Yep my horse has home for life even if I couldn't ride and he was still sound we would just go out hacking in hand :-) I owe him a good happy life for the immense pleasure he has given me and because I love him more than life itself
 
Yes I would. I love the routine of looking after horses and if I could no longer ride i would happily look after a horse as a pet, love mooching around the yard with my horses.
 
Inthesticks said:
If you were giving up riding, but loved your horse, would you keep them as a pet?

Ie: You could afford it as they are at home
Horse seems fine and happy with no work

There is a guit theory of, they get bored with no work and look longingly over the countryside wishing they were getting out and about... humanising them really..
Click to expand...

I have done and continue to. When i moved for work i kept my mare at home with my parents (that probably means they kept her as my pet!) - the lack of regular work meant she was more or less retired. She was kept with her companion (who was also more or less retired), who i lost over a year and half ago - they were both very content to be left to eat, potter, roll, run about and be pampered (they were in front of my mum's house and very much pampered pets). When i lost my mare's companion, i moved her close to me at full livery and brought her back to work. A back injury only a few months into her working again has meant she is now fully retired. The vet advised that i could, with a careful regime, ride her again but i decided it was too much to ask of her - she's paddock sound, happy to be back pottering and a great companion for my younger mare. Im very lucky to have now bought a house with land so can have them at home. She's 21 now but still has many years in her - she will live those out with me and be a pet/field ornament.
 
All of 5 of mine are pets, yes 3 at the moment could be ridden, 1 has damaged her back and the other only 2, that's why I call it a semi-retirement home for young horses, I'm happy the horses are happy, so what it the problem. :)
 
I think so yes, I just enjoy being around them. If I was unable to ride I would love to still have them in my life, maybe try agility or driving. And of course once they are retired, I think you owe it to them to keep them as a pet
 
I did a thread a couple of weeks ago about bringing my sound but retired TB back into work after 10 months out of work. I have no problem keeping a sound horse as a pet as long as they are happy but she wasn't happy. She was unsettled when the others were ridden even when in sight and she took out out on the pony. Two weeks back in work and she's much cheerier, more relaxed and looks brighter.

She did age faster when out of work which is fine if you are prepared for it. I have long term health problems so will at some point have to consider keeping my horses as pets but I'm hoping it will just evolve naturally. Having our own land makes it financially viable to keep them as pets if that suits them as individuals.
 
I don't think any horse wants to be ridden despite what their owners think

I'm pretty sure given the choice they would happily graze day in day out in a field with their chums like they are meant to do.
 
My old girl 'could' be ridden lightly, but she really doesn't want to be. I hopped on bare back tonight and she was very definate that sitting on her while she grazed was fine, but to be asked to move was off the list.
I enjoy just having a horse around, I don't think they have any aspirations, as long as they are cared for, they are happy x
 
My oldie is sound enough to be ridden and since he came back from loan over a year ago he has pretty much sat in the field other than the odd hack. He's now being ridden by my friends daughter who has him on a loan until she out grows him or wants to give him back which ever comes first and even if I don't ride him he won't be going anywhere :)
 
I do not think I would simply because in regular ridden work they are more likely to find a good home if I could no longer keep them than one that could be ridden but is not. An older horse close to retirement would be different.
 
Mmmm, don't know what I'd do if I was in OP's situation. Whether to consider loaning out the horse in question wouldn't be an easy decision, having loaned a horse once I'd never do it again (apart from a loan to an equestrian college which I WOULD consider in the future as a viable option).

I think the best option would be to keep the horse at home where its happy & settled, and where the owner obviously wants it to be, and try to find someone local who'd perhaps like to ride it out occasionally or do stuff. That, to me, would be the very best of both worlds. I've got my own traddie cob plus a mare on long-term loan, and have got a super girl who comes to ride out with me - she's had her own horse in the past but her personal circumstances at the mo don't allow for her to keep her own any more, and so she's glad to come and ride mine & help out whenever she can. Suits us both admirably! And this is what I'd deffo do in OP's situation.
 
Yes I hardly ever ride my Welsh cob and to be honest I can't see that changing but I will not part with him. he is happy living with my three minis and my oldie.
 
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