wwyd dilemma

I have a 29yr old mare, whose recently been diagnosed with cushings which is costing me an extra £135 a month to treat, she's not been ridden for a year and im still living at home at 31, I wouldn't consider putting her down so I could move out! I work a full time job, I've spent the last 3 yrs at college doing hairdressing, so spend a lot of evenings and weekends doing hair so that I can save the money for a deposit on a house! but my girl has been with me for 13 yrs and I wouldn't put her down so I could move out! any guy I've been with has always been aware that they come 2nd to my horses
 
As to living out 24/7 there is a lady in Devon who is a grand prix dressage rider. She believes in natural horse management and thinks any horse can live out unrugged 24/7. I've seen her horses and they all look healthy and happy. This may be taking it a little far, but with a good rug I think most horses can live out all year round. Mine is a very hairy, good doer and lives out for almost all the year. She would be fine out all year round (and in her field there are all sorts including TB's also out for the same times) but they insist we bring in to save the grass. They only come in for the overnight and for just 3 months of the year. We do have a small herd that are out all year and they are all elderly and live out most of the year rugless. Again all fine. I think as long as they have trees/ bushes/ field shelters the horses actually prefer to be out in the elements. I'm sure there are plenty of finer horses out there who would struggle, especially if they have lived in all their lives, but at the end of the day horses are horses and were designed to live out, often in very harsh conditions. So with management most horses are very happy out all year :) Hope this answers the question about being out? My mare has arthritis and she is definitely better when she is out all day. She gets a bit stiff in the mornings when she has been stuck in all night.
 
undergroundoli said:
They just look so gangaly, judging the confo it'll have as an adult seems like a skill that would be a bit of a dark art.
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No, not really. The ones who have stallion/broodmare potential stand out quite easily. No different to seeing the potential riding discipline a foal shows excellence in at a very young age. You watch them move and evaluate their conformation.
 
My daughter has a 12 hand pony, pony supposed to be 17 but I think older, chances are she will have another 6/7 years on her ( daughter is nearly 3) I doubt in 7 years time I can afford two ponies, pony will be about 27, difficult to rehome .. ( Do I PTS pony or tell my daughter she can't have another pony til this one is gone ... theoretically of course as daughter may no longer like riding.
 
Spring Feather said:
Interesting that a couple of you mention culling in equine breeding programs in Europe meaning the animals are killed. That's not the usual meaning over here. Most horse breeders here have culls every once in a while, it means they remove that horse from their breeding program and find it something else to do, generally they're backed and sold or sold cheaply as youngsters.
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That's what I thought "culls" meant in the breeding sense. I don't see why they would have to be destroyed just because they're not of a standard for breeding, unless they're so badly conformed they'd be unlikely to stand up to another job. Aren't just about all of our riding horses breeding culls, or have I got that completely wrong?
 
Flame_ said:
That's what I thought "culls" meant in the breeding sense. I don't see why they would have to be destroyed just because they're not of a standard for breeding, unless they're so badly conformed they'd be unlikely to stand up to another job. Aren't just about all of our riding horses breeding culls, or have I got that completely wrong?
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Well if you've got it wrong about the meaning in Europe, so have I lol! I was under the impression that a huge amount of breeding culls from WB studs in Europe are the WB horses that end up in the UK as riding horses. I know a few breeders in Germany and they don't kill their undesirables, they just sell them as riding horses.
 
Spring Feather said:
And in answer to the moral dilemma you have and asking for others options, I'd look after my old horse in the best way I could. There is plenty of time to live the life I might want later.
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For a twenty five year old who wants to commit to a home with her partner, get that home established and then maybe have children, this horse could scupper those plans if it lives another five years.
 
undergroundoli said:
They just look so gangaly, judging the confo it'll have as an adult seems like a skill that would be a bit of a dark art.
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Its not a dark art, its what everyone who breeds should have as a given. It is a lot easier when one is working with them every day and not seeing one foal once in a blue moon.
The best foal of the year from a stud is often obvious within a few weeks of birth, because it is "outstanding"
 
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cptrayes said:
Well they certainly won't if she keeps this horse and all the medical bills that are likely to be in store as it gets old!
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Really? And how many old horses in their 20s, 30s and 40s have you kept? I have had loads and only a couple of them have ever needed the odd supplement and certainly not 'all the medical bills' that you are implying.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
I have a 29yr old mare, whose recently been diagnosed with cushings which is costing me an extra £135 a month to treat, she's not been ridden for a year and im still living at home at 31, I wouldn't consider putting her down so I could move out! I work a full time job, I've spent the last 3 yrs at college doing hairdressing, so spend a lot of evenings and weekends doing hair so that I can save the money for a deposit on a house! but my girl has been with me for 13 yrs and I wouldn't put her down so I could move out! any guy I've been with has always been aware that they come 2nd to my horses
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Do you think that there might be a possibility that you are unconsciously using your horse as an excuse to avoid committing to an adult relationship and grow up and leave home?

Your situation seems rather extreme to me, still at home at 31 because of a horse.
 
Spring Feather said:
Really? And how many old horses in their 20s, 30s and 40s have you kept? I have had loads and only a couple of them have ever needed the odd supplement and certainly not 'all the medical bills' that you are implying.
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I've seen my friends spend hundreds/into thousands a year a year on stuff like Cushings medication, eye drops for sunken eyes, Bute for arthritis etc


I have so far avoided keeping horses into old age, and have now made a decision to sell my eleven year old this autumn for the same reason. He is not a horse who I would want to owe a retirement to.
 
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kerrieberry2 said:
I have a 29yr old mare, whose recently been diagnosed with cushings which is costing me an extra £135 a month to treat, she's not been ridden for a year and im still living at home at 31, I wouldn't consider putting her down so I could move out! I work a full time job, I've spent the last 3 yrs at college doing hairdressing, so spend a lot of evenings and weekends doing hair so that I can save the money for a deposit on a house! but my girl has been with me for 13 yrs and I wouldn't put her down so I could move out! any guy I've been with has always been aware that they come 2nd to my horses
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A bit off topic, or maybe not, but can anyone really save enough cash to buy a house by doing hairdressing......... I thought it was about £15k to £30K for a deposit nowadays.
What about the horse, I liked to make time to pamper my horse, and in return for all the costs I get would pleasure, its not much pleasure to go out on a dark wet night, tramp through a muddy field and throw some hay at him, then change and go and do someone's hair.
 
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MotherOfChickens said:
I know of a stud in another European country whereby every mare that they don't keep for breeding is culled and that decision is mostly made at weaning. They don't sell mares ever. When I first heard this 10/11 years ago I was pretty shocked but it was explained to me that they really value their mares and it makes sense. Obviously, their culture is to not castrate males but they are graded for breeding and their horses are very highly regarded. I don't know if this is still true for this stud but was told it by the owner.
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Out of interest do you know what did they do/did with all the colts and older stallions who failed grading? Surely they didn't all pass?
 
It was a fairly open secret that culled foals / yearlings ended up in Ireland .
Cattle where shipped to Germany foals got shipped back years ago before microchipping passports etc .
 
zigzag said:
My daughter has a 12 hand pony, pony supposed to be 17 but I think older, chances are she will have another 6/7 years on her ( daughter is nearly 3) I doubt in 7 years time I can afford two ponies, pony will be about 27, difficult to rehome .. ( Do I PTS pony or tell my daughter she can't have another pony til this one is gone ... theoretically of course as daughter may no longer like riding.
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Il quote my own post, no comments on this then?
 
MrsD123 said:
A bit off topic, or maybe not, but can anyone really save enough cash to buy a house by doing hairdressing......... I thought it was about £15k to £30K for a deposit nowadays.
What about the horse, I liked to make time to pamper my horse, and in return for all the costs I get would pleasure, its not much pleasure to go out on a dark wet night, tramp through a muddy field and throw some hay at him, then change and go and do someone's hair.
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Depends where you live and if you are happy taking on a 90-95% mortgage when interest rates are definitely going to go up.
 
amandap said:
Out of interest do you know what did they do/did with all the colts and older stallions who failed grading? Surely they didn't all pass?
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colts that they weren't interested in keeping were sold as 2/3 year olds as riding horses, this is a breed whereby the mares traditionally aren't ridden, although they are sometimes driven but they are graded for breeding. Colts are run on in herds until three and they start work. I am sure they wouldn't sell/keep anything on for that long that wasn't worth it, filly or colt. It wasn't typical of this breed, just one of the largest, oldest breeders. This stud is centuries old, I think they know their horse flesh, their horses are still worth good money and are prized out there.

I know the difference between breeding culls and culls-they definitely meant shot as I asked, I was quite shocked. (and fwiw I think I know the stud that zigzag was referring to as a friend visited and came back with similar info) but this stud was attempting to keep value on their lines. I am also not condoning it exactly but I can see the potential value in it.
 
zigzag said:
Il quote my own post, no comments on this then?
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With a Mum to support it is perfectly possible that your daughter maybe ready for a second pony in 4 or 5 years, and that you will have the contacts to loan first pony.

I think good first ponies are probably easier to loan out than an unrideable 25year old horse!

However, you are right moving children on to new ponies when they outgrow a current one is an emotional rollercoaster!
 
zigzag said:
My daughter has a 12 hand pony, pony supposed to be 17 but I think older, chances are she will have another 6/7 years on her ( daughter is nearly 3) I doubt in 7 years time I can afford two ponies, pony will be about 27, difficult to rehome .. ( Do I PTS pony or tell my daughter she can't have another pony til this one is gone ... theoretically of course as daughter may no longer like riding

Il quote my own post, no comments on this then?
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Old childrens ponies who know their job and are fantastic at it never have any problem finding their next rider. Most that I know are never sold, they're just loaned onto the next family with a tiny tot. Usually PC word of mouth goes a long way.
 
Well, I've no idea what turn this thread took after I stopped reading the first page complete with ops initial posts. But all I can say is urgh, I find ops thread and attitude incredibly distasteful.
 
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