Dilemma..

[secuono]

Well, I wanted a horse my whole life, but now that I'm about to buy one, I'm finding out it's just heck to have one...
Everyone says they need perfect fencing, crazy & expensive food, meds and all this crud. I just don't want one any more...
But now, what am I supposed to want? Horses are out and their relatives, fish don't interest me, most pets don't interest me. Already have chickens...idk, it all seems kinda pointless right now.
I'm even iffy on the darned sheep because they will most likely get freaking eaten, they are after all, predator magnets!
Anyone have ideas on what animal I should try next...?

 

[Heckel's Hens]

Maybe this is your brain telling you to take a break and enjoy what you have.

it's VERY okay to just ENJOY the status quo for a while.

 

[pdsavage]

Some times other people over complicate things.......

 

[secuono]

Quote:
I'm really hoping that is whats going on in this case. I remember getting chickens and 'how much work' they were supposed to be. But now it's easy and not as much stress as I thought.
Fencing can't be helped, way too costly...
4 acres 'not enough' for one horse, really? I see horses on a 1/4 acre lot, all the time, they got a huge bale of hay and they still have grass in the lot. I guess I ran into fanatics or something...at least it's not as bad as 'pet rabbit' people are...wow.

I'm pretty settled with the chickens, wanting to remove several Roos and stop incubating! Darn near impossible, lol.
Guess my mood is a bit depressed, dang rain and crazy heat is getting to me...I'm not a heat person...cannot stand it in the least bit...

 

[Katy]

I think a lot of people just aren't prepared for the cost after you purchase a horse. Especially when you have to buy feed for them, plus vet bills and farrier costs.

 

[cassie]

Horses aren't all that much trouble if you have a healthy horse. You need to buy hay, about four tons a year for the average horse, and the amount of grain you need depends a lot on how much work he does. You may or not need shoes, depending on where and how much you ride. You can give your own shots. My 23 year old mare has had to see the vet only a couple times in her life and that was to get her teeth floated.

 

[chickened]

Find one to test own they are out there, do it for a while, see what you think. We have leased them before.

 

[scbatz33]

Four acres is plenty for one horse, providing it's decent grass and not scrub. Fencing....well I used to be a 4 plank only kind of girl. But then I've worked on farms with electric tape and pvc fencing. My horse are currently in a 22 acre field of 4 x 4 and barbed wire. Horses can and do adapt.

Healthy horses can be very low expense....relatively speaking. But a high maintenance horse who is a hard keeper is a money pit waiting to happen.

I would think hard about why you are so down on getting a horse after wanting one for so long. Maybe it's your own way of telling yourself to wait a bit longer before you jump off the deep end.

 

[theoldchick]

Well, if you think about it breathing requires work. Just imagine what your brain has to do just to get our lungs to expand, make all the cells rush about to nourish our muscles, and so forth. All those neurons firing just right so we can take in oxygen. Most of us are not even aware of what is going on but our bodies are working hard even if we are sleeping.

Once we are responsible for a living creature we must do everything we can to keep it healthy. That does require work and time. If you are not willing to take the time or do the work then don't bother putting an animal in your care. If you live in the city a horse will cost you plenty. Space is at a premium and the cost of stabling is expensive. And if a horse gets sick you will have more money to spend. You can save some money by caring for your horse on a daily basis such as feeding and cleaning the stall.

However, horse keeping can be simple. Most horses will do well on good quality pasture or hay. They don't need all those supplements or feed if the horse is simply a pasture ornament. Healthy horses can withstand cold temperatures and don't need to be stalled but should have access to a shed just in case. Pastured horses are usually healthier and happier than stalled horses, and pasture board is cheaper

Don't despair though, if you want to be around horses, try to volunteer for a horse rescue. You can get hands-on experience and see if horse keeping is for you.

If you decide owning a horse is not for you then look around and see what is most suitable for where you live. Do you want a house pet? Scales, furred, feathers or fins? Do you want something to interact with or observe as they go about their daily lives? And to be perfectly honest what ever you get will take a bit of work. No way to get around that. Aquariums require weekly water changes. Hamsters need clean shavings, fresh water and food. Bearded Dragons need a nice heated place. Parakeets need to have their cages cleaned and food and water.

Keeping a pet takes work. Keeping a spouse takes work. Keeping children takes work. And most of the folks on this board don't mind getting out there and getting the job done. We love our pets, spouses, and kids and don't mind working. And when you love what you are doing, the work is not so difficult.


I want to commend the OP for being honest and realizing the responsibility, time and money it takes for purchasing any animal.