Questions about owning horses

[perchie.girl]

Don't leave out Hanging. Watching what wins ribbons can turn the stomach because you KNOW the end result didn't come from anything positive for the horse.

How about Saddlebreds Blindfolded and Chased with a fire extinguisher... So they can enter the Ring with Lots of animation.....

I think you missed my point. ....... All I was trying to say is animals aren't a commodity that you pick up and buy one day and then not care for it.

Yes My goats and my dogs were rescues.... I bought my horses... With a reasonable expectation of being able to care for them. Basics food and Water and exercise is high on the list for reasonable care. Enrichment benefits you both. Good physical and mental condition is so important and part of the package.

People say that I own a horse... Not quite true. A Good horse relationship means a partnership. Horses understand body position and confidence while working around them. They learn some words...

Same goes for dogs.... They know more words than horses do and what they mean. Tone of voice etc.

dont know about goats they may know words .... But they dont really care.... But I love em any way... sort of like cats.... I love cats but on a temporary basis.... No cats for me.

deb

 

[Shezadandy]

How about Saddlebreds Blindfolded and Chased with a fire extinguisher... So they can enter the Ring with Lots of animation.....

I know. It's all so … icky. Just awful.



dont know about goats they may know words .... But they dont really care.... But I love em any way... sort of like cats.... I love cats but on a temporary basis.... No cats for me.

deb

Goats know the words you teach them. Of course their hearing improves 10 fold when they know a treat is at stake. Otherwise they pretend to be cats.

 

[Bunnylady]

All I was trying to say is animals aren't a commodity that you pick up and buy one day and then not care for it.

But what you said was:

You shouldn't get an animal you can't guarantee to care for its whole life.

And my point is, most people, even people with the best of intentions, can't make that guarantee. When I got these animals, one of my highest priorities was getting them sound and useful as quickly as possible, in case it became necessary to re-home them. I have no plan to do so, but if they know how do something and are physically capable of doing it, it's less likely that they will end up as dog food.

Someone who is in a position to know estimates that 80% of the horses in this county are pasture pets. There's a lot of reasons for that, from people who really don't have the time anymore, to horses that got outgrown, to animals that aren't capable/willing, to young horses whose owners haven't a clue how to train, to animals that got dumped on someone who had space when the previous owner lost their job . . . and some of those don't have a clue how to feed or care for them. Which brings me to another point - when the money gets too tight, animals are often the first thing that get neglected. To me, a person that recognizes that their finances can only go so far, and they simply can't afford to keep the horse, and therefore sell it, is simply being responsible. Hanging on like grim death to something you really can't afford to take care of properly isn't kind when the animal's well-being is compromised.

 

[perchie.girl]

To me, a person that recognizes that their finances can only go so far, and they simply can't afford to keep the horse, and therefore sell it, is simply being responsible. Hanging on like grim death to something you really can't afford to take care of properly isn't kind when the animal's well-being is compromised.

 

[Phaedra Winters]

I do certainly understand that in financial care that they need to be taken care of and that being rid of them is responsible. But getting an animal that you will be too busy to take care of is not okay. Simply don't get the animal. If you want to be a mother and you know that will take up all your time, don't get a horse two years before getting married only to sell it. It's not right to abandon animals like that because they don't understand.

 

[Shezadandy]

I do certainly understand that in financial care that they need to be taken care of and that being rid of them is responsible. But getting an animal that you will be too busy to take care of is not okay. Simply don't get the animal. If you want to be a mother and you know that will take up all your time, don't get a horse two years before getting married only to sell it. It's not right to abandon animals like that because they don't understand.

Wanting to have kids at some point can't be the determining factor. That would mean that what, 80% or more of women (the latest statistic I could find is by age 40, only 17% of women haven't had children in the US) shouldn't consider having a horse because they want kids at some point??? Knowing one day you want to get married and have kids is pretty common, as is knowing once you have a child, especially in the early years it WILL take up all of your time. I see your point if you're actively trying to start a family, with reasonable certainty 10-15 months later you'll have a baby to care for.

I do think people need to be honest with themselves about the financial and time requirements of owning a horse. That includes how long it takes to drive (and what kind of a drive- heavy traffic or just miles of empty roads) to the barn - what's the availability of the arena when you intend to be there? Is there anywhere else to ride (trails etc) if the arena isn't open or is jam packed with kids taking lessons... How many evenings are you going to go from work to the barn, getting home just in time to eat something and go to bed? Or, get up extra early to go to the barn … What does your horse do when you're not there? Stuck in a stall? Gets turned out?

It's got weird parallels to a gym membership, though of course the gym doesn't really care if you get there every day.

None of this should be entered into lightly. Having an exit plan is just as important as budgeting time and money - because hanging onto a horse you can't afford or don't have time for IS where the abandonment and neglect begins. Unplanned pregnancies happen- single or married, and the list goes on and on. Nobody wants to have an exit plan, but failing to plan is planning to fail, and it is the horse who suffers in the meantime.

 

[perchie.girl]

This is not a Black and White Dilema.... The lines are not strongly defined... I have had horses now fifty years and Yes there were times when I could not afford the board... And or more than basic care. I hung on and recovered. Because I prioritized. Good skill to have.

I made alot of my riding gear. Blankets leg wraps Bridles Even English riding pants and jacket... Those two alone for showing would have been about three hundred... At the time That would have been six months board.

deb

 

[Shezadandy]

This is not a Black and White Dilema.... The lines are not strongly defined... I have had horses now fifty years and Yes there were times when I could not afford the board... And or more than basic care. I hung on and recovered. Because I prioritized. Good skill to have.

I made alot of my riding gear. Blankets leg wraps Bridles Even English riding pants and jacket... Those two alone for showing would have been about three hundred... At the time That would have been six months board.

deb

Yep! Having money issues is one thing - I ended up doing things like holding horses for the farrier, cleaning all the buckets in all the barns, you name it - for a break on board. But, I kept riding and my horse didn't starve, and I was happy. One can be on a slim budget and take excellent care of their horse(s).