Should I or am I Out of My Mind -to get a horse-

[greeneggsandham]

My advise would be to call some local barns and ask if you can maybe trade lessons for chores or volunteer to help clean stalls. Explain to them that you are interested at some point down the road in getting a horse and would like to learn about them.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
No, but the same applies to ME dontcha think, and I know a variety of people in KY/TN who over the past six months or so have been DESPERATE to get rid of slightly-problematic horses, to no avail. I am glad your mother is either skilled or lucky, but my "different experience than you" suggests that her situation is not very common these days.

Pat

 

[georgialee]

I wasn't saying anything at all about your experience... I was responding to the OP's question. It's you who said "Um, unfortunately that is no longer the case." in response to my post.

Isn't that discounting my experience? You assumed I didn't have any clue what I was talking about.

 

[ShadowRooster]

You know, in the DR they have horses running everywere, they are all owned by someone, but thay all graze together. Do they get vet care? Not alot. Are there free-roaming space safe from holes and nails? Nope! And if you saw one of these ponies, they would look fine to you. There eyes and coats are shiny (if brushed) and they are healthy critters. If one gets sick or injurd, its put down.Now, where do more horses die!? I think US, STILL. Now, anyway.

I dont know this it true at all. I have just gatherd this from the talk of horse killing here. And having seen the ponies in DR. Maby the horses had some sort of problem I didnt see, but most animals are alike in the way they show unhealthyness.

 

[TheSitcomGirls]

I live in CT....I got a free horse from my neighbor who couldn't care for her anymore.
I keep her at my house and here is how much she costs:
Grand total of $3,342 per year that I can plan on.
Costs you can plan on:
Per month:
$30 2 bags of grain: $100 hay (no hay 4 months per year, I have 8 acres pasture for two horses): $56- 8 bags of shavings
Per year: $1,832
Shoeing: $1050 per year $175 per shoeing Worming: $60 per year every other month Spring shots:$300 Fall Dental Work: $100

Now what else happened this year that I couldn't plan on?
1. $200 for the vet call to look at the hemotoma on her chest she got I have no idea how.
2. $150 for my ER deductable when she bucked me off and I thought I broke my arm.
3. $100 for the wood to fix the fence that she ate while bored over the winter.
4. $250 to have the tree cut down right next to the barn that she girdled and then it died.
5. $200 to have my other horse's leg x-rayed after she kicked him.
6. $250 to have an escape door cut out and installed in the back of the run in shed so she doesn't kick my other horse again.
7. $50 to replace the seat on my tractor that she chewed up.
8. $175 for the new blanket she needed because she doesn't seem to grow any winter hair.
9. $275 for better blanket because she shredded the first cheaper one.
10. $100 for rubber mats for her stall because she digs her way to China.
11. $500 for a new saddle because of course she doesn't fit any that I already own.
12. $50 for various medications to treat a fungal infection she gets on her nose in the spring.
13. $100 for special fly spray because she gets hives from repel-x.
14. $600 for suppliments that I pray will help calm her down (so far no luck).

Owning a horse...priceless. I love her to death and I wouldn't give her up for anything! But my horses pretty much go through any and all extra money in the house....horses just do.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Uh huh. I am speaking from 36 years (since I was 9) experience in the horse industry when I tell you that it is generally OTHER PEOPLES' horses that do fine that way. It is not something to depend on for YOUR horses.

Also if you are suggesting that you will take the attitude of "don't worry, let whatever happen happen, if they get sick or injured just euthanize it and get another".... well, man, I'm not even TOUCHIN' that one <walks away shaking head and starting to get a whiff of trollishness here>

most animals are alike in the way they show unhealthyness.

No, no they are not. Not, really, all that much at ALL.

Also they are even less alike in how to HANDLE them, and you cannot handle horses like dogs or cats or goats or emus or whatever else, unless you have a horse with a particularly stellar personality and solid training (for long enough that it will not deteriorate too fast when you don't maintain it). And when you mis-handle a horse, the result is not just that he doesn't do what you want, it's that things can get dangerous real fast, also scary and unhappy for the horse, also result in the horse developing enough behavioral problems that it can be fairly difficult in some cases for even a very very good trainer to ever really fix them.

In your original post (#1 of this thread) you wrote:

Please tell me if I’m not thinking about something right.

We have told you. Almost everyone has said, basically, "there is no reason you should not get a horse or preferably two, but first you need to obtain a lot more experience and knowledge, and it is not generally NEARLY as cheap or easy as you seem to be envisioning."

Do you actually *care* what we say, or was this thread started just to have someone to argue with?

Pat​

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
MOST good instructors are like that. They have safety as their first priority. I spent most of my young life being screamed at, shouted at, and having my head forced into heavy, sweaty helmets. But ... I did learn to ride and the times I came off, I never had any serious injuries (thanks to the helmet). I took lessons for YEARS before getting my first horse and I learned all the more for it.

Second Pat on the Craiglist thing. The vast majority of horses I have seen on CL are either 1.) Untrained 2.) Have training issues 3.) Barely broke 4.) Health & soundness reasons 5.)Very old The good ones are being advertised at $2500+ and they are worth every penny.

Take lessons. Even if you don't think you need them. There is A LOT more to riding than, kick to go, pull to stop.

 

[turney31]

Wc- Preaching to the choir! MY point is you can answer questions without being condescending and rude. Without squashing the dream. I say educate. In my opinion you should be ashamed of the way you responded to the op. You could have said the same thing in a kind manner. She could be saving a horse from slaughter.

 

[ShadowRooster]

Im just asking, do you even know what an emu is? 150 bird with sharp claws and a big kick. If a dog got into the emu pen, it would be shreded.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Yes. I've even eaten it.

It's a ratite, member of the ostrich family from Australia.

What exactly is the point you're trying to make? I see very little about emu keeping that would tranfer to horse keeping.