Horses..

[PSQ]

Tell me about it, we have 4 ponies but I only have two children…..

Same here.

Two that should have gone years ago when they were outgrown, but they became "companions" for the other 2, one of which has a long term issue and should really be PTS.
Which leaves 1 out 4 fit for purpose. So the families lifestyle is seriously compromised because 1 rideable horse comes with 4 sets of bills.

The annual conversation of "why do never go on holiday?" gets wheeled out, as does the reply "because you spend all of our savings on %$£@(*g horses!"
It completely escapes her, the fact that you can't spend money twice

 

[Welderloon]

There does seem to be a lot of the 'companions ' kept.

 

[Two Tone]

Just an observation last night as driving home.
Lot of horse paddocks on rough ground. At the moment lot I went past are just muddy bogs. Some right against the river. (if was cattle then would be hell to pay...)
Nothing against horses, but surely would be better covering the pony paddocks in wild flowers, trees and wild bird cover than arable land..?

A good friend Dave, and his wife Sarah came to help me de-antler some venison Stags and tag both them as well as tagging the venison Hinds on Tuesday.

Sarah works for a company that sells Horse bedding and forage. She said that business is well down because folks just can’t afford to keep their horses inside during the winter. Consequently, they are left outside, turning the paddocks into a quagmire!

 

[stroller]

Feed bills, vet bills, insurance bills, horse dentist bills, farriers bills, physio bills, bills for lessons, bills for the endless stream of cardboard boxes the couriers bring, the "I bought this in a sale!" bills, entries, accommodation, memberships etc etc....
... I sometimes wonder if cocaine addiction wouldn't cost half as much.

Joking apart, horses are financial vampires, a financial black hole that you can never fill with money: it never stops.

They eat money and sh!t poison!

 

[Minesapint]

When I was a kid, our ponies ate grass or hay, grew a coat in winter to keep warm, and got on with it.
I now ‘sponsor’ 3 of the things. They have more clothes than I do, food is a cocktail of overpriced ingredients and remedies, the farrier, dentist, physio etc etc.
Makes a few days shooting look bloody cheap

 

[deleted user 87364]

I take it you have a different view ........

Absolutely horses saved me on so many ways, they are my life and my therapy..I don’t think you can put a price on that kind of happiness.

 

[ollie989898]

There is absolutely no need for anyone to own a horse in reality. There must be thousands of them in the UK that aren't ridden from one week to the next because they are ill disciplined and not ridden enough because the owners don't have the skill or confidence to ride them. Seen it a million times through experiences I have obtained by being in prior relationships with women with an equine interest.

Years ago I worked on a dairy farm which had shed loads of DIY livery. One day one of the livery girls was having a hell of a time trying to ride their horse in the enclosed outdoor menage with the horse pishing about rearing and paddling. She slid off to the ground threw the reins and burst into tears. I happened to be going by after finishing my lunch one day, saw what was going on, hopped over the rail, got hold of the reins, up into the saddle in my overalls and wellies, gave a curt word, got hold of the reins with meaning and marched that thing around and around like he'd been doing it all his life. I am miles away from being any serious kind of nag rider though I was taught by my mother from a reasonably young age and had formal lessons during our time in the military.

Unless people have this (all expensive these days) practice and build up their confidence and riding form, the horses just know and become ill disciplined and behaviourally problematic. A lot of them you see stood in paddocks around and about must be bored out of their minds. They are working animals and need to be ridden or schooled multiple times per week, unless it's just for ornament in which case you'd best off just leave them to it and forget trying to ride them. I personally find these collections of nags a sorry sight, especially when they are kept alone which I believe is quite cruel in reality as they are social animals.

If I wanted to ride a horse 3 or 4 times a week I bet I could find a half decent one to ride out whenever I liked just by asking around and it wouldn't cost me a penny. Why do you have to own or loan one and have all the expense?

 

[nails]

Amazing how far removed a lot of farmers are now from horses when you think not very long ago they were the power on the farms. I love to see working horses being demonstrated at shows , ploughing matches and Timber events. So much knowledge ,a lot of which is going to be lost apart from the few who keep them.
Ponies in a bare ragwort infested paddock with tape all round , Yuk.

 

[deleted user 87364]

There is absolutely no need for anyone to own a horse in reality. There must be thousands of them in the UK that aren't ridden from one week to the next because they are ill disciplined and not ridden enough because the owners don't have the skill or confidence to ride them. Seen it a million times through experiences I have obtained by being in prior relationships with women with an equine interest.

Years ago I worked on a dairy farm which had shed loads of DIY livery. One day one of the livery girls was having a hell of a time trying to ride their horse in the enclosed outdoor menage with the horse pishing about rearing and paddling. She slid off to the ground threw the reins and burst into tears. I happened to be going by after finishing my lunch one day, saw what was going on, hopped over the rail, got hold of the reins, up into the saddle in my overalls and wellies, gave a curt word, got hold of the reins with meaning and marched that thing around and around like he'd been doing it all his life. I am miles away from being any serious kind of nag rider though I was taught by my mother from a reasonably young age and had formal lessons during our time in the military.

Unless people have this (all expensive these days) practice and build up their confidence and riding form, the horses just know and become ill disciplined and behaviourally problematic. A lot of them you see stood in paddocks around and about must be bored out of their minds. They are working animals and need to be ridden or schooled multiple times per week, unless it's just for ornament in which case you'd best off just leave them to it and forget trying to ride them. I personally find these collections of nags a sorry sight, especially when they are kept alone which I believe is quite cruel in reality as they are social animals.

If I wanted to ride a horse 3 or 4 times a week I bet I could find a half decent one to ride out whenever I liked just by asking around and it wouldn't cost me a penny. Why do you have to own or loan one and have all the expense?

It’s more than just riding them for me as I assume for many others too, I have rescued some of mine and others had from 6mths old it’s the total care and management in looking after them like motherhood and watching your child grow, we don’t all go out spend our money on clothes and nights out so I think it’s a matter of opinion and person, after all we are all individuals and uniquely our selves!

 

[Two Tone]

There is absolutely no need for anyone to own a horse in reality. There must be thousands of them in the UK that aren't ridden from one week to the next because they are ill disciplined and not ridden enough because the owners don't have the skill or confidence to ride them. Seen it a million times through experiences I have obtained by being in prior relationships with women with an equine interest.

Years ago I worked on a dairy farm which had shed loads of DIY livery. One day one of the livery girls was having a hell of a time trying to ride their horse in the enclosed outdoor menage with the horse pishing about rearing and paddling. She slid off to the ground threw the reins and burst into tears. I happened to be going by after finishing my lunch one day, saw what was going on, hopped over the rail, got hold of the reins, up into the saddle in my overalls and wellies, gave a curt word, got hold of the reins with meaning and marched that thing around and around like he'd been doing it all his life. I am miles away from being any serious kind of nag rider though I was taught by my mother from a reasonably young age and had formal lessons during our time in the military.

Unless people have this (all expensive these days) practice and build up their confidence and riding form, the horses just know and become ill disciplined and behaviourally problematic. A lot of them you see stood in paddocks around and about must be bored out of their minds. They are working animals and need to be ridden or schooled multiple times per week, unless it's just for ornament in which case you'd best off just leave them to it and forget trying to ride them. I personally find these collections of nags a sorry sight, especially when they are kept alone which I believe is quite cruel in reality as they are social animals.

If I wanted to ride a horse 3 or 4 times a week I bet I could find a half decent one to ride out whenever I liked just by asking around and it wouldn't cost me a penny. Why do you have to own or loan one and have all the expense?

You ever heard of Riding for the disabled?

Go and see it, get involved, see how hard those involved work ant it and the utter joy and therapy it brings to those who it has helped.
Then realise what utter self-opinionated, ignorant tosh you have just written above!

 

[deleted user 87364]

You ever heard of Riding for the disabled?

Go and see it, get involved, see how hard those involved work ant it and the utter joy and therapy it brings to those who it has helped.
Then realise what utter self-opinionated, ignorant tosh you have just written above!

In your opinion and I have 4 thank you!

 

[Doing it for the kids]

When I was a kid, our ponies ate grass or hay, grew a coat in winter to keep warm, and got on with it.
I now ‘sponsor’ 3 of the things. They have more clothes than I do, food is a cocktail of overpriced ingredients and remedies, the farrier, dentist, physio etc etc.
Makes a few days shooting look bloody cheap

You must know my wife!

TBF the kids do get a lot out of it and I’m banking on no boy friend troubles with the eldest for many years!

Absolutely horses saved me on so many ways, they are my life and my therapy..I don’t think you can put a price on that kind of happiness.

You ought to get a Labrador! Cheap, easy, loyal

 

[ollie989898]

You ever heard of Riding for the disabled?

Go and see it, get involved, see how hard those involved work ant it and the utter joy and therapy it brings to those who it has helped.
Then realise what utter self-opinionated, ignorant tosh you have just written above!

What the fudge? Did you even read my post?

It's nothing of the sort. You're talking absolute balls- what I have written has fudge all to do with riding for the disabled. That is a very different thing and the horses there would be well disciplined because they are ridden a lot. What planet are you on?

I bet if you straw polled a lot of horse owners in the UK they don't ride even once a week. I used to work on a farm where we had dozens of them in livery. Yeah, people would turn up day after day, sometimes twice a day, always doing something, feeding, skipping out, but actual riding? Nope. Poor old nags be stood around in stables all day everyday or end up in paddocks growing as fat as pigs on lush grass.

 

[deleted user 87364]

What the fudge? Did you even read my post?

It's nothing of the sort. You're talking absolute balls- what I have written has fudge all to do with riding for the disabled. That is a very different thing and the horses there would be well disciplined because they are ridden a lot. What planet are you on?

I bet if you straw polled a lot of horse owners in the UK they don't ride even once a week. I used to work on a farm where we had dozens of them in livery. Yeah, people would turn up day after day, sometimes twice a day, always doing something, feeding, skipping out, but actual riding? Nope. Poor old nags be stood around in stables all day everyday or end up in paddocks growing as fat as pigs on lush grass.

I never mentioned any disability of the sort, I actually did my work experience at a riding school for the disabled so yes I do know, neither do I do stable yards, my horses run freely and love their life.

 

[deleted user 87364]

You must know my wife!

TBF the kids do get a lot out of it and I’m banking on no boy friend troubles with the eldest for many years!



You ought to get a Labrador! Cheap, easy, loyal

Lol with 3 dogs and 3 birds I really don’t think I could get a Labrador too. All my animals are loyal.

 

[robs1]

What the fudge? Did you even read my post?

It's nothing of the sort. You're talking absolute balls- what I have written has fudge all to do with riding for the disabled. That is a very different thing and the horses there would be well disciplined because they are ridden a lot. What planet are you on?

I bet if you straw polled a lot of horse owners in the UK they don't ride even once a week. I used to work on a farm where we had dozens of them in livery. Yeah, people would turn up day after day, sometimes twice a day, always doing something, feeding, skipping out, but actual riding? Nope. Poor old nags be stood around in stables all day everyday or end up in paddocks growing as fat as pigs on lush grass.

On my yard less than half get ridden, the horses I mean, not sure about the owners probably about the same

 

[4course]

What the fudge? Did you even read my post?

It's nothing of the sort. You're talking absolute balls- what I have written has fudge all to do with riding for the disabled. That is a very different thing and the horses there would be well disciplined because they are ridden a lot. What planet are you on?

I bet if you straw polled a lot of horse owners in the UK they don't ride even once a week. I used to work on a farm where we had dozens of them in livery. Yeah, people would turn up day after day, sometimes twice a day, always doing something, feeding, skipping out, but actual riding? Nope. Poor old nags be stood around in stables all day everyday or end up in paddocks growing as fat as pigs on lush grass.

You are correct ,with horses and their riders/owners they listen to /read shite and feed far too much energy with limited skills .and dont give them enough work/exercise , basically its the humans who are the problem

 

[deleted user 87364]

On my yard less than half get ridden, the horses I mean, not sure about the owners probably about the same

Is that why they are so bitchy yards I’ve been on in the past the yard owners might want to ride them, horses that is not sure about the owners

 

[glasshouse]

Going forward does anyone think that any of the non essential animals like Horses, Camelids, Donkeys etc & cats will be priced out of regular ownership or taxed to the point of non ownership in the drive to minimise Methane, improve diversity, improve wildlife?

Never

 

[Two Tone]

What the fudge? Did you even read my post?

It's nothing of the sort. You're talking absolute balls- what I have written has fudge all to do with riding for the disabled. That is a very different thing and the horses there would be well disciplined because they are ridden a lot. What planet are you on?

I bet if you straw polled a lot of horse owners in the UK they don't ride even once a week. I used to work on a farm where we had dozens of them in livery. Yeah, people would turn up day after day, sometimes twice a day, always doing something, feeding, skipping out, but actual riding? Nope. Poor old nags be stood around in stables all day everyday or end up in paddocks growing as fat as pigs on lush grass.

There is no doubt that there is often a special bond between horses and humans.
That bond doesn’t automatically mean that all horses should be ridden. Sometimes companionship is prime objective.
I know of a woman who is disabled herself and is physically unable to ride, whose life pleasure is her horse.

The recent undoubted recession and cost of living crisis has undoubtedly seen a rise in the number of mostly ponies, usually the hardier ones, now have to live outside during the winter.

However, the vast majority of especially horses are really well looked after. Ponies are much hardier, especially the native breeds.
Without the horse and what the horse has done for us, we’d still be living in caves and hunting, rather than farming.
They were our prime form of transport and went to war with us.


If you want to read something absolutely amazing, read a book called ‘The man who listens to Horses’ by Monty Roberts.
The book isn’t so much about Horses as it is people.
Those that have read it will know that by the time you have read the preface, which takes place at Windsor, you are totally hooked.
The book will probably change your life.
It did mine and especially the way I now farm deer.

Go and see Monty when he comes here by all means. But that book is absolutely incredible in what it says and teaches us about people. I promise you that if you read that one book, you are in for one hell of a treat!


Back to owning Horses:
Yes it is possible to enjoy horse riding without having to own them. But somebody has to own them for you to do so.
Sometimes the politics of envy rears its ugly head when it comes to horse ownership. And there are some owners who think they are superior to everybody else.
But there are those who share their time with those who are less fortunate, physically and mentally disabled.
To see what this does for them is truly humbling!

I was on a few occasions very fortunate to have been taught by a guy called Major Derek Allhusen, who won us a gold medal at the Mexico Olympics. He also competed in Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics.
He and his wife Claudia had an amazing setup at Claxton, in Norfolk.
Many of our most famous Equestrian Olympic riders will know it well.
But so will hundreds, if not thousands of disabled people whose lives have been very enhanced by what folks like the Allhusen’s and many other horse riding schools have given them.


IMO, for those who haven’t experienced it, it is very difficult to understand the bond that can happen between horses and humans. I have worked with all sorts of animals all my life, but it is quite a unique bond. There are some fine looking horses out there and some not so good looking examples! Try not to automatically think that they aren’t so well loved. Unhappy horses are a bit like sheep and will soon die. But owning, or looking after horses will mean that eventually they will die, sometimes naturally and sometimes we have to put them to sleep to save them suffering.
I’ve had both and some that lived very happily and did naturally up to the ages of 32 and 42!
The pleasure they can and have given many of us is quite special.
And not all ‘horsey’ people are the same.