Ready for a horse?

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Hilhegg

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Feb 15, 2021
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Hello, new member here so do forgive me if I get it wrong 🙂.

My 2 teenage daughters and I have been riding regularly for a little over 2 years. They have also been volunteering at the stables for just over a year so have amassed a good bit of experience.

We've just acquired the use of land and feel timing is good to find a loan horse (initially) but I'm still unsure as to whether we are really ready to take on a horse. We'd be looking to loan initially. Are you ever ready to make that final leap or is it just something you have to get the big girl pants on for?

The stables we go to are very hands off and you do a lot on your own but it's a whole other thing actually having full responsibility. We do have support of a few horsie friends nearby but I wouldn't like to become a nuisance asking questions constantly!

Any advice/thoughts appreciated.
 
Hi and welcome!

It's a big step, and my initial thought is that you'd be better off starting on a decent livery yard where you've got other people around for help and support. Having your own is just so different, there are always teething troubles as you adjust to each other and the horse adjusts to a new home. Experience gained helping at a yard - and good for them doing that - still doesn't prepare you for knowing when to call the vet before a niggle turns into a major problem, or dealing with a stressed horse or one that's testing boundaries, or knowing how much to feed and what, whether tack fits etc etc.

The other thing to bear in mind is that horses are social animals and you may have problems keeping one on it's own. Get just two and you may have trouble leaving or riding one on it's own do you want a herd?!

I'd think long and hard about it at this stage. You may be ready, but I'd say not for keeping just one at home.
 
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Hilhegg said:
Hello, new member here so do forgive me if I get it wrong 🙂.

My 2 teenage daughters and I have been riding regularly for a little over 2 years. They have also been volunteering at the stables for just over a year so have amassed a good bit of experience.

We've just acquired the use of land and feel timing is good to find a loan horse (initially) but I'm still unsure as to whether we are really ready to take on a horse. We'd be looking to loan initially. Are you ever ready to make that final leap or is it just something you have to get the big girl pants on for?

The stables we go to are very hands off and you do a lot on your own but it's a whole other thing actually having full responsibility. We do have support of a few horsie friends nearby but I wouldn't like to become a nuisance asking questions constantly!

Any advice/thoughts appreciated.
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Well you would need 2 as not fair to keep one on its own and with 2 if you take one out to be ridden solo the other often creates. three tends to be the magic number so one always has a friend there.

It is a big step from volunteering to full charge. You get no days off, you have to diagnose i.e. choke, colic, dangerous things you may not have seen. You have to check if tack fits etc. You have to take time off work for farriers to call, feed deliveries, bulk buy hay unless you can find someone who can just bring you a large bale at a time. It is a big change and having them privately can be very isolating as you have no one on hand to get a second opinion from and you have to do all the care, poulticing etc solo. And deal in all weathers at all times of day and night.

So it is a big change. How much time do you have? as you have field maintenance as well, poo picking or harrowing lugging hay unfreezing water - having come through a very bitter winter with frozen water i can vouch for the time it takes and how time consuming it can be. Even if where you are now you have to do quite a bit, you won't be doing field maintenance, supplies, worming, vaccinations etc. You have to factor in cost of insurance and all these extras.

Maybe an interim step would be to share a horse so you have more responsibility but not the sole charge. To get a feel for it. When we got our own, we got two donkeys as pets, as they were small, easy to do and we could figure out if working full time we could do it plus we had them at home, behind the house. I have never had mine in livery, always at home, so there are benefits in that you can come make a cuppa and go back, you can easily check every hour or so in an emergency etc, not having to drive to another location, but there are downsides too as you do all the work with no help or breaks.

Take care to check the facilities at the field, the better they are the easier it is to manage. If there is no water there, that is a real pain. Ditto no electric. If it is poor wet land then you will be constantly fighting mud.
 
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Thank you for your replies and honesty, very much appreciated.

We are on a smallish island and no livery yards sadly. We have only the one stable and it's very small so we are limited with options to gain more experience.

A herd! Yikes! I had considered one and a smaller companion but having 2 girls maybe ideal would be one each....they'd be riding together I'd say. However that's perhaps even more difficult to find for loan. And more worry!

The medical side of things does concern me with my lack of knowledge but I'm not sure how to learn more unless on the job?

We have access to the croft that is right next door to our house and I work from home so am around most of the time and flexible the hours I work. We get our fair share of weather here (very wet and windy) and are used to being out with dogs or at the stables in all weathers but different wanting to and needing to.


carthorse said:
Hi and welcome!

It's a big step, and my initial thought is that you'd be better off starting on a decent livery yard where you've got other people around for help and support. Having your own is just so different, there are always teething troubles as you adjust to each other and the horse adjusts to a new home. Experience gained helping at a yard - and good for them doing that - still doesn't prepare you for knowing when to call the vet before a niggle turns into a major problem, or dealing with a stressed horse or one that's testing boundaries, or knowing how much to feed and what, whether tack fits etc etc.

The other thing to bear in mind is that horses are social animals and you may have problems keeping one on it's own. Get just two and you may have trouble leaving or riding one on it's own do you want a herd?!

I'd think long and hard about it at this stage. You may be ready, but I'd say not for keeping just one at home
Click to expand...
 
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Hi welcome to NR 😁
Just to echo the others really, it’s a big step even if you’re on livery and have help around you, and you’d need to look at getting 2 if it’s a sole use field (this may already be your plan with 3 riders in the family). Sharing (sometimes called part loan) can be a great stepping stone, every agreement is slightly different but generally the horse is yours to care and ride for X number of days a week but you’ll get guidance and have back up at all times.

Just seen your reply, you’re in quite a restricted location from the sounds of it, does the riding school offer any type of livery? Or is the field big enough you could perhaps offer free/reduced keep for someone experienced’s horse in exchange for helping you find your feet? Which would solve more than 1 problem (learning, company and workload)

As for learning medical stuff, put the word out to your horsey friends and ask them to give you a call to come and help with anything they may have crop up, when it’s reasonable to hold off on treatment and not an emergency of course. Even holding the horse while it’s being treated can get you a lot of knowledge.
 
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Jessey said:
Hi welcome to NR 😁
Just to echo the others really, it’s a big step even if you’re on livery and have help around you, and you’d need to look at getting 2 if it’s a sole use field (this may already be your plan with 3 riders in the family). Sharing (sometimes called part loan) can be a great stepping stone, every agreement is slightly different but generally the horse is yours to care and ride for X number of days a week but you’ll get guidance and have back up at all times.

Just seen your reply, you’re in quite a restricted location from the sounds of it, does the riding school offer any type of livery? Or is the field big enough you could perhaps offer free/reduced keep for someone experienced’s horse in exchange for helping you find your feet? Which would solve more than 1 problem (learning, company and workload)

As for learning medical stuff, put the word out to your horsey friends and ask them to give you a call to come and help with anything they may have crop up, when it’s reasonable to hold off on treatment and not an emergency of course. Even holding the horse while it’s being treated can get you a lot of knowledge.
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Thank you for your reply.

The school doesn't do livery unfortunately. Part loan sounds great. There is an island Facebook page that I am a member of so I shall ask about part loan.

Great idea for the medical stuff too.

The field share is a good idea too, I'll look into that.
 
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when we first got the donkeys, we rang the vet regularly, but as she said rather a call a day early than 7 days too late. When i got my first horse solo age 40 i had been riding since 5, working at a yard from the age of 12 to 17, then sharing from age 30 to 40. But i still felt very overwhelmed and anxious particularly as the mare i bought age 6 was retired age 9 as unfit. I have had a catalogue of disasters since then, horses dying, retiring, being misdiagnosed by vets. But at the beginning it was even harder, first time you have to poultice an abscess vets use loads of stuff, expensive, you can do it 10 times less effort and materials, once you figure it out.....If you are on an island, how good is the vet service anyway i.e. i know that on some islands essentially you can't get surgery so if you have a colic you have limited options.
 
Everyone's given really good advice - I'd only add if and when you go for it, do be a nuisance asking horsey friends for advice! Most horsey people would welcome questions !
 
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diplomaticandtactful said:
when we first got the donkeys, we rang the vet regularly, but as she said rather a call a day early than 7 days too late. When i got my first horse solo age 40 i had been riding since 5, working at a yard from the age of 12 to 17, then sharing from age 30 to 40. But i still felt very overwhelmed and anxious particularly as the mare i bought age 6 was retired age 9 as unfit. I have had a catalogue of disasters since then, horses dying, retiring, being misdiagnosed by vets. But at the beginning it was even harder, first time you have to poultice an abscess vets use loads of stuff, expensive, you can do it 10 times less effort and materials, once you figure it out.....If you are on an island, how good is the vet service anyway i.e. i know that on some islands essentially you can't get surgery so if you have a colic you have limited options.
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Your are spot on, the vet service here is very limited (1 practice) and no big surgery/operating theatres/xray. If they can't do it in the field then that's it. They are very much sheep/cow vets or small animal. That said, there are a lot of horses on the island so they must be ok.

I'm used to cats, dogs and hens so happy to get up to my oxters in pus etc if necessary but appreciate making that call is a huge learning curve. And spotting things in time that may be an issue comes with experience.

I'm feeling a bit deflated but want to make the right choice for everyone.
 
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If this is a poster from USA, things may be different there. In the UK in the 19th century plenty of horses were kept on their own. We visited historic forts in Texas and elsewhere and there was a single horse. No one ever wrung their hands and said horses were herd animals.
 
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Skib said:
If this is a poster from USA, things may be different there. In the UK in the 19th century plenty of horses were kept on their own. We visited historic forts in Texas and elsewhere and there was a single horse. No one ever wrung their hands and said horses were herd animals.
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UK, Scotland
 
Hilhegg said:
Your are spot on, the vet service here is very limited (1 practice) and no big surgery/operating theatres/xray. If they can't do it in the field then that's it. They are very much sheep/cow vets or small animal. That said, there are a lot of horses on the island so they must be ok.

I'm used to cats, dogs and hens so happy to get up to my oxters in pus etc if necessary but appreciate making that call is a huge learning curve. And spotting things in time that may be an issue comes with experience.

I'm feeling a bit deflated but want to make the right choice for everyone.
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don't be deflated, it's best to go into things with eyes open rather than find out the hard way. I look after 7 on my own, it's hard work. But been doing it for 25 years!
 
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Skib said:
If this is a poster from USA, things may be different there. In the UK in the 19th century plenty of horses were kept on their own. We visited historic forts in Texas and elsewhere and there was a single horse. No one ever wrung their hands and said horses were herd animals.
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Just because they used to do it a hundred years ago doesn’t mean it’s the best thing, horses are herd animals, fact. They thrive with company rather than just surviving.
 
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I’d not keep a first horse at home because I think you need support on a livery yard. It’s very daunting and I was glad of the help and support I received. Even though mr trews is horsey too it was still a huge move bringing them home to live. And I would say it’s unfair keeping one alone, I really don’t like that when I see it. Technically they can cope but I don’t think it’s good for them as they rely on each other - specially for keeping a lookout and having a lay down in their field etc.
 
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Trewsers said:
I’d not keep a first horse at home because I think you need support on a livery yard. It’s very daunting and I was glad of the help and support I received. Even though mr trews is horsey too it was still a huge move bringing them home to live. And I would say it’s unfair keeping one alone, I really don’t like that when I see it. Technically they can cope but I don’t think it’s good for them as they rely on each other - specially for keeping a lookout and having a lay down in their field etc.
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Thank you for your reply. Sadly we don't have the option of livery. I agree about keeping one on its own, companion required. I'll keep going with the research and the dreaming! 🙂
 
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