I haven't competed in years, hasn't bothered me as I've just had the enjoyment of my horses company and our endless hacks.
This is an expensive hobby to have, it is very time dedicated and consuming, it is a way of life more than most hobbies. I balance two hobbies quite happily because my badminton season is from sept to April and then summer starts and I have more fun with the longer nights with Kia. If you are not enjoying it then perhaps it is better to sell.
I have no arena, I do now have transport again due to having a 4x4 and a trailer but the trailer needing work and the Xtrail needing a towbar so I trailer twice a month to my local arena for hire. I will hack there in summer. I enjoy the care side of horses, the mucking out, the feeding, having the stable and my areas how I like them. I love bathing, plaiting up, tidying up, trimming etc all the things people class as chores. I always have.
Personally i feel if you have leisure horses and aren't competing professionally and you have the attitude that it's just an animal to compete then you have the wrong hobby, if you don't enjoy the care side of it and making sure the animal is happy and healthy without being a means to compete then I don't believe you are truly a horseman. Having an animal unable to compete really shows if this is really what you want to do.
The real horsemen weren't those always riding or competing horses back in the day, they were the people in the backround, doing the menial tasks and the daily care of the horses.
I am not having a go OP as it takes guts to recognise this isn't the hobby for you, but you need to be doing it for the right reasons, most of us are horse lovers and whether ours are field ornaments or winning us rosettes they wouldn't be sold or given second status.
