Following the "How long do you intend to keep your horse" thread

C

carthorse

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Jan 6, 2006
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Why did those of you who no longer have horses get rid of them?

I no longer have William, my first pony, because he died from melanomas. He was 29 & I'd had him 18 years. He was completely outgrown, both in size & what I wanted to do, but I loved him & I never considered selling him so I could get something else (which is just as well because if I had I'd almost certainly never have met Jim).
 
I had to sell Star as I just couldn't afford him anymore. I really wanted to loan him out but after one failed loaner, I only had interest to buy him.

He's in a happy home now and I'm still in touch with his owner so I know it was the right decision. Still miss him though
 
I had ponies until age 17 when I went to uni. It wasn't my decision to make as my parents were having to look after them while I was away and they didn't have time. My older pony (around 30yr old) was pts and is buried in our old field. Our highland (about 16) was sold on and I really wish I knew where he ended up, we lost touch. Now that I am in charge of my own decisions I wouldn't want to have to see the day I sell flipo but I know you can't know what will happen in the future. I just know I would be moving heaven and earth to keep him.
 
My first horse was called Rupert. I became pregnant with twins and had hyper-emesis (constant nausea/vomiting all day). Couldn;t get out of bed, let alone look after a horse. My son went to daycare full time:( and Rupert went on loan. A few days before the twins were born the loaner said she was giving him back :help:. Unless I wanted to sell.....

It was terrible timing, and my head was in baby mode. And it was a good home being offered. Financially, practically and emotionally I just wasn't in a place to have Rupert back. But I regret it now, as he was one in a million.

I also had a shettie bought as a yearling (for said twins!) I adored her. Trained her/backed her. She was the most generous, trusting, willing, kind, intelligent, affectionate pony I've ever known. She was like a giant labrador - would come hurtling down the fields, jumping over ditches, rivers whenever I called her (she was sort of free-range...) And not for food either. She was never fed more than grass/ad-lib hay in the field.

I sold her becasue the girls were not interested in her, and she needed a home where she would be loved and worked. She was too intelligent and energetic to be a field ornament. I taught her various tricks just to keep her brain ticking over, but it wasn't enough. Heart breaking sale but the right decision for her.
 
I have sold 3 Horses and here are the reasons.

Horse 1, 'Lady' TB............this was my 'loopy' windsucking/cribbing TB.....she was quite 'poor' when I had her, I built her up, fed her well, had lots of lessons with her and 3 years down the line, quite honestly, found myself TOTALLY overhorsed, she was a nightmare to hack on the Roads and had the potential to go onto better things quite frankly. Sold her to an RI that NEVER hacked her out and about but did go on to 3 day event with her.

Horse 2..'Sadiq'.......My Arab........best Horse in my lifetime I suspect, but with a marriage breakup and 2 Young Lads, really did not have the time or the money, Hubby.....or 'EX' as he is now, was determined to make life very difficult and was even more determined there was no way I was gonna keep the Horse.........basically he won..........I had no money, no time and although on loan for a while, that went pear shaped when he came back due to a death in the Family and it just wasn't 'fair' on him tbh. I did hold out for what I thought would be the 'right' home, right Owner......and got that right as he is still there 14 years on and loved dearly........EVERYBODY loved Sadiq......a horse in a million.

Horse 3..'Morse'....my very 'full on' Welshie D Youngster:smile:
When I injured my neck and found that it was inoperable due to the op being so high risk, I also had to look at Morse who really was 'full on'........decided that he was really 'too high risk' for me to back etc., and decided to part company with him.....I had been unable to look after him for 3 months due to not being able to physically lift my head and being in tremendous pain anyway and had handed him over to a friend to look after. He had been taught the very basics but really was a handful. Anyway, again held out for what I perceived to be the right Owner and Sold him to a lovely Lady, who still has him now, blimey he is nearly EIGHT..... and has backed him and rides him, mainly hacking, however he is STILL full on to handle on the ground, but very good under saddle..........

I have been VERY lucky with the Horses I have sold and all went to Excellent Homes........in the case of Sadiq, who it literally tore my heart out to sell, I have to say in all honesty he probably had a far better life with his 'new' Owner than he would have ever had with me:wink:
 
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My first pony was Sam a registered Dales gelding. I sold him because of lack of finances and i outgrew him. He was sold to a semi riding school where he still is today. They look after him well and was a good little jumper.

My 2nd horse, Roman friesian X dales was sold as i was pregnant with my daughter and seperated from my partner. I tried loaning him out but that didn't work so sold him. It broke my heart as he was my baby and i have tried to track him down since to buy back even as a field ornament but no luck :unsure:

Summer my TB filly is out on loan at the moment because she needed one to one attention and i didn't have time to do that. She is in a fab loan home though and i have regular weekly updates with pics etc.

Sully my cob i still have and i hope never to be in the position where i would have to consider rehoming him. He was a rescue and turned into a very special boy.

Mouse is the shetland we have on loan, unfortunately he will have to go back in the next year or so as he will be too small for my children.
 
Bims was a longterm loan. He stayed with his owner when i left the yard (YO's horse rode him for ten years) Megan knackered her legs and went to be a broodie, she was well put together and had fab breeding :)

Kia will be here till he pops his clogs and same with E. Up until her injury E *could* have been sold if anything happened but I wouldnt pass on a horse who has had such a bad tendon injury unless she was going to be a broodie but it would be loan only :) Not a chance of that so shes stuck with me lol :D
 
My first pony I was advised I had outgrown him (in height and ambition), I got another horse and we kept him for a while but he eventually was 'sold' for £10 to a 'horse whisperer' who had helped us with his loading issues, he worked with him and passed him on to another home.
I really wish I had kept him, he was a pain in the butt but I loved him. If i had got in NH and endurance earlier he would have been such a fab pone, he could go all day. He would be 20 now.

Maddie and Amber I lost this year, I had Amber for nearly 11 years and she was retired for 9 years.
 
India - My first pony, bought when I was 18 with my own wages. She was a nearly 3yr old New Forest x welsh x thoroughbred chestnut filly with four white socks. She was lovely but she went back to the home I bought her from when she was nearly 4 because I became pregnant and seperated from my boyfriend and lost my job all at the same time!

Woody - a 13.2hh dun pony I had on loan from a friend who then decided to sell him to the riding school I kept him on while I had him on loan :-(

Leo - Was a resuce colt foal. He was never really to keep but he needed a lot of care. I sold him as a 19 month old. He was very sweet. Unfortunately he was sold on a few times but I eventually tracked him down a few weeks ago and then found out he died aged only 5 due to grass sickness. Another one i regret selling.

PJ - A fantastic connemara x 14.2hh pony i had on loan but unfortunately just after having him he needed treatment for suspensory ligaments and was on box rest and shockwave treatment for a year. He went back to his owners as i had only had him a matter of weeks and they agreed he should be rehablitated back at home.

Tifa - Was a welsh sec B filly yearling i had intended to show. She was bought from her breeder (Everglade stud) and was a fantastic looking filly. However she was also very very sparky and not going to be suitable as a first ridden for a child! She was sold on to a showing home who i think have been very successful with her but they only ride at home and go out to shows so she can be a bit sparky and it doesn't bother them. I was not a experienced enough home for her really.

Claret - was a sec A stallion I was sold by his stud (merrydown) I had him gelded and the idea was to show him and back him. I never felt that confident with him though as he was very stalliony even after gelding. I also (wrongly) listened to other people (meant to be friends) about how i should sell him because i wasn't good enough and i sold him very cheaply to someone i thought would keep him to drive. Unfortunately they sold him to a mother and child not long after after a very quick backing.

Zebradee - Was bought very very cheaply as a problem pony/project after I had my son. I wanted to get back into horses after selling Lacey (below) but had lost all confidence in riding etc so Zebradee was my no pressure buy to just do groundwork with. His groundwork went really well and i got him up to the stage of re-backing (he was previously a bolter) and then sold him to a experienced NH home to continue his backing etc I bought my current pony Harvey after i sold zebradee.

Lacey - 1 12.3hh welsh sec B pony mare. I sold her due to lots of reasons - I was pregnant with my 5th baby who had medical problems - being pregnant also meant I put on too much weight to ride her especially as she was a laminitic. I had a lot of pressure on me that I was too big for her and I lost all confidence in myself - i do regret selling her. I had tried to loan her out but had had to take her back during my pregnancy due to mis-treatment which was very stressfull. I sold her to a lovely young girl for er and her tiny mother to ride. Her mum was disabled (only had one arm) but they were fabulous. She is still with them, I get updates and she is much loved.

Piccolo - well Piccolo is for sale mainly because she is only 4 and i am too big to ride her and my children are too green and novice for her. I could teach her to drive but finances and time could be a problem. I would prefer her to go on loan but have had no luck finding a loaner for her. I originally bought Piccolo from a dealer as a companion for Lacey and later for Zebradee and Harvey because I had my own yard and only one other horse there at the time. Now I am on a livery yard so don't need a companion as such.

I have Ellie and Harvey and can't see either going anywhere anytime soon.
 
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Miro we intended to keep for life. But once OH was back in the saddle he wanted to do more than just schooling. We initially bought Miro with the intention of hacking a lot, but he wasn't a good hack and although he 'would', it wasn't enjoyable for anyone. So we made the decision to sell so OH could have an allrounder and jump too. Very sad decision but the right one. Miro's gone to a lovely home though which is the most important thing. :)
 
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