I hate horses: therapeutic rant. (Long)

[LBrown59]

Re: I horses: therapeutic rant. (Long)

They shoot horses don't they ?

Now where have I heard that before.

 

[N80]

We are on our second horse, buying them seems to be only the begining of the cost. We don't have an indoor arena (or any arena) so we have to board where she can ride year-round @ $550/mo. Add occasional vet calls and a farrier, you're talking real money and you're still not done.

All true. The board for this horse is only rolleyes $400 a month and I'll admit, its a real nice place. Nice barn. Nice stalls. Nice pastures. Nice ring. But as you say, all the other stuff just piles up and up and up. (In school I paid less than $400 a month for room and food.....but then again, this horse's stall and barn are a a little nicer than my apartment was. I think he gets better food too.) My wife has a part time job. Most of what she earns goes to the horses. She'll deny that she's working just to keep horses, but the Quicken pie charts don't lie.

 

[Bird]

Re: I horses: therapeutic rant. (Long)

They shoot horses don't they ?

Haven't you ever heard Larry the Cable Guy tell about his sister's horse having a broken leg? He said he had to shoot it for her; didn't know how that was supposed to help, but now it's got a broken leg and a gunshot wound.

And George, I think what you are experiencing is about normal; just not what they usually show in the movies. As a kid, I had 3 horses, one at a time, but I was about your daughter's age when we moved to town and had to sell the last one. Of course, mine were just old horses, not expensive ones like you're dealing with. But like you, I don't think I'd consider owning a horse now even if I won the lottery.

 

[mikim]

Re: I horses: therapeutic rant. (Long)

I've got a 7 yr old that wants a horse when we move to the country. Don't know how I'm going to get out of it.....think I'll start with a calf and make him take care of it then see if he still wants the job of caring for a horse.

 

[N80]

Re: I horses: therapeutic rant. (Long)

I've got a 7 yr old that wants a horse when we move to the country. Don't know how I'm going to get out of it.....think I'll start with a calf and make him take care of it then see if he still wants the job of caring for a horse.

Well, there's horses and then there's horses. In my opinion, my wife made a mistake getting into this high dollar horse business. Of course there are LOTS or horse people that don't think $10,000 horses are high dollar or that $400 board is high at all......but that's another story. My daughter has enjoyed all of this but if she had been given a more reasonable set of expectations I think she would have had just as much fun and just as much benefit with a cheap, simple, calm, trail horse....like the one she started with. It costs us almost nothing. Lives in an open pasture with about 7 other horses, for free. Costs about $35 every few months to have its hooves trimmed. Hasn't been sick or foundered once since it was put on the farm.

So it can be done cheaply and far more wisely than what we did. We just goofed and jumped into the deep end without our water wings. Maybe you can benefit from my experience.

 

[shvl73]

Re: I horses: therapeutic rant. (Long)

Well, there's horses and then there's horses. In my opinion, my wife made a mistake getting into this high dollar horse business. Of course there are LOTS or horse people that don't think $10,000 horses are high dollar or that $400 board is high at all......but that's another story. My daughter has enjoyed all of this but if she had been given a more reasonable set of expectations I think she would have had just as much fun and just as much benefit with a cheap, simple, calm, trail horse....like the one she started with. It costs us almost nothing. Lives in an open pasture with about 7 other horses, for free. Costs about $35 every few months to have its hooves trimmed. Hasn't been sick or foundered once since it was put on the farm.

Boy are you soooo right.
If only my spouse thought the same way...

 

[tallyho8]

George, everything that you say about horses is true. My veterinarian once told me that having horses is a lot like having cancer, but at least you can cure some cancers.

But, horses are addictive. If I didn't have horses I would have a lot more money to spend on wine, women and gambling. I guess this is why my wife lets me keep my horses. I'm in my 60s and still breaking and training young horses. Got thrown twice in the last few years but landed right and never got hurt. Lucky, I guess. Most of my friends gave up horses years ago and got Harleys. Some of them have been killed on the Harleys.

I've been running horse shows for over 20 years and have had about 3 kids get broken arms or legs in all that time. We have also had about 20 kids drop out of the shows due to broken arms or legs they got riding bikes, cheer-leading, skating or other normal activities. Someday I'm going to run out of luck and it will probably be while I'm on a horse, but at least it will be while I'm doing what I love most.

Horses are dumb so this is why the owner/trainers job is so important. You have to realize how a horse can hurt itself and take extraordinary methods to keep that from happening although you can never completely prevent it. You can't fence a horse with a dangerous fence. You can't put a horse out with another one that can cause it harm. You can't have one sharp object in it's stall or it will find it before you do.

Horses (and most other pets) don't live as long as humans so sooner or later everyone has to face that sad day when it comes. But don't ever NOT get an animal or pet because you fear losing it one day. A wise person once said "it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all".

 

[Rusty]

My wife has three horses, none was more than $800 to buy. They have been fairly resonable to keep (having the oldest for about 15 years and the youngest for 7 years), mainly because they are on our own property. Were it not for the horses, we would not have 12 acres of land, and I would not have my Kubota, implements, and TBN. We both receive a lot of joy just being around the horses and love being able to see them through the back windows.

 

[N80]

Yea, I think it is an individual thing. I'm not knocking people who like and own horses. Heck, the main reason I'm ranting here is that most of my close friends and relatives are into horses. They think I'm the nut!

To each his own. We all have our hobbies and likes that don't make much sense and are potentially dangerous. Pick your poison, as they say.

 

[Jimbrown]

Call this a sympathetic rant.

The wife has three horses. She works part time as a consultant for a major defense contractor and makes more part time than the average Az income. She spends every dime on the horses.

This year she decides to enter the state and regional competition for dressage.

Went to the first class A show two weeks ago.
Ok to even enter you got to belong to no less than three associations. $100 each. Plus the horse has to be registered also another $300.

The show is a two day affair too far to go and come so got to rent stall and motel ect $300.

Entry fees for two classes a day $240 plus. Have to enter at least two more class A shows.

And of course you got to have a truck $36000, trailer $16000, tack $3000, special riding attire $ 1500, and we ain't even got to the horse.

The last horse a Friesian came from Europe on a 747 accompanied by his own groom. Only horse I have ever seen with a passport. Cost about what a good tractor would.

I can't add that up it makes me ill. My experience with young girls and horses is that most of them once they get their drivers license and discover boys soon forget about horses.