Horsey horsey...
Discussion
Here's our old boy John at his recent retirement photoshoot. At 28 (ish!) it's time for him to take a well-earned break as a field ornament.
Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
This was me on the right in the 90’s at a competitive show at RAF Cosford.
He was brilliant, probably 7 or 8 yo here. Developed navicular at 7y, had him de-nerved then he won most of his money. Retired him at 8yo as they grew back and he became lame again. Gave him away to a riding school as regular exercise was the best for him. Sadly became too lame at 11yo and had to be PTS.
He was brilliant, probably 7 or 8 yo here. Developed navicular at 7y, had him de-nerved then he won most of his money. Retired him at 8yo as they grew back and he became lame again. Gave him away to a riding school as regular exercise was the best for him. Sadly became too lame at 11yo and had to be PTS.
Steve_W said:
Here's our old boy John at his recent retirement photoshoot. At 28 (ish!) it's time for him to take a well-earned break as a field ornament.
Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
John is beautiful!Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
Steve_W said:
Here's our old boy John at his recent retirement photoshoot. At 28 (ish!) it's time for him to take a well-earned break as a field ornament.
Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
That’s fantastic. I’ve just had a look at her portfolio and it’s a pity she’s so far away. I’m in Scotland and would commission her to take some photos Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
Unfunnily - OH sent me:
Jeremy Clarkson said:
"Money's no object and men don't count when a woman has a horse" by Jeremy Clarkson
- - - - -
"Got a cold? You'll be told to go for a ride. Got a drink problem? There are places in Arizona that use horses to cure you. Are you a burglar? Well, statistics in Horse & Hound have shown that 107% of people who sit on a horse never reoffend, and never get cancer either.
A riding enthusiast will tell you that a horse invented the steam engine long before James Watt got involved and that it was simply unable to convey this important discovery to others.
And as a result she will treat horses with a respect that's borderline idiotic.
If, as a man, you decided in the night not to bother getting up to go to the loo and simply emptied your bowels into the sheets, you can be fairly sure that your wife would be extremely cross. This is because you're not a horse. A horse can do a big steaming turd in its bed and she will cheerfully put on a pair of rubber gloves and change its sheets with a big-hearted smile.
It's the same story at breakfast time. When the horse is led into its paddock, it will do a No 2 right in the middle of its breakfast, which will also need to be cleared up. You try doing that on the bacon and eggs she's made and see what happens.
Then there's the question of violence. If your dog were to attack a child you would be horrified, and would at least consider having it put down. It's the same story with your children. If they get into a fight, you put them in their room with no supper.
But when a horse kicks an eight-year-old with such force that its head comes off, you take the poor thing's weeping parents to one side and scold them for letting their child get within range. "Now look. You've upset the horse."
One day your horse will be spooked by a paper bag, or a van, or a puddle, or a bit of rain, or a gust of wind, or the scent of a fox, and it will throw you to the ground. You will sustain fractured ribs and a broken collarbone, and somehow this will be your fault.
Another interesting thing about horse ownership is that you must never have just one. You will need two or 11 or several hundred, some of which you will lend out to friends and family.
No one does this with cars or cooking appliances or children. No one says, "Here, have one of my dogs. I've got loads."
But horse people do because they are mad.
There's more.
When your children's shoes have seen better days, you tell them that money's tight and that they'll last another term. You may even tell them off for wearing them out so quickly. But your horse? Crikey, no. The damn thing gets a new set of shoes every six weeks. This is not cheap. Nothing's cheap with a horse. A saddle will be Pounds 1,500. It'll need blankets, and they're Pounds 150 a go. Then there's a bridle at Pounds 150, and that's before you start buying food. Hay costs more these days than rocket, and over a year it'd be cheaper to buy the damn thing a nicely togged eiderdown duvet than keep it in straw.
You may even need to buy it a paddock from the local farmer. And the going rate for an acre these days is whatever the farmer wants. And because the farmer knows the horse woman has lost all connection with reality, he'll want about 300,000 Pounds.
Then you'll need to build your horse a house, which will cost more than yours did.
Oh, I nearly forgot. The horse will then need its own enormous car, full of bedding and plumbing, which will be driven on bank holiday Mondays by a teenage girl at 4mph. These cost more than most Bentleys."
- - - - -
"Got a cold? You'll be told to go for a ride. Got a drink problem? There are places in Arizona that use horses to cure you. Are you a burglar? Well, statistics in Horse & Hound have shown that 107% of people who sit on a horse never reoffend, and never get cancer either.
A riding enthusiast will tell you that a horse invented the steam engine long before James Watt got involved and that it was simply unable to convey this important discovery to others.
And as a result she will treat horses with a respect that's borderline idiotic.
If, as a man, you decided in the night not to bother getting up to go to the loo and simply emptied your bowels into the sheets, you can be fairly sure that your wife would be extremely cross. This is because you're not a horse. A horse can do a big steaming turd in its bed and she will cheerfully put on a pair of rubber gloves and change its sheets with a big-hearted smile.
It's the same story at breakfast time. When the horse is led into its paddock, it will do a No 2 right in the middle of its breakfast, which will also need to be cleared up. You try doing that on the bacon and eggs she's made and see what happens.
Then there's the question of violence. If your dog were to attack a child you would be horrified, and would at least consider having it put down. It's the same story with your children. If they get into a fight, you put them in their room with no supper.
But when a horse kicks an eight-year-old with such force that its head comes off, you take the poor thing's weeping parents to one side and scold them for letting their child get within range. "Now look. You've upset the horse."
One day your horse will be spooked by a paper bag, or a van, or a puddle, or a bit of rain, or a gust of wind, or the scent of a fox, and it will throw you to the ground. You will sustain fractured ribs and a broken collarbone, and somehow this will be your fault.
Another interesting thing about horse ownership is that you must never have just one. You will need two or 11 or several hundred, some of which you will lend out to friends and family.
No one does this with cars or cooking appliances or children. No one says, "Here, have one of my dogs. I've got loads."
But horse people do because they are mad.
There's more.
When your children's shoes have seen better days, you tell them that money's tight and that they'll last another term. You may even tell them off for wearing them out so quickly. But your horse? Crikey, no. The damn thing gets a new set of shoes every six weeks. This is not cheap. Nothing's cheap with a horse. A saddle will be Pounds 1,500. It'll need blankets, and they're Pounds 150 a go. Then there's a bridle at Pounds 150, and that's before you start buying food. Hay costs more these days than rocket, and over a year it'd be cheaper to buy the damn thing a nicely togged eiderdown duvet than keep it in straw.
You may even need to buy it a paddock from the local farmer. And the going rate for an acre these days is whatever the farmer wants. And because the farmer knows the horse woman has lost all connection with reality, he'll want about 300,000 Pounds.
Then you'll need to build your horse a house, which will cost more than yours did.
Oh, I nearly forgot. The horse will then need its own enormous car, full of bedding and plumbing, which will be driven on bank holiday Mondays by a teenage girl at 4mph. These cost more than most Bentleys."
PushedDover said:
Unfunnily - OH sent me:
This did the rounds on some of the horsey facebook pages my daughter and I are on. It was not received well but I have to admit that I nodded in agreement with a lot of it. Jeremy Clarkson said:
"Money's no object and men don't count when a woman has a horse" by Jeremy Clarkson
- - - - -
"Got a cold? You'll be told to go for a ride. Got a drink problem? There are places in Arizona that use horses to cure you. Are you a burglar? Well, statistics in Horse & Hound have shown that 107% of people who sit on a horse never reoffend, and never get cancer either.
A riding enthusiast will tell you that a horse invented the steam engine long before James Watt got involved and that it was simply unable to convey this important discovery to others.
And as a result she will treat horses with a respect that's borderline idiotic.
If, as a man, you decided in the night not to bother getting up to go to the loo and simply emptied your bowels into the sheets, you can be fairly sure that your wife would be extremely cross. This is because you're not a horse. A horse can do a big steaming turd in its bed and she will cheerfully put on a pair of rubber gloves and change its sheets with a big-hearted smile.
It's the same story at breakfast time. When the horse is led into its paddock, it will do a No 2 right in the middle of its breakfast, which will also need to be cleared up. You try doing that on the bacon and eggs she's made and see what happens.
Then there's the question of violence. If your dog were to attack a child you would be horrified, and would at least consider having it put down. It's the same story with your children. If they get into a fight, you put them in their room with no supper.
But when a horse kicks an eight-year-old with such force that its head comes off, you take the poor thing's weeping parents to one side and scold them for letting their child get within range. "Now look. You've upset the horse."
One day your horse will be spooked by a paper bag, or a van, or a puddle, or a bit of rain, or a gust of wind, or the scent of a fox, and it will throw you to the ground. You will sustain fractured ribs and a broken collarbone, and somehow this will be your fault.
Another interesting thing about horse ownership is that you must never have just one. You will need two or 11 or several hundred, some of which you will lend out to friends and family.
No one does this with cars or cooking appliances or children. No one says, "Here, have one of my dogs. I've got loads."
But horse people do because they are mad.
There's more.
When your children's shoes have seen better days, you tell them that money's tight and that they'll last another term. You may even tell them off for wearing them out so quickly. But your horse? Crikey, no. The damn thing gets a new set of shoes every six weeks. This is not cheap. Nothing's cheap with a horse. A saddle will be Pounds 1,500. It'll need blankets, and they're Pounds 150 a go. Then there's a bridle at Pounds 150, and that's before you start buying food. Hay costs more these days than rocket, and over a year it'd be cheaper to buy the damn thing a nicely togged eiderdown duvet than keep it in straw.
You may even need to buy it a paddock from the local farmer. And the going rate for an acre these days is whatever the farmer wants. And because the farmer knows the horse woman has lost all connection with reality, he'll want about 300,000 Pounds.
Then you'll need to build your horse a house, which will cost more than yours did.
Oh, I nearly forgot. The horse will then need its own enormous car, full of bedding and plumbing, which will be driven on bank holiday Mondays by a teenage girl at 4mph. These cost more than most Bentleys."
- - - - -
"Got a cold? You'll be told to go for a ride. Got a drink problem? There are places in Arizona that use horses to cure you. Are you a burglar? Well, statistics in Horse & Hound have shown that 107% of people who sit on a horse never reoffend, and never get cancer either.
A riding enthusiast will tell you that a horse invented the steam engine long before James Watt got involved and that it was simply unable to convey this important discovery to others.
And as a result she will treat horses with a respect that's borderline idiotic.
If, as a man, you decided in the night not to bother getting up to go to the loo and simply emptied your bowels into the sheets, you can be fairly sure that your wife would be extremely cross. This is because you're not a horse. A horse can do a big steaming turd in its bed and she will cheerfully put on a pair of rubber gloves and change its sheets with a big-hearted smile.
It's the same story at breakfast time. When the horse is led into its paddock, it will do a No 2 right in the middle of its breakfast, which will also need to be cleared up. You try doing that on the bacon and eggs she's made and see what happens.
Then there's the question of violence. If your dog were to attack a child you would be horrified, and would at least consider having it put down. It's the same story with your children. If they get into a fight, you put them in their room with no supper.
But when a horse kicks an eight-year-old with such force that its head comes off, you take the poor thing's weeping parents to one side and scold them for letting their child get within range. "Now look. You've upset the horse."
One day your horse will be spooked by a paper bag, or a van, or a puddle, or a bit of rain, or a gust of wind, or the scent of a fox, and it will throw you to the ground. You will sustain fractured ribs and a broken collarbone, and somehow this will be your fault.
Another interesting thing about horse ownership is that you must never have just one. You will need two or 11 or several hundred, some of which you will lend out to friends and family.
No one does this with cars or cooking appliances or children. No one says, "Here, have one of my dogs. I've got loads."
But horse people do because they are mad.
There's more.
When your children's shoes have seen better days, you tell them that money's tight and that they'll last another term. You may even tell them off for wearing them out so quickly. But your horse? Crikey, no. The damn thing gets a new set of shoes every six weeks. This is not cheap. Nothing's cheap with a horse. A saddle will be Pounds 1,500. It'll need blankets, and they're Pounds 150 a go. Then there's a bridle at Pounds 150, and that's before you start buying food. Hay costs more these days than rocket, and over a year it'd be cheaper to buy the damn thing a nicely togged eiderdown duvet than keep it in straw.
You may even need to buy it a paddock from the local farmer. And the going rate for an acre these days is whatever the farmer wants. And because the farmer knows the horse woman has lost all connection with reality, he'll want about 300,000 Pounds.
Then you'll need to build your horse a house, which will cost more than yours did.
Oh, I nearly forgot. The horse will then need its own enormous car, full of bedding and plumbing, which will be driven on bank holiday Mondays by a teenage girl at 4mph. These cost more than most Bentleys."
The horse is better fed, clothed and exercised better than any of us.
Davie_GLA said:
Steve_W said:
Here's our old boy John at his recent retirement photoshoot. At 28 (ish!) it's time for him to take a well-earned break as a field ornament.
Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
That’s fantastic. I’ve just had a look at her portfolio and it’s a pity she’s so far away. I’m in Scotland and would commission her to take some photos Photo courtesy of Rose at Daydream Equine Art - https://www.daydreamequineart.co.uk/
For someone quite young Rose does have a great portfolio. I know she's done the odd "road trip" for pre-organised shoots, but I appreciate that Berkshire to Scotland would be a decent jaunt!
This was Billy, on the day he arrived 21 years ago, as a 5 year old. Her first horse...
He's been an amazing friend, they've done dressage, showing, long distance rides, camps, etc together and had a wonderful time.
But he retired 18 months ago - arthritis in his rear left means he can't be ridden any more. So he's growing old disgracefully turning into a silver fox, with his hareem of mares on the yard who love him..
We're not sure he's going to make it through another winter, especially if it's as muddy as the last, but at the moment, he's happy and loved.
She started looking for another horse 3 months ago, not in any rush to buy, but just to get a feel for the market....
2 weeks later she had a road trip from Essex to Newark with a friend and 2 months ago, Pebbles arrived on the yard.
He's a very green 7 year old - been backed then turned out in a field for a year or so.
Of course, this required visit from the saddle fitter (new saddle on order), bridle fitter (new bridle ordered), bit lady (yep, new bit needed), farrier, physio, etc.. the good news is, both horses take the same size rugs, so Billy's vast collection is now shared
He's been an amazing friend, they've done dressage, showing, long distance rides, camps, etc together and had a wonderful time.
But he retired 18 months ago - arthritis in his rear left means he can't be ridden any more. So he's growing old disgracefully turning into a silver fox, with his hareem of mares on the yard who love him..
We're not sure he's going to make it through another winter, especially if it's as muddy as the last, but at the moment, he's happy and loved.
She started looking for another horse 3 months ago, not in any rush to buy, but just to get a feel for the market....
2 weeks later she had a road trip from Essex to Newark with a friend and 2 months ago, Pebbles arrived on the yard.
He's a very green 7 year old - been backed then turned out in a field for a year or so.
Of course, this required visit from the saddle fitter (new saddle on order), bridle fitter (new bridle ordered), bit lady (yep, new bit needed), farrier, physio, etc.. the good news is, both horses take the same size rugs, so Billy's vast collection is now shared
Just resurrecting this to ask a couple of questions of horse owners/smallholding owners
at some point in the next 3-4 years, I need some more stables (maybe on skids)
We've been offered a wooden stable block for free which is about 20 years old but basically unused. The roof would need some work but it's 4 stables and is currently 1/2 mile away. The walls and doors are in incredible condition and it would be relatively easy to disassemble.
I know about planning rules so have that side covered but my questions are:
- I have to move it 1/2 mile, either by road or 400m over field and a small ditch....... How best to do this as I do have a tractor ? Or just pay someone to do it properly?
- Is it easy to add skids to a stable block?
- Is this all just a lot of work and should I buy specifically what I need (which is many £'000's)
Looking for opinions
at some point in the next 3-4 years, I need some more stables (maybe on skids)
We've been offered a wooden stable block for free which is about 20 years old but basically unused. The roof would need some work but it's 4 stables and is currently 1/2 mile away. The walls and doors are in incredible condition and it would be relatively easy to disassemble.
I know about planning rules so have that side covered but my questions are:
- I have to move it 1/2 mile, either by road or 400m over field and a small ditch....... How best to do this as I do have a tractor ? Or just pay someone to do it properly?
- Is it easy to add skids to a stable block?
- Is this all just a lot of work and should I buy specifically what I need (which is many £'000's)
Looking for opinions
Four stables enblock are BIG and not easy to move even on skids. You don't need them now but four stables are not cheap to buy. My advice would be dismantle, load on your trailer and use a suitable vehicle to transport to a barn and store them till you need them. I've seen field shelters on sleds, would stables be too heavy? Best bit of advice , dont use onduline as roofing its crap and rarely survives 10 years. I've redone our field shelter with metal.
Thanks, I think that we will just dismantle them and move them and work out when to re-assemble
The roof we may just get a local builder to make as the stables were very expensive when bought 20 years ago and are in top condition. Given the price of stables I think this is worth a punt
The roof we may just get a local builder to make as the stables were very expensive when bought 20 years ago and are in top condition. Given the price of stables I think this is worth a punt
With you on the winters, our fields resemble the Somme, especially by the gates. Wellies a must in these conditions roll on spring, in meantime hard standing getting done by gates to try to restore a semblance of balance at the turn-in time, rest of the fields still look like they've gone ten rounds with Field Marshal Haig directing batteries on them
Never saw this thread before, normally in the dog's section!
This is my daughters money pit, sorry, horse!!
Safe to say that her horse is her life!!
Horse by nessiemac1, on Flickr
Horse by nessiemac1, on Flickr
Horse by nessiemac1, on Flickr
This is my daughters money pit, sorry, horse!!
Safe to say that her horse is her life!!
Horse by nessiemac1, on FlickrHorse by nessiemac1, on FlickrHorse by nessiemac1, on FlickrBravo! Those are amazing shots.
Did you take them? I have invested in a fancy new camera for this summers horse madness. Technically that means the horse made me buy it? Yes?
Next week is the one year milestone and I’ve been look at expenditure. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth the tears.
And that was just for the stable fees and bedding, feed etc. I darent count what I have spent on saddle pads, sales, saddle fitters, bridles, shoes. I could finance a really car but I’ve got a shed of a Peugeot 508!
Did you take them? I have invested in a fancy new camera for this summers horse madness. Technically that means the horse made me buy it? Yes?
Next week is the one year milestone and I’ve been look at expenditure. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth the tears.
And that was just for the stable fees and bedding, feed etc. I darent count what I have spent on saddle pads, sales, saddle fitters, bridles, shoes. I could finance a really car but I’ve got a shed of a Peugeot 508!
Davie_GLA said:
Bravo! Those are amazing shots.
Did you take them? I have invested in a fancy new camera for this summers horse madness. Technically that means the horse made me buy it? Yes?
Next week is the one year milestone and I’ve been look at expenditure. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth the tears.
And that was just for the stable fees and bedding, feed etc. I darent count what I have spent on saddle pads, sales, saddle fitters, bridles, shoes. I could finance a really car but I’ve got a shed of a Peugeot 508!
Cheers Davie, yep all my shots.Did you take them? I have invested in a fancy new camera for this summers horse madness. Technically that means the horse made me buy it? Yes?
Next week is the one year milestone and I’ve been look at expenditure. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth the tears.
And that was just for the stable fees and bedding, feed etc. I darent count what I have spent on saddle pads, sales, saddle fitters, bridles, shoes. I could finance a really car but I’ve got a shed of a Peugeot 508!
Best not to add it all up I think!!
nessiemac said:
Cheers Davie, yep all my shots.
Best not to add it all up I think!!
We need a Skint Horse Dad's support thread, Mrs deals with most of the "buy" side, I just get the bills. Best not to add it all up I think!!
Darling daughter would bankrupt me on Le Mieux given half a chance, currently, she is selling her collection of Schleich model horses she amassed over the years, which is unsurprisingly in all things horsey bringing in a decent chunk of change! No doubt to spend on some more expensive things for the nags
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