(05-16-2014, 06:50 AM)Bloomsie Wrote: Ever since I was little, I've always wanted a horse. To me, there's something about taking care of a beautiful creature and then later, being able to ride them. My dad would often say no to buying a horse -- considering we didn't have the house nor backyard for it and stables cost way too much. But it just so happens that during my early high school years, I went to a nearby stable and I began to care for the horses that were there -- especially one that didn't have a name. Their owners just left him there. The owner saw me petting him and asked me to volunteer to take care of him. Apparently the horse that I chose to take care of had a nasty streak to most people. But to me, he was so kind and allowed me to get close to him. So for a couple years, I was taking care of him and I was able to ride him with the owner watching over me. Because he had no name, I called him 'Promise' because I made a promise to him that I'd be there.
Unfortunately, the stable closed down three years in, and the horses had to be transported somewhere else. So, it was the last time that I saw Promise. D: But yeah, horses would have to be my favorite non-traditional pet.
My sister ended up with a horse from a very similar situation, but it ended more happily (initially anyhow).
She used to work at a stables for the standard 'free' or reduced rate lessons and learnt to ride that way. There was one horse in the stables that no-one could get anywhere near to (the stables operated both a stable/field only or a stable/field and we groom option* and the owner had chosen the latter). My sister was the only person that the horse would allow anywhere near, and she (and eventually I) were the only people who could groom or ride her. My sister bought the horse (called Bluebell) off the owner and had her for many years until she had to be put down, but she was one of those horses that if she didn't want to be in the field you had put her in, would simply jump the gate or hedge (no fences where the stables were) and make her way back to her stable where she preferred to be. Sadly Bluebell had to be put down when she was only 9 years old due to a terminal condition that would only leave her in severe pain.
*apologies for the distinct lack of proper terminology but I can not think for the life of me what it is called right now... it is just one of those days)
My husband and his 3 brothers had a ferret as kids. It was a short lived experiment after the ferret put all 4 of them, one after another, in the hospital needing jabs and stitches. I understand from my husband that all 4 of them visited the hospital separately inside the space of 10 days.
I just had a gold fish but I'm not certain if it really counts as an unusual pet to be honest.
