Would you get horse if you can?

There are a lot of horse lovers out there. Horses certainly have been with humans for many thousand of years if not more. They are very loyal and can be very sweet. They are not known for having bad attitude or being spoiled, although it can happen on rare occasions.

Has anyone had a horse or plan to have one?
Even if you can't have one due to varies reasons, would you like to have one if you can?

Asside from the money issue, owning a horse is a LOT of work! My mom was usually able to have a "time share" on someone elses horse at the stable where she rode because she was a very good rider who handled a horse well, and the owner was happy to have someone else to exercise their horse a day or two a week so they didn't have to be out there every day. My sister loved riding and dreamed of getting a horse when they moved to a rural area. But it never happened, and I think now she would rather have the freedom to travel and spend time with her grandson and not be tied down caring for a horse everyday. They're wondrfull animals, but an owner needs a lot of time and dedication. Not for me.

The horse used to be in the place of a car rather than a pet. Now they are no longer needed as transportation. I'd love to ride one sometimes, but I guess I have no idea it involve a lot of work in order to have one. I thought it'll be ok as long as you have a huge field of grass for them to chew on while you are away.

Yes, horses started out as transportation. Today, except for some working cattle, police horses, and horses for hire (trail rides, carriage rides), horses are used mostly for pleasure, either for competing or for the sheer enjoyment of riding. So much so that the state of California now classifies them as companion animals same as cats and dogs. But all companion animals require some work. Hutches, cages, and litterboxes need to be cleaned. Some need training and to be taken out for regular exercise. Horses are no different, they're just a lot bigger. They need food and water, which means hauling buckets and bales. Bedding is straw or wood shavings, and it has to be scooped out daily with a pitch fork or shovel and a wheelbarrow. They need a fenced space to run, like a dog does, but far larger than your yard, And like your dog, they need training, or they will be impossible to handle. If you think your dog walks you, this is an animal big enough and strong enough to drag you anywhere it wants, and it can do serious damage if not kill you just as easily. If you want to ride them or compete with them, they need still more training. They can develop bad habits if bored. They need regular dental care, as well as vacinations. There can be serious problems if they eat too much or too fast, or the wrong thing. And unlike other animals, they need shoes, custom fit and fastened, and as their hooves grow, they need trimming and re-fitting of the shoes. Remember; bigger animal, bigger bills.

Maybe I have watched too many movies. The horses from the movies don't seem to get any special treatment. They would have to wait patiently between being a transportation, either being tied to a tree or stay inside a farm house. They get nothing more than some grass and water. They were nothing but transportation and hard labor. They way you say how they might get bored sound like if they have developed the bad habit of being spoiled just like some dogs and cats.

Back when horses were transportation, they WORKED most of the day (when they weren't plowing the fields)! A modern horse that is not kept out in a pasture all the time, is spending most of their time in a stall. They have to be taken out daily for some exercise, either being ridden or trained, or at least turned out in a corral or pasture to run for a bit. If you keep the horse on your property that's not as hard to do though it does take a good chunk of time out of your day. If you keep your horse at a boarding stable, you are paying them to cleaan the stall and feed your horse every day. Less work for you, but a lot more money. My mom would ride at a boarding stable where she had a time-share on someone else's horse, That's a solution for getting to ride once a week without all the responsabilities and expense of owning a horse. And if you do own and board a horse, then you don't have to go take care of them every day.

Paying someone else to take care of the horse isn't the same. Wouldn't the horse be more attached to the person who take care of it daily instead of someone who show up only once or twice a week?

My mom has 3 horses and they are wonderful horses, but she barely gets to spend time with them outside of feeding them. They are expensive animals to keep and they require a lot of acreage to keep healthy because of their need to run and exercise. But they are very loved animals and I am glad to be able to pet them when I can.

I always thought it is cheaper to keep herbivore animals due to the food cost should be cheaper than the food used to feed carnivore.
Guess not.

i had a horse, but had to sell her because i never had any time to go see her because of school and work i hope to someday get another once i graduate college...

She is a beautiful horse. Too bad you had to sell her.
You might find being a student actually give you more free time than after your graduation.

Amanda what a beautiful horse you had. You were a great owner doing what was best for her and hopefully you can buy another horse after graduation.

I'd love to own a horse but at this stage in my life it isn't feasible. I'm studying in my final year of university and plan to travel extendedly after graduation next year. Growing up I took horse riding lessons for a few years and I really miss going for treks and just generally being around horses. In the mean time going to the stables and going for occasional rides will have to suffice.

We currently have two horses, and they eat constantly. They are a joy to have, even with their tempermental attitudes. We do not ride either one as we currently do not have a separate riding area, and we would rather not ride out in the open. We are not very experienced riders so we have to be sure we have the proper facilities first.

I enjoy having them, and they are good for keeping the grass down. Our only problem is we cannot let them both roam in the yard, as they will leave. If one is tied and the other free, it works. It is always the same horse that is tied; a couple days ago I let him be free while the other was in the pen and he decided to leave. It took a few whistles to get him back.

Oh Amanda, she's beautiful! It's too bad you had to sell her!

I personally love horse riding, and horses, of course. The problem is, I don't get to ride regularly, and I live in an apartment, so keeping one is certainly out of the question.

That, and as much as I love riding, my own father has forbidden me from making it a regular sport/hobby because a good friend of his was paralyzed from the neck down when he fell off his horse and got kicked in the spine by it . Despite this, I still ride from time to time behind his back... *chuckles*

Wow, Amanda, that's a beauty. I have got a neighbor who has got a few horses. Not the big ones. More like ponies. Still from what I have seen, it takes a lot of work to look after them.

Right now, no. I lease a horse and she is wonderful. Owning is so much work and money for not much profit. Leasing is much more affordable and you don't have to pay for a lot.

Do I have any fellow jumpers?

(07-17-2012 10:31 AM)mora2000 Wrote:  Right now, no. I lease a horse and she is wonderful. Owning is so much work and money for not much profit. Leasing is much more affordable and you don't have to pay for a lot.

Do I have any fellow jumpers?

Lease a horse? How do you do that? Do you take them for a ride and then return them after the ride? Or do you lease them by the week? What is the cost of leasing like? Is it by the hour? Do you have to pay a deposit? Sorry to have so many questions but I have never heard of anyone leasing a horse before.

(07-17-2012 12:11 PM)Victor Leigh Wrote:  

(07-17-2012 10:31 AM)mora2000 Wrote:  Right now, no. I lease a horse and she is wonderful. Owning is so much work and money for not much profit. Leasing is much more affordable and you don't have to pay for a lot.

Do I have any fellow jumpers?

Lease a horse? How do you do that? Do you take them for a ride and then return them after the ride? Or do you lease them by the week? What is the cost of leasing like? Is it by the hour? Do you have to pay a deposit? Sorry to have so many questions but I have never heard of anyone leasing a horse before.

You can take it home with you if you want, but I don't have a fence or a trailer. You can come out whenever you want and ride your horse and put it back. At my barn I work to pay off half the lease. The whole thing(at my barn) is $250 every 3 months.

That's not a bad price for leasing a horse, just a $1000 a year then. It would be worth it if you love horses, but can't afford to own one. You'd still get to see it anytime you'd want to. Sounds like a great deal!
I wanted a horse when I was young. I think all girls go through a stage of loving horses. That's what I've read anyway, and it was true for me and all my little friends. None of us got any horses though. Now that I'm older, having a horse doesn't interest me. For one thing, I've got back problems and don't need to be jarred or hurt anymore than I already am!

They're so expensive! That's the main reason I would never have one. I just don't have the funds to not only feed and care for one, but to have the property and barns that they would need. I lived on a farm for a few years where they used to breed the Kentucky Derby thoroughbreds and got to know some of the horses while I was there. Such an incredible animal!

I have just thought of something. You know those dwarf horses?


They are not much bigger than dogs, right? Would it be a lot of work to have one of them?

(09-01-2012 01:58 PM)Victor Leigh Wrote:  They are not much bigger than dogs, right? Would it be a lot of work to have one of them?

Shetland ponies!

And no, they wouldn't be quite as expensive or as much work. At the same time, they're also not going to have the same rewards as a full sized horse either. You can't ride them, after all, so why not just get a dog?

You are right. Can't really ride one of those little fellas. Maybe they can be ridden by children. They cannot be compared to dogs, though. A dog that size would be quite a handful. I can imagine having such a small horse grazing in a small yard. Should make a good pet, I think.

(09-01-2012 01:58 PM)Victor Leigh Wrote:  I have just thought of something. You know those dwarf horses?


They are not much bigger than dogs, right? Would it be a lot of work to have one of them?

Is this dwarf horse some kind of natural small horse species or a result of selective breed?

I can see it definitely have its place. It's not the same as a dog, and by no means I think a horse is inferior to a dog. So "why not get a dog" doesn't work for some people who simply want a cute little pony that will stay small. Haven't you seen horses can be just as friendly as a dog? They can lick your face nonstop too, not that I would let them.
Children definitely can rid on them. Think about if you have little kids, you can dress them up like little knights on horse back without looking small.

Since my personal opinion is based on the fact I haven't had much chance to rid a horse. If I get a horse myself, I'd go for a big regular horse instead of a mini-pony. The ability to rid my horse does sound more appealing to me, but if I were to get a second horse I don't mind a mini-horse along side the big one.

This reminds me of my beloved Grandmother (I still miss her so much even though she's been gone for almost 30 years!) saying how she had every horse she possibly could have wanted EXCEPT a Shetland pony! LOL! Her family was wealthy, this was back in the late 1800's, early 1900's, and she said she begged her dad for a Shetland pony constantly. He never gave into her though, so she never got one. My grandfather was a hired hand on her ranch and she eloped with him, against her dad's wishes. She was attracted to him because he was the only person she knew who could outride her on a horse.