To ask if you would stretch yourself financially for the sake of a pet

[holdinoniknow]

My current situation is that I'm able to keep my horse somewhere for free and I don't need a car for it. But over the last few days various things have changed and I'm no longer in this position (nothing I can change)

So my current options are as follows:

1. Keep my horse, move him to a stable which would be around 250 a month all in, and buy a car (I'd have to, nowhere local), which would really stretch myself financially BUT enable me to not have to say goodbye to my horse

OR

2. Sell/loan my horse, be comfortable financially BUT potentially regret it

It sounds like such a stupid dilemma but I'm really torn between my head and my heart. I really don't think I'd be able to afford keeping my horse and a car, but at the same time, I feel like I'm giving up.

I haven't had my horse long and he's difficult so he's not going to be an easy sell either. I keep thinking I know I need to be sensible, but then I go to write his ad/look at pics and feel awful

Sorry stupid first world problem I know.

No, I wouldn’t stretch myself financially for a pet.

But perhaps I am mean, mean, mcmeanface. I know people who haven’t insured their pets and had whacking great bills, and I think I would pay for my cat if it was a one-off thing but I am wary of money pits.

I paid increased rent and non refundable deposit to keep my cat when moving house, so yes.

I think you need to decide what the other implications of the spending would be: would there be any other benefits to having a car? What would a car actually cost you to run and where would you keep that? Would you be able to afford treatment for the horse if it needed a vet, on top of all these extra costs? Would the extra journey make looking after the horse more inconvenient, so cost you time/make you resent it?

This is very sad but I think you should sell him. Horses are expensive - what if he is ill or another expense comes up? How about put him up for sale but only sell him to someone you feel comfortable selling him to? Your situation may change in the meantime and you can change your mind. Have you also thought of a horse share? Many teenagers want a horse but parents can't afford it/ want to see how kids get on with the responsibility first. Again you could choose only someone you feel comfortable with. Good luck x

I would do whatever I could to keep my pets, but if I was putting myself in permanent levels of debt, I would have to reconsider.

Can you try option 1, see how you're coping in a few months, and then consider option 2 if there's no other choice?

no people are more important than animals. I think you should sell him.

No, I wouldn’t stretch myself financially for a pet.

Yes we do. My gorgeous dog has had multiple health issues, current insurance premium is £200 per month!

Do you know anyone who you can loan your horse to? To be fair people don't tend to mistreat/put down horses anyway so it's not really the same as giving up a different kind of pet.

My finances have been worse than they should have been for 15 years due to my DDogs. Walker, doggy daycare, insurance, kennels..

Still a drop in the ocean compared to a horse though.

Yes, I would. I would spend almost anything to keep my dog.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that someone else would be wrong to prioritise differently, though.

Can you cut down on livery costs? Can he live out with plenty of food? Loaning for the time being could give you some time wiithout losing him. Perhaps joint loan.

This is going to be an ongoing obligation so I think you should sell/loan. It's a sad thing but horses are not like other pets, they are a lifestyle and involve huge and continued investment.

I wouldn't endanger my current financial situation, no.

Stretch myself as in do without luxuries, holidays, extra clothes, nights out etc. to fund a pet I had made a commitment to by getting in the first place? Absolutely. They didn't ask to be my pet, I made that choice for them. I am under an obligation to make sure I stick by it as far as is possible.

Stretch myself as in not have enough money for essentials for myself or my family? Run into debt to fund the pet with no chance of getting back out again. No. It would break my heart but it would not be responsible to keep the pet in such a precarious situation. The sooner I faced that, the better the chance they have at a second home.

Thanks for the replies so far. Was fully expecting a barrage of

I don't know anyone would would want to loan him. He's small but a real handful (I bought him as a project) and can be really rambunctious - people say he's like a little stallion.

He'd need to go to a teen or small adult who wants something buzzy and opinionated. He's a lovely horse deep down but just not everyone's cup of tea.

I'll be so sad to see him go because he's what I've always wanted (don't ask why!) but I know I need to be an adult about this.

I don't want to be in a situation where I'm struggling just to pay my bills. The costs in my first post are providing he doesn't need the vet for anything, and being a horse, he inevitably will at some stage and it's not like taking your guinea pig to the vet.

At the same time I feel like I'm just taking the easy way out. Gah

I'd stretch myself in terms of cutting out luxuries yes, but I wouldn't put myself in financial jeopardy. It sounds like it's going to be a big financial burden to you.

Miss I totally get that. When I say stretch I don't miss miss nights out, expensive clothes etc, I don't that anyway. I meant struggle to make ends meet.

Not sure what went on with my spelling in the last post!

I meant to say I go without most luxuries now anyway. When I say struggle I mean make ends meet.

Yes I have done. When my dog was ill I paid huge vet fees . Sadly Ddog has now passed away.

I think that's different from having to pay out monthly an expense that you can only just afford. As others have said, what if your horse gets sick? Would you be able to pay vets fees?

Twice i have. Once was for all 15 of our guinea pigs to be treated (at midnight) for an awful gastric upset which had killed 2 within 12 hours the day before. Hence the late night panic after a daytime vet visit as well. It was put down to a rotten batch of hay IIRC. The out of hours visit plus the meds ran well into 3 figures. I was skint at the time. 2 more of the piggies didn't make it but 13 lived to tell the tale :)

Second time was for a rabbit we'd only had a month. She developed a large abcess inside her face (in the space between her nasal passage and her eye area and had to have 2 lots of surgery and a 2 month ongoing plan of squeezing and re-packing the hole to cure her. Bloody £££££. This was EIGHT years ago and she's still with us fine and healthy.

If i were you OP i'd sell the horse. Put lots of effort in selling he/she to a good owner and you wont regret it.

It depends how much of a stretch. If I can't afford a roof over my head then I can't afford a pet - what would happen in the case of an unexpected vet bill, for example?

Well my cat insurance is £30 a month, which doesn't sound a lot to some people but it is to me. So yes, he's a 'luxury' if you like.

But a horse is different, it's much more expensive, as is having to buy a car to make having the pet work. It just doesn't sound like a great idea. What if something happens unexpectedly and you need a new boiler or something? Would you be able to cope?

Could you put out feelers and see if anyone knows someone who would loan or share? That way you won't be permanently saying goodbye.
No chance of anywhere more local or somewhere you could bus/cycle to?

Part loan him to help with costs?

I would. BUT horses are (so I understand) massively expensive so I wouldn’t put my house in danger to keep him for example.

You probably should have thought about this senario before taking him on though as I think Horses fall into the ‘luxury’ category and most of us can’t afford to own one.