To feel sorry for people with horses?

[ahstop]

Including me!!!

there should be a specific form of seasonal affected disorder for equestrians in the winter! Or some kind of therapy for helping us deal with the trauma of the winter months!

I posted something about winter 2 months ago but I can’t find it now and I’ve namechanged since then 🤣 just a follow up to that thread!

Why does the winter have to be so cold, wet and awful?! It was quite mild here (Scotland) and all of a sudden about 2 weeks ago it’s suddenly freezing. Everything is wet and muddy, my entire wage is being spent on feeds, shavings and rugs and it’s just generally crap. My hands are like ice cubes, my toes are frozen solid, my arse is freezing in the saddle EVERYTHING is wet and muddy. The other day I slipped on my arse in the field and landed in a big pile of cold, wet, squishy mud. I actually burst into tears- winter has ruined me!

but apart from that it’s great! 🤣 I have a thoroughbred so I’ll take any extra thoughts of prayers please! Luckily he’s cute and a nice jumper so he makes up for it 😉

not long until spring- we can do this!!!

Been round horses all my life , if only all the money they burned was turned into heat it would be easier
Winter mud rain etc entirely predictable but still not pleasant when it arrives

Many years ago I had a part share in a pony and the winters weren't fun. The commitment to horse care is huge at the best of times but winter really tests it, and I decided that I'd never want to own my own.

How much does it even cost to have horse these days? I was paying about £25 a month to the owner to cover extra costs way back then (30 yrs ago) so I have no idea what is actually costs to own one. Someone upthread mentioned £80 livery so is that standard? What other fees are there?

Two horses in my life too .... the old, retired one and the new one I bought to ride!! Hang on in there people ... spring will be here soon ....

Hundreds per month, unless you're lucky enough to own your own land, or can get really cheap DIY livery somewhere.

When I looked into it, even part-livery around here would be £300 per month, not including haylage, food, farrier etc.

Horses are INCREDIBLE for helping improve mental health. One of many reasons why so many people go to great lengths (and sacrifice) to keep on affording them. Those who sneer at the "middle classness" of owning a horse don't know what they're on about. These incredible animals are adored and kept by people all backgrounds and classes.

I often think there are a lot of mental health issues that are part and parcel of having a horse, they are certainly first rate for building resilience. But calming troubled souls is their real strength, I like to sit and just listen to them in their stables at night eating hay, one of the best sounds in the world. Yes even in subzero temperatures! I wouldn't change it for anything.

Astrak how wonderful that you still have a horse at 77. You gibe me hope, my biggest fear is not being able to hsve my ponies. Is your boy retired? Would love to see a picture of him .

TeamPineapple I have 3 ponies and own my own land. They cost me about £350 a month. One has Cushings and is on £100 of supplements a month. Luckily although I have the farrier every 6 weeks they are barefoot so don't have the expense of shoes.

It's a false equivalence to think that horse ownership means middle or upper class. People often get into horse very young and have a family history of horsemanship, a lot (that I've meet over the years) live and have grown up in the country these families are often in very low paid agricultural jobs and can be very poor living in unheated mobile homes but for them horses are a way of life.

Anyway the snow had reminded when my nearly 30 years old warm blood got a new lease of life decided to ram me into waist deep snow, bolt down the driveway of the yard and scrape down the side of someone's car 🤦‍♀️

Oh and photo tax.

Sadly this is his last day but he was at least late twenties probably early thirties and had Cushing's and cataracts and was starting to struggle so was PTS but he had a dignified end and that is all you can ask for!

Plus the week before he decided he was a teenager and rammed through a fence taking out all the posts 🤣🤦‍♀️

Mollyplop, Old Horse is semi-retired - we're both wimps when it's cold, even with excercise rugs and expensive padded overtrousers for me, so no riding until it warms up a bit! Don't mind wind, rain, sun. We have a little wood next door and we slope round there when it's too hot for hacking round the fields. We used to go for miles over the North Downs but the traffic in the linking lanes became too dangerous, so we don't bother now. Old Horse has an advanced sense of humour, and will do a sharp paraglide at a fly's shadow! I ride in a lambswool pad, and find it ideal to communicate with him by weight and breathing.
He's such a character - all his naughty ways (snapping yellow front teeth + pinned ears + "gimme the carrot NOW!" faces are forgiven! The YO and her staff (one per horse!) adore him and he's kept to very high standards. My phone won't send photos for more than 2 days after it's monthly reboot. I'll try and upload one next month. He's 16hh of chestnut arrogance and beauty. CrabbetxOld English breeding, with a dash of Polish and Russian, three generations back.
What types are your ones?

Astrak hesounds like a real character! I think its brilliant that you still ride. Mine are Highland ponies. I hope I'm still riding at 77 .

Love this. We had an old chap near us a few years ago who had a stallion that we put our mare to. He and his wife never had children but had loads of land and always loved horses. He used to ride in point to points and hunted all his life. We used to go and see him a few times a year until he died (his wife passed away first) - he was amazing! He still hunted late into his 80s, and looked after his animals even though his own health was failing. Luckily there were people to look after the horses once he died, but he was incredible!

What a lovely kind face, and what a character in his final weeks 🤦🏻‍♀️😂
What I wouldn't give to have horses now.... as someone said previously - just sniffing a pony makes the world alright again

@Sickoffamilydrama - what a beautiful face. Am sorry for your loss, but glad that he had a dignified end.

I agree with pp - sniffing a pony is great therapy! I’m lucky enough to have a friend that has horses and shetlands. I love a good sniff when I’m near them, but also love a good sniff when I’m in the tack room. There’s a very specific scent of tack mixed with rugs/numnahs that is just heavenly.

I'm a councillor, I've had five people contact me this week. All of them desperate because they don't have the money to feed the kids

Do they also own horses? Otherwise, what does it have to do with this thread?

That’s incredibly sad, hopefully you’re able to offer them some guidance and support - lots of people need it right now.

But it has nothing to do with people who have horses. Are you trying to make a “point” or have you posted on the wrong thread?

This morning at 6am was freezing, icy and dark. The new pony pissed off the second I took his head collar off taking the Fat Cob with him before I'd got him loose. Cue lots of swearing. My gloves were wet, I was cold, all the jobs take twice as long. I was hammering at the ice on the trough trying to break the bloody stuff which wouldn't break it was so thick. I was so pissed off, I hadn't even noticed the Fat Cob was suddenly at my elbow. He'd come to 'help' and have a cuddle.....He made me laugh and all was ok in the world again.

The lovely lady who has our pony on full livery sent me a lovely photo of them in the snow , meanwhile I’m all warm and cosy indoors

At my yard the stables are in a barn. Lovely. Except this morning I had to take up a flask of boiling water to unfreeze the sliding doors so I could get in. Then I used a 2nd flask to try and defrost the tap in the barn, I failed. Luckily someone who was up during the day yesterday had filled all the buckets with water ready for the morning.
Used my ragwort to break the ice on the field trough but it's half empty as the valve has frozen.

Whilst defrosting water taps this morning I decided out of the 12 months of the year there are only 2 which are actually ‘nice’ when you have horses.

the rest are too cold, too wet, too hot, too windy. Or there’s flies.

Bunchymcbunchface bet you still wouldn't be with out them though 😉

😂. I was having this conversation this morning, although I gave it 2 days.

I was trying to do the front buckles up with frozen fingers on a pony who wouldn’t stand bloody still and kept pulling my hat off.

In regards to water, I use a trick a German friend told me about a few years back, but it needs a metal trough/bucket. They light long burning candles beneath them, which slows down ice formation. It works, pick of my pony's one below. You can just see one of the candle flames beneath.
I need to do the same for my mini's now, and managed to find a 20l metal bucket on amazon for a princely 15 quid. Sold!
My DIY wind break is also proving popular right now.
Pi of my samoyed pup, who also loves the paddock, and especially poo.