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!!!

It's a light hearted thread about mud & horses.

No, I don't have a horse. I'm very happy to look at pictures of them though.

Eye removed due to uveitis. Then a week later he had a bad colic and I thought I was going to lose him, vet was on their way back to pts as he was going downhill then just before they arrived he did the most thunderous farts and started to get better. He's an old boy so not insured anymore either.

No I didn’t know people were struggling to pay rent or bills

this is complete news to me

I had absolutely no idea

Poor little soul! Give him a big hug from us❤️

@countrygirl99 awww he's a superstar ... lots of love to him

Yep! And there’s plenty of those type of threads that they can post on should they choose too….

countrygirl99 gladto hear he has recovered.

That made me laugh, @user1471505494 - thank you. I am having a break from some complicated knitting, that I can only do when dh is out of the house, but it is frying what is left of my brain. I need to drink some more coffee and whip myself back to work - I’ve got 4.5 hours before he gets home, and I need to make use of every minute..

But I’d much rather read about Shitlands and thoroughbreds with attitude, and I’m loving the pictures. Please don’t make me go.

Aw thank you. That's my daughter in the pic with our two, one of which is currently injured 🤕

Mine’s a native - I turn him away in November and pick him up again beginning of March, it’s the only way to get through Scottish winters I find!!

Lots of people have horses who aren’t rich FFS. I’m very aware that people are struggling to pay rent and buy food thank you very much. You know none of our personal circumstances who are on this thread or where we’ve been in the past financially, nor do you have any insight into what any of us do to support those less fortunate. With that in mind, off you pop to a thread that may be more interest to you where your input will be welcome ☺️

A photo of one of thoroughbreds also known as the snowflake. I’ll go find some photos of the shitland.

20+ here. 13 in at the moment. Living my best life…..not, but I can’t do much else and I hate people, so this is my life.

'My' horse isn't actually mine, I was invited to ride him in return for looking after him about 15 years ago because the owner became too ill, he's now retired and a huge part of my life still.
I didn't contribute financially for years because I couldn't afford it, and I walked there and back.
I do contribute now as he's been given to me and the owner died.
I don't have or do anything else, no nails, hair done or nights out and new clothes, he's getting me through the cost of living crisis as he got me through working in a care home during a pandemic, watching people die in front of me over and over again.
The horse community has accepted and supported me when I was outcast and felt very, very alone. So many of them I know work in normal jobs and sacrifice other things that other people have in order to afford it, they're just normal people who spend their money on something they love, not unlike just about anyone else.
So you can take your assumptions and shove them where the sun doesn't shine quite frankly.

I miss having horses so much...but also reading this, I don't!

I remember those horrible winters in 2009 and 2010 when everything was frozen for weeks including our rural house and yard plumbing. I'd collect snow and ice in buckets and thaw it in front of our fire just to bring it out to the horses (so they could kick the buckets over!). Both shitlands got thrush in their hooves when it got wet too so it was thrice daily catch, dry, disinfect for months on end. Both the wee bastards acted like they hated me too.

My big girls were ok through the winters but putting them out in the dark then bringing them in in the dark was so depressing. Stable lights are universally shite and it wouldn't be until March you'd be able to appreciate the gorgeousness and see how grotty the stable, the tack and everything else really was!

Every single horsy person I know is very average, drives an ancient car, never buys expensive clothes or shoes or gets their hair cut at a hairdresser, no holidays, most are living month to month because they have this animal that they love so much, that they always put first, that they spend all their money on and get into debt for. Yes it's a choice but so are lots of other things. So fed up with the 'horse people are posh and privileged' narrative.
I don't have my own, a loan two days a week is quite enough 😂 but having spent many winters working at a riding school I feel the pain...!

This is totally me. All my discretionary (and honestly sometimes my non discretionary) income goes on this.

Sometimes I really feel bad about it. We could go in nicer holidays/have nicer house etc if I didn’t do this. But the truth is I have suffered with crippling anxiety for years (since puberty). I ve taken meds, done counselling, tried exercising (which does help). Having a horse is the ONLY thing that saves me. Spending time with him is like flicking a switch in my brain.

Because of this I feel that I am a better mother, wife, friend, worker - and so it is ‘worth it’. But jeez…. I look like crap (no new clothes, crap car, hair never ‘done’).

louderthan perfectly put . We live in a two up two down house, my car is 20 years old and has fine 200,000 miles. I've never been abroad and rarely have holidays. I'm not complaining this is a life choice for me BUT I did used to resent the assumption that we're loaded when I was at work. Especially coming from one lady who spent 7,000 on a two week holiday in Barbados. Fortunately I don't have to bother with people like any longer.

As you can probably tell from my username I have horses. Well, two ponies and two mini's to be precise.
Winter is being strange here, so warm that we have seedlings popping up everywhere, but the last few days has brought torrential rain and of course with it the mud. All the mud.
I keep the boys on a track system, or I DID in the case of the mini's, but the little sod in the photo decided that he was tough enough to go through parallel lines of electric fencing once we started strip grazing the middle paddock for winter.
So he and his buddy are in pony jail.
And this was my fell pony this morning. Why oh why did I end up with a grey?

I have horses, it is a choice, and a privilege to be able to have the choice to keep them.

I'm from a non horsey family. I work my arse off to be able to afford them and even then it is tight. I buy a lot 2nd hand, and rarely anything for myself

Winter is shitty but I try and chance my mind set. I still feel incredible lucky and motivated to see to them everyday.

It's an expensive hobby to have if you don't enjoy it

Prancingponies Ifeel your pain.i have 3 greys.

@Mollyplop999 ohhhh that made me wince!

Maybe put your privilege and rich people problems on a lower volume at least for the winter

LOL, you can tell this poster is unfamiliar with your average UK horsey people.

I feel the same as a cyclist. It's awful cycling in the winter - cold hands and feet, dark, mud, shit all over the roads, hidden ice. Our car didn't pass its MOT this year and we couldnt afford the repairs, so unfortunately I'll have no choice but to carry on cycling to work.

Don't have horses anymore but my partner has cows and I feel sorry for him having to go out every morning at 5 to feed them in the winter. I've had horses and don't miss not being able to feel my fingers as I have raynauds and don't get on with the cold at all. Was thinking about getting another once baby is older but thinking back to it I don't think I will now 😂

You are right. The weather has a bloody cheek and should be boycotted. Dog walkers don't fair much better.