Getting rid of a horse

[IShotTheDeputyItWasMe]

I know nothing about horses/riding so excuse the ignorance.

Reading the spending thread and a few people are commenting about "trading up" their horse. Do people really treat horses like cars?

I know you might need a new horse as a child gets bigger or maybe skills improve but for an adult who is at their peak riding ability, do you really just swop a living creature?

I guess you might say, your personalities don't match but if I were to say, I didn't like my service dog, I'd still get grief for passing him on and getting a new one. And surely after having a horse for a while, you don't suddenly decide you aren't compatible?

Horses aren’t dogs.

“Why is it ok for some animals?” - we live in a society that for the most part is perfectly ok with a pig (generally far more intelligent than a horse) being kept in a pen or field with limited human contact, fattened up and slaughtered for food. Ditto cows. Why the horror over a horse moving from one decent home to another? Do you imagine the horse is bothered because it thinks that the humans made promises to it or something?

Yes, people trying to sell or give away elderly or disabled horses as “companions” are revolting (there’s a point at which I think the responsible thing to do is euthanise if you can’t provide properly rather than trying to make it someone else’s problem) but selling a rideable pony because your child outgrew it, or a sports horse because you had a baby and can’t ride regularly anymore, is perfectly normal and I really don’t think most horses or ponies care. For the most part horses need forage, turnout and the companionship of other equines not people.

Again, they aren’t dogs.

I do find it odd that you can have a bind with them and pass them on when they're old. Knowing they'll end up at slaughter.

I think we should all think clearly about what is actually meant by ‘working animal’. To me, it’s a euphemism for enslaved animal.

Riding is a hobby for which you keep a slave.

More broadly, there’s no longer any justification for treating animals as our toys or an industrially tortured and killed protein source.

We have rescue horses. They have had multiple owners and their previous owners all got rid of them when they were no longer useful, despite claiming to love them. 😔 I don’t understand it. They’re gorgeous, they recognise us and they have built trust and a strong bond with us. They’ll now live out the rest of their days with us. I often wish I could tell them that.

Whenever I read things like this, I remember why I started eating meat again after being vegetarian for 25 years.

My beloved Arabian gelding is now 29 years old. I've had him since he was 17. He was a very successful high-level showjumper, an excellent (if rather "onward-bound) hack, and we've had lots of fun along the way. I retired him three years ago as I became more disabled and my balance was being compromised. He lives in 5 * luxury with his breeder and his little herd and costs me a fortune every month. His every health and comfort needs are fully met. I would never "strive to keep (him) alive" and his equine veterinary team know that they have my permission to put him down if they can't get hold of me and think that this is in his best interests. He will be buried on the land where he was born, and thus join the rest of his heavenly family. He will be my last horse. I'm now in my late seventies and have been riding since I was two years old.

I grew up in the horse world, I won't get too specific as it will be extremely outing.

Horsey people are crazy about their horses... But they are also extremely cutthroat and it's more the lifestyle they love than the specific horse, if that makes sense?

"upgrading" and selling is very common. Some people retire their horses and let them just chill and be pleasure ridden, but that is dependent on space and finances.

Horsey people are like a different catagory of human, I've never met any other people like them lol. It's almost like a cult or a very small town. You are in or you're out.

(This is my experience of my family and exposure to the personal and professional riding community growing up).

you started eating animals again out of … spite?

How repulsive of you.

PS. As for him being "a slave", I rather think it's the other way around! There's no way that I could make my 16hh 924lb horse do something that he didn't want to. I'm approximately 140lbs, and he towers over me. We operate on a mutually beneficial relationship.

Eat what you like, but that seems like a strange reason for starting to eat meat again.

It’s interesting that you told us on another thread that you apparently started eating meat again because you worked with animals and realised they were dicks.

You also said you were vegetarian for 20 years, now it’s 25.

Make your mind up.

🤔

Unfortunately some owners/riders/trainers do mistreat horses to get them to do what they want. Charlotte Dujardin was a high profile one. Shame the horse didn’t kick her in the head.

To be fair it was 20 years, 25 was the age I was when I ate meat again, I was too young to remember the meat I ate as child up til age 5/6. But if you want specifics to the day I'll have to consult older family members.

The main reason was because I lived on a farm and realised animals are dicks. But I also, could take it or leave it. I choose not to leave it because of the people.

I wonder how many UK horses and ponies end up in slaughterhouses? I believe it's only very recently that the export of UK horses for slaughter was ended legally, and figures from before then suggesting that 10-15,000 horses per year were being slaughtered in UK abattoirs. meaning that the total figure slaughtered is higher. I imagine that they are a mix of racing industry discards and animals who were used for riding but who then ended up unwanted for whatever reason, including by people who wanted to 'trade up'.

I've seen appalling footage of horses and ponies from the US who are sent to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. Thanks goodness there are rescues who buy some of them and give them a happy retirement.

Personally, I judge people who would acquire a horse, use it till they didn't want it any more, then sell it on to meet who knows what eventual fate.

Sure. 🙄 🤥

Imagine being so fragile that you have to imagine somebody is telling a pointless lie because you are unable to accept reality.

Oh dear.

Lots of people don't start riding until adulthood, maybe they had a few riding lessons as a child but nothing beyond that. So their skills improve and if they want to compete, they reach a point where their current horse has reached the limit of its athletic ability or needs to slow down a bit and have an easier workload as it's getting older. So to stay competitive (as opposed to just entering for fun and a day out at the show) they need a horse with greater capabilities. Many people can only afford one horse so to get the new one, the old one has to go. The horse that suits people as a novice probably isn't going to go far, in competitive terms. Although may be worth its weight in gold in other ways. These people are also the types to sell up with minimal upset if money or time gets tight, or if a child loses interest in riding the horse bought for them.

Not all riders are like this though. For many the horse is a pet, no different to the family cat or dog. They'll find whatever work the horse can do and stick to that. They might never enter a competition. They'll often keep the horse in retirement, even if it means they can't ride because they can't afford two horses. These people would rather sell one of their kidneys than their horse.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-03-25/20346

It's nothing like 10,000 now, unless by 'slaughtered' you include horses humanely euthanized at home? Under 1000 every year at abattoirs in the UK according to recent figures. The racing industry in the UK is very far from perfect but sending lots of horses to slaughter houses is not one of their sins, of those that do end up there the vast majority of hazard a guess are hill/feral ponies as when numbers of these need to be culled the ponies have very little value or ability to be sold for more than meat money, which while sad is not the case for most horses in the UK. As with so much animal welfare based we should be careful not to conflate UK standards with what may be the norm elsewhere in the world

Do you feel similarly about guide dogs, rescue dogs, assistance dogs, police and customs dogs?

I agree it is strange how the message is 'a pet is for life' unless they are a horse. There is no other pet that it is seen as acceptable to trade up.

But then i find the whole concept of riding horses a very strange one. I know things have changed to some extent but we used to talk about breaking a horse when they were trained to accept someone sitting on them. How is that ok?

I think your posts are just coming across as a bit strange. Which is ironic as you were trying to shame someone else for their post/beliefs.

I had to sell my much loved horse as I could no longer afford her. Horses are very expensive to keep right, I wouldn’t do it on a shoestring. Luckily she got an amazing home who cares for her better than I did.

If you don’t have your own land it’s very expensive to keep every pony you’ve had until you reach adulthood.

I am very conflicted about riding horses now. I’ve ridden since a tiny child and love it so much but a lot of the practices I used in the past I see differently now and I’m not sure I would want to do it again.

I really don't think this is anthromorpising a horse. That would be something such as saying they have exactly the same needs as a human, or that they need to be kept in a house-like stable when some horses are happiest living out.

I don't anthromorpise my dog, she's a dog, she has different needs to me and I accept that she's happier running around than she is at home, I don't feed her human food even though she likes it-but she still has feelings and emotions because she's an animal, they have feelings and emotions as do humans, different ones of course, but they still have them. As do horses. A horse can become depressed through neglect. Many horses try to please their owner when they're learning and respond to kindness and respect. That's not saying they're the same as a human, it is accepting that a horse has emotions. We've (hopefully) moved on from the days where horses were a mere vehicle or means to allow us to do things we want.

It’s a very different relationship / dynamic to most pets. People sell horses on for all types of reasons. Rightly or wrongly. And sometimes it’s in the best interests of the animal.

I had a beautiful, talented horse for 8 years. She was the apple of my eye, I adored her, I thought she wanted for nothing. But she never quite blossomed. She loved having a job, got very bored and stressy if she wasn’t busy, but also found competing stressful and I worked with her for 8 years to try and make it work. We just didn’t gel, and my heart and soul is in training and competing a horse and the partnership that comes with that particular journey. I still own her, but she’s away living a completely different life now and is THRIVING. I would sell her to them if they asked me to.

I have a horse on loan to me. Owner developed a health condition, couldn’t bear to sell him, but horse was bored and getting fat in the field and that’s not good for their health. He came to me to get fit and strong and be ‘schooled,’ but he has also helped me fill a few gaps in my own technicality. We have bonded so much and achieved loads in seven months together that his owner who was adamant he would never leave her, has asked if I’d like him permanently.

Sometimes moving a horse on is right for them!

This is why I won't get a horse! I could afford one (just, I've carefully worked it out!)but, I simply would not have the heart to get rid of an animal I'd bonded with, once it was no longer 'of use' to me in terms of once a horse became too old to ride, or if it became irreversibly lame/ill etc. I'd simply 'have to' keep a field ornament. They break your heart once things like that happen too.