Any MNers with horses out there?

[Longlegs1972]

and how do you cope?

I'm getting really down cos I never get the time to spend with mine....

Hi longlegs - yes there are, but they all all over in the sport section...
I am only an ex horse owner now

I have 2. I know it's hard to fit horses in when you have small children, but it gets easier as they get older, trust me.

I have a deal with a girl on my yard where we take it in turns to turn out/bring in so that helps.
Can you leave yours out for the winter so save on donkey work time and have more quality time with your horse?

I don't know about you but my horses keep me sane. An hour in the woods on my mare and I can take on the world again.

Stick with it.

How about finding a horse mad teenager to do the mucking out in return for occasional rides then you wont feel quilty that your horse isn't getting enough excercise/attention.

quilty!!

Guilty! LOL

Yes, we are all in the sports section but the sports sections seems to have dissappeared or is it just my post-natal brian that can't find it anymore. Seriously, help, please !

I have a 19 month old dd and 1 and a half horses (a TBxID gelding and a shetland pony) and I am too veyr down that I can't spend any time with them anymore. Mine are at home and live out 24/7 which makes it easier but all I do these days is chuck in a feed twice a day and check the rugs aren't leeking ... I do hope it will get better once dd is in school in three years time, long time to wait though ...

My DCs are 2, 3 & 5 and we have 2 ponies - the larger is up to my weight.

The ponies live out at home and the time I do get with them is only enough to muck out shelter, fill haynets, feed and check rugs.

Riding is holidays and weekends only (and not always then). Sometimes it's a beautiful sunny day and I don't have time to get their rugs off (and if I haven't done it by lunchtime then there's little point). So I often feel down about it and wonder if I should sell or put them out on loan.... but my 2yo starts pre-sch at Easter so I'll have 2 free mornings a week. So I'm hoping it'll get better.

I have four (yes,four ) ponies and I also have 4 dd's ranging in age from 11 months to 11 years. Mine are all natives or native cross so are quite capable of living out all year round. TBH they probably don't get the level of care some receive,but they are not neglected .
Yes,it is a struggle sometimes but then that makes it all the more worthwhile when I do get to spend time with them. I agree too that it does get easier as the children get older.

(BTW I think the sports got moved to other subjects )

Really, they got rid of the sports thread. Noooooo ...

I guess we have to make this then the 'official horsey thread.'

Horses used to be the biggest part of my life, what made me tick, my biggest passion ... I've been around horses all my life.

It's hard now to see how much of a back seat they have taken. Still, nothing makes relaxes me like spending time with my horses, so I don't think I'll ever get rid of them.

I hope dd will be interested so I can get back into it and combine my two biggest loves (dd and horses). That would just be wonderful.

I guess being a mother is all about guilt. The horses don't get excercised, the dog feels neglected, the house is a tip, my harp is out of tune because I don't play it enough, the garden looks like jungle and I look, well I haven't actually bothered to even look in a mirror for ages.

...but dd is spoilt rotten ,lol.

Hello! Is this the official horsey thread now? Tried to look for Sport section but think it has disappeared Been on MN for a while but it's only just occured to me to hunt out horsey stuff
I exercise 2 horses, Shadow & Echo, for my old riding instructor most days and muck out (a 16.2hh 12yo bay mare and a 17hh 5yo steel grey gelding, both TB/IDx) I have 3 dc (ages 7, 4 and 16mths) Quite lucky as dh is self- employed and works evenings and weekends mainly, so he can be with dd2 when I go up for in the mornings. Do feel slightly guilty about going up though, just about manage to get it all done in 2 hours.
Had a riding accident 3 years ago (broke my shin bone and now have a titanium rod up it) so I'm a little more wary now than when I was a teenager! Also having children to look after makes you a bit more sensible too.
Well that's my introduction Hope to chat soon - really can't do it on my post-natal thread!

Blimey Rodeo, you must be good to muck out and ride 2 horses in 2 hours! It takes me all morning to get my 2 sorted!

I have a 4 year old TB x WB 16.2 (and growing) and a 14.1 coloured cob who DD1 rides. I also look after the yard owners 16.2 ID mare and turn out 2 others.

I adore my horses and constantly remind myself how very lucky I am to have them. I spent my childhood longing for a pony and finally got one when I got my first job and was able to buy one for myself.

I had a break of about 10 years without horses and now I've finished childbearing spend as much time as possible in the saddle

What a shame about the sport section. I never even knew there were other horseaholics here!

I am an ex horse owner.. sometimes I think about getting back into but no I just haven't got the time or the money at the moment.. dd is already riding though (she's 4)

into it but know blimey.

Oooh yay! Replies
Madoldcatlady, oh no, I don't ride them both on the same day, that would be good if I could do them both in that I do them on alternate days, but I sometimes get away with a good lunge, depending on what work they've had. Def not enough hours in the day You seem to have your hands full too though! Did you sit on your 4yo last summer? How is he/she going? What are you planning for her this summer? And how are your fields? Ours are awful, so wet, Shadow's been living in for the past few weeks due to mud fever, which has healed now, but the fields are just not drying.
Mascara, how lovely for your dd How's she going? My dd is 7, and used to ride at the yard I'm at (it used to be a riding school, but costs has forced it to turn to livery) but there's nothing really suitable for her to ride now, although she has walked round the school on one of the cobs bareback (obv. not ideal!) My ds (4) says he wants to ride a motorbike and scare horses
Enough blatherings from me anyway

Oh goody, more horsey lovers.

Now, how did you get your dc into riding. When should I start and what's the best way to do it.

I own a black 16.2hh 25 y.o. IDxTB gelding who is retired from competition but still used for the odd hack and a 11 y.o. Shetland pony who was supposedly broken to ride when I bought him 6 years ago. I haven't tried as he is way to small for me but I was wondering whether he'd be suitable for dd when she gets older. I guess I would have to organise another child to try him first ... Mhmmmm, any ideas anyone?

I have my horses at home, they are out 24/7 and the fields are in a right state at the moment. So wet and muddy. Horrible.

Hi Rodeo!

My mare is coming up 5 in May. She was backed at 3 and turned away, then re-backed this time last year. I've done lots of hacking and a bit of schooling since then.

She's coming on nicely. We are having lessons as of 12th March to get our flat work improving. I'm not a competitive person really and have no interest in showing (although I'm sure she'd to well, her 1/2 brother Lowmoor Edward had a fabulous year 2006, Hickstead, HOYS etc) but might have a go at a bit of dressage if we ever find the time.

My lifetime ambition is to have my horses at home. We are talking about moving to Scotland at some point in the future, where we would be able to afford a decent house with land.

Oh, and, yes we are knee deep in mud!!

I dream of a few weeks ahead, sunshine, horses turned out and no mucking out to do

Rochwen, do you know any small teenagers that ride? Might be a safer option to start with. How old is your dd? My dd had her first sit on around 18mths/2yrs, something like that, don't think the riding is the important part at such a small age, just building a confidence around the horses, which I'm sure she has living around them
Ooh, catlady she sounds lovely Echo is also having lessons for his jumping and flatwork with his owner and is coming on nicely, although I think he's just a little too laid back for her and she plans to sell him as a reliable hunter in the future. Shadow on the other hand is not laid back, blooming competitive, teamchases (at the front) but doesn't hunt as she's a nightmare when placed behind another horse. What are your plans for your mare? Will you keep her do you think?
And does anyone watch A Stable Life on Animal Planet?! It's great! The horses are fantastic. If anyone is a regular watcher, has Nadia had a facelift or something?!

(madoldcatlady must move to scotland soon, madoldcatlady must move to scotland soon)

do you think my subliminal message will work, sis?? oh, sorry for crashing your thread!

I'm definately keeping her Rodeo. She really is my "horse of a lifetime"! She's so beautiful and has a great terperament. She's got just the right balance of being sensible but fun at the same time. She can buck like a bugger if the mood takes her, but on the roads she's an angel. She's quite a feisty madam at times and the othetr girls on the yard find her difficult to get out of the field sometimes (she takes the mick something chronic and rears up and runs off) but for mummy she's an angel and walks in like a seaside donkey. We have really clicked, if you know what I mean. I never feel phased by her, however daft she's being, there's no badness there just silliness. She'll gallop the length of her field (10 acres) to come to me if I call her. Can you tell how much I love her?

In a few years time I'd love to get her in foal. She's stabled nextdoor to ann Irish Draft stud and I'd love to put her to their black stallion.

I watch A Stable Life, I'm sure Nadia has had something done, she looks very "taught" and unfeasably glam to say she works with horses.

Hi Devonshire, I haven't told Mum yet, but we're working on a 12 month plan to move North!

Yes Nadia is soooo glam and immaculate, but then so is the yard! Much prefer her to Ed! And I wish I could long rein that well too Your mare sounds lovely, just the type I like too, it's important for them to be safe but I like them to have a bit of a streak in them too!
What's the area like around your yards? Our's has been built up quite heavily over the past few years so we have to do quite a bit of riding on roads to get anywhere suitable. We take them 10 mins up the road in the horsebox somedays so we can do a good hour's ride and miss out on the roadwork. It would be good to be somewhere a little more remote! I live in Derbyshire BTW, where do you all live?
You'll have to take the stallion with you if you're moving to Scotland!

Nadia looks taut, not blooming taught!!

We have fab riding out round us. Maximum of 10 minutes road work to get to woods, 2 minutes to reclaimed pit which has miles of rides. I live in West Yorks.

I wonder if I could put a bit of stallion sperm in the freezer to take with us to scotland?

Our yard owner has just built a menage so I'm getting a bit obsessed with schooling at the mo! I have to remember to give her a break every now and then!

Haha Madold! Didn't even notice that! Our school is woodchip and needs re-doing because it's too deep esp. on the outside track. Wouldn't want to canter on it, some of the horses have lost their back ends round the corners and I wouldn't risk it. Had a nice ride though yesterday, went out in the horsebox and managed to get quite a few lovely long canters, the ground was quite high and for saying how much rain we're getting, wasn't wet at all, must be the wind up there I have the day off today, DI (dear instructor ) has taken the pair of them to a long distance at Cannock Chase, the weather looks nice too, hope they're having a good time.
Have a lovely weekend everyone and their ponies

Bugger! I've hurt my horses back.

I bought a lovely dressage saddle from the YOs daughter a week ago. It looked a lovely fit, but I asked one of the riding instructors to have a look and she agreed, a lovely fit.

I rode in it in the school and all seemed well. On Friday I rode for 2 hours (hack) in it. Still all was well. Yesterday, 30 minutes riding and she didn't feel right. I took the saddle off and there was a small greasy patch of hair towards the back of where the saddle had been and when I touched it she dipped away, obviously in alot of pain.

So this morning the spot is still sore.

What would you do? Physio? Rest it?

Obviously I wont be using the saddle again and am getting the Saddle Fitters out to get a new saddle for her, but I can't do that til she's mended.

I feel awful.