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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

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Original poster

your views on wether horses are a lifestyle choice or a hobby..

19 replies

booksinbed · 08/09/2012 14:55

someone said to me horses are a lifestyle choice not a hobby- what do you think and waht does this mean to you-...do...some folk with horses do seem also to have similar intrestes /values...to me its a lifestyle choice in that ive had to cut my cloth massively and have little free time now and have to work really hard to make sure i do stuff with friends who are saying were are you ,lets go out for a drink etc,,,!!i dont know im just finding it an intresting concept to chew on..........

OP posts:

horseylady · 08/09/2012 17:55

Lifestyle choice!!!

Hobby would mean going for lessons at a school. Horses are without a doubt part of my lifestyle and something I have to factor in to a lot of things!!!

CMOTDibbler · 08/09/2012 17:58

I think they are a lifestyle choice and hobby - the caring/money side is the lifestyle, the actual riding is your hobby

Startailoforangeandgold · 08/09/2012 18:21

For those round here who live in houses chosen purely because they have stabling they clearly are a life style choice.

For friends living on farms with room for a pony they were more a hobby/very large pet.

Holidays and getting up and things already revolved around sheep and dogs and hens. My best friends and her Dad's ponies were just one more job on the list.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 08/09/2012 19:50

Lifestyle choice. Dd is at the riding yard every day, she mucks out poo picks and rides one or both of her in work ponies most days.
I have to take her, hang out, help and drive her home. On top of that, We have two pony broodmares and two pony youngsters that i have to check, water and generally look after every day too, and two more foals next year with the possibility that one or both of us may have to camp out with the mares come foaling time. Horses get done EVERY DAY, without fail.

alwaysGOLD · 08/09/2012 20:07

Lifestyle i would say.
Everything is organised round the horses i see to them twice a day, am and pm, what ever the weather, holiday etc.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 08/09/2012 20:09

Tbh, I don't actually have that high an opinion of the people I've met round here, who have horses as a hobby. They've usually got pots of money, and pay for their ponies to be on full livery. There's one yard where I used to do casual work, where the horses are kept in dark, hot in summer, cold in winter stables, for 22 hours a day. They get the hay and bedding they are supposed to, on the days their owners turn up, the rest of he time, they are at the mercy of the yard owner. They get 2 hours turnout a day, on nice days. On wet days, none. And their owners swan in two or three times a week, get them out, ride them and then put them away. Like a toy. They have no idea of what goes on when they aren't there, and generally don't care!

Plomino · 08/09/2012 21:18

Lifestyle choice here , having come to the conclusion that livery fees were costing us so much money , that we might as well add it on to a mortgage ! So now they are gently snoring just under my bedroom window. And Dd2 is fast following in her mothers footsteps , as I caught her scanning the preloved ads the other day , looking at ponies .......

horseylady · 08/09/2012 23:11

Saggy I hate that. I didn't sell one of my horses to a girl who kept on full livery for that reason!! Fab yard and facilities, horses well looked after but that was with that owner. She then spoke about moving her elsewhere and I pulled the plug!! Pony now lives on fab farm and is loved!!

rogersmellyonthetelly · 09/09/2012 10:36

Lifestyle choice unless you ride at a school rather than own, or you have a horse at full livery. They take up a lot of time, money and require care
365 days a year.

Poledra · 10/09/2012 11:44

Hobby for me, as I only ride at the school and don't own a horse. WOuld love it to become a lifestyle, but DH is uninterested and I'd need him to pick up the slack at home...

DolomitesDonkey · 10/09/2012 11:54

Wow! Can't believe the snobbery directed towards full livery!

Butkin · 10/09/2012 13:02

We have 3 at home and 1 on full livery. Definitely a lifestyle choice in terms of committment but also surely our hobby - just like golf of whatever for other people - so don't really understand the question.

marialuisa · 10/09/2012 13:08

Lifestyle for us-although DH likes to point out he only agreed to it being a hobby!

I think the "snobbery" about full livery can come from seeing livery yards where the YO tells clients one thing about how the horses are cared for and the clients either don't notice it's not quite what they were told or don't realise their horses aren't happy. We kept dpony1 on part livery for a while so I understand why people need to make that choice but sometimes the owner friendly yards-no mud, tea rooms etc are not the most horse friendly. That's why we are now renting a stable and turnout on a friend's farm where facilities are basic but the horses come first. That said I do get G&Ts included in the fee which smart livery yard didn't offer

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 10/09/2012 13:11

DolomitesDonkey. If you spent any time on the yard I mentioned, you would understand why!

Abbicob · 10/09/2012 16:23

I keep mine on full livery after 9 years on diy and I love the fact that I now have so much more freedom to ride and enjoy my horse. My horse is not locked away 22 hrs a day and is ridden and exercised practically everyday - by me as much as possible.

Totobear · 14/09/2012 19:19

Definately a lifestyle choice! Lucky I don't mind the freezing cold, dark winter mornings!

Stinkyminkymoo · 15/09/2012 07:58

Would just like to defend the full livery choice! I have both mine on FL - but then I have just had a baby! I've worked bloody hard so that I can afford for them both to be on FL for the next year so I don't have to worry about the horses and the baby.

DHorse1 had had a lovely time where he hasn't done any work for the last 3 months. He has been out pretty much constantly as I said there wasn't much point bringing him in just for me to pat him. So, he's only come in when it's been too hot. DHorse2 is only 18 mo and has been on box rest for 2 1/2 months and I couldn't have had any more help from my YO if I'd tried! She's been amazing and looked after everything since I've given birth.

I just wanted to put my point across that FL isn't that bad!

castlelough · 12/10/2012 21:09

I just wanted to respond to something startailoforangeandgold posted earlier in the thread, regarding the people she knew who lived on farms and had horses.

I live on a farm. I certainly don't consider that my having a horse is solely a 'hobby'.
He is most definitely a lifestyle choice. A point-to-pointer, he costs us more than a mortgage when he is in training between fees, haulage and entries. In fact we can't get a mortgage at the moment to finish building our house because we choose to spend our disposable income on our horse.
When we have him at home with us he is our priority.
I hope to get a second horse next summer, for myself for riding, and he will be a lifestyle choice too. Because owning a horse is expensive. You choose to spend your time and money this way, as opposed to on other things.
It affects the car you drive too (if you tow a horsebox) and the way you spend your free time/socialise.

I reject the idea that because I may have other animals that I also love and care for that my horse is relegated to 'hobby' status!!!
Personally I think that anyone who has chosen to own a horse/care for it themselves - it is a lifestyle choice, and a hobby; it is a passion.

DENMAN03 · 26/10/2012 23:06

For me it used to be a lifestyle but now more of a hobby. Ive gone from three at home which nearly crippled me time wise having to ride and do all three after a long day at work. After a long winter I could have gladly got rid of the lot of them! My job has got more intensive and I am away a fair bit. I now have my horse on full livery. Doesnt mean I am not interested in the welfare however and those who direct snobbery at those on full livery are presumably just jealous! Mine is a competition horse who goes out daily and has fantastic care. I have time to exercise him properly now without having to muck out and do the chores first. When I was younger I used to event..now I get more pleasure being an owner. I had the pleasure of watching a horse I now have a share in complete Burghley Horse trials this year. I now have a good balance between enjoying my horses and having to work to pay for them!

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