what do you/would you sacrifice to keep your horses?

[MitchyInge]

am getting a bit at comments I've had recently about struggling in some areas whilst still having horses - although it will all come right at the end of the month (hopefully )

anyway it got me thinking about what I would live without, if it came to it, or how bad things would have to be for how long before I'd consider parting with them permanently (or putting out on loan probably) and I wondered about the rest of you - what would you or do you go without in order to keep yours?

When my ex left me I took my then 2 horses out of livery onto DIY even though I work full time and drive 1 1/2 hours to work. My day starts with mucking out at 6.30am. My eldest horse sadly had to be put down in summer so i now only have one on DIY. I couldnt imagine not having horses. Have ridden since a toddler and had my old horse 23 years from a 3 year old!(lasted much longer than exh! ) Young horse is now 10, Bought her unbroken at 4. Also have 3 dogs so no wonder no space for a man other than my 2 wonderful boys

pixel price of blue chip varies quite a bit, although usually get it from same place, think it was only £35ish yesterday

what is this bluechip you speak of so highly ?

Nothing so fancy here - mine get Countrywide oats and h&p nuts. They're only in light work so it seems to do the business. If more bulk is needed then I've used sugar beet before, otherwise I have used a Countrywide non heating mix for more oomph.

It's pretty basic for them, but they seem to manage fine on it.

I've never used Blue Chip, but seen it advertised in Horse & Hound - therefore it must be expensive!

We do use a feed balancer but a bag of Equilibra is £23.50 and does the three of them for at least a couple of months, so not quite as horrifying! We just bulk it out with chaff, which is cheap, and a bit of fibre beet in the worst months (just bought our first bag on Tuesday).

mummydoc this is blue chip, it's full of magical ingredients!

mine have it with chaff, bit of weight gain mix, nuts and sugar beet - and cortaflex

iv been living without my hrs since july 09, we moved into new house not possible to keep hrs here, dh wages cut & had to send all hrs to grass & some to family to look after, heartbreaking iv worked & rode all my life so i know nothing else,rubbing salt in the wound i hate the new house, long to get out to the country.if i think about my hrs i just end up in tears... sooo frustrating & yes they are an addiction but what a lovely 1

Parents and in-laws sometimes moan about the time and expense of keeping our horses but they realise after all these years we'll never change.

Renting our own yard/paddocks was a cheaper option that having them all at livery (which is what I did before marriage) but it is hard work.

Ebay is our best friend when it comes to tack and we're careful about feed and hay. We've never had much luck with Blue Chip and we use Top Spec feed balancer which is highly regarded in show circles.

FIL keeps suggesting we get rid of our horses. The newest reason is because i am pg and not riding at the moment It is like saying that i should get rid of all my clothes that don't have an elasticated waistband because i won't be able to wear them for a while. Makes me cross!

TBH, we do without quite a lot, but have found that simply cutting down all extras and keeping the horses as simply as possible has helped. The horses are doing well from it too.

They get as much hay as they need, a bowl of chaff twice a day with a cup of pure grow feed balancer (once a day for mare, twice for TB) veg oil and carrots. They don't need anymore than that, unless they start doing hard work when i will give them plain economy nuts as well.

it is annoying when people do that, had a bit of that over the winter when some people would say 'you're not riding much at the moment' as if it is even practical to slide around on icy roads or get on and off a million times to pick the snow out or as if spring would never come

(after I saw a mare from our yard get cast under a parked lorry for over 2 hours, from slipping on the ice, am happy to never ever ride in winter again )

anyway have many plans for more frugal summer - have phased blue chip out , might take Joey off the cortaflex as is probably not needed in such a youngster? any day now livery will come down to £90 a week for the pair and a friend is quite keen to share one or both with me, am happy for her to ride them for free obviously but it would be nice to have a contribution. I say both but it is Joey she is besotted with - would help if she had him on loan during term time.

talking of renting own yard, another friend is doing that - only £500 a month for 4 stables and a school but just 4 acres of turnout

thought it would be much more £££y to do that

Miffy - why is Joey on Cortaflex?

I don't even know, was persuaded by some (equine america of course) literature that said it was essential for ponies/horses of all ages

but really is more appropriate for older ones, surely?

Unless he has a problem or you have money to throw at him i wouldn't bother, especially for just a pony club pony iyswim? TB was on it when racing and was jarred up and stiff (from the work) and now he has nothing, and is fine despite the hard work when younger. We may get problems later on as he gets older, but we expect that. He is 10 now and the best he has ever been (since i have known him)

If he lives out anyway he is going to be spending the time mooching around which is the best thing for any horse or pony.

You could try the summer without it, when he is likely to be doing the most work and see how he gets on.

This is just my opinion though (i have been talked into various extras in the past and i am quite skeptical now )

I am a bit of a sucker for these things, imagined it would help to maintain existing healthy joints and poss. prevent problems? think has been good for Barney who must in reality be at least 18 now, haven't had to bandage his legs this winter at all (they used to get all puffy overnight)

wish I didn't get drawn into buying some of the most expensive supplements though, I'm really gullible!

It is how they market it though. They act all scientific and superior and make you question your own judgement. If you think it works for Barney then definitely keep it going, but for a fit healthy youngster? I would give it a break and see how you get on tbh.

am taking him off it (not Barney tho), but have to go to feed merchant today and must must must resist that whole aisle

Good splash of value veg oil is as good as all those extras.

I love the 'pampering' section. Grooming/washing/plaiting/tack cleaning gets me all excited Oh, and the new rugs.

mmm have accidentally bought enough mane and tail conditioner for all the horses and ponies in Suffolk - glad am not alone in these things, although wish wish wish it was warm enough to give them complete baths

also wish I could move off the blue chip but accidentally stocked up on that too, it gives me a sense of well-being (not financially) but when linseed stuff runs out might replace with the value veg oil

We used to have TB on Linseed powder but really couldn't see the difference tbh. We started him on it in the spring when his coat looked rough, but stopped in the summer as the difference in coat was simply summer/winter coat