Who has horses - the 4 legged kind?

i hate riding horses. i can appreciate their beauty but dont put me on one.

 

I don't own one, but grew up riding on my uncle's ranch. Was sad to hear recently that Jenny, the horse I learned to ride on, just died of a rattlesnake bite. She was so old, she probably didn't see it or hear it. They buried her under a tree with a headstone. Like losing an old friend.

 

We have one Dutch warmblood that my wife rides in Dressage and one thoroughbred that my daughter used to ride Hunter/Jumper. Beautiful horses. The picture is Robert Dover who has ridden 6 times on the US Olympic Dressage team.

Horses that you ride competitively are more expensive that f-cars, if you can believe that. And, unlike f-cars, they can be hurt and they are instantly worthless. Worse than worthless because of other bills.
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My grandfather was a true cowboy and was friends with Seabiscuit's trainer, and I grew up around all kinds of horses. I was off on horseback with my sister and cousins unsupervised at the age of five. We played Pony Express with real mailbags from the 1800's, my aunt was named Colorado horseperson of the year, my uncle is an outfitter, etc.,etc. Having said all that, I couldn't wait to get a motorcycle and had my first minibike at age 12 and never looked back. It went where I wanted, when I wanted and didn't need to be fed when I wasn't riding it.
My daughter had her own horse for a couple of years and it cost more to keep and maintain than my Modena.

 

Wow Oneday, you must be very patient to put up with the overhead for Two Thoroughbreds and show costs!

I had a Tbred I used for amateur hunter/jumpter stuff, and had a friend ride in the ocassional low jumper classes, but that was pre-marriage/business/kids. He was a grand-son of Secretariat, an honest 17H and dappling grey. Sure lots more women in the horse scene than the car stuff though. wow.

 

Always loved horses. Used to ride often. Now I still do, just 60 at a time! lol
All kidding aside, I'd love to have horses, but these puppies require so much time and attention 365 days a year it really holds me back.

Dr C, the "instantly worthless" comment is kinda weird ... Is it really about just being competitive?

 

Julien:

No, it's not about being competitive. Nothing to do with being competitive. If you have a horse that you paid $100,000 for, and it gets hurt, you can't sell it and you can't ride it. My sister had a beautiful horse that went lame. She had a great place for him until he died earlier this year. But, she was never able to ride again because she couldn't afford another horse. How can you tell if a horse will colic or go lame? You can't. It's just the luck of the draw. Same thing happened to us with one of our horses, but we were able to donate it to an Equestrian Program at a college.

My point was that, most of the time, with a car, when you are finished with it and ready to sell it, you can. You may lose money on a car, but it's unusual to have it be worth nothing.

 

that said, "Horses are...Dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle?" My parents breed Arabians at their farm NW of Orlando. Nice to look at but I prefer a little more horsepower! But like Ferraris, they can be real finicky, like colic if they get some bad grass (gas).

KevFla

 

Unless you wreck it; That's what insurance is for.

Is there such a thing as insurance for competition horses? If so, are the premiums outrageous ? (I would guess they are; relatively small pool of risks with high injury potential)

 

you can always pull a tony soprano horse incident

 

Don't get me started. My maternal grandmother was killed by being kicked in the head by a horse...

 

I almost used that example as my basis for asking. A better TV drama has never ever been produced.

 

Dave:
Most people who own horses will carry life insurance on them but "loss of use" or whatever you call it is incredibly expensive -- enough so that most do not carry it.

 

Thanks Doc.

 

Great Thread!! We have a nice Morgan. His name is Milstan's El Nino. He is smart and good looking. Not at all like me.

 

Used to do hunter/jumper.
Bought one unhealthy horse and it about ran me into the ground with the bills.
Repairs on a Ferrari can be cheap compared to vets, farriers, boarding, training, special feed, medications, etc, etc.....
Ended up donating him for the tax deduction to a group who worked with underprivlidged kids. 16 1/2 hand chestnut TB. Looked great!

That being said- for a guy you could meet lots of girls at the stables.

I've still got a nice saddle & stand if anyone wants to buy it. Size 16 1/2 or 17.

 

I do and my daughters compete in Three Day Eventing. And, for those of you who don't know, owning a real horse makes a prancing horse seem cheap!

 

horses were a big part of my life from about 5 to 22. i rode on the farm, played varsity polo, was pres of the riding club at college (me and 22 women, cant beat it with a crop!), did the hunter jumper scene in new england for a little time...then real life starts...and you cant afford one and you dont have the time....unfortunately.
have gotten all the kids into it though, and my hope is that we can all go riding together soon.

but i would rather own a cavallino than a horse...

 

How much do you pay for board? We pay $215 per month for stall, daily turnout and feed near us. Includes unlimited use of indoor and outdoor arenas.

 

I spent many years on a farm growing up where we had horses... if you thought your family is/was at the brink of poverty, adding a horse or 5 will guarantee it. We went through a slew of breeds before settling on quarter horses.

It was a shame, cause I never rode them much because I had fallen and broken bones my very first time on a horse (horse bolted an rode me *into* the barn), then thrown off the next few times and it freaked me out. And I was angry that we lived in such indigent circumstances where I would get hand-me-down clothes from uncles, lived in an unfinished room with no doors or furniture, but my parents would go and blow a few thousand on an ill-tempered horse.

I finally made my peace with horses in college when I took horsemanship for my PE elective. We'll probably own some later on, but they will come last in importance.

 

we have 3 here is one and ferrari
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