Horse Ownership is Pretty Weird

Simple Observations and Personal Ramblings

I may hurt a few feelings but the below thoughts have been floating around in my head for quite some time.

I will never forget being 13 or so at the tack shop and meeting another kid who was bragging to me about having 57 horses.

The girl was very proud to have so many horses to her name but all I could think was "How do you find time to work with 57 horses?"

Over my time training I've noticed a direct correlation to the number of horses a person has and their level of activity with those horses.

You see Equestrians as a whole are a "do more" kind of bunch.  If you ask us what our goals are we will usually say that we want to ride more, show more, and generally just do more.  In all my years I have never heard a horse person say that they wish they had another stall to clean.

A person with 1-2 horses is usually doing quite a bit more (riding, competing, etc), and are pretty satisfied in their "horse life".

A person with 3-4 horses is about 1/4 to 1/2 as active as a person with just 1-2 horses.  They usually want to do more but they have a hard time finding enough time to do so, and often struggle to juggle the training needs of their horses.  

And a person with more than 5+ doesn't usually (in my experience) do much more than care for their horses.  They often have the same wants and goals of the other two groups but very rarely do they get the chance to do them.  They usually have several unbroke and green horses, and may or may not have a reliable horse to ride (one they could trail ride, show, etc).

Forget different disciplines and sports you can really just divide the horse world into two separate groups.

Those who do things with their horses, and those feed them.

How many horses do you have?  Are you doing as much as you would like to with your horses?  Have you made similar observations?  Why do you think this is?

(Please note- All observations are based on a single individual (not family).  I am not against people having lots of horses.  I am against people not fulfilling their equestrian dreams.)

 

Too much of a good thing

 Who doesn't love horses, and of course the more the better as we say. But is there such thing as too much of a good thing?

I've been a one horse person most of my life. Owning multiple horses was never really been an option growing up due to pasture space and money. And until last year when I bought my gelding I had never actually given any thought on owning more than one horse. And I probably would have never given it any thought except that over the summer my little herd very unexpectedly grew to three as a result of the gift of a horse I had trained due to the previous owner no longer being able to afford him. That is when my perspective changed.

Owning more than one horse can be great. Growing up we each had a horse and at any given time we had 3-6 belonging to the family out in the pasture. An extra horse or two can be a lifesaver when you have an accident prone horse, it can offer kids, friends, and even spouses a chance to share your passion. Another horse can give you options in riding different sports, and also provide much needed companionship to your main ride. But over the summer I quickly learned that extra horses often cost more than just money.

I'm a very equal person when it comes to my horses, meaning that if you do it for one you have to do it for everyone. If I only have plans for working with one, I always make sure I budget enough time so the other at least gets some cookies and a good grooming. For nearly a year I had been happily doing double duty for my mare and gelding much to my enjoyment. Then number 3 joined my herd, and everything that was doubled now became tripled. For the first week things went pretty smoothly, but keeping everyone equal quickly went from being a joy to a down right chore. As the weeks went on I found myself in a perpetual assembly line of horsey chores always in a hurry. Due to the unplanned costs of #3 and the current economy I unhappily learned that I could not afford to care for everyone as I normally would, or do the riding events and activities I enjoy. I was forced to cut out any new activities, postpone my mare's yearly float for the first time because I couldn't afford it, and the surprise after hours visit for #3. My busy schedule forced me to squeeze 3 horses into a time slot made perfectly for two, and I soon found that something or someone was always left out. Due to training my mare for competition and training #3 so he would be ready for a new home my poor gelding was much to my and his dismay was pushed to the back burner. Thankfully there was a happy ending for everyone 3 months after #3 arrived when I was able to find him a wonderful home with awesome people. The next morning with #3 in his dream home we were all at such peace, I was able to relax again, and I swear I saw my gelding smiling.

I am sure that at some point in time I will have more than two but that will only be when I have kids needing horses. This experience taught me that my personal equine number of true enjoyment is 2 and no more. Though I was more than happy to help my good friend in placing #3 it was a great lesson in how 2's company, and 3's a crowd, and how more doesn't always mean more of the good stuff.