Luxury I can't give up easily

perfectlypoor

Hi are you getting the very best prices for food,livery,medicines etc. Could you maybe lend a hand at the stables in return for some discount of your livery costs? Hope things go ok for you and your horse.

marshmallow13

i def agree with the idea of givign lessons - even at £10 per week or so.

Rylynn

This is so sad, and as people say you can have dogs, cats etc, but the bills for those are not of the same magnitude. I do hope you sort something out, and if she is rideable I think lessons would be a great idea, as Max says she is then a tool of your trade? mind you its a lot of lessons to get the amount you need for her upkeep.

Got2change

Although the idea of lessons seems good, I'm sure that most people must be aware that there will be huge safety and insurance implications. Fair enough, in my first days in the saddle, no-one cared who the horse belonged to* or how competent I or the person "teaching" me were; nowadays it's very very different as we all know and as soon as money starts to change hands, there is so much potential for blame, claim blah blah.
I also doubt very much that a 27 year old thoroughbred would be any good for a novice/beginner and anyone with any knowledege other than that would not want to ask much - or anything - of a veteran.
To repeat, the OR is so so so unlikely to request that she be put to sleep or even that she be sold; the main issue will be being able to hang onto/afford her after the BR. I think the SOA/I&E could be tweaked to allow for some of the expenses (being covered by other stuff IYSWIM) but main very real reason for a £££'s problem is shelling out £250/month. She can come to where my old chap lives - it'd not cost half of that (and next to nothing in the summer).
x

(* Not that we went around leaping onto random horses you understand but if I'd have sued the owner of every horse (pony!) I fell off, I'd have been a multi-millionaire by the age of 12.)

maxmycardagain

well, i dont think the OR will come and check your actually giving lessons......lol

nudge wink nudge

fiveyearplan

Sorry Miss Spooky, I mis-read your post and thought she was 3 years old! Apart from what I've read on here about horses, I really know nothing of their value or depreciation (if you can use that word for a horse!).

maxmycardagain

Rylynn wrote: »

This is so sad, and as people say you can have dogs, cats etc, but the bills for those are not of the same magnitude.

youve not seen our cat eat have you....

Got2change

fiveyearplan wrote: »

Sorry Miss Spooky, I mis-read your post and thought she was 3 years old! Apart from what I've read on here about horses, I really know nothing of their value or depreciation (if you can use that word for a horse!).

Not to patronise - just for info......
They depreciate like no-body's business! Age 15 used to be very significant but is less so because of better ways of keeping them going (so can be kept fully insured to age 21 nowadays, used to cut off at 15); for example - bought my old boy for £800 in 1997, he was coming up to 15.
A bit of research into his background and discovered that he went through the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales aged 7 for 27,000 guineas!!!!!!!!!
I can't work out the % depreciation that that is but it's enough to make your eyes water.
In the world of the horse as a companion animal there is never such a thing as an investment.

Rylynn

You know I am not a huge horse lover, one threw me off aged around 10! I am not a huge animal person, I grew up with dogs Alsations I loved them all, and had one of my own til moving to France in 1991. Cannot have any pets other than goldfish now, and NO I dont have any, as have son with chronic asthma who is totally allergic to animal fur, grass, pollen, you name it and it affects him.

Now having said all of that I read this thread and thought HOW dreadful, a horse is like any other pet and many pets are to people what children are to others. No one would say sorry get rid of the kid it is gonna cost you £56K between birth and 18! (figure off top of my head probably much more!)

So just felt really sorry for Spooky that she is in this dilema, it is not as if she went out and bought a horse and it got her in the debt she has had the horse for years.

I hope you can find a solution Spooky. As if I add up my sons food, clothes, what heat and etc to attribute to his being here in my home it would be more than £250! so it seems a total injustice to me.

RL

miss_spooky

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies, I'll answer in one go.

Due to age she has no monetry value, also wouldn't get much for knacker meat. Our local one is charging you for carriage...

Could do riding lessons but as she is only 15,2hh she couldn't take anyone over 12 stone. Also not quiet enough for beginners or novices & exp would want jumping lessons etc. I would. Also ins, h&s hire of school, electric and competition in area (Nth London) would mean I wouldn't even break even.

Sancturies or RSPCA wouldn't take her as she has not been mistreated or abused. I know this from working with horses for over 17yrs.

Not ideal companion as she wouldn't winter out.

Do have ins for vet fees & accidental injury & Illness.

I do DIY but hay & straw is expensive due to crappy weather across the country earlier this yr.

I might be honest and see what happens, though trim a bit off. I will aslo see if the yard need any weekend help.

I am looking for someone to share her, so something may come up there.

Thanks again

MS