Hold on for the ride of your life! (Horses in General)

Member Name: Claribella

Product:	Horses in General
Date:	07/10/09 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A companion

Disadvantages: Expensive

I am one of those typical girls who has always dreamt of having a pony of her own and even though I am nearly 28, I still hope that one day that dream will become a reality. I love everything about horses and although I rode when I was younger, drinking soon became more important and I gave it up. After ten years of 'being sober' I finally got on a horse again recently and I am enjoying it so much.

There is so much about horses to love although my dad would disagree after being kicked by one when he was little. They are so graceful in their movement and even when they are bucking and going wild, they move with such precision.

We are very blessed in that we live right by dartmoor so within a few minutes drive I can be surrounded by moor ponies and spend hours watching them. They have such a free ness about them, one moment they are eating at the grass and the next they are galloping side by side over the plain. The only thing that comes close to the feeling I get when I watch them is the feeling I get when I am on a horses back.

These days it cost so much to own a horse that you need to have a bit of money on standby to even comtemplate it and even if you want to loan one then the case is the same. Yes, you can go to a riding school once a week and pay for lessons so you don't have the over all cost of a horse but for there are more downsides to this.

First off if you have ever ridden a schooled horse then you will know that it does what it does every single day of it's life. It knows what to do and when to do it so as a rider this isn't very challenging because although you are using your skills to a degree, the horse may not necessarily be listening to you.

Secondly you don't form as much of a bond between you and your horse because half the time you are swapped and changed everytime you go for a lesson. You can request the same horse but in my experience, you may not always get it.

Finally you don't get to groom, feed, tack up and learn the responsibility of having a horse. You can pay to spend the day at the stables and do this but it just isn't the same as having your own.

Owning a horse or loaning one also comes with its pluses and minuses as well. The cost of a horse is estimated at around £2000 a year if you take into consideration the feed, the rent for the stables, the bedding and then on top of that is the vet bills, tack etc. One good thing about loaning a horse is the fact that you will often get all of its tack when you pick up your horse.

The other thing that my friend has just experienced is that when horses get ill it can be devastating. She has spend just over a year returning her horse back to his former glory as he hadn't been ridden for a long time and now he has just gone lame. He can't be ridden, jumped and he can barely walk. She is waiting on Xrays and scans. In the meantime she has to pay the vet bills, still feed him, look after and everything else. The outcome may be that he will never be ridden again so does she get rid of a friend or spend money that she doesn't have? It's a tough decision to make.

I am still undecided about what I will do but it's not a decision I will make lightly. I have a year before we emigrate so that gives me some time.

All in all horses are amazing companions that will give such joy to anyone who cares to put the time into them but it's also such a huge commitment that needs to be thought about.

Summary: I love them with a passion