Have you gotten bored or regretted...?

Question

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I AM NOT GETTING A HORSE AT THIS MOMENT.

I really want a horse but I am afraid of getting one. I love horses and I can not dream of getting bored of one or regretting buying one. I think about horses all the time even when I am doing school and such, I admit. I have done lessons for a while so wanted a horse isn't such a crazy dream.

My question is... have you ever gotten bored with your horse? Have you ever regretted buying your horse?

Answer 1

ABSOLUTELY!!! Buying Marley was the worst decision of my life. The guy selling him said he was a wonderful horse to ride. I mainly bought him for trail rides. Turns out Marley's favourite activities are standing in the snow and farting and neighing at me when I don't bring him fast food. Make sure you visit the horse you're planning to buy and see if he has any Taco Bell wrappers in his stall.



EDIT @Fennec - ROFLMAO

Answer 2

I have never once gotten bored with or regretted having a horse. I have only regretted not having a horse.



I did go through moments where I thought "man, think of all the things I could have the time and money to do if I didn't have a horse". Of course, now that I don't have a horse, I'm not doing those things or spending money on those things anyway! I also had days where I was exhausted and wished I didn't have to go muck stalls, or feed, or ride... But that's normal.



I admit, even though I am older, I still get butterflies when I think about the day I'll be able to own once again. My life honestly feels empty without a horse. Or rather, pointless. Most of my life I have put 110% of my energy into horses. So I find myself lost not being able to do that.



I think if you have any feelings that lead you to believe you will not enjoy horse ownership, wait. You are able to ride where you take lessons. So give it some time and only get a horse when you are sure you want one.

Answer 3

In the past, I have grown up with ponies and horses. I loved them to death and I never got bored even for a second. I do have to admit, however, that feeding them in the winter time with all the snow and ice became an unwanted chore. My ponies were wonderful and so were the horses my family rode, so if you ever got a horse I'm sure you'd feel the same way from the information you gave us about you. Don't be afraid of getting one, they're a lot of fun and really awesome. Think about it: Braiding their mane and tail, grooming them, feeding them treats and spending quality time, riding or sowing them, it is all fun. The vet and farrier bill may get a little large if something happens but you call the vet and hoof-clipper because you care about it, right? All in all, everything is fun when you have a horse, that is, except for cleaning the dung out of the stall.

Answer 4

Have I ever regretted buying my horse? YES! The horse I bought, although I love her, was a big mistake. I had been leasing a horse that I could do just about anything with. A purebred 8 yr old Morgan that could do everything from western pleasure to x-country to park, but being 14 at the time wanted something I could call my own. So I found a horse that I could afford and rode her only about 4 times before I purchased her. She was 15 at the time and had been sitting in a field for 2 yrs. My first mistake was I never jumped her before I bought her! I was doing x-county then! 2 days after I got her to the farm the owner of the horse I was leasing offered him too me only for half his worth. Long story short she cant jump a ground pole if she tried, but will jog all day on the trail, we now ride western and I havent jumped since. My advice is to lease as many different horses as u can Iand learn the most u can. Don't rush into anything OR be like me and be stuck with a 23 yr old arthritic trail horse that no one wants and is preventing me from buying or leasing a horse I could be having fun with.

Answer 5

No. I've always owned a horse or pony, though--I was raised around them--so it was never a "big decision" to buy one. I just always had one, so I would have had to make the decision to sell in order to not have one, if that makes sense.



There are days when I think how much simpler my life would be without one--for instance, the extra money I'd save each month (I'm unmarried with a full time job; I would have enough money to buy any car I wanted and/or do all kinds of fun stuff, but instead I budget every last penny to be able to afford my horse and various shows). There are days when I really just don't want to ride and am less than thrilled about the fact that I need to, since my horse is my responsibility and if I don't do it, no one will.



However, he's also there when I need an escape from everything else. There are more days (especially when the weather is good :)) where I'm grateful to have him than there are days that I'm not. I love showing and every horse show reminds me of how much fun I have doing this sport.



Now that I board, it helps--because he's cared for no matter what, so I don't have to give up other activities just to make sure I'm out there twice a day every day or at certain times. I still try to go daily to ride, but if I want to make other plans, I can. It's hard when you are forced to choose between owning a horse or doing things every other person your age is doing, because if you miss out on every activity that your friends do, you'll have a lonely life. Figure out a compromise. Maybe you can board your horse, so that every now and then you can take a day off from riding/horse stuff. If you keep him at home, consider your arrangements. I kept my horses at home all through school, but they were on 24/7 turnout and it was a family thing so it wasn't like I had to be there all the time, every day. That definitely made it easier.



Anytime you have something that takes up a lot of time or money, you'll have moments where you think of what things would be like without it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it--just plan it so that you aren't burdened so much that it becomes something you hate. It's like the people who decide they love horses so they want to make it their job--and they end up hating it because they can't get away from it and it's not fun anymore.



So yes, there have been days when I wished I didn't need to go ride because I really wanted to do something else, or days when I worried about money and knew that I wouldn't be worried about it if I wasn't trying to support a horse, but there are more days when I'm thrilled to have him and I know that I need that in my life. That's what makes me happy. It has to be balanced out with other things--I have a full time job, a serious boyfriend, etc.--but when I can't go ride for a longer period of time for whatever reason, I am much more stressed or unhappy. I don't regret having my horse or spending money on him.

Answer 6

I've gotten bored with some horses that I've owned and regretted buying some. But I've never been bored with horses in general or regretted having horses. I was born into a horse loving family, and can't imagine not having a few around.

Answer 7

Never regretted buying him, but after a while the "oh my god I have a horse" effect wears off.



Especially when they get sick and i'm mucking and stripping a stall full of diarrhea, or when they decide on a particular day they do not want to load in the horse trailer.

Answer 8

No and no.



I have gotten bored with riding for periods of times, but never with my horse. When that happens I focus on ground work with her, turning that into fun activities until I feel like riding again. My horse is like my best friend though (and I imagine my human best friend must hate when I say that) so I'll never get bored of her. She keeps my life interesting and gives me a reason to get out of my pyjamas and go outside to be active.



Since she is not a unicorn, our bond is not magical and I do get extremely frustrated with her. Even then though, I love her and will never give her up.

Answer 9

no i haven't gotten bored with my horse, every day is a learning experience, every day that i am with her my horsie knowledge goes up just a little bit. i have not regretted buying her, i do joke around with her saying that if she doesn't behave, that i'm going to trade her for another horse(but i'm always kidding!) if you are feeling the least bit regretful of getting a horse i'd deffinatly wait or try leasing to find out of owning a horse is really "right for you." hope this helps ♥

Answer 10

The short answer is: YES, it's possible to get bored with your horse and YES it's possible to regret buying one.



The longer answer: It's not uncommon for people to get "bored" with their horse, that's when they know it's time to move on to a more challenging mount or switch to a new discipline. I think it's less common for people to get bored of riding and quit alltogether, but it's pretty normal for people to sell their horse and buy a new one in order to move up a level or switch to a new style of riding.



As far as regretting buying a horse, if you buy the horse at the wrong period in your life you'll be more likely to regret it. For example: when I was a teen and my parents paid my bills I saved up my money to buy a horse and I worked at the barn to pay board. Now I'm in my 20s and there's no way in h*ll I could afford board on top of my own living expenses. If I had to work at the barn to cover board in addition to my full time job I wouldn't have time to ride the horse I was working so hard to keep anyway. I had the option of keeping my old horse and taking over his expenses but it was better for me to sell him and use that money to buy a car. Now I lease a horse so I still get to ride a couple times a week but I'm not 100% financially responsible for him. I do not regret my decision to not own a horse, even after owning one for a while. Someday I will have a place of my own to keep a horse of my own!

Answer 11

I love my boys! My first I road from age 8 - 13. I pretty much grew up with him, at least that's what it feels like. So, we grew and learned, and it didn't get boring. Now, with my new boy, I'm still pretty young (13.5), and he's green broke, so even though he's in training with our trainer, when I ride, I'm helping to finish him. Trust me, it doesn't get boring. If you get a horse, and get the right one, the one you make a connection w/, and the one that you feel comfortable on, it won't get boring because you'll be too happy with your horse, and riding!

Answer 12

Regret or boredom? Never.



There are those days when I feel like I'm way in over my head though. Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for my horse, I'm not good enough to train her. Sometimes I feel stressed. Things always get better though and regret is one thing that has never even occurred to me. My horse is my life, she is worth her weight in gold to me.

Answer 13

No I have never gotten bored.... however.. sometimes I can be lazy and motivation is an issue....



That however is not fair on the horse so you have to be sure first that you are willing to 1. Either make sure they are at a boarding facility they are cared for every day or 2. Do it yourself every day.



My option is number 2. So feeling lazy or not my horses will always come first. Rain, hail or shine.



PS Fenec... Come on... we all know you have photo's plastered all over your walls in little love heart frames of all your horsies.

Answer 14

It's all a matter of getting to see them enough. If you don't go at least 3 times a week you start to slowly stop going to see them. Horses are fantastic, but trust me you will go through times when you get bored of them. You just gotta hunker down and deal with it and it will go away eventually.

Make sure you have allot of money before you buy a horse okay?

It's just kind of sad too see people by a horse, have it accidentally

get hurt and then they don't have the money to pay the vet bills.



I trust that won't happen, right?

Answer 15

it is never boring with the right horse for you, and you dont regret the right one. but if your not sure dont get one yet, do try a lease.

Answer 16

Never regreted. Never bored. I love my mare. When I'm not riding her you can either find me braiding ribbons into her tail, talking and leading her around the barn or asleep in her stall while she eats hay.

Answer 17

No way! A true horse lover will never get bored or regret :)

Answer 18

Bored?Never.Regretted?Yes

I didn't regret buying two of my horses because I got bored or I didn't love them it was because I couldn't/can't click with them or work through their behavior problems.I still have the one horse I regret buying but I'm still working with him.I might sell him farther down the road and I might not.

Answer 19

No. There have been "oh my c*cking god why did I buy you" moments but they pass rather quickly. Boredom never occurs, but you lose the whole "WHEEEE I HAZ A PONEEEE" thing after not too long.

Answer 20

No and no :) but if you are unsure, definitely wait a while. Try leasing first!

Answer 21

Bored or regretted? No.



It's not "OMG SPARKLES AND RAINBOWS OUR BOND IS SO STRONG I RUN TO THE BARN EVERY DAY AFTER SKEWL!!!" though. The bond between me and my horse took many years to form and is a silent bond. I don't tape pictures of him on my bedroom wall or draw his name in hearts on my notebooks.

Answer 22

No, but it is a lot of hard work.