Do you think i'm doing the right thing for my horse???

My first horse, who is also my best friend, who I have had since June 15th 2008, has now turned 25, and while she is still fully capable in her own mind and physical strength to do what I want, which is jumping and dressage, I want to jump higher and do more complicated dressage, but I don't want to hurt her. So I have decided to sell her back to her old owner who only wants to do 50-60cm showjumping on her. I know Bubbles loves her old owner, and I know her old owner loves her and never wanted to sell her. But now I'm in the same predicament.
I have been looking at a 15yr old mare who has done jumping and dressage, and lots of people seem to know her and think she's a decent mare.
But I don't want to sell bubbles. I'm happy with the fact that her old owner will treat her excellently and care for her and ride her well, and only do what Bubbles enjoys, but do I really want to sell her back? I just have an uneasy feeling about selling her. What if something happens to her? Or if she all of a sudden starts being treated bad? You know? I wish I could just hack her around our farm untill she's ready to retire, and let her retire here, but I can only have two horses, and I already do. But on isnt mine. And i'm not about to kick her out of my land because she's a lovely mare and if she goes she will be PTS, however next month she is going away to be put in foal, which I know she will love (wasnt my decision, her owner wants a paint foal out of her because she's hoping foal will have mums lovely nature). So if she doesn't come back I can keep bubbles, and a new horse.

But I think I will have to sell her in the end. I really don't want to do it, but I want to start jumping over 90 and 1m and I don't want to risk hurting my lovely mare, after all she's done for me and all she's helped me through I don't want to risk hurting her and making her unhappy.
Do you think I'm doing the right thing by selling her back to her old owner who desperately wants her back?
I just don't want to overdo the work on her, I want her to be happy and not forced to jump and do dressage to a level that she doesn't want to anymore. In her earlier days she jumped up to 1m10

This is Bubbles and I jumping 90cm just over a year ago. I havent jumped her over anything higher than 80cm since then cause i'm scared I could hurt her.



She's such a wonderful caring girl, and I don't want to ruin that.

Unfortunately sometimes that decision has to be made. I ended up outgrowing my Arab Paint cross, I wanted to do jumping, and he started refusing anything over 3', once he hit about 19 years of age, and I had to make the decision to either keep him, and limit myself, or sell him so I could get something I could go further on. I ultimately ended up selling him to a nice person who's daughter was going to learn to ride on him, and am happy with where he ended up, but it was a hard decision to make, because I was so very attached to him. But I got my TB, and loved her to pieces, and she taught me a whole lot, and I wouldn't trade having her for anything. If it were practical and realistic, I'd keep every horse I ever ended up buying, but unfortunately its just not a reality to be able to do that. I would ask the old owner if you could come by (provided she lives close enough), and check up on her, see how she's doing, and possibly even take her for a little ride very now and then, so that you can keep tabs on her, but if you want to move forward beyond her abilities, logically I'd sell her to the owner you know loves her, and that she loves back, and keep tabs on her, and then go out and buy something else that you can do what you want to do with, and keep learning as much as you can.

Yeah, she still willingly jumps everything I put in front of her (which I think is amazing for a 25yr old tb haha) so I want to quite while she's happy and i;m ahead lol.
But I do like the look of this horse im going to look at, and bubbles old owner does live close enough that I can go see her whenever I like (i told her old owner I would turn up unexpectadely whenever I feel like to make sure she's alright) lol and she said that's fine. I think i'll just miss having her around, neighing when you come out the door whether you say hello or not, and if Sarah doesnt come back once she's in foal I will be able to keep bubbles anyway, but I know her old owner wants her back and bubbles enjoys being ridden, and adores her old owner. So I think for Bubbles sake I will sell her back. But god help the old owner if anything bad happens to bubbles that wasn't bubbles fault. Lol.

I think there is no problem in giving her (or even selling) to the old owner if you are positive she'll get a great care and love there. Personally I'm positive it's very good for the horse's health to be kept ridden as much as it can handle (giving it's healthy and enjoying the job).

Personally, I think you are doing the more responsible thing by selling her back to the old owner if you know that person and will be checking up on how Bubbles is doing. Not everyone would think about the well being of the horse as you have.

Something to be proud of :)

Hmm well you can vist... I know it would be hard to give her up though D: but you really shouldn't limet your self :s its a hard situation

The only thing I don't like about the old owner is that she smokes occaisionally around bubbles, now I don't smoke, but even if I did, I would definitely not smoke around my horses!

Now I am not condoning smoking AT ALL (I do not smoke and never have), BUT this seems a little silly.

If the previous owner can provide a good, solid home for this older horse, I say do it.

After reading your posts I think you have already made the desicion to sell her back to her old owner. Your just sad because your going to miss her, but you want to move higher. So I think giving her back to who she used to belong to is a good idea, espcially since they want her back. Take your time looking for a new horse as well, make sure the he/she fits your needs and your personalities mesh. Make sure you can handle him/her and that your comfortable while riding it. Don't get excited and buy the first horse you see. Take it slow.

DubyaS6 the only reason I do not like her smoking around bubbles is the same reason I don't like people smoking near me, in my house, in my car etc. Cause it's discusting and a health risk. The first time I met her and bubbles she had one hangin out her gob and I couldnt breathe properly, guess I'm huge on first impressions. Don't get me wrong I like her and she's a nice person, and she could do a lot worse to her horse, I just didn't think to highly of it seeing as second-hand smoking is a health risk to humans why should it be any different to horses. Plus bubbles had some problems while she was there, but I think that was the quality of grass she was on. She's had a lot more energy since being here lol... bought her as a dead-broke kick-along and brought her home as a brakeless speed demon which made no sense to me until I realised hang on a minute... this is dairy pasture :L


I aven't quite made up my mind about selling her yet, mostly, but not quite. I'll just have to see if Sarah comes back to my property once in foal or not (she is a difficult foaler and may stay on town pasture to be closer to vets just incase).
If she doesn't come I can keep bubbles, if she does come back, I will probably sell bubbles back.


This is one of the horses I'm going to look at Attractive mare for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand
While she is 15 I don't want something younger than 10 (as advised by my friends trainer) because me having only ridden for 2 and a half years I don't want to go in over my head, but I do know what I am capable of. In saying that I do know that no matter what age a horse is the behaviour could always be to much for me just yet, so I'm not to fussed on the age lol.