I'm posting this here because it ties very closely to trail riding and my recent thread: http://www.horseforum.com/trail-riding/why-do-i-find-problem-her-58375/ . Now bear with me-all my initial posts are long.
Tango needs constant exercise. She is not the kind of horse you can just ride for an hour a day, put her away, and expect that to tire her out. You couldn't ride her for three hours and expect it to tire her out, even across country. I mean, this day I'll have her slightly calmed down, and then I never want to get off because it just means tomorrow I'll have to start the battle all over again. What I would love to do is just cowboy her across the entire township. Have any of you wanted to simply keep riding just to see where you end up? It would be so awesome just to spend the entire summer, like, 6 hours or more in the saddle (oh boy, I'd be so sore the first few days =P) just exploring. Take water and lunch in saddle bags and picnic somewhere...
I'd like to spend the summer that way (when I'm not working, of course) but I've also been thinking and I'd really like to have someone with me. Tango is fairly chill and isn't stupid. I can say pretty honestly that she's not going to severely spook (if something scares her she usually just sidesteps then continues on) or throw me or anything, but you never know what's going to happen, so it would be safer and probably more fun to have a second person and horse. Few people around here have riding horses and if they do they're too lazy to go with me. The only friend I have who owns a horse boards it an hour away and it's also a 17 HH jumping horse who is used to staying in an arena. I think we both know that it would probably spook at everything out in the wide world, or it (who is as hot-headed as Tango but not so trail-experienced) would go psycho or something.
I've been thinking, and I really want another horse. I'm pretty sure the friend with the horse would be happy to spend all day riding with me, but she doesn't have a horse she can bring. Now I get to the point of my post: Would it be unreasonable to ask for another horse? Right now we have way too many horses, and Tango is the only one who is used. I ride her almost every day, but dad's got three (for some obscure reason, because he never uses them) who are lucky to leave their field once a month D=< and my sister and her boyfriend keep their filly here as well. My sis bought the filly because she was jealous that I'd gotten a horse, and instead of buying a good, old, well-broke horse that she could learn on (she's only ever ridden our tiny, ancient pony like 5 years ago) that would put up with her beginner crap, she went out and bought a yearling filly because it was the cheapest thing she could get at the auction, and now the horse stands in our field and hasn't been visited by her owners since...what now? March? And before that November. As well, my sister is AFRAID of her, so yeah, this horse is never going to get broke and is going to be a useless hunk of meat standing in our barn eating our hay. Why is it fair that more than half of our horses barely get attention from their owners (well, at least my dad brushes and pets them and bothers to look at them, unlike my sister) and it would be bratty and spoiled for me to get another, who I will actually use? Even if I had the money, we barely have the space to keep another horse. 4 was about our limit, and for some reason we drag more useless, spooky, half-broke things in and plunk them in the field. My parents would probably be angry if I asked them to buy me another, yet everyone is also angry if I suggest selling one or two of the horses nobody uses so that we can get a good old deadbroke horse.
If you were my parent, what would you be thinking when I asked? If I told you everything I just stated above, would you see reason? A new horse and the tack is expensive, I know, but how much worse can it be that spending $1200 on each unused, ridiculous horse that dad currently brings home? Oh, as well as new harness and horse-drawn machinery and everything else that he feels compelled to buy at each sale. I know we're not poor, and if they wanted we probably could afford another horse, but I feel bratty asking.
Tango needs constant exercise. She is not the kind of horse you can just ride for an hour a day, put her away, and expect that to tire her out. You couldn't ride her for three hours and expect it to tire her out, even across country. I mean, this day I'll have her slightly calmed down, and then I never want to get off because it just means tomorrow I'll have to start the battle all over again. What I would love to do is just cowboy her across the entire township. Have any of you wanted to simply keep riding just to see where you end up? It would be so awesome just to spend the entire summer, like, 6 hours or more in the saddle (oh boy, I'd be so sore the first few days =P) just exploring. Take water and lunch in saddle bags and picnic somewhere...
I'd like to spend the summer that way (when I'm not working, of course) but I've also been thinking and I'd really like to have someone with me. Tango is fairly chill and isn't stupid. I can say pretty honestly that she's not going to severely spook (if something scares her she usually just sidesteps then continues on) or throw me or anything, but you never know what's going to happen, so it would be safer and probably more fun to have a second person and horse. Few people around here have riding horses and if they do they're too lazy to go with me. The only friend I have who owns a horse boards it an hour away and it's also a 17 HH jumping horse who is used to staying in an arena. I think we both know that it would probably spook at everything out in the wide world, or it (who is as hot-headed as Tango but not so trail-experienced) would go psycho or something.
I've been thinking, and I really want another horse. I'm pretty sure the friend with the horse would be happy to spend all day riding with me, but she doesn't have a horse she can bring. Now I get to the point of my post: Would it be unreasonable to ask for another horse? Right now we have way too many horses, and Tango is the only one who is used. I ride her almost every day, but dad's got three (for some obscure reason, because he never uses them) who are lucky to leave their field once a month D=< and my sister and her boyfriend keep their filly here as well. My sis bought the filly because she was jealous that I'd gotten a horse, and instead of buying a good, old, well-broke horse that she could learn on (she's only ever ridden our tiny, ancient pony like 5 years ago) that would put up with her beginner crap, she went out and bought a yearling filly because it was the cheapest thing she could get at the auction, and now the horse stands in our field and hasn't been visited by her owners since...what now? March? And before that November. As well, my sister is AFRAID of her, so yeah, this horse is never going to get broke and is going to be a useless hunk of meat standing in our barn eating our hay. Why is it fair that more than half of our horses barely get attention from their owners (well, at least my dad brushes and pets them and bothers to look at them, unlike my sister) and it would be bratty and spoiled for me to get another, who I will actually use? Even if I had the money, we barely have the space to keep another horse. 4 was about our limit, and for some reason we drag more useless, spooky, half-broke things in and plunk them in the field. My parents would probably be angry if I asked them to buy me another, yet everyone is also angry if I suggest selling one or two of the horses nobody uses so that we can get a good old deadbroke horse.
If you were my parent, what would you be thinking when I asked? If I told you everything I just stated above, would you see reason? A new horse and the tack is expensive, I know, but how much worse can it be that spending $1200 on each unused, ridiculous horse that dad currently brings home? Oh, as well as new harness and horse-drawn machinery and everything else that he feels compelled to buy at each sale. I know we're not poor, and if they wanted we probably could afford another horse, but I feel bratty asking.