grans and horses

just back from 4 hours at the farm ,laughed,chatted, mucked out, groomed and had a lovely ride over the moors;lambs frolicking, birds singing,cock pheasants strutting about as if they have lost something,a wonderful afternoon. My lad is sound and we had an exhilarating canter over the top of the moor ,me grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I am worried about his future and other horsey people will understand why but for now I am going to enjoy every minute!!

Lucky you, jenn. Arthritic knees forced me to give up riding fifteen years ago.

You're right to enjoy every minute.

There's an update on Countryfile of Princess Anne's idea of eating horses and whether it's feasible.
Did any of you on here agree with the idea?

Well of course it's feasible. Probably wouldn't prove cost-effective in this country, though.

It's worthy of debate. It was sensible of them to point out that older horses, the ones most likely to be abandoned, will be unsuitable candidates for the food chain because there is no way of knowing what treatment/medication they have received during their lives.

I don't like the idea of horses being bred for meat.

Actually, Ana, they seemed to come to the conclusion that it wasn't feasible at the moment because many horses do not have any record of the injections they have had, and some of the drugs that horses are given should never enter the human food chain.

Crossed posts, merlot.

Feasible in theory though, which is what I meant.

I think it's pretty obvious that Princess Anne really hadn't thought it through

I think Princess Anne was just throwing the idea into the mix. She will be well aware of drugs that are banned from the human food chain.

Oh jenn you have made me so jealous. Your description reminded me of everything I miss about riding - especially at this time of year.
When the time comes I am sure you will make the right decision for Mr Grumpy. I have had to say goodbye to 3 lovely ponies and know that I did the best for them all - one put to sleep, one given as a companion and one sold on. I miss them all.

Where Princess Anne's idea could work is with the young animals that are abandoned to starve. They wouldn't have the long history of health problems and drug use that older horses might have and could be absorbed into the food chain quite easily.

One of the experts on the programme said that it was the older ones that tasted better. Not that I'm advocating this, having been vegetarian for over 35 years.

Even younger horses won't be able to enter the food chin without a proven record of treatment and movement.

British people on the whole do not relish the idea of eating horses for whatever reasons. If this reluctance is overcome it will lead to horses being bred for human consumption and I would not like to see that happen.

Horses are already being being slaughtered in this country and shipped to France.

It's the possibility do live horse exports that worry me.

Like Merlot I had to give up riding ten years ago due to arthritic knees and Jenn's post on her mornings at the stable brought back wonderful memories. Loved the stable bit as much as the riding. I never saw the point of having a horse and letting someone else look after it.

I'm another one who gave up riding, very reluctantly, about 15 years ago, as a result of arthritis. I loved just being around horses, the mucking out, grooming part and also, standing in the rain/wind/any weather as my daughters learned to ride. Watching the 15 year old fly through the air one Christmas Eve, after a young horse she was bringing on got a bit over excited is one of many memories. A trip to A&E inevitably followed, and her hip still occasionally bothers her, 15 years later.

Catching up with this thread again. Some of you may recall my DiL had a really nasty accident last year when she was bringing two horses in. Apparently they were rivals and one of them reared up. She ended up underneath them and had a nasty broken leg as a result, not to mention a face that looked like she had done 10 rounds with a heavy weight boxer! It didn't put her off at all (quite the contrary) she was more concerned with the horse being upset and was back to the stables (on crutches and in plaster cast) within days.

I do wish I could learn to ride although confess to being a bit useless around horses. I am not scared of them but when given a small shetland pony to "hold" a few weeks ago, the crazy little thing began walking around me in circles tying me in a knot with its lead reign. I am sure it was laughing!

I like looking at horses but don't want to ride them [though I have done in the past.]Horses are very unpredictable and spook easily, and old bones don't mend like they used to.They are lovely creatures though.
I don't think that anyone should be put off owning a pet because they are getting older,nobody knows what will happen in life, and a young couple [in fact the whole family] can be wiped out by a car accident.If you want a pet, then go for it. Horses do live longer than anything else though [except a tortoise.]Hopefully Jenn you will outlive your horse anyway.
Soutra I did think of you when Mr Grumpy was mentioned I think it must be the most popular name for husbands/pets, as in ' Sometimes I wake up grumpy, and sometimes I leave him to sleep!'

It probably was Gilly! Horses (especially Shetlands) do have a wicked sense of humour. Our old lad (looked like a cross between a Highland and a Suffolk Punch) used to creep up behind me when I was picking muck in the field and tip the barrow over. He thought it was the biggest joke out.

Ahhh, horses. My Thomas was pensioned off in the 90's, lost his teeth, and had to be shot after glances from welfare - he just got too thin whatever we tried. It was a bolt gun, and totally instant, one moment alive with a twinkle in his eye, the next gravity took over and he crumpled in a heap. We've all got to go somehow. I got him from a riding stable with a reputation for gathering up the rains and belting off, as well as teaching other horses how to jump out of fields. We spent a lot of time riding the hills of Dorset.
GGD (5) loves riding and goes 2x a week, and of course wants her own pony (we have tens of cuddly ones in the bed). This happening is unlikely to impossible, so if anyone knows of a good pony sharing scheme website, or has experience of sharing/part owning with riding schools etc, please let know.
GddR

My old pony had to be put down when she started to lose her teeth and couldn't keep enough condition to last another winter [even though we fed her soft food with a spoon]. I've just heard of another horse that had lived all of it's life in the same field but then was found with a broken leg and had to be euthanised; when I said hoiw sad it was it was pointed out that he was beginning to get quite frail and probably would have struggled that winter. When we lost ours there was a spate of deaths from colic at the same time [winter was approaching] and the vet said it often happened at that time of year. Sometimes, with horses nature has a way of deciding for us [ours got colic three weeks before the dreaded date on the calendar when the vet was coming out] and it all happened very quickly; we reckon she did it to save us looking at the calendar with dread each day. Just enjoy Mr Grumpy and try not to worry. From a personal point of view I'd rather call the vet or the hunt out than pass a horse on as I never trusted anyone to care for her as much as I did. I daren't go near a horse market for fear of bringing one back with me these days. I never could ride, though; I just enjoyed their company and felt honoured that they let me share their strange little lives that existed in a different dimension to my own. I used to love watching their little quirks and seeing the friendships they had with the other horses.