My horses are pets.
Pets that jump coops, cross water, and stand at the checks.
But still pets.
My horses do not fall into any category, and various horses over the years have fallen into different categories. I don’t have much experience with other types of non-dog/cat animals, but I would imagine that I would become attached to anything remotely sentient. My pet growing up was a parakeet and we were the best of pals.
When I was breeding horses, I approached it with the mindset of selling them. That doesn’t mean it was always easy. And some snuck into my heart unwittingly. Right now I have two that will never go anywhere unless I am physically or fiscally unable to support them. One of those two would be put down if that happened… a difficult animal whose future I would be very concerned about. The other “for life” horse would be easy to place.
I don’t know how important I am to any of them. My role of course, as sugar mama and servant, is pretty darn important! But me personally, I’m not sure about! That’s probably the thing that keeps them from being pets. I have no doubt that I am special to my cats!
I’ve bought and sold a number of horses. I did not look at those equines as pets. I wouldn’t call them “stock”, but they were closer to that than a pet. Some were harder to let go than others and only one do I regret not ensuring he stayed with me. That horse wasn’t even mine. He was a talentless standardbred stallion with claustrophobia and a knee injury, and I would have happily just hugged him for the rest of his life. He was sold without me knowing to a not so good home. :no:
I currently have two mares. One is never, ever for sale. She isn’t really a pet, more like my equal partner. She is not a snuggly horse - there are no long grooming sessions and I don’t pull her in from the field just to hang out. But that horse and I are on a different level together. We have a mental mind meld and just GET one another. It’s not a touchy feely relationship like I have with my house pets but that horse is my other half.
My other mare and I have a different relationship. I adore her - she is funny, gorgeous, sweet tempered and incredibly athletic. She is by far the nicer horse. I love her and would have no problem keeping her for life, but would take the right offer. She’s been “for sale” for the last three years, though they would have to make me an extremely lucrative offer.
So I guess my answer is it depends.
Not pet, not livestock, somewhere in the midst of those things on any given day. I’ve had many horses, some I’ve lost, some that I will keep to their last breath, ones that I really enjoyed, but in time they moved onto more suitable homes, and some that I was indifferent to and didn’t let the barn door hit them on the way out. 
My current herd of three has one that’s closer to being a pet than any I’ve ever owned. He’s not handsome, or talented or particularly sound…but I keep him anyway because of the way he makes me feel, so he probably thinks he’s a pet.
I do not see my horses as pets. My pets are my dogs and cats, and they would stay with me no matter what. The dogs in particular, I would keep them by my side even if I was living in a cardboard box (the cats may not choose to stay in that case; they are kind of stuck up )
I have always seen the horse-human relationship as more of a business relationship when I was boarding… They work to earn their keep. And I would never turn down the right offer for my horse. And i did sell a horse that turned out to not be suitable for me. Now that I have them at home, it’s slightly different, although if I decided I was not going to ride anymore, I would still sell both horses.
I have no problem with people buying and selling horses, and I think it’s just silly to make comments about people “trading up to meet ego-driven riding goals”. I think it’s fabulous that a horse, through his life, can be the perfect horse for many different people. The beginning rider needs that first old babysitter. Then the rider needs to step up to advance their riding. Eventually the rider may need a really competitive horse. But that really excellent, competitive horse can’t keep going forever… at which point said horse becomes the perfect horse for rider #1 or rider #2. It’s a wonderful thing for people to move horses around to meet these needs!
Otherwise what would we do, have beginners start out with yearlings, spend their lives trying to make it work with that horse, and then start again with a yearling?
Dealing with house pets, I absolutely wish people would stop crucifying anyone who needs to give away/sell/rehome their dog or cat. Honestly, if you don’t want your dog, PLEASE give it away. Please. I would rather that dog be surrendered to a shelter or rescue than be neglected out in the backyard or dropped off out in the bush somewhere. I worry that all the torches and pitchforks keep people from making the right decision - surrendering the animal they cannot care for.
No, I don’t consider any of my animals “pets.” I actually don’t really like the term. To me, adopting an animal is like adopting a child… they’re a part of your family. I literally think of my animals like my children.
[QUOTE=clanter;8602067]
my horses consider me their pet[/QUOTE]
Mine view me more as Room Service 
That said, they are most certainly pets - animals whose health & wellbeing I am responsible for.
As for Scribbler’s point that they do not live with us - mine are on my farm, so yes, they do live with me.
Even when I boarded my horses they were still pets, just paid the caretakers for routine care while I provided the extras.
My horse is my pet, all my horses through the years have been pets whether they were boarded or at home. I have “rehomed” a horse that just wasn’t going to fit. I have done hunters, dabbled in dressage, and trail ride whenever I can, I don’t make my horses do something they can’t. I love my horse and I want to enjoy riding him. I have no goals so for me it’s easy to do whatever discipline works for us both.
I’ve been lucky enough to have horses in my life for 50 years now, to me they have never been livestock.
[QUOTE=saultgirl;8602769]
I do not see my horses as pets. My pets are my dogs and cats, and they would stay with me no matter what. The dogs in particular, I would keep them by my side even if I was living in a cardboard box (the cats may not choose to stay in that case; they are kind of stuck up )
I have always seen the horse-human relationship as more of a business relationship when I was boarding… They work to earn their keep. And I would never turn down the right offer for my horse. And i did sell a horse that turned out to not be suitable for me. Now that I have them at home, it’s slightly different, although if I decided I was not going to ride anymore, I would still sell both horses.
I have no problem with people buying and selling horses, and I think it’s just silly to make comments about people “trading up to meet ego-driven riding goals”. I think it’s fabulous that a horse, through his life, can be the perfect horse for many different people. The beginning rider needs that first old babysitter. Then the rider needs to step up to advance their riding. Eventually the rider may need a really competitive horse. But that really excellent, competitive horse can’t keep going forever… at which point said horse becomes the perfect horse for rider #1 or rider #2. It’s a wonderful thing for people to move horses around to meet these needs!
Otherwise what would we do, have beginners start out with yearlings, spend their lives trying to make it work with that horse, and then start again with a yearling?
Dealing with house pets, I absolutely wish people would stop crucifying anyone who needs to give away/sell/rehome their dog or cat. Honestly, if you don’t want your dog, PLEASE give it away. Please. I would rather that dog be surrendered to a shelter or rescue than be neglected out in the backyard or dropped off out in the bush somewhere. I worry that all the torches and pitchforks keep people from making the right decision - surrendering the animal they cannot care for.[/QUOTE]
I think it would is far better to surrender a dog or cat than to dump the animal or neglect the animal. I’ve also known dogs that were far better off after being given away to someone who appreciates them more. I do think, though, that it is important to admit that adult animals, cats especially, are not always easy to rehome. In many cases, the homes willing to take them aren’t there. It is still better to surrender them, but when acquiring a dog or cat its very important to consider the future because they may not be easy to find another home for.
Horses I do think are often more desireable as they reach adulthood. I never want a foal, so I depend on others who want to raise and train horses and sell them. With dogs and cats, there’d are definitely people who want to adopt adult and even senior animals, but any shelter or breeder will tell you they’re far easier to place as puppies and kittens. I got one of my dogs from a breeder at 5 months, and even though she was show quality they were considering keeping her because once they’re older than 10-12 weeks, they’re harder to place. I also think rehoming is more stressful for dogs. It isn’t that it is always bad, but it’s a different situation.
As far as livestock I have no issue with legally considering horses livestock, but I always find it a little amusing as livestock implies profit to me. Most people I know with horses aren’t using them as an investment.
All my horses have been pets. None had a job other than trail riding. I’m on the fence about buying and selling. It kills a part of me to let mine go. But I have bought and sold 7 horses and none hurt so much as euthanizing my 10 yr old dog. So I guess they are different in my heart.
I would happily sell my cats. Sadly there seems to be no market at this time.
A pet’s like an old barn cat or an old ranch dog, both of which don’t work no more. So since I ain’t a dog nor a cat, no, I ain’t a pet. I’m a horse, if it ain’t obvious, but it seems us horses always got to go around and tell the obvious to all the people. No offense to any of y’all, Coth Ranch people.
[QUOTE=Casey09;8602849]
I think it would is far better to surrender a dog or cat than to dump the animal or neglect the animal. I’ve also known dogs that were far better off after being given away to someone who appreciates them more. I do think, though, that it is important to admit that adult animals, cats especially, are not always easy to rehome. In many cases, the homes willing to take them aren’t there. It is still better to surrender them, but when acquiring a dog or cat its very important to consider the future because they may not be easy to find another home for.[/QUOTE]
No, there may not be any other homes to place them in. The animal may end up being euthanized. I’m ok with that. The things people do to animals they don’t really want to care for? That’s where I have a problem.
It really gets my back up when I see these posts coming across facebook with a picture of a dog: “I will never leave you when I move, or when I have a baby, or when you get old”… I don’t want anyone to see that and feel too much shame to rehome their animal because of it. Would it have been better had they never aquired the animal in the first place? Absolutely. But it’s too late for that.
It seems many of us make a distinction between pet and non-pet horses, but no one can really put into words where the line is. I can’t either!
In general, I consider horses to be partners, and while you can be very attached to your partner, partners occasionally change whether in riding, in figure-skating, in police precincts, etc. Most of my horses I knew would be temporary; I trained them so they could go on to productive lives with someone else. My current horse is my first real horse pet. He is my friend, and he will never go anywhere.
We got a horse like that when we bought our first farmette. They left the horse (with our permission) because he was old (late 20s, maybe?) and they were moving to AZ and didn’t think he’d make the trip very well. So we kept him at our place until he passed away a few years later. It actually worked out well because we only had one horse at the time and he needed a companion.
I’ve had friends who have left their barn cats when they moved; and actually, the place we moved to last year came with a barn cat, but I think she was semi-feral anyway.
I do consider my horses pets - pets that live in another “house” than I do (but if I could, I’d live in the barn, then we’d all live together!:lol:). But my pets are part of my family, and not livestock or up for sale. One of my horses is my retired TB whose “job” now is pasture pet, companion for the Princess Pony, and token sweet horse who can be petted and loved on by visitors.
I have a Bad Dog whom I have been tempted to rehome umpteen times because of her antics (escaping - I can’t tell you how many times we have built, re-built, added onto, added onto again and a gain various fencing strategies to keep her in). But I still have her and always will.
I have no plans to sell any of my horses and hopefully I won’t ever have to. I guess the only thing that would make them separate in the pet category is that they do have value in the marketplace and so selling them could be an option if necessary. I can’t imagine anyone would buy an adult dog - but then again, all my dogs and cats are rescues so I don’t “buy” dogs in general.
I think a lot of people draw the line between the horse that is for sale for the right price, and the horse that is not for sale at any price.
Being an old person, I can say we farmed with horses until I was four. The work horses were well-treated livestock/commodities.
Granddad raised Welsh/Morgan’s on the side. They were very well cared for. Some were keepers, others were for sale.
Looking back at a lifetime of always having horses, I can say my horses have always been somewhere between pet and non-livestock status. Friends, partners, therapists when tragedy has struck.
In my younger years I re-schooled soured horses and found them good homes with trail riders. There reached a point where I didn’t want to let go anymore, so I stopped bringing them home and hung onto my Keepers to their end times.
I have laid five to rest in my lifetime. My two remaining fellas are early 20’s and also here u til their end times. That puts them somewhere between pets and livestock, and deserving of a peaceful end for years of loyalty:)
My horses are livestock. For a long time, my cat was just a cat–something to work catching mice. This year I have decided to have a ‘pet cat’…that is, a cat I will keep in the house and it doesn’t have to catch mice. A ‘pet cat’ has no purpose other than to provide companionship to me. Horses have a purpose–to work–and therefore are livestock.
I’ve had a couple of horses in my life that were pets. yes, they were livestock, had jobs, couldn’t live in the condo with me, but were pets all the same. They were/are my heart’s delight, and will always have a very special place in my heart and memory.
They’re more like dogs than horses. The sorts that run to the gate when they see your car come down the drive and give a welcoming whinny. My current guy is like this. Yes, he’s a pet!
There have been others, good horses, good workers, good companions, who just didn’t quite make the grade to “pet” status. They are all special to me, but the “pets” – perhaps that’s what makes them “heart horses”?
I don’t really consider ANY of my animals “pets”. They’re my friends, my buddies. "Pet"seems too…I don’t know…too one sided for the relationships I have with everyone in my household. The two horses I have now, though, who will be with me for the rest of their lives, are probably closer to “pets” than anyone I’ve owned in the past. The one I ride is my partner, as well as my friend.
And they hey are NOT fur babies…lord that term drives me batty.
