I know some Amish who don’t take the best care of their horse. I know just as many non-Amish who leave a lot to be desired. If I painted with your same broad brush, I could make many of the same judgments about non-Amish horse owners, especially a lot of middle-aged female amateurs, that you have made about the Amish. Since I’m not a bigoted jerk, I won’t.
Like 2Dogs, I’m from Indiana. The OP’s pony could do a lot worse than landing at an Amish farm there.
There are good and bad horse traders. Some are Amish, some are not.
The horse market is high right now. It’s possible that through word-of-mouth, you could locate a last chance for the pony. Maybe ask a trusted trainer who knows a good horse trader that specializes in retraining and rehoming.
I have not experienced KS. Can a KS horse drive without pain? Could this young horse have a future pulling a cart?
Just to clarify, I only said giving the Pony to Amish kids in hopes of finding a soft landing in a good home was no solution because they then sell them at auction. There are good auctions and bad auctions with good buyers and bad but auctions do not screen or control buyers. High bid wins. Period.
Maybe the difference is that the ill-kept Amish horses are out in public all the time, while the ill-kept “English” horses are not.
I do know a number of Morgan breeders living in heavily Amish areas who won’t sell to the Amish.
I just want to say thank you for all of the responses. I appreciate all of you who took the time to read and offer your insight. I’ve read all of your posts.
Someone mentioned that maybe my husband was worried (or something like that) about me, and that is partially true. He does see that I’m no longer getting the joy out of what was once was my life long passion. I have always dreamed of having horses at home, and my own little place. (I also used to dream about making it to the Olympics! lol) This was not his dream, but he helped me achieve it big time. I wouldn’t be here if not for his support (emotional and financial). So I hope no one thinks he is the bad guy in this situation at all. He isn’t.
I guess part of what I was thinking, was when he said get rid of the horses, I was trying to explore how easy he thinks that would be, as opposed to the reality of how difficult that really is.
And of course, now that i’ve complained about how wildly feral pony is, we’ve had a few good days this week, where I could sneaky grab her through the fence, lead her around in her paddock, un-blanket and re-blanket, pick up front feet, and touch back legs with no kicking offered, she has actually come up to me looking for a treat, etc…Flippin’ ponies!!!
Just gonna keep taking it one day at a time, I guess. Keep trying to find that spark again. Spring and summer are just around the corner. Gonna force myself to spend more time with the horses, because I know when I do, I actually love it. Finding the motivation is the problem. And I feel guilty about not loving this the way that I used to! First world problems 100%.
And Amish folks would never even be an option around here, there are none around!
Your pony must read COTH! LOL Hopefully the joy of spring brings back some of your enjoyment.
Well, I’m sure that since we got Starlink, out in the country, all my animals have fast internet, finally! So she must be reading COTH. And she did a double take, and thought to herself, ‘Uh oh, Is food lady talking about me??’
Sometimes it seems like it! Either that or your muttering about her within her hearing caught her attention. Sometimes I swear they understand English.
My daughter tried to sell one of our fillies as a broodmare, because, well, she’s 4 and we’ve had her for 3 years and she should be racing by now, but haven’t been having any luck getting her right. After dealing with idiots on facebook asking stupid questions when my DD was upfront about why she was selling her, she started her on the Bemer blanket we’d just won in a raffle, and painting her stifles, the girl has done a 180. We just might get her raced this year! Though I wonder if DD didn’t say something about selling her and Treppy didn’t want to lose her meal ticket.
I have to say, sometimes I wish I could whisper into a horse’s ear, “I understand why you are doing what you are doing, and how your instincts are triggered. But my friend, you have a good home here, and if you keep doing this, you will probably end up somewhere else that isn’t as nice. Could you just chill out and enjoy life a bit.” If they could only understand that it is easier and more pleasant to … well, be easier and more pleasant.
I guess I have the opposite problem. My life has changed so much these last few years. From having a full barn, lots of students, still riding and training I am now down to three horses. My health, strength and agility has declined. I have stopped riding because of fear of breaking bones and ending up in hospital.
My horses are not a burden, they are my only link to the past and still give my life a purpose. A reason to get up in the morning, they demand a rigid schedule, I attend many hours of exercise classes per week to stay fit enough for their care and of course the barn chores add to the fitness.
I used to travel quite a bit and enjoyed it. Not so much these days. Traveling sounds like a nightmare and so does interacting with hordes of people. So my horses will stay with me, the longer the better. Once they are gone there seems no point in keeping my farm a place I have owned and loved for 43 years and moving into town seems like a fate worse than death.
They sure as 
learn certain words! 
My mini knows exactly what I’m saying when I send him to his stall after he’s exercised his “right” to plunder stacked hay while horse & pony wait for theirs in stalls.
Go to your house! is met with pinned ears, but he meanders to his stall as ordered.
& He’s taught me some Horse.
Those ears are plainly saying I’m going because I want to & not because you told me to!
The Privileged:
You may surprise yourself if and when you do get to the point you realize you are better off in town, where you have accessible care for yourself if it gets to needing any.
You will miss all other in your life you did, but it will be as happy memories, will be in the process of re-inventing yourself to whatever new normal your next life phase will bring.
Seen it time and again, those that keep thriving under different circumstances that take the changes in stride and I think you will too, as you have up to now, are those that, as Grandma used to say, “keep on keeping on”.
Is a gift we have, if we want to use it and you will, I bet.
There is “a time to hold’em, a time to fold’em”.
Those choices happen all thru life, to the end.
{HUGS}
I’m sort of in the same boat.
I’ve only ever had 3 at home, but after 20yrs I’m a lot less actively involved in riding/Driving than I was even 5yrs ago.
A big part of that is financial.
My 2X monthly lessons aren’t in the budget.
& showing locally, while cheap, is 99.99% WP/QH-centric, so no appeal for me.
Away shows, even reasonably priced are still not a fit until money eases up.
But I’m certain my 3X daily treks to my barn are keeping me fitter than I’d be without that exercise.
I’ve posted this before, but my Plan B is to get a Tiny Home for me. Attach to my indoor & eliminate a lot of the Winter hardship of caring for horses.
Renting my house could add enough to the budget so lessons & a show now & then would be possible.
Or: Plan C
Lots of subdivisions are popping up here. Making my 5ac’s value 
.
Sell, find a self-care barn 
& buy a manufactured home.
Things to ponder 
All discussion casting light where it will …
Every time this thread pops up on my feed with new replies, the title stares me in the face: “Getting rid of horses”.
Bottom line, this is what is in OP’s mind. Ideas can move back and forth, but that choice of phrase has a truth in it, imo.
Just to me, it seems that choosing that thread title puts a context on the question: Not “if”, but “how”, and, just as important, “when”.
Seagram seems willing to carry on as is for some time longer. But guessing that the energy for having horses at home is hard to carry forward any more. And it isn’t required for a good life, imo.
It is ok to look at life as having different stages. Having a goal of having horses at home doesn’t have to mean ‘forever’. It was right for a time. But no decision has to be set in stone. Things can be changed as circumstances and life change. 
I think it depends on the person. I miss having horses every single day of my life.
Rebecca
Pretty sure I’d feel the same {hugs}.
Glad you & @M_al got the Driving mini in your lives.
BTW: more video if that Cuteness is required.
Pay the Tax! 
Of course, you miss horses and dogs and people that are not with us anymore.
My point was, you move on, with a heavy heart, but make it work for you, hard as it is, is what it is, if we live long enough and want to be mentally healthy with any new restrictions, physical and all others that come along, no different at any age, as we well know.
The pessimist said, the glass is half empty!
The optimist said, but the glass is still half full.
The realist said the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
The opportunists said I drank all the water. 
What an interesting interpretation! I hadn’t even thought of it that way! Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something. Maybe I should have said ‘getting out of horses’. I don’t know. I do know that my 14 year old, or even 20 year old self, would be ‘aghast’ (to use another poster’s word, from another thread-sorry I loved it!!).
I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet, but it is something to ponder. I would miss horses, for sure. The smell, the whickers in the morning to ‘hurry up food lady’, the quiet grooming sessions, all the things. But I don’t think I would miss it as much as I once would have. And I have many friends with horses, so I don’t worry that if I needed a horse fix, I wouldn’t be able to find one. I would miss the one on one connection that is found with your own horses, though.
We shall see how the spring and summer play out. It’s not a good time to make hasty decisions, at the tail end of winter
Religion isn’t the problem- people are. That’s usually the case. Don’t make blanket statements about Amish or religion as both are equally offensive and wrong.
Late coming to this, but I do think that if summer comes along and you are still struggling to find that happy place again, you should find a solution for the pony. Whether that’s euthanasia, reaching out for someone that enjoys difficult projects but doesn’t sell on the ones that aren’t safe for others (if I owned my own land I would be the type that would take pony, so I’m sure there are others out there), or some other solution. And then see if things feel easier after that. If not, then the spark might be gone, at least for having to care full time for them. And there’s nothing wrong with that, I’ve known many older riders that have moved on to other things once their one-and-only horse passed on.
Another thought for oldies, especially the KS one, is looking into donating to a teaching vet hospital. I don’t know anyone personally that’s done it but I’ve heard of some good things on here.
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