I guess you or someone you care about has ever needed a hospital?? You can thank " religion" for most of them. Living the Amish lifestyle has no bearing on how individual people within the sect treat their animals or the land.
Underfeeding and using lame horses is rampant in your non religious world just as often.
You and the OP are in two very different positions. In some ways it is much easier to make major life decisions when you don’t have to take anyone’s else’s wants and needs into consideration. It sounds like the OP is feeling pressure from her significant other and is a little burned out. Maybe giving her the benefit of the doubt would be good way to go right now?
This largely depends on your region, according to this article, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6991194/#:~:text=As%20of%202016%2C%2018.5%%20of,were%20other%20religious%20nonprofit%20hospitals.
Less than 20% of hospitals in America have religious affiliation (good news for women) so that is hardly “most.”
Not to mention - wonder who funded those hospitals and how.
Where’s the rest of the money going?
Hmmm… 
i agree with the majority here. That passing these animals along to be taken care of by someone else is the most poor of decisions available. The ONLY way you can be certain of an animal’s future is if you are their custodian. Take a look at all those pathetic poor horses in the slaughter pipeline, the kill-pens, the last-house-on-the block rescues… skin and bones and arthritic. It’s shameful. You might be able to fool yourself for a while, but you know…we all do. We know what’s in store for horses that get passed along who are no longer rideable.
It also doesn’t sound like you’re committed to caring for them for the rest of their lives, regardless of your husband’s wants and desire to travel. It’s good you are honestly evaluating your feelings about continuing to be their caretaker, because this is the crux of the matter: How YOU feel.
I am 70, but my choice is to care for my horses and not leave the farm. Heck, i loathe driving into town once a week to do errands! I’m a home-body. And chocked-full of nurturing tendencies. I am the sole caretaker of 25 horses, (well, two of them are mules). A whole bunch of sheep and some cattle. (and dogs and chickens …). And i love my life. It is not a hardship, not even in the hottest heat of the summer or the worst of the winter days. But it’s a choice i make based on what i want, how i wish to live. If i felt it a hardship, i would make changes, and that would definately include putting down a few of the elderlies. Their age alone limits them from ever going anywhere else. I just wouldn’t feel right not finishing my duty to them.
If the Boston Globe wasn’t paywalled, I’d show you. The short answer is private equity and greedy people.
The “Catholic” hospitals in question haven’t been run by the Archdiocese in decades. They are purely for profit.
Hordes, please. Hordes are large groups of living beings. Like the Mongol hordes invading from the steppe.
Hoards are accumulations of saved things, like a dragon’s hoard.
Also? People have widely differing attitudes about vacations. Some people live for them, love to travel, can’t wait to leave again. Others find them tedious and exhausting and can’t wait to get home. And, there are plenty of vacation options which do not involve doing the same thing everyone else is doing at the same time. Some vacations involve relaxing solitude.
And this contributes to OP’s question how?
Are you are the COTH grammarian?
1, It only contributes to the General Good, which includes spelling.
2. Why yes, I am. Well, one of them.
@pluvinel gave some kind and gracious advice to the OP. Lambasting her in such a cruel and excessive way for a small error, which can easily occur when typing quickly and informally on an Internet forum was way, way, way over-the-top and uncalled for on your part.
And I’m not sure why you capitalized General Good? If we’re really being picky, I’m not a massive fan of unnecessary capitalization.
Based on the OP’s more recent responses, she sounds like she is ambivalent about the situation, which is understandable. I also understand her husband’s perspective (who probably doesn’t fully understand that “getting rid” of unrideable horses is not an easy thing, with no easy and pleasant solutions) and may be worried about the strain on her, or even want to do more things himself away from home (like travel, checking certain items off on his own bucket list). I hope they can have an honest conversation and come up with the best solution for both of them, and the three horses, whatever that may be.
Seagram, it’s a lot doing the horses at home thing. I’m in my mid 50s as well and now prefer my flowers to horses. I don’t really care if I ride or not, I like hanging around with them but saddle time isn’t necessary for me anymore. It used to define me.
It’s a funny thing, evolving.
I’d put that pissy pony down. She’s going to kick you one day and hurt you. She’s not interested in getting along and I don’t feed things I don’t enjoy. YMMV.
The KS mare. That’s really hard because she’s happy. Maybe board the rideable mare for a few months so riding is a social thing again. I’ve been considering boarding Archie for a few months for the same reason. I need to see more people than just DH. But I’m not that motivated.
Anyway, I get it. And @fledermaus is here to remind us DH can have more than one meaning lol.
Then you can just call me a COTH old fart…or just a general old fart.
Thank you for your kind words as I age into the “old fart” mode…well, maybe it is more like evolve into curmudgeon.
Well, that’s just your opinion, man.
I happen to believe that confusing homonyms is not a small error. Any more than any careless abuse of the English language is. I am a writer, have been an editor, a proofreader, and, of course, a royal pain in the ass on the internet. The slovening of written discourse is a loathsome thing, to some.
I capitalized General Good in order to make a satirical point, evidently lost on you.
I do not apologize, but I certainly understand that I am unwanted. Adios.
If grammar and spelling were perfect, editors and proofreaders would be out of work.
While I appreciate a well written report and give my engineering students an “English comp” grade along with a grad for technical content in their term papers…I suggest that your talents are wasted on proofing posts on an internet BB.
Do you have the space to add a boarder who does chores in exchange for a stall/paddock and feed?
Just to get you a break?
I recently realized I had gotten out of the habit of riding. over the last year. Understandably so, between my Wobbler and my injured senior. I do still want to ride, but once I’m at the barn and dealing with the latest round of ill health care for my senior, riding another horse just seems like too much work, especially when there’s still a great deal of basic training required.
I decided to try riding my lease horse before looking after my senior, and it’s going well. Making a change to make it easier or more inviting to ride might be just the thing for you and the OP.
And hard to do for a feral one
and a little at that! paddocks at most boarding barns just don’t have the fencing for a little.
I feel like if the title was different – there would have been nothing but supportive posts.
Something like “Need to vent about a situation” or “Potentially need to rehome my horses”, “Pasture puffs taking their toll on me” etc. etc.
I was piled on for a (when I was frustrated) title of a post years and years ago - and while it initially felt good to vent to virtual strangers instead of my local peeps who knew all the players and the horse involved – it didn’t work out so well as I read the responses…….
“You shouldn’t even own a horse” and so on.
Somebody very kindly pointed out that I was perhaps just incredibly frustrated with the situation and the title of my post could have been hastily created - and maybe didn’t truly reflect my feelings in a calmer moment. Which was true - but wayyyyyyyy too late.
So…… OP - it’s clearly a stressful situation, and you have a lot to think through. No matter what you decide - I hope you feel like you can continue posting and brainstorming here where there are many people willing to “listen” and support you in it, no matter how you decide to move forward.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
