Unfortunately, that expensive horse IS a big part of quite a few goals. I think part of the angry reaction comes from that myth that all horses can achieve any goal the rider may have, if the right person just loves them enough - and that all expensive horses are just overpriced cheap horses, and no different athletically, gait wise or balance wise.
Conversely, here, we often hear that if a person has competitive goals, that’s bad, and they shouldn’t. Tis far nobler to walk the pasture and trail ride, and to not have those goals. That I think more comes from people who are looking at those moving up and achieving more than they and saying sour grapes, than any principle that says that people shouldn’t have different goals.
I think people should have different goals - very different goals, as suits their personality and what they value. The only problem comes when they try to achieve those goals in a way that simply won’t work. And I believe that’s what the author of that article was trying to address.
The expensive horse? I hate to say it, but there IS a difference - a huge difference. And I have seen SO MANY people trying to make NICE - average horses to be more than they are - making them unsound, making them sore, making them miserable, making them feel - well, yeah, inadequate and unappreciated. Yes, I do think the horses understand that.
The most sad one being that you can watch people have horse after horse after horse become unsound trying to do move up the levels, and finally say to yourself that there IS a difference - the really athletic well balanced horse quite a bit of the time, has a better chance of staying sound for the training! The training up the levels is long and difficult, and requires a horse that can come out and work - really work, frequently, for - well - years.
While some 50k horses are overpriced and aren’t worth it, there are quite a few that are, frankly, very athletic, very capable, and very able to do demanding upper level work. After trying to take 3, 4, 5, 6 horses up that path and wasting 5, 10, 15, 20 years, yes, many riders DO say - yes, I really do need a horse with excellent conformation, gaits and balance, to be able to do this work, and they go and get one.
I don’t think it’s right to trash the author of that article, in fact, I think it is extremely unfair. That IS the right choice for quite a few people. That is exactly what quite a few people want to do and have done and will continue to do.
For most people they will not choose to do that. They will not buy the most expensive horse they can get, they are more likely to buy the LEAST expensive horse they can get, or near to that, because they feel that will allow them to do what they want - most people are interested in casual riding, and while they may work very hard on their horsemanship and their own skills, even if they take very seriously what they do and really care about their horses, they aren’t aiming for medals, awards, or moving up the levels and becoming an expert, skilled rider. Their goals are modest - compete at some schooling shows, perhaps 1-2 recognized shows a year, and most likely, as 90% of people do - remaining at intro, training and first level their entire riding career. The horse isn’t strained as much and less than ideal balance and conformation isn’t going to get put to the test as severely as with more demanding work.
Look at what most people do - and see the ‘breed’ thread to see that most people are not buying 50k horses. I can count up 50 local riding friends and of them, 1 has that expensive of a horse. And it’s the right choice - for her.
Each family is going to decide what their disposable income allows and what their values are. I know a very wealthy family who always refused to buy their daughter a horse she could reach her goals on. She had to earn that herself and she is riding a very cheap off the track tb and struggling. They could afford a 250k horse. They chose not to.
I know much LESS wealthy families who have taken out loans and are working very hard to give their child a horse that cost nearly that much, so she can reach her national YR goals on it.
People take out loans all the time. It’s up to the individual to decide what is right for them. People take out loans to get their kids racing car trailers and cars and outfits and to pay for costly private schools, and to pay for house remodeling they don’t need, cars much fancier than they need, and buy vacations anyone could, technically, live without. And it’s THEIR choice, and up to them. It’s no one’s business to go into an outrage at how SOMEONE ELSE should spend their money. What I spend on my horses each month, my friend spends on eating out and having cocktails and going to Sedona each winter. I don’t have hysterics about it - it’s her choice!
Whether that choice is right for one specific individual is up to them - to suggest no article should propose buying a costly horse is I think a very wierd sort of denial that people have different goals and need different types of horses.
“Going into debt” is a relative term in riding. Having horses is expensive. There aren’t a lot of homeless unemployed deciding to buy a 50k horse based on that article. For most of us, it’s a choice - do I want to spend money on this, or that, what can I do without that would let me have this horse, or this vacation, or whatever. Shall I get a loan for this, or that. It isn’t in most cases very much of a sacrifice, and most people only get a horse they can comfortably manage to pay a loan off for or write a check for. IF they choose to make more of a sacrifice - that’s up to them!
I think it’s great that an author of an article can tell it like it is, and admit that in some cases one isn’t too darn likely to reach their specific goals on horses that can’t fulfill them…in addition, I think it is EXTREMELY unfair to a horse to try to make him something he isn’t, and I’d much rather see someone buying a horse that is more suited to their goals. than pushing an unsuitable horse - even inexpensive horses deserve to be trained lovingly and appropriately, and not overtaxed physically. Each horse has a job that’s right for him and each person has some different sort of goal or job for their horse. The only problem is when someone tries to make the wrong horse do that job.
but I would never get a loan for a horse unless I happened to be in a situation where I owned nothing on a low mileage car and had the mortage paid off. Then and possibly only then would I think of doing that. Luckily I have a husband who would hit me upside the head if I came to that. :lol:
