How do you deal with feeling guilty?

[cutter99]

What is the definition of a trail ride? A ride around a manicured pasture or arena, or out riding on technical or challenging terrain? Many people ride more than 3 days a week. To condition my trail horses, they are ridden 5 days a week so that they are fit enough to do longer rides.

I will stand by the statement that a horse that will not hold up for arena work will not stay sound for trail riding. Has it occurred to you that maybe he does not enjoy arena work because he hurts? Maybe not hurting enough to be out and out unsound, but enough that it makes him not like his job.

Best wishes. I hope your horse lands in a safe and loving home.

[MiddleAgeHorses]

I have a knee injury myself that causes me extreme pain if I run on trails more than 3 miles but I can run a half marathon on a groomed path without a single twinge, including going up and down hills. I don’t think it’s unheard of for a horse to be sound for trail riding a couple times a week but not for the constant pounding of arena work.

I appreciate the responses.

[endlessclimb]

@cutter99

I will stand by the statement that a horse that will not hold up for arena work will not stay sound for trail riding.

I was trying to figure out how to say this, but couldn’t. I agree - the trails might be interesting enough to distract him but a lame horse is still lame on trails.

I think you can say that a horse is less lame doing lower impact stuff, but I also agree with @cutter99 that many people who trail ride do trails that are far more strenuous than a 30 minute arena ride. Even if you find one that is just going to do the same flat 2 mile loop for forever, the horse is still lame.

[cutter99]

@MiddleAgeHorses

I have a knee injury myself that causes me extreme pain if I run on trails more than 3 miles but I can run a half marathon on a groomed path without a single twinge, including going up and down hills. I don’t think it’s unheard of for a horse to be sound for trail riding a couple times a week but not for the constant pounding of arena work.

I appreciate the responses.

The difference here is you can choose where you run.

The horse gets no say in the matter of what he is purchased for. If you sell him as a trail horse, and he remains unsound or potentially gets worse, it will come back to you.

[endlessclimb]

@MiddleAgeHorses

My gelding went lame this year and we found out he has some moderate arthritis from an injury. It did not respond to injections.

Did I read correctly that you haven’t found the cause of his lameness from this year? I think you have an obligation to investigate that, as well. Again - that doesn’t mean you can’t sell him, but you DO owe it to him to know what’s wrong.

[GraceLikeRain]

@MiddleAgeHorses

. I don’t think it’s unheard of for a horse to be sound for trail riding a couple times a week but not for the constant pounding of arena work.

Quality work in an arena should be the same or easier on a horse because it is manicured footing and the rider should be helping the horse move in a balanced manner that properly engages muscles. If someone is using arena work to pound joints they are likely the same type that’s letting them careen around on the trail.

Overall, it feels a bit like you know what you want to do and want the collective COTH voice to put you at ease about your decision.

Selling an unsound horse with an unknown cause for being sound as a trail horse to fund your next horse is a very murky area. Best case he sits most of the time and gets pulled out on trail rides that may or may not be within his comfort zone because there aren’t objective measures in place for what hurts, why, and how badly.

To me this is a squarely free lease space. I’m not sure that I would expect someone willing to buy a lame horse to be the type of person to consistently meet their needs and give them a home for life.

Have a lame horse sucks. I had to retire a 9 year old and couldn’t afford two. I also didn’t feel it was ethical to pass her along so I modified my goals until she passed. The cost of horsemanship can be steep.

[MiddleAgeHorses]

No, I did x rays and he has arthritis in his knee. The vet says it’s from an injury and not from overwork. It’s above the cap of the joint, so the injections did nothing. In her opinion he’s had it for a while, but he was fine until he went into full time training. That’s when he started having issues.

[MiddleAgeHorses]

Honestly I haven’t loved the thought of selling but my friends and trainer have assured me there is likely a home out there for him. I hate coming to these public forums because I always put my foot in my mouth and then feel awful, lol. It was careless of me to say I needed money from him to buy another horse. I don’t. It would give me a bigger budget obviously, but I don’t need to jump on anything immediately and I am happy riding him until or if another horse comes along. I could even keep him and another horse, although I would probably end up moving him out of the full board situation he’s in currently and finding a pasture board home that costs much less.

My guilt is coming from feeling like I had this whole life planned out with this cool little guy and feeling like I am moving beyond what he’s capable of. I thought we would be partners for a long time and then I find out he’s not sound. It sucks. I only have so many hours in the day so if I buy another horse, he’s not going to get as much of my attention. And he does like to be ridden, and he does like to go out and do things. So just sticking him in a field somewhere feels bad too. Then if I only pull him out once a month to do a 2 hour trail ride, is that fair?

Horses, man.

[endlessclimb]

@MiddleAgeHorses

Then if I only pull him out once a month to do a 2 hour trail ride, is that fair?

I’ll answer this part - NO.

There are homes out there for these guys, but they are VERY few and far between, and the chances of him landing one are slim. Could you share board him at your barn, but not use “your half” of the shareboard so that the workload stays within his range? Wouldn’t eliminate expenses, but would reduce them.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

You’re in a really sucky situation, through no fault of your own.

But the thing is–who would a prospective buyer be? You mention someone like that old gentleman–but it sounds like even though he just walks and grooms his horse, that horse is sound. People without a lot of horse knowledge or who are physically frail themselves aren’t always the best people to take on horses with physical issues, especially a young horse with what sounds like a possibly chronic condition.

So, a person without a lot of knowledge might take a chance on a cheap horse as a trail horse, but not know how to maintain the horse properly. Or a person without a lot of knowledge might go shopping with a trainer, and most trainers, even for a lower-level rider wouldn’t recommend buying a young horse with arthritis and a history of lameness. The concern is, even if he can stay sound in light work now, what about in a few years from now? Then he’s someone else’s problem.

I’m a runner, and I don’t think human physiology is a great parallel with horse physiology and sports in terms of technical trail running versus more manicured trails. Usually, it’s more of an instance of finding the right shoes and building up to the volume and stress of different terrain with a human. Horses seem much more fragile than we are, sadly.

In my area, people who ride definitely ride more often than three times a week as a rule, even people without their own horses who lease. I think for now, trying to get him more sound and maybe a care lease and seeing how he holds up is your best option. If you know a decent lesson barn nearby looking for walk-trot horses that might be an option (and I stress nearby, so you can monitor/visit and make sure he’s not used beyond his limitations).

I’m really sorry you’re going through this–he sounds like a very sweet horse.

[Bluey]

@tabula_rashah

I think you have two separate issues- selling a horse that isn’t suited to what you need? No big deal. I recently sold a mare that was a wonderful trail horse and loved to plod around the ring with kids but was a terrible endurance horse for me. She’s much happier with her new job.
Selling a lame horse though? I’m not sure about that one. Give away maybe, care lease maybe, but I don’t know that ethically passing your lameness problem on to someone else is the thing to do.

OP said she needed the money from a sale to buy her next horse, why trying to sell.

OP is in a pickle, happens when you own horses on a very restricted budget, you really don’t have enough money and can only sacrifice so much.
Better reconsider all this, maybe leasing for a while until more funds put together makes more sense than buying another horse that may also end up not working?

As for guilt, life changes and we change, our needs change, what matters is that we do best we can with what we have so we know guilt is not necessary, although sorrow things didn’t work as we wanted will always be with us.

Just more to consider.

[MiddleAgeHorses]

I’m going to discuss everything again with my trainer today and I’ll certainly ask if she thinks we can arrange this. It’s a small, private barn and most of her clients are young kids so she’s very picky about who is there. Maybe she knows someone looking. Her kids usually only do 1-2 lessons a week during the show season but she obviously keeps the horses tuned up, too.

[MiddleAgeHorses]

I did say this and it was stupid of me. Does it change the budget? Yeah, but his care is more important to me than buying a more expensive horse.

I’ve definitely considered leasing. My trainer has all of hers already leased unfortunately, and I’m not inclined to go elsewhere. She lets me use them for lessons when I need a confidence boost so I have horses available to ride.

[tabula_rashah]

I understand that but I personally don’t find selling a lame horse a particularly ethical thing to do
But also, being completely practical, how much are you going to actually be able to sell a lame horse for? There are plenty of people giving away what the OP wants to sell esp at this time of year

[MiddleAgeHorses]

The other horse actually isn’t sound, either. I can’t remember what he has but he was bought as a lesson horse and didn’t hold up. The older gentleman bought him knowing this and is still over the moon to have him. That’s kinda what got me thinking that maybe there really is a home out there for him, and everyone I know IRL agrees there probably is. Everyone loves him. The kids at the barn dote on him. My trainer said she wishes every horse she got in was as easy as he was. Friends want to borrow him when we go places to wander around on. He has so many good qualities! I wish more than I can say that he didn’t have the knee problem. But honestly, I likely would outgrown him eventually either way.

[Bluey]

@MiddleAgeHorses

The other horse actually isn’t sound, either. I can’t remember what he has but he was bought as a lesson horse and didn’t hold up. The older gentleman bought him knowing this and is still over the moon to have him. That’s kinda what got me thinking that maybe there really is a home out there for him, and everyone I know IRL agrees there probably is. Everyone loves him. The kids at the barn dote on him. My trainer said she wishes every horse she got in was as easy as he was. Friends want to borrow him when we go places to wander around on. He has so many good qualities! I wish more than I can say that he didn’t have the knee problem. But honestly, I likely would outgrown him eventually either way.

Sounds like working with your vet to find a good maintenance problem could be a sensible first step?

[MiddleAgeHorses]

Of course! And discussing everything with my trainer.

People sell horses with maintenance all of the time. I didn’t think it would be this controversial, lol. Again, I haven’t done the Equioxx because he doesn’t need it at the level of riding we currently do. He’s sound and happy with 2-3 rides a week. I took him to a sorting over the weekend, rode him in the warm up for an hour and then we did 3 rounds on the cows. He was fine. He enjoyed himself. I went yesterday and took him for a long hand walk around fields and up and down hills and along the road. He was fine. I’m just trying to be practical that a sorting and cutting job for him, more than something very occasional, is likely not going to be in his best interest. I’m going to keep riding him and enjoying him regardless.

[Paint_Party]

@cutter99

Equioxx is about the lowest level of maintenance out there.

Agree. Heck, my own mare is on Equioxx.

I’d put the horse on Equioxx. Give it a week to have some effect then put him back in light work a couple days a week. See if he stays sound. If so, then sell him or lease him as a horse for that level of riding, maintained on Equioxx.

I get upset when a horse that’s lame-- meaning it is in physical pain-- is delegated to trail riding. No. It’s still lame. It’s still hurting. It’s just hurting when it’s walking on uneven ground.

Even if OP finds a home for this horse, how long will the new owner tolerate a horse that’s lame on trail rides? Too often these horses end up on Craigslist or at the local cheap auction.

Try the Equioxx protocol.

[Arelle]

You’re feeling guilty because this whole saga is pretty borderline unethical.

I get having a budget. I get having a horse that no longer works for your goals. Both totally reasonable.

However, your horse is lame and you’re refusing to do even basic maintenance to see if it would help him. If your knee hurts, do you take advil? You’re denying that to your horse, who by all accounts - has restored your confidence in the saddle.

You’ve gotten good advice in this thread. Try Equioxx - it’s not that expensive.

[steelerino]

@MiddleAgeHorses

People sell horses with maintenance all of the time.

You don’t know if maintenance will fix him and at this very moment he is lame. all of these examples don’t apply to this horse right now.