Second Horse.. dream or reality?

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Well, I checked-out a local driving event last weekend! It was really an excuse to take my in-training miniature mare off-property and let her experience other horses pulling carts and do some ground-driving BUT seeing the sleek driving ponies and horses (oh the Friesians!), and many competitors there with more than just one, kinda made my jaw drop.

In fact, (ka-ching ka-ching ka-ching) it made me hanker for a second, more purpose-bred pony, that I could eventually compete with more seriously. In all reality, it’s not in my future as we just don’t have the disposable income for TWO equines (sniff, sniff) but I’d love to live vicariously through those of you that did take that leap from one to two.

Let’s hear all the details! (Bonus points if you found a creative way to access/afford the second horse… give the rest of us some hope )

[atr]

Funnily enough, I was talking to a friend about this earlier this evening. Seems like a great idea, but…

Both of us have more than one horse. Both of us have found it a significant strain, not just financially (which can get a bit eyewatering at times,) but even more from a time perspective.

Now we both have one riding horse and a retiree (or two retirees in my case), vs. two riding horses, it is a bit easier, but back when we were trying to keep both horses going and competition fit, work for a living and have some semblance of family life (that’s the kicker,) it was a constant source of guilt, to be honest, that someone was always getting short-changed.

It was easier in some ways when I had my little herd on my own property, because no drive time involved, etc. and frankly much less money, and could nip out and run a brush over at odd hours, etc., but now I’ve sold the farm and I’m boarding, while I’m not hurrying their demise (though sadly one of my oldies has declined badly this summer and will not see another winter,) I will try very hard not to get into the multiple horse situation again, especially with the soaring costs of horse ownership.

[SuzieQNutter]

You don’t say how much experience you have.

You said your mini is in training, what about you?

If this is your first driving pony you have 2 ways to go. Start having lessons on a school master and learn all you can and take that training to your own pony.

Or

Have lessons with your own pony until he is jaw dropping and ready to compete.

If you are experienced you train this pony until it is jaw dropping and then buy a youngster to train while you enjoy the first pony. When the first pony is ready to retire, the youngster is now trained and jaw dropping and you buy a youngster to train.

[RedHorses]

I’ve had two for almost all of my time as a horse owner. I got the second (my new BO let me ride a young horse he had for sale and I couldn’t resist buying) about 2 1/2 years after the first (who was 23). There was a nine month period of single horse ownership after I euthanized my first horse and buying the third (foaled at the boarding barn). I often left the barn feeling like I had forgotten to do something - the other horse I no longer had.

There was also a sixteen month period of triple horse ownership after I bought the fourth (also as a foal). I found that tough even though one was retired to light hacking, one was showing, and one was a foal. I often felt some were getting short changed.

Two horses are a bigger time sink and I’ve had to turn down rides on other people’s horses because I just didn’t have time. I think a lot depends on the two horses as well. The 20 year age gap worked better than the 7 year age gap. The 10 year age gap worked all right but only because the younger horse was a slow starter.

Money constraints stopped me showing and delayed my eventual purchase of a truck and trailer, but I wouldn’t trade the time spent with any of my horses.

I’m rapidly approaching the end with my older horse and thinking about what comes afterwards. I have never actually set out to buy a horse. Each of mine arrived in my life by chance. I don’t know if my younger horse is up to doing as much riding as I am accustomed to, but I sort of think I would like to be a single horse owner again - at least until that single horse starts to slow down. It would give me more opportunities to go away with my horse without worrying about the one left behind (and more money to do it) and more time to pursue other hobbies.

It’s been very rewarding having two horses. I don’t regret it at all.

[exvet]

I’m another one who can’t just have one (or two). For me, I need to be able to give my ONE a break because I can get too focused. I find having one who is in their prime and then bringing a young one up behind it to be my best working situation in terms of juggling my career, family and horse habit. I keep my horses at home which helps a ton (and I do all my own farm work). I do compete which also keeps me ‘driven’. My maximum comfortable number that I can ‘easily’ keep progressing with their training is 3 but 2 is a ‘nice and easy’ number for me.

[Alterration]

I have 3 typically.

I thought, a year ago, that it would be great to have one and only one so that I could focus my time and energy. I sold two. Then one of the two came back (new owner wanted to pursue a sport he’d never do) and he sustained an injury requiring a year’s rehab. Then a friend needed a home for her horse (long story) so I’m back up to three.

I don’t have time. But somehow I always end up with this number. Somehow I have sense enough not to go to 4. But not sense enough to stick with one.

[Libby2563]

@atr

Now we both have one riding horse and a retiree (or two retirees in my case), vs. two riding horses, it is a bit easier, but back when we were trying to keep both horses going and competition fit, work for a living and have some semblance of family life (that’s the kicker,) it was a constant source of guilt, to be honest, that someone was always getting short-changed.

It was easier in some ways when I had my little herd on my own property, because no drive time involved, etc. and frankly much less money, and could nip out and run a brush over at odd hours, etc.

Agree with all this. When you have them at home you’re also doing a certain amount of labor and property maintenance regardless of the number of horses you have, so adding another one can be less of a marginal cost (in time and money). The same logic unfortunately doesn’t apply when you’re boarding, except to drive time.

I’ve been able to keep two horses in work in the past (with a full-time job and horses at home, for context) when their work needs are staggered. For example, for a while I had one FEI dressage horse who needed 5 rides a week and one 3- or 4-year-old who could work just 3-4 days a week. On weekdays I’d usually alternate rides and then on weekends I’d work both or hack them out together with a friend riding one.

Right now I have one eventer and one retired dressage horse at home and I’ve been shopping for a dressage prospect. Keeping the eventer fit during show season would limit my time for the second horse, so I would plan to work the second one harder in the off season and during the heat/hard ground of mid-summer while the eventer relaxes a bit, and lighter while showing.

However, I am feeling some serious hesitation to incur the additional financial obligation and shake up my very easy herd of two, plus prices still seem high, so I am being very picky and might wait until next year at this point. I really really love the two boys that I have now and am very content with the amount of riding I do…I just know that in the future I will want another “real” dressage horse and bringing a young one along takes time. Buying a horse now because I know I’ll want one in the future does feel kind of foolish though. (Can you tell I’m conflicted?? Lol.)

[LadyNeon01]

I have two and board both of them at a farm that’s 5 minutes from my house (lucky me!). The time sink of riding two is the biggest issue. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that too. I don’t have much of a life outside the horses (mostly by choice). I work full time so its hard to balance the time available outside of work.

I started with my gelding way back in 2012, then bought my mare in late 2017 because she was too good to pass up. I had my gelding listed for sale for a year before he finally sold. A month later, I bought another gelding. I went a month and a half with just one horse.

My mare is 24 and was ready to step down from competing at 2nd level. I’m still occasionally riding her but I let my barn owner use her as a lesson horse. She’s rock solid and is great for both kids and adults. I’m thrilled that she gets to teach other riders.

My gelding is 9 and we’re schooling 3rd level. He’s now my main competition horse and even though I’ve only had him for a year, I love him to pieces. He has a bright future if/when I put the work in!

Mr. Neon and I just bought 16 acres this spring. It was sort of unplanned but we loved the land so much that we just couldn’t pass it up. We’re planning to build a house on the land in the next 3 years or so. We’re also planning around eventually bringing the horses home. My barn owner is eventually going to sell her farm and move, so we need to plan around that. I swore that I would never have the horses at home because I know how much work a farm is to maintain (and so does Mr. Neon). But here we are planning our new property around the potential for bringing the horses home!

[quietann]

It’s a lot to have two, especially when boarding. When I had my filly, she was boarded about 30 minutes’ drive from my mare, inexpensively thanks to a COTH forum member. She did not need the fancy-ish dressage barn with an indoor, an outdoor, trainers in residence, etc. What she needed was lots of turnout with other young horses. The other thing, which it turned out I couldn’t provide, was brief daily or 6-days-a-week work sessions. Because I was only out there 2 or 3 times a week, I tended to ask her to do stuff for too long, and she objected. We did not get along that well, so I ultimately sent her back to her breeder, who then purchased her from me, started her late in her 2YO year, put some more training on her when she was 3, and sold her to someone who absolutely loves her.

My mare… well, it’s complicated. She is a bit of an emotional black hole for me (not her fault!), which made it difficult to have a second horse. She is older and expensive to keep sound, and I have gotten used to having her at fairly expensive barns with good care and good facilities for me. My brain is just broken enough that I have a hard time away from her, and then go to see her and usually ride her, which makes me very happy. But there are a zillion things I would have liked to do with her that are off the table now. She might be hard to send to another barn to retire, as she cannot go out on pasture, and she has kind of forgotten how to share space politely with another horse. I am sort of vaguely looking for a place for her, wanting her to be within reasonable driving distance which also raises the cost, since I am in Massachusetts. A barn-mate just sent her foxhunter to Virginia for retirement pasture board… I think at $350 or $400 per month – which is what it costs for one of the better retirement places down there. That won’t be possible with my mare.

If I’d left the filly with her breeder to raise and start, I might have gotten my second riding horse right around the time retiring the mare became something to seriously consider. But it may be for the best, because I’m not sure I really can afford to have two horses boarded.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

This is fascinating, I love reading about how everyone’s balancing (or not) their 2+ equines. And I appreciate the honesty, too, it’s a good reminder that this hobby isn’t always a bed of roses. It’s expensive and a massive time suck! I realize the only way I could actually justify the expense would be to increase my current workload or find another part-time job, which then means less time for BOTH horses … and that defeats the purpose of taking-on a second one. ETA: What is it about horses that causes such irrational thinking?! Twelve-year-old me could have just written that last paragraph

I like the @SuzieQNutter approach, it gives me something to work towards while also being considerate of my current mare

[candyappy]

I have just about always had at least 2 and now 3. Having them at home makes a huge difference and the fact that we bale all our own hay. All mine are easy keepers. The only real increase ( for me) is in feet care and if/ when veterinary care is needed.

[outerbanks77]

I have three, but one is retired in an inexpensive boarding situation.

My other two are ten minutes away, and since covid, I’ve been working from home. This just happened to coincide with the time when the 8 year old went back to normal work after rehab, and about the time the now 5 year old was started under saddle (by me).

Even being close and having work flexibility without a commute, it is a time suck. It seems like I always end up using my vacation days to run them to vet appointments, saddle fitting appointments, etc. Right now I’m wedging in two rides a week on another boarder’s horse and it’s definitely too much, although I’ve loved how much I’ve been able to advance my riding over the past year.

Next year I might start thinking seriously about half-leasing my older mare, to free up some of my time, or I might even sell her. I don’t want to, but I also worry about the possibility of my current barn shutting down. With only one horse to worry about, I would have way more flexibility on where I could board, not to mention freeing up finances for clinics and show fees and all that. Right now it’s more or less affordable, but the stress of unplanned vet bills is more than doubled when there are twice the recurring expenses and twice the potential for injuries or sickness.

[B_and_B]

I have three. At first it was one in work and one retired…so it was an easy addition because two is less pressure on fences than one and the second one doesn’t need much at all from a daily standpoint (though she is the most expensive in terms of care, as is always the case which cheap companion horses…).
But three. That tipped me over the time scale from easy to hard. Partially because number three is bigger and just turned two years old and wild as a March Hare. So, time sink there. I’m glad, they are definitely happier. Partially because three, if you want to groom all three having another person is nice…and that means that DH needs to be involved as was planned…but! But…sometimes!

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Most of you with more than one seem to have your own property, so this idea of buying a second horse is really dream vs. reality at this point … BUT … I take back what I said about another mini.

A boarder recently moved in with two Warmblood crosses. One, a young black mare who has more personality than all the rest of the barn combined, is apparently a project horse for this person which leads me to believe she’ll theoretically come up for sale at some point.

Blarg. Sometimes I wish I had this same level of passion for another, more affordable species of animal!