What do you miss from the "big horse world"

[chandab]

We still have 5 big horses that do nothing but eat. Haven't ridden in years.

Me, too! I have 2 saddle horses (lost the third last June), I haven't ridden in 3 years; but I do kind of miss it, so might get it in gear this year and do some training and riding. One saddle horse is barely started, the other green broke; so I have my work cut out for me.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Wonderful topic! Many of the things on your list match my own. Especially:

When a three year old was still considered young and green, just starting its show career.

When a gelding was considered a valuable horse by nearly everyone involved with showing.

Not having to body clip and do facials once a week for shows.

Being able to ride.

Having a rated show within 1-2 hours of home nearly every weekend in the summer.

I still cannot believe my colt, whom I consider barely old enough to start in light work, is going to be considered a "senior gelding" this year. It's ridiculous!

Along with the things you mention, I miss the power of a big horse. I miss the grace and beauty, the heavy rhythmic thump of their hooves, the sheer pleasure of running a brush over that much smooth muscle. I miss my back not aching after a grooming!

I miss "clipping for a show" meaning whiskers, bridle path and fetlocks.

I miss the healthy physical exertion of grooming, mucking and riding. I miss being able to hop on and go for a quick ride with no more prep than a brush and a halter. I miss being able to trail ride; around here, the nearest driveable trails are an hour's haul away. I miss lunging up a hill at a gallop with those powerful muscles surging beneath me. I miss having a truly local club to be a member of- I grew up with 4-H and saddle clubs and now it's just me and one local friend...I do not consider meetings 1.5 hours away to be "local!" I miss being able to run to the local tack store and pick up what I need. I miss knowing that "Size X" will always fit and be well-made. I miss being able to throw my saddle in the trailer, load the horse and take off for the day. Even a short drive is a big production with the cart and harness! I miss having a decent choice in bits without having to scour the world. I miss being able to give the silver a quick polish, swipe some LeatherNew across a broad expanse of saddle and call my tack "cleaned." Those little brass buckles and endless harness straps will be the death of me yet!

I miss the smell of warm horse and that big soft nose in my hand and having my horse press his head to my chest while I rub his ears. I miss the ear-blasting trumpet call he made when he missed me. I miss that short slick summer coat and still being able to see the shape of my horse under his winter coat.

I don't miss:The feed bill

Horse shoes.

I have to admit, life is a lot cheaper without those. I'm even learning (reluctantly) to trim my own horses' feet! Never thought that would happen.

I love that one bale of hay lasts for a week or more. I watched someone with a Haflinger unload an entire bale of hay from their tack room at a show for the first day's feed and giggled as I unloaded four flakes to last the whole weekend.

I really don't miss the pain that comes with getting stepped on by a full-sized horse; the minis do it and I lift my own foot and shake them off.

I appreciate the fact that all I get when a mini kicks me in the leg is a very bad bruise (and a sore throat from yelling at them). I love that they have so much more stall space per horse at a show than the big guys do, although I do miss them being able to see out. I don't miss the gallons of pee/complete soaking of a stall in one night. I don't miss hauling huge heavy buckets of water several times a day at a show. I miss having the choice of small local shows or big rated events- if I want to show the driving horses, it's rated mini events or combined driving shows way down south. Period. 4-H shows here have driving now but only for 4-H members. I don't miss the experience of training my own or interacting with a big personality as I get that in plenty with the little guys!

I do love the minis, they have a unique charm and are far easier for someone on a small budget to care for, but as soon as it's feasible I want another riding horse.

So I guess what I am saying is, while you can't "ride", you can have it all with driving your minis!

Theoretically, at least. The sad reality is in many parts of the country there are no driving events at all, never mind any of the fun ones you're mentioning. You are very lucky to live near such things.

Leia

 

[RhineStone]

The sad reality is in many parts of the country there are no driving events at all, never mind any of the fun ones you're mentioning. You are very lucky to live near such things.

Well...the more people drive, the more likely events will be planned.

We didn't always have such fun stuff.

 

[anoki]

I think I am of the minority that started out with minis (over 20 years ago now....boy where does the time go?) and worked my way into the big guys. I loved my minis (I still do), broke a few to drive and absolutely LOVED taking them out trail driving around our farm!!!!

Then I got a job at a local dressage stable.....boy did that open my eyes. I had always wanted a QH just to ride around here with.....

Now I own:

Anoki-who I've done all the training on myself

Wolfgang Amadeus (aka Moose) who I was lucky enough to get last year...but I've worked with him for almost 10 years (only ridden a couple of times over the years). He is an absolute blast to ride!!

I still love the minis, and the fact that I don't have to worry about them hurting people the same as my big guys, and yes, the big guys cost a lot more....but I wouldn't trade my big guys for the world.

~kathryn

 

[wildoak]

Anoki is gorgeous!

Many of the same reasons as the rest of you....I just miss riding, I miss the camaraderie of a truly local group to ride with, the feel of a good horse under me, feeling the warmth of a horses back on a cold day, bringing the young ones along & that good feeling AFTER the first ride is over lol.

I still have my daughters 16 hand apha mare here, along with a little QH gelding I bought last year and haven't ridden 3-4 times. Neither are horses I'm really attached to but I like having them here to look at & scratch on. Also have had a refresher course lately on cleaning the big stalls - our 4 yr old mare has been home for the last month, she's a pig in the stall and with bad weather/no good turnout for her it's been a good reminder for me! Don't miss the expense of showing the big ones or buying the tack & clothes.

Jan

 

[LindaL]

I grew up with big horses as well...went thru all 9 years for 4-H and as an adult continued to show at the local level at "Open shows". You all mentioned pretty much everything I miss about having big horses...but will just mention a few of the ones that really hit home for me and I think about a lot still.

MISS:

Trail riding/ poker rides...I used to go out almost on a weekly basis in the summer to the "woods"...Loved the peacefulness of just relaxing in the saddle and enjoying the scenery.

Open shows...My big horse gelding was an "all arounder"...we did showmanship, trail, western and english and loved it all!

IF I only had 1-2 Minis I would say I don't miss things like having to clean big horse stalls, the feed bill and the farrier bill...but since the numbers on my Minis keep going up...it is MORE work daily cleaning stalls and the feed bill is almost the same now and the farrier bill is actually MORE than it was with one big horse...LOL!

It has been 11 yrs since I have owned a biggie and while i go back and forth on whether to ever buy another, I think I would rather stay just with the Minis now.

 

[Shari]

I have little riding horses but there was a time I did not have any. Drove me nuts so I down sized.

Do not ride as much as I used too, won't ride in the rain or when the ground is frozen.

This is not the most flattering photo of Stjarna... she is a 13.3 hand Icelandic. She is still in the process of being re trained.

And this is my main ride...

Dyfra... another Icelandic and a 12.3 hand tank!

Anoki, your horses are beautiful and giant!!

 

[little lady]

Love this post! But I still have one biggie and love her! But actually I miss nothing and everyday wonder why I waited so long to get these most wonderful lil horses. Yes, I can't ride them but falling off the biggies wasn't so much fun anymore, getting on wasn't as much fun either. With the miniatures I can still go out to the barn and be welcomed by neighs and spend hours on end grooming them and just being with them. Instead of rides I put the halter on and we go for walks. I am hoping someday to learn all the ropes of having one pull a cart. Probably my biggest pet peeve is when people ask, well what do you do with them...I have found that if I look at them with an equally stupid look and ask well what do you do with your dog that pretty much gets them to thinking!!!

 

[RockRiverTiff]

I can relate to so much of this. After a really hectic day, there was nothing better than going out and taking a quiet ride at sunset. We still have one fat and sassy retired Appendix mare, but even in her mid-20s she's not a horse I'd want to ride for pleasure. While we did some very big shows, it's the laidback local open shows I miss the most. Everybody would line up their lawn chairs along the rail between their own classes, and just by seeing each other every weekend you became friends; it was like the horse version of Cheers! It was really hard to sell my last full-sized show horse - an Arab gelding I'd owned for 15 years - and I still miss him terribly, but it was the right thing for him. I thought I'd keep him forever, but he was so unhappy sitting in the barn while I worked with the minis. Going back in the ring with a new junior rider took years off of him - they send me regular picture updates, and it's such a flashback to when I was showing him at that age. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it. There's so much we want to accomplish with the minis though, and now we're going to be starting a family soon too...Still, there's a part of me that's sure one of these days I'm going to see an ad for a riding horse I can't forget, and then I'll be back in the saddle again.

 

[Jean_B]

I miss my barrel racing, mud bogging, trail riding, grade quarter horse - Buddy. He came to Wisconsin in a train car load of terrified yearlings that had been running on the prairie somewhere out west, way back in the early 50s...he was just 2 years younger than me. Best horse that ever leaned in around a barrel...and you didn't dare try to ride him in the rescue race or with spurs - he would bust your chops.