My last horse had to be put down in 2009 due to a freak head injury that never would have healed ... he was 27 and looked/acted at least 10 years younger. His mom made it to 29. The last horse on the place (my niece’s) left summer before last for the Shenandoah Valley and 3 little kids who treat her like a princess. She’s knee deep in grass, doesn’t get ridden, and everybody feeds her carrots and apples .... an earthly form of horse heaven. She’s a sweetie so she deserves it. Anyway, for the first time in 40 years, no horses .... we can actually leave the gates open and nothing bad happens! My dad loves it - he can now drive his golf cart all over the place without having to get out to open/close gates. It’s a simple thing, not to have to deal with gates, but he mentions now and again how wonderful it is. The only way I’d have horses again would be if I won the lotto ... I’d have a broodmare farm combined with a bucking bull and alpaca farm. No stall cleaning - I’d hire help to do all the grunt work I did for years. I’d just walk around with a pocket full of carrots/apples, rub soft noses and pat sleek hides, play with the babies and enjoy. :-)
I did not want to have to face putting my horses down, and after I retired, I didn’t have the income to support them anyway.
I don’t miss getting out in the snow to give them hay and feed, but I do miss petting them and feeding them apples.
So we brought it down to Texas after we got settled in... At the first meet and greet, I proved that yes, I could barely saddle a horse correctly and do basic grooming chores. She told me to ride him around the pasture. So I did.
Once, twice, around the perimeter (I was actually checking fence, it's a habit) and we stumbled on a cluster of yearling calves that were just brought into the pasture.
Katy bar the door. I felt like a 2 year old on the old mechanical horse in front of the 5 and dime store. Head going one way, arse going another, it was a miracle I stayed on the horse.
When things settled down, there was one single calf in the corner of the pasture.
We went back to the barn and I asked what the [redacted] just happened?
She said "Forgot to tell you, I trained him as a cutting horse when we were young".
Thanks, lady. ;). It was an interesting ride, and the horse did every bit of the work, even with me flailing around on top.
/johnny