[RC] Old Horses/Lost Horse - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Jeanne Pepper pepperja@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Having had experience with both subjects thought I'd share. Plenty of info on the subject of how a horse behaves when lost on the archives but the general concenses seems to be..don't expect them to find their way home.For some unknown reason even the friendliest critter seems to become completely confused and even hides from the people who are looking for him.That's what my "in your pocket "critter did,much to my surprise.Unfortunatly this behavior has led many times to the horse being recovered only after it has died.My advice will always be..if your horse gets out of your site go after it ASAP and get as many as you can out looking too.Time is DEFINITELY a factor! The person posting about her old horse wasn't trying to "dump him" but was trying to find him a home that would keep him happy & active in his older years.Not all of us have pastures to keep our old friends grazing in when we no longer feel they should have to work for a living. If I did I would still own every horse I ever owned, or know in what part of the field my buddy rested. Since this has never been the case for me I tend to sell my horses while still "young"after MUCH careful screening of potential new owner but one horse,Kamar,my Tevis horse, I refused to sell.I promised him along side that dark river bed in the moonlight ,that if he got me through this ride ,he'd never have to work hard in his life & I'd make SURE he always had a GOOD HOME.He went to several homes in his remaining years.Ridden by junior riders on LD,teaching youngsters to ride & finally resided with a middle-aged lady who wanted a horse all her life & he was her first.When his teeth failed she kept fig newtons in the barn for "treats".He finally passed at 33 & she burried him in his pasture. She actually "owned" him more years than I ,but she knew that the agreement was always I'd come get him any time she no longer could keep him,and I dropped by,unannounced many times,to see him & make sure he was OK.I'm SO grateful to her for the loving care she gave him & I hope the poster can find such a home for her guy. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|