Plans for "the comming Recession"?

Question

do you all have plans for when horses just become to expensive for you? Are you going to sell? Or are you all stuck with an "oldie but goodie" who wouldn't sell like me?

just thinking about how tight moneys getting, and whats going to happen if it gets any tighter...

want to hear what the rest of you have planned..

Answer 1

I give a whole lotta thought to this one.  With retirement funds suddenly disappearing, outsourcing of more and more work to overseas businesses, and jobs going away as foreclosures keep increasing and fuel costs go up  etc.........it gets scarier.  If I had to, I'd consider euthanasia for my two...they are 21 and 22...both in prime condition and sound, but with metabolic syndrome.  Who would buy them?  If the money isn't there, you can't send them to a retirement facility.  If I were to lose my land, I'd have to do something fast...and if it happens to me, it will also be happening to everyone else.

So, I'd euthanize them as the only viable choice.

Answer 2

why do you think i just sold all my horses except my maniac of a TB who i've had forever...i just couldn't see the sense in keeping them and also my back but a lot had to do with the massive amount of money

Answer 3

I will not sell my horse and if it means driving less or moving her to a closer barn (even if it is a few bucks pricier).

Answer 4

years ago.. I had a wonderful  horse..

here is a short link to a cool story (and a pic of my horse)

http://www.sportales.com/Equestrian/Winn...

I ran into money troubles (was paying board..) and had a "boyfriend" so sold the horse.. I wont make that mistake again

in Canada.. No recession... :)

Answer 5

I know gas is high and things are tight, but I've yet to see abandoned vehicles along the road where people have just given up on owning cars since it's just too much.

We have an economy that has been driven by rampant credit spending...people living beyond their means...the bottom is eventually going to fall out, and then it will rebound.  If it follows past trends, the 2020's will be a prosperous decade.

The first thing anyone should do right now is to do everything they can to get out of debt, and stay out.  As Dave says, beans and rice, and rice and beans.

I made that comment to someone at work last week and they thought I was terrible...it would be awful to put your kids through that unless it was that or starve.  I said, "Thanks so much for proving my point about how damned spoiled we are in this country."  I spent two summers in Haiti...I know what poverty is.  It ISN'T worrying about making a car payment or having to use Food Stamps...it's handing your starving infant to the total strangers at the orphanage and begging them to take him or he'll die.

How many of you horse lovers would rather live on 10 acres in an old mobile home and drive an old truck and car than live in town and drive new cars, just so you can afford your horses?

Ok, so off my soap box.  I'm terribly jaded by what I see and I'm a firm believer that most of us will be ok in the end...and we'll see a dramatic swing to the optomistic after November, regardless of who gets elected.

Answer 6

I lease a horse. But I'll never let her real owner get rid of her

Answer 7

If I could not keep...no way or no how...my old mare.  I will have her put down.  She gave me the best years of her life.  I WILL NOT send her away.  My family does come before the horses...but I will still not send her away because she is older.  I don't know anyone who would take in an older horse.  If I was having that much trouble...so is everyone else I know.  And I'm NOT selling her to someone I don't know.  I'm not selling her...period.  I might loan her to someone I know...but I would be like the FBI...looking them over and their references.  And showing up unannounced to check on her.

We already sold everything except for her and hubby's gelding.  We will do what we can...to keep both of these.

Answer 8

I struggled with this situation too, In fact,  It kept me up at night.

What I did was not a solution, but just a band-aid.

I loaned 3 out to summer riding camps. They are packers and the work will be good for them.

1 I sold/swapped for a tag along stock trailer.

My favorite mare I kept. She is worth her weight in gold and I will live in the stock trailer if necessary, if it comes to that (lol) just to keep her.

When the others come back at the end of the summer, then I will have to wait and see.

At any rate, yes it is a struggle and you can only do the best you can with what you have to work with.

Some times, reality is the strongest motivator.

Edit -

Thank you cnsdubie. That was my point with the trailer too!

Answer 9

If it gets to the point where its either feed me or the horses. I'm selling the horses. I love my horses but honestly a fellers gotta eat. I am lucky I have pasture that can hold my onery critters all year in tall grass.

Answer 10

Thankfully i don't have to board i have my own ranch.  I'm probably not going to be in the same position as most, i have retired from my careers, have two pay checks coming in and i have planned well for my future.  Who knows something odd could happen but i only take in what i can afford, this included any unexpected vet bills.  I have a horse rescue and i get calls from all over and other rescues because they know i still have stalls open.  I'm waiting for a horse to arrive from an owner about 6 hours from me, hopefully they get her here tomorrow, she cant afford her horse anymore, there is a lot of this going on.  Its sad, horses are a big part of their owners life and to have to part with them has to kill them.  There are those idiots who will set their horses free thinking they will survive, those are people who should have never had them in the first place.

Answer 11

Since we have pasture and only two horses and that number is staying the same. No new horses will be comming in.

We are easily able to afford the vet bills and feed bill and hay for these horses.

I will not be taking any off track and re-training them. I usually do a couple a year but not this year. I do not want to take on any extra bills and have horses that are great but not be able to find a good home for. I can only ride so many and do not need more pets.