[PonyPeep]

I think I posted something similar to this on here before but oh well.

This summer I had the opportunity to buy my heart horse, a $5k horse at least, for only $1000 and I was allowed to put $500 down, take her home and pay off the rest of the $500. Then it turned into $1200 that I owed because of transport costs. In the end it was just a financial commitment that I could not do. Unfortunately I got some crap from my horsey friends saying that it was the opportunity of a lifetime and why did I pass it up... etc etc.

FWIW I'm still pretty young.. but this is the horse that I keep coming back to. I leased her for about 8 months and I'm immensely regretting not enjoying every second of those 8 months... but I can't fix it now.

Her owner has to sell her (although for now she's staying) but I know she won't be there in 2 years when I can afford a horse, and I've just been crying a lot over it lately. The thought of someone else owning her is really hard for me. Maybe not something to put on a public forum... but oh well. I know I just need to get over it but oh well.

ETA: I just realised that I say "oh well" 3 times in this post. 4 now, actually. I apologize..!

[KateKat]

Would they no be willing to do a lease again?

[Belg]

One person's crap is another person's encouragement... it can't be that hard to come up with 500-700$ legally in California in a few month's time

[PonyPenny]

How young are you? Are you at least 16? As listed above you could probably find a minimum wage job where you could earn the money.

[quietann]

Well, it's good that you were/are realistic about your financial situation. Some people stretch to buy a horse, and then the first big vet bill comes and they don't know what to do.

In this case -- could you ask the owner about leasing until the horse is sold? It could be a while; the market for horses is still very soft. (From your post it sounds like you would need to move the horse closer to you if leasing, which would complicate things, though...)

[HungarianHippo]

I will disagree and say don't buy her. You say you are young, but I think you are very mature to know that you are not ready financially to own her. It's so hard and painful to see her go, but trust me that time will heal the hurt. And you will fall in love with many horses over the course of your life, and you will grieve when you lose them. It's just part of life, but the happy parts of being a horseworman far outweigh the sad parts.
I do wish your friends were more supportive rather than kicking you when you're down.

[caryledee]

I will disagree and say don't buy her. You say you are young, but I think you are very mature to know that you are not ready financially to own her. It's so hard and painful to see her go, but trust me that time will heal the hurt. And you will fall in love with many horses over the course of your life, and you will grieve when you lose them. It's just part of life, but the happy parts of being a horseworman far outweigh the sad parts.
I do wish your friends were more supportive rather than kicking you when you're down.

This! Horses can run up BIG vet bills really quickly too so if you don't have the money to purchase her, you really need to wait until you are at a better point in your life financially.

This is not the last "perfect" horse you will find; there will be plenty of others in your future when you are in a better position to afford one.

[thatmoody]

I would say for now - make a list of the things you absolutely LOVE about this horse, and file them away in your "must have" file for when you ARE ready to buy. What do you love in particular about her, and not just the way she makes you feel, either - any good horse will do that. You will want to find one later that you click with, but if she has any particular traits that you really like, you may want to keep them in mind. Having this type of wish list has kept me sane a few times when I had to defer my wants. In addition, keep in mind that in a few years you may be able to pay full price for a similar horse, and that your needs at that time may change, as well. I've owned a LOT of horses in my lifetime and each one has been very special to me, in their own way .

Oh, and do allow yourself to grieve. You have a hurt to deal with, and that will take time to get over - honor that. Don't try to push it away.

[TheJenners]

Agreed. If you have to take a $1000 horse on payments, you cannot afford a horse. If you cannot save up for two or three months and come up with $1000, then you are not financially capable of caring for a horse, boarding, etc.

[PonyPeep]

Would they no be willing to do a lease again?

I live an hour and a half away from them now and can unfortunately not afford an off-site lease.

One person's crap is another person's encouragement... it can't be that hard to come up with 500-700$ legally in California in a few month's time

Unfortunately it kind of is. I worked the entire summer getting the word out for my babysitting business, and I got some jobs, but not enough.

How young are you? Are you at least 16? As listed above you could probably find a minimum wage job where you could earn the money.

14. Still old enough legally to get certain types of jobs w/ a work permit, but no one here will hire someone who's 14.




Thank you, everyone who has replied. It's been a rough transition. I'm visiting her next weekend hopefully and am going to relish the time we have together.

[Belg]

I see. Yeah, that's a hard one to get around....

[PonyPeep]

I see. Yeah, that's a hard one to get around....

Yeah. :/ It's hard because I would work a lot harder than a lot of the employed 15 and 16 year olds I know.. but no one is willing to give me a chance which is understandable.

[jetsmom]

I live an hour and a half away from them now and can unfortunately not afford an off-site lease.



Unfortunately it kind of is. I worked the entire summer getting the word out for my babysitting business, and I got some jobs, but not enough.



14. Still old enough legally to get certain types of jobs w/ a work permit, but no one here will hire someone who's 14.




Thank you, everyone who has replied. It's been a rough transition. I'm visiting her next weekend hopefully and am going to relish the time we have together.

I'm so impressed with how mature your thought process is, and how well you write/convey your thoughts. I'm sure that you'll eventually be successful in the future and get the horse of your dreams when you are financially able.

[jenm]

I agree with what others have written, you are very mature for your age and I'm impressed with how well you communicate.

Wait and see what happens, this horse may not even sell, in which case things could change to be in your favor. Who know, if this horse does end up working out for you, maybe some of us could help with hauling her!

Do you live in San Francisco? I'd be willing to put a good word in for you with people I know who live in the city. You seem to have a great head on your shoulders!

[Lady Counselor]

Good on you for realizing it and not getting in over your head. We have room in our hearts for many loves. Save your money up, and when the time and situation are right, you will be in a much better position.

[katarine]

I'm sorry you are missing out on this horse. At 42 I still think from time to time of a really nice mare I couldn't buy in my early 20s....she wasn't expensive, but I was broke, so 1500 may as well have been 150000.

There will be more, and you will be able to afford them

[MyGiantPony]

First off, I agree with the other posters - you are mature beyond your years.

That said, make a plan.

Take as many lessons as you can on as many different horses as you can. The better rider you are, the more kinds of horses you will be able to try when you are ready for that purchase.

Second, come up with a financial plan. Do your parents support you in this? Will they help with vet and farrier bills? Do you want to show? Will they pay for that?

Go to your bank or credit union. Talk with their financial planner. Have them help you lay out a way to achieve this. It won't cost you anything, and they are the ones who will be able to help you get there. (and I lean towards credit unions, so if you have access to one, I'd suggest going there over a bank)

As for jobs - can you get some dog owners lined up to do a pooper scooper or dog walking business? Can you do errands or house cleaning for seniors, or even busy families? Mothers helper? Tutor elementary students or oversee their homework time? Weeding? Can you sew? I know a husband/wife team that earn a small fortune making doll furniture and clothing for American Girl sized dolls.

Christmas is coming up - maybe try to earn some money doing personal shopping and gift wrapping, writing out invitations to parties, helping party planning.

So there are some of my ideas to help you get to your goal. Good luck - I'm rooting for you!

[cu.at.x]

You seem very mature for your age, certainly light years ahead of me when I was 14. I think you've made the right decision. Even if you miraculously came up with $500 in a short time, how would you pay for any unexpected vet bills, etc. Trust me, we've all been there. When I was about your age, I had the opportunity to lease what was definitely my heart horse but the owners decided to sell her and buying was not doable at the time. I still miss that horse and think about her every day. Anyway, I second the suggestion to take lessons on as many horses as you can in the meantime. That will give you invaluable experience when it comes time to buy your own horse.

[PonyPeep]

Thank you guys, again, for all of your compliments and excellent advice. It's nice to hear.

Right now I am taking once a week lessons (all I can afford) on a schoolie who I love to pieces. She is the only horse for me to ride right now, as I'm one of two people at the barn who doesn't own a horse (out of 10+ clients). Hopefully next year I'm going to be a full time working student and will be able to ride more horses!

[PonyPeep]

I agree with what others have written, you are very mature for your age and I'm impressed with how well you communicate.

Wait and see what happens, this horse may not even sell, in which case things could change to be in your favor. Who know, if this horse does end up working out for you, maybe some of us could help with hauling her!

Do you live in San Francisco? I'd be willing to put a good word in for you with people I know who live in the city. You seem to have a great head on your shoulders!

Wow I love this community, truly, you guys are amazing. A lot better of a friend than some of the people I call as such in 'real life.'

I live in the East Bay area (Walnut Creek) so about half an hour from the city when there's no traffic.

I'm majorly kicking myself however... I had an offer from a nearby trainer to work off lessons and training, but I LOST HER NUMBER. If anyone else is in my area and knows a h/j trainer named Kim that's in Alamo, and could pass her info my way, I would owe you for life. I can't believe I was dumb enough to lose her number.