Pic of my new horse - Grumpy

Recently, my wife and I inherited her father's ranch, and while she inherited a horse, we've been looking around for one for me, so I can ride with her. We finally found one this weekend who is perfect. His name is Grumpy, but he's actually a very sweet horse. He used to pull the pony cart at races, but now he's a gentle trail horse. He's a bay, and a perfect fit for us, as he's great for new or inexperienced riders, so when we have less-experienced friends come up, he'll be safe for them.

Luckily, some friends of ours have owned a ranch and raised horses for years, so they helped us find a good fit for our needs. I'm sure Grumpy and I are going to be good friends. I rode him some this weekend, and he's extremely responsive and gentle, but without being lazy. He's got a smooth gait too, which will be great for those not used to riding.

Good looking friend you've got there.

Looks more Melancholy than Grumpy though!

Originally posted by Gazrok


Luckily...

I like that you're using that word instead of claiming you visualized it into existence via "The Secret"

Nice looking horse, doesn't look
Grumpy to me. Thanks for
sharing your new friend with
us. I love horses!

reply to post by satron


Hehe...touche'

Although it is nice how the pieces fit together...i.e. being friends with someone in the horse community before this all happened. I'm really fortunate to have their advice and their friendship. It'll be nice too, to bring our own horses when we come to see them, and all of us can ride together. They have a much larger setup than we do (and more acreage) even a rodeo arena for events they host, etc. I really admire the guy, and he and his wife are great people. I'm sure we'll learn a lot from them.

Nice horse
I like horse meat so I have a question for the OP on your ranch if a horse dies of old age do you eat him/her?

reply to post by Gazrok


Very nice and good luck with your new friend. Got a kick out of his name I'm sure it throws people off when they hear his name, thinking he's not gonna be a good riding horse.

Good for you

I wish I could ride a horse, it looks so peaceful and fun.
I did try a horse once, and woah, I will never go up on a horse again, unfortunately.

What is the rules for riding a horse, I mean, where can't you ride a horse? Of-course, high-ways was ruled out by my brain

I love horses. been a while since I've been on the saddle, but would love to own a horse. I think they could make a return, with the price of gas rocketing. I would love to be able to gallop through the fields and tie up my horse outside the supermarket.

How much for a decent horse and how much does it cost to look after?

Happy to answer the questions...

Q: When the horse dies, do you eat him?

A: Oddly enough, it's something I've still got to find out about (what exactly to do when a horse dies on the ranch). My assumption is you call the equine vet and they use a service (for a hefty fee no doubt), but it's something I've really got to find out about and on my list of important things to learn. I have no plans for eating an animal that was like a friend though.

Q: Where can you ride?

A: Really, just about anywhere though roads and highways are mostly going to be ruled out by states' traffic laws. Besides, there are different concerns regarding footing and concrete vs. normal places you'd ride. Some common places are established trails, of course at your own ranch or others' properties, etc. These are the places we ride most, at least.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Can really vary, depending on what you need/want. Grumpy is just a pleasure riding horse, so isn't too much to purchase (around $1000 and up). I got him for just under $1000. Usually, you can expect to pay around $1000-$3000 for a decent pleasure riding horse (any more than that, and you're paying for too much horse for that purpose). Grumpy belonged to an elderly woman who is simply reducing her horse population and upkeep. She was very particular, and she was evaluating us as purchasers as much (if not more) as we evaluated the horse. (She even stated that if for any reason he isn't a good fit, doesn't get along with the other horses, etc., to bring him back and she'll happily give us the money back, just to be sure he gets the right home). I love buying from someone like this who loves and cares for her animals.

Racing horses, competition horses (like for jumping or rodeo events), etc. can go for up to tens of thousands to purchase, especially if you're going to stud them (use them to breed other champions). We're not looking to do any of that, just pleasure riding.

The REAL cost of owning a horse is the upkeep. Along with the initial cost of the horse, there's the largely one-time tack cost (saddle, blanket, bit, bridle, etc.), but then more as you wear it out (worse for kids, as they'll grow, and need different saddles as they grow). Add another $1000 for all of that (for us though, we have a tack shop, so we have that, and can get it wholesale).

Usually, there's feed, hay, boarding (which can be around $200-600 a month depending on self-care or full-care), the ferrier (one who shoes the horses every 6 weeks, around $60 a visit) and vet costs. For us, since we have our own stables and of course, board our own, our maintenance fee is less (no boarding fee for us). We already have one self-boarder (he cleans his stall, and provides his horse's feed, hay, and other bills, we just give him a place to keep her), but we're looking to add more (we can stable up to 11 total horses).

As you can see, OWNING the horse is the real expense. BUYING it is really academic. Since we're already caring for a couple of horses already (my wife's and we do some for our boarder), it's not too much additional cost and imposition to add another. Cleaning a horse stall is actually easier than cleaning up after my dogs, believe it or not.

I did try a horse once, and woah, I will never go up on a horse again, unfortunately.

Why not? (exactly). If it was uncomfortable, you probably had the wrong size saddle (or horse) or a horse that wasn't good for a beginner rider. There are a lot of things that could have contributed to a bad experience, and those factors can easily be changed. Personally, I enjoy it. I have had a few times though, where I got a bad saddle, or too big a horse, etc. and it was uncomfortable.

oh that is so cool man.. totally jealous in a good way.. , ahhh i remember when i use to horse ride..sheez thats so long ago. Times and threads like these make my desk and leather seat job seem so mundane and non productive its simply not funny.


*on a side note,

its confirmed,

Bryan shape shifted into a another guy and now Gaz has shape shifted into a horse..what is going on in ats...



P.S. Love the photo mate...

reply to post by Gazrok


Thanks for the reply. With my current financial situation, I might have to consider a donkey and work myself up from there.

Enjoy your horse.

reply to post by cerebralassassins


Sadly, I will still be doing the 9-5 for the most part, so I'll just have the weekend to look forward to it. My wife is going to run the ranch and tack business. If we add more boarders, and the tack shop is doing well, we'll see, but for now, will be nice to have the guaranteed income, medical insurance, benefits, etc.

Thanks for the reply. With my current financial situation, I might have to consider a donkey and work myself up from there.

Not really, same upkeep for the donkey... Only the initial cost would be different, and that wouldn't vary much from just a riding horse. Again, it's the upkeep cost that makes it an expensive hobby (you'd still have all of the associated feeding and boarding and tack costs). For us though, it's the business, and we're already set up for it. If we had to pay to board the horses, we'd never afford it.

reply to post by Gazrok


Totally understand, but this is what i was replying to in your previous thread, im more or less automating my dialy routine to allow some time for " me " , you know, to get back to basics, simply enjoying life and not viewing it from a monitor or what have you.

Also, hey don't forget to put some cam's around the property..... you know, simply for security reasons, duel feed to someone else, a friend who lives half way across the country, again for security reasons only.

reply to post by cerebralassassins


Yep, I agree to that. I've been pricing them. (cameras). Current protection is a bit more old school (firearms)....

To woodwardjnr:

To be honest, if you're someone looking to just occasionally ride, you're better off looking for a good stable near you that lets you pay a fee to ride for a few hours. Typically, these places charge by the hour, and it's customary to tip your guide (if you have one). This will give you the fun of riding, without the cost of upkeep. It's less than the cost of a day at a theme park. This is especially good for beginner riders, as trail horses are like Grumpy, well-trained already, and not prone to bolt off or be too quick to respond to an incorrect signal by a new rider.

reply to post by Gazrok


thanks for your long reply Gazrok

I didn't think I would learn about horses today
Its not a subject I normally are interested in, but after I read your post I wanted to know more.

reply to post by Gazrok


Do you get Horse thieves still? what if one gets nicked do you get a posse together?
Iam from the UK so I have never been to a ranch and I really don't know

Terrible picture. Try again.

reply to post by boymonkey74

Do you get Horse thieves still? what if one gets nicked do you get a posse together?
Iam from the UK so I have never been to a ranch and I really don't know

No, not really. Horses are registered, and there isn't a big black market for them (too much money to keep them before a sale, unless you turned them around real fast, so no profit in it, except for maybe really expensive horses...but even then, the expense is the lineage, so if you tried to sell, then it is easily traceable....) They just aren't worth the trouble to nick (steal for those on this side of the pond...)

The days of the posse are long over...ever see a posse held up by a red light? Just dreadful...

To another above poster....yeah, I tend to be a bit long-winded at times, but glad you found the information helpful. I'm still in the learning stage myself, so a lot to absorb. This is a pretty big life change for me, but I'm really looking forward to it.

As for the pic, since it is from a cell, there you go. Personally, I think it shows him pretty well, though difficult to appreciate his height. He's a pretty tall guy.

Good for you. He looks very calm and wise.

How tall is he? He looks quite a small horse but it could be the angle of the photo?

Now that I have a place close to work to agist a Horse, I will be going to Adelaide and saving one from the doggers, ex racehorses that have not performed well, they are sold off to be killed for dog meat.