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[Touch~of~Gold]

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[tinah]

How important is it to you to continue to rise in the ranks? You can either do what the horse is suited to, or you can pass him on to teach someone else. I take it he is a bit older? What about a long-term lease? Would he work out as a schoolie at your current barn?

[Moocow]

You could always lease him out? But on feeling selfish - don't! Think of it as instead of him being put aside because you will be focusing your energy on a new horse, he can become a great new partner of another deserving young rider! They will surely appreciate him as much as you did. As long as you make sure he goes to a good home with a competent owner, rider and/or coach you shouldn't have to worry too much. :)

[grandprixjump]

My current mare I bred and raised, started on my own, she's a good jumper to 3'6, maybe a little higher with a smaller rider. I have jumped bigger, and want to again. but don't really want to sell her, I have listed her for lease, and thought I had her leased out for a year, one year ago. She was perfect for the older daughter, but a little too much for the younger one, and they wanted a horse for both to ride and show.
I feel your pain. I have jumped 5'9 and want a mini prix or even a level 7 horse to do the smaller GP's on.

[preciouspony]

What you need to do is figure out what your goals are. Do you really want to show and do the bigger classes like the junior equitation and jumpers or are you just riding for fun? What do you plan on doing in the future? What are your reasons for needing new horse in order to move up 3-6 inches?

Almost EVERYONE I know that has owned horses has had to make the decision that you are trying to make right now. When riders have to make these kinds of choices it really shows the different reasons people ride. And you are most likely in the group of people who ride because they really love horses. I can tell that you really care about this horse and have developed a great friendship with him which makes this decision hard. There are actually a lot more choices then selling or keeping though.

Sure, you could sell your horse and buy a fancy hunter. It may take a while for you to get over your other horse but the new horse would allow you to move up and show at more advanced levels. Eventually you will probably have another opportunity to move up to the 3'6-3'9 classes and will may run into the same problem you have right now. A lot of people don't have the option to keep all of their horses and ponies from the past and this is sometimes the only choice if you really love to show and want to keep advancing through the classes. Sometimes it can be easier to not get attached to your horses so the goodbye will be easier in the end. But I'm sure many horseback riders know how hard it can be to not get attached and fall in love with our partners!

And if you decide to keep your horse... Maybe he is capable of jumping higher then 2'9. Have you ever tried it? If not at least you know you'll always have a friend. You will always know that he is safe and has a loving owner. However, there are still more options you can choose from.

You can keep your horse but lease him out while you lease another horse. This way, if you keep in touch with the leasee, you will know whats going on with your guy but you will still have a horse to move up on. If you choose to do a full lease you may have to spend some time away from your horse but depending on your contract you will be able to get him back after a certain amount of time. This would be an option to consider and discuss with your parents and trainer.

I know what you are going through because I went through this not too many years ago with my large pony. In the end, I chose to keep her. I still own her now and I'm small so I still ride her almost every day. I never leased her out or leased another horse but I was still given opportunities to ride my trainers sale horses and even catch ride at shows. Sure, I could be riding in the big junior classes right now which was my dream for so many years. But when the time came to move up, I couldn't do it. Some days I regret not getting a horse to do the big eq on but I still have fun riding my pony and she still challenges me. I'm sure my decision has set me back in my riding and my future plans to be a trainer, but I'm positive I will find other ways to get known and prove that junior years aren't anything. You never know what will happen in your future and these decisions are hard. Do what you think is best for you and your goals.

[Seven-up]

Turn the feeling of selfishness around a little bit and look at it a different way. He got you to where you are today, right? Isn't it a little bit selfish to keep him and deny someone else a chance to learn on a terrific partner? Isn't it a little selfish to keep him from being able to do what he does best: teach another kid how to be a better rider.

I went through the same thing with my first horse. Every horse, really. (And it does get easier, but it's always hard to let go of a friend.) We all go through that. We love our horses, and we owe them so much. But sometimes what we owe them is a chance to move on and make someone else's life as great as they did ours. Some horses are teachers, and it's sometimes it's selfish to hang on to them just because we love them, when what we're actually doing is keeping them from doing what they do best. The real teachers love their jobs.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do. It's hard.

[tBHj]

Don't feel selfish.

But if you really can't part with him I would also suggest leasing him out and either buying or leasing another one.

[deboraht70]

Turn the feeling of selfishness around a little bit and look at it a different way. He got you to where you are today, right? Isn't it a little bit selfish to keep him and deny someone else a chance to learn on a terrific partner? Isn't it a little selfish to keep him from being able to do what he does best: teach another kid how to be a better rider.

I went through the same thing with my first horse. Every horse, really. (And it does get easier, but it's always hard to let go of a friend.) We all go through that. We love our horses, and we owe them so much. But sometimes what we owe them is a chance to move on and make someone else's life as great as they did ours. Some horses are teachers, and it's sometimes it's selfish to hang on to them just because we love them, when what we're actually doing is keeping them from doing what they do best. The real teachers love their jobs.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do. It's hard.

Great advice 7-up.

[HD2008]

When I was a kid, my first pony was a large. She was given to me and I loved her very much, but after 4 years, it was clear that I was getting too tall for her. If I wanted to continue riding and showing, I needed a larger horse. I had to make the difficult decision to sell her, but she went to some nice people. She did change hands again later, but I saw her at a local show packing kids around years later and it made me happy to know she continued to teach. Got to speak with the people who had her at the time and they loved her, so your horse can go on to teach more kids. Just be selective in who you sell him to. If he really is a good packer, you will find the right people for him who will continue to love him like you do.

[pony4me]

There are a lot of financially secure older people (50+) who are looking for quiet best friend show horses. One of my best friends has been searching for months and still hasn't found anything her trainer will approve. Screen the buyers carefully, and it's likely that he will find a new home with someone who loves him.

[Beau Cheval]

Exactly my situation to the word, except my horse is kind of nutty and challenging, and while that taught me a lot, it also means that I'm very tuned to riding him and his quirks, and I have spent too much time learning to ride my horse and not enough time learning to just RIDE. I have had my horse since january of 2006, so we've been together for a long long time, but finally it has come to the point where he is just not fun anymore, and I want to move up because, to loosely quote what Andre Dignelli said on horsepower (lol), my love of the horse has turned into a love of the sport, and while I adore my horse, I can't make myself happy in my current situation anymore. Believe it or not, your horse will know this, and it is best to get him to a situation with someone who can learn lots from him and will cherish his partnership the way you used to. My horse and I have a crazy bond, he'll follow me around, but he's also a little schizophrenic and he has "moments". Because he had some bad experiences, I have had a lot of people tell me that letting him chill in a field for a while will be a good thing for him, so he is moving to my uncle's house to do that.
For your horse, who sounds like a very nice guy, I think you will have an easier time placing him, especially since it sounds like he is a good teacher, with someone who will love him than I did, since my horse has a lot of issues. There isn't a lot anyone can say to make this less painful, and it takes a lot of time (I've been thinking about selling my horse for a year+) but it is the right decision for you. Put up some ads, talk to some people (I've almost broken down on the phone twice!) and see what kind of response you get, if you find the right person it will make you realize that maybe your horse will have fun with his next person. And you can still go visit him! Also, start looking at new horses now. You'll realize how much you want them, and it will help =)
Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you want to chat. *hugs*

[whbar158]

It depends on your situation, but I know the feeling. My horse was about 18 or so when he really couldn't do what I wanted to do anymore, but I could not sell him nor would I have really been able to get enough money to buy what I wanted for him, as he was older and while he is the most fun horse and can be so good, he doesn't have an auto change and is very hard for beginners to get, isn't a fancy mover etc so while he is a great packer and will take care of you he is not the kind that brings the $$$. So I leased him out (free leased) and he is a school horse and has a blast, before I moved to Mississippi I was still free to ride him when ever I wanted and still got to take him to show with the kids and just have fun with him. I actually had some of my best shows and courses on him recently (and hes 20 now!).

I was lucky enough that for several years when I was still in NC that I had plenty of other horses to ride and show and while they were not "mine" and were often sold after awhile I got to show where I wanted and still have my pony. So I say it depends on your options. I decided I would not sell my horse as I have now had him almost half his life and more than any other owner he has had. We have a weird connection, and it sucks being so far away from him now (I haven't seen him in 2 months!) I know he is in good hands and whenever I am in NC I can ride/see him. But I may not be a good person to ask about this, I have only sold one of my horses and that was mostly because when I rode her she tried to kill me! My old ponies were given to the same lady who is leasing my horse for her program :lol: