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View Full Version : Am I a bad owner???


dame_wolf
06-15-2009, 05:23 PM
Okay so this last weekend I had a fight with my friend that I board Koda with. Now i know that she was drunk at the time and taking out her frustration with her husband and their relationship on me and J but some of what she said really hit me. So here is the situation:

1. I don't pay for boarding anymore. When J and I moved into their house in town she told me that having someone in their house that they could trust and that would pay the rent on time was more important to her so to make sure that we could afford the rent there would be no more monthly boarding. Just pay for the grain, salt block, wormer, and shots for all 3 horses (instead of just mine) since the boarding is what she paid all that stuff for her horses out of. I told her if that is what she wanted then fine. She offered and I accepted, it was not my idea and I asked her a couple times if she was sure that is what she wanted to do.

2. J and I are just finally getting finished unpacking into this house. There are like 4 boxes left to unpack plus it is a much bigger house to take care of and clean so it takes longer then it used to do the house chores. Plus there are 2 of us to clean up after and as much as J tries to help (he is always asking if he can help or if I want him to do anything) the boy just can not clean so I end up doing most of the work. I know I could do more durring the week but I work late and just don't feel like doing a lot after work. Plus we are trying to get things ready for when his kids get here in a couple weeks (hopefully).

3. J and I are still trying to work out the whole his/her interests/hobbies/responsibilities. I'm sure you know what I mean. I feel like we are doing okay in keeping things fairly even so neither of us has to compromise more then the other. However, this also means that while the last couple years I was out with Koda every weekend (mostly) both Sat and Sun and we had already done a couple of trail rides by now. This year there have not been any trail rides and I've only been on him a couple times. In my defense though lately when I go out there I end up babysitting M cause she ends up getting drunk and I feel bad leaving my friend when she needs someone.

So what she accused me of is not spending any time with Koda and letting someone else care for him and ride him. I can't have him at home cause we have no property and my schedule prevents me from spending time with him durring the week (unless I don't want to see J). I already felt like I have to choose between J and Koda (no J has never told me to choose or tried to make me feel that way) because before J there really was only Koda. I also found out earlier that day (fight day) that M had been letting some guy ride Koda, not just her and her daughter. Now apparently this guy really knows his stuff and is an excellent rider so I told her that so long and neither he nor Koda got hurt then I didn't mind, it would only make Koda a better horse haveing people that know more about what they are doing riding him. This guy also figured out part of Koda's head problem and a new bit and head gear that makes him respond better.

So I guess it comes down to this, am I a bad owner? Should I be spending less time with J and doing things with J and more time with Koda? I really don't know, I've never been in a relationship where I want to spend so much time together and everytime I choose to do something else I love with J (like going 4x4ing) I feel like I am neglecting Koda. I make sure he has food, he is boarded with someone that loves him as much as she loves her own horses and he is being ridden atleast 3-4 times a week and when I am out there I try to atleast do some ground work with him (gave him a bath this weekend). I just don't know, am I a bad owner?

WashingtonBay
06-15-2009, 05:42 PM
If your horse is fed and cared for, you are not a bad owner. You've got a lot going on. It happens. We haven't been riding this year either, and my hubby's folks coming to visit for a week has pretty much made us put off riding till after they are gone, we just have too much stuff to do.

At least yours is being worked, though I'm a little shaky on those details... Ours are just sitting in the pasture. And you know what? They don't mind that a bit.

WashingtonBay
06-15-2009, 05:44 PM
Oh and PS - Don't take advice or criticism from drunk people!

dame_wolf
06-15-2009, 05:48 PM
The guy that has been riding Koda the last couple weeks, he and his girlfriend/fiance just went through a tough time. Her mom commited suiside and they had to sell their horses to pay for the funeral and all the expenses. They were able to keep her senior horse but that was it and they now board him at the people across the street from where Koda is. He, M, and D (M's daughter) are the only ones besides me that ride him.

dame_wolf
06-15-2009, 05:50 PM
Thanks WB. I know she was just taking out her frustration on us and she did apologise, drunk and then again the next day when she was sober, but it just struck a nerve that I was already feeling and beating myself up over. I just feel bad about not spending every avaliable min with Koda like I did before.

WashingtonBay
06-15-2009, 05:54 PM
Life has ways of getting more complicated once we pair up and set up households... It's just the way it is. I have mine here at home, which is nice, but it also adds acres to the 'things to do before we can have time to ride' list. Mowing, fencing, cleaning - there's always something!

dame_wolf
06-15-2009, 06:01 PM
Thanks again WB. I know that having him at home isn't the answer and things will still come up to prevent constant riding but I hate not getting to see him everyday and care for him myself. Some days I don't even think he knows who his owner is, me or M...

I think that deep down M has been feeling that since she chose her horses over her husband that I should do the same. Now when she is sober she ignors or knows that those feelings are crap but when she got drunk last weekend they just came out. Plus she has already told me that she is jealous of how J treats me as opposed to how her husband of 16 years treats her. She actually told me that J was filling her husbands head full of crap about alchoholics (his ex-wife is one) and that is what started the fight. He has actually tried to tell her husband that he needs to not have beer around her or fight with her if she has been drinking, he needs to support her. I think her drunken mind was trying to find something wrong with him so I would be unhappy like she is.

TheBadLands
06-15-2009, 06:14 PM
Oh I know what you're going through...except its opposite for me. Bobby and I love each other very much. And our BUSINESS is horses (that was his idea for me to go back to working horses full time instead of other jobs) and so we are together with the horses all day...but when we're with the horses, he's getting saddles, hot walking, untacking, fixing fences.. and I'm riding etc... and when we get home we're both so tired that we just make it to watch Whale Wars, Family Guy or one of our other shows and go to bed. Sometimes I feel like I neglect him. And we used to go jeeping (off roading/4x4ing), camping and all these things we have no time for now... and I miss it and I know he does. So I often wonder if I am a bad fiance because of my/our horses....

The bottom line though is that it's YOUR (and his) life and YOUR business... I feel guilty if I get to the barn after 11am M-S so I am a little more extreme, but I know the feeling. And for goodness sake, I never take a day off and the one time I did every boarder out there was frantic as if I had fallen off the planet...

If your horse is getting worked, you get quality time with the person you plan to spend your life with, and your horse is well cared for, then whats it matter to anyone but YOU? It doesn't.

Opinions are like....

well, you know :innocent:

dame_wolf
06-15-2009, 06:22 PM
Thanks Badlands. If it was anyone else then the person that is caring for Koda it prob wouldn't have hit so hard. Plus like I said I was already feeling like I neglect him cause he isn't my every min boy anymore, he has to share my min now...

TheBadLands
06-15-2009, 06:26 PM
Awww trust me... we got into a nicer place here with "full board" (before I did all the feeding etc)... and I still cant bring myself to miss a thing... I'm having to wean myself into letting go on days I just dont feel good or my back goes out.

You have to remember that your horses NEVER forget you. They look forward to those weekends as much as you do. My friend at our new ranch can only cme out on Sundays (single mom) has a gelding she's had most her life.... she rides him once a week and he's so happy! They do everything...she'll tack him up 8 ways from sunday and they'll go from jumps to trails to barrels and in between and it's the light of his weekend. And it works for them.

Don't feel bad. Horses are happy with food, water and freedom. And the rest is icing on the cake.

dame_wolf
06-15-2009, 06:28 PM
Thanks BadLands and WB that really does make me feel better.