Beyond the forever home

I train my horses to be happy, willing and generous performers so they will attract the kind of owners who will love them and take care of them for the long term.

f you’re like me, you’ve seen the term “forever home” thousands of times while perusing horse ads: “looking for a forever home” or “will only sell to a forever home” or “offering a forever home.” We all want the best for our horses--a lifetime of green pastures, boundless resources for the best of care, proper training, nutritious feed, kind treatment, consistency and friendship. And for many of us, that means providing a forever home. But is this always a reasonable promise to make or expect? How realistic is the expectation of a forever home? Can a forever home actually be detrimental to a horse?

As I write this I’m looking out at a 4-year-old filly I recently bought. She’s a Shire-cross sport horse built like a true athlete, with a tight-kneed jump and fluid movement. I purchased her to start for a client who wants a novice eventer.