East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
VintageTea
Owned horses, dogs, a variety of parrots, rabbits & many others over the years.
Professional artist & student
VintageTea’s animals
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 and were very happy to curl on your lap if allowed, one loved riding around on everyones shoulders.<br><br>I'm not sure they're suitable for young children due to claws & accidental scratching, however they're suitable with children who'e able to withstand an accidental scratch & know how to leave them alone when needed.){kind=link}
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://rightpet.com/images/default/invertebrate_other.png&media=https://rightpet.com/images/default/invertebrate_other.png&description=Well, this is a difficult one to review.<br><br>I aquired these from someone my father worked with. A large tub sat ontop of the aquarium, and I asked about what the tub of leaves was about. To my surprise, it contained quite a few insects.<br><br>Luckily we had a privet hedge nearby so could easily provide them with food. Watching them move around their tank was quite interesting, they tend to "sway" and almost dance.<br><br>We ended up with quite a lot of eggs which I often gave away to people. Seeing the young insects growing up was quite fun - they're not a massively interactive pet - though I'm sure they probably are to some people, I'm used to bigger animals.<br><br>They were easy to keep & own, though I do remember the young managed to escape out of the tank, and the kitchen was full of them. We never did find them all either!){kind=link}
 female rabbit put me off the females, due to being very hormonal and constantly plucked her fur for nest making. She was not an overly friendly rabbit and nipped regularly. She sadly passed on at the age of just 4.<br><br>My first Lop male rabbit was a saint, and the type of rabbit any child would want to grow up with. He was friendly, loved being held and would hop over to sit in your lap if you were sat nearby. If you scratched/rubbed his back, he would have to lick anything in front of him, your foot, the floor, anything.<br>He developed tumors around his esophagus and sadly was euthanized at the age of 8. <br><br>My last two rabbits after him were related (from the same breeder) and lived together. One was the runt of the litter, and developed cataracts. They were inseparable and the larger of the two provided support/guidance for the other who, by the age of 2, was fully blind. They were both very sweet, friendly rabbits. The blind rabbit passed on at 5 years, and his brother died shortly afterwards, from what appeared to be simply "A broken heart"<br><br>All my Lop rabbits lived on fresh shavings & hay (as I have horses, this was easy to come by. I suggest if you own rabbits/guineas, don't waste money buying small bags of shavings for £3/6 when you can buy an entire large bale for £6, exactly the same product and you're gaining at least 8x the amount for the same price. Same with hay, a good conventional hay bale would last you quite a long time, same with straw if you used it.<br><br>I fed my rabbits on a mixed diet (maize, oats, peas, etc), plenty of wood to chew, fresh fruit and veg. We built custom cages that had a screen to protect from any rain & snow, and they had shelves for additional play. We had custom runs & pens for on the grass which gave them a lot of freedom without getting lost in the garden.<br>Their water bottles were wrapped in drainpipe insulation in winter to help prevent freezing.<br><br>For children, rabbits are often a great pet, though from my experience, females can be quite temperamental/hormonal and can find this can put children off if they're regularly bitten. (like me)<br><br>I'd suggest though, make sure your child wants one for good reasons. It's common for children to fall for the "cute" factor and then not be interested in cleaning them out (which can cause poor health and attract flies which can lead to fly strike).<br><br>It's been some years since I had rabbits, and would love to have another one day. Currently it's not overly practical and would not be able to spend enough time with one.){kind=link}
 <br> <br>In his day, he was a Show Jumper and Dressage horse. His breeding of Connemara gives him the small, lean frame, yet with a sturdy chest & hips. His hooves are small in proportion and his general frame (when young) was well built with muscle, especially top line. The Thoroughbred breeding gave him a more athletic 'appearance' and a higher head carriage. Thoroughbreds are often included in mixed breeding to either give the lean height or the speed & athletic ability. Many Thoroughbred x Connemara types are able to be competed as Juniors ponies due to reaching 14.2 hands high. My horse is 13.3 hands high. I have included a side on photograph of him, however bare in mind he is an elderly horse now, and has therefore lost a lot of the "mass" of his larger muscles, so now appears finer in his chest/barrel/hips/neck than what he originally once was. <br> <br>He had a high stress level from competitions, though thoroughly enjoyed going to shows and being groomed in preparation. His main ability was jumping - exactly what his 'type' was bred for. He competed in the UK (where we reside) and won many junior and open competitions. He retired to a riding school for a slightly easier life for 12 years. He was not keen on small children & the slow lifestyle, however as a lead rein pony, he was a good pony for beginners to learn on. Due to having a higher level showjumping past, he was not suitable for beginners or intermediates to learn to jump on, due to not being a "Kick to go, pull to stop" pony. <br> <br>He has a large anxiety issue, quite likely stemming from a high stress lifestyle as a younger horse, his breeding and possibly from losing a previous companion. His anxiety often materialises in the form of box walking, weaving and head shaking. This meant that due to attempting to jump out of his stable (even if it meant throwing himself through the door) he lived outside. Though roughed off to the weather, he struggled in the winter. <br> <br>Due to his advanced years and previous health care, he picked up a severe digestion illness which now prevents him from eating hay & long stalked grass. This can affect many horses of all types, especially the elderly. <br> <br>Horses have a total of 24 Premolar & molar teeth. My horse is missing 9 of these, which means he also struggles to chew long fibres. This poses a choking hazard if he's unable to eat long stems, so he lives on a "easy soak" feed of high quality, high fibre pellets & a special mash to aid digestion and improve the microbial activity in his gut. <br> <br>In addition to this, he has also had 3 rounds of steroid injections due to arthritic stifles - which are the equivalent of a humans knee caps. On "bad" days (such as winter, poor weather, exuberant play in the field) his lameness is aided by a drug named Phenylbutazone, aka bute. <br> <br>He also is partially blind due to cataracts & vitreous degeneration, and has Cushings Disease, which is usually a tumor, abnormal growth or swelling of/in the Pituitary Gland in the brain. The most symptom of this is an non shedding, curly coat, excessive sweating & drinking, possible blindness, grumpiness, swellings above the eyes, dipped back & pot belly. He has this disease maintained by a drug named Prascend. This costs £80 a month. ($126 approx) and is monitored by regular ACTH blood tests. (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) <br> <br>Despite these expensive-to-monitor conditions, the joy of owning an older horse in his older years after decades of faithful companionship, successes, failures, heartbreak, goodbyes and endless joy is worthwhile for every day. I have to remain focused, keeping his welfare in mind, for when the end of his days nears - not to be ignored by my personal need/want to keep him around. <br> <br>Though he is aged, lame and partially blind, he can still gallop around the field happily, and is heavily dependant on one of my other horses. Though this can pose separation problems at times, he is a very happy horse - and is now happily stabled without fuss. He still box walks, however his anxiety level is often at a low. He enjoys walks down the road by leading as he knows he has a job to do. Even if it is just going for a walk! <br> <br>Many horses change, you are likely to meet many Connemara x Thoroughbred mixes who are calm, happy to be on their own and may even prefer not to jump. Statistically, Thoroughbred crosses can be lively horses, and may suit the more intermediate - advanced rider, keen to compete or jump. If you want to keep your faithful friend for years to come, remember that a young horse will still grow old, and complications can occur. Your friend deserves care in their old age too!){kind=link}