Anyone else have the urge.....

A

annbal

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to jump on their retired horses. My boy is a 27 ex race horse and been retired for 5 years. he has no real problems but I brought a youngster a few years ago and Ben is now just a companion.
however, he is so lovely and easy that i just sometime have the urge to jump on and ride him..

Anyone else get this?? Would it be completely cruel to throw a bridle and saddle on him after 5 years??
 
As long as the saddle fits I'm sure a little amble would be ok.
I've recently got a new horse and my 24 year old is semi retired with a few gentle hacks a week. In a way I want to retire him but my vet keeps telling me I should keep him ticking over. I have so much work with the new boy that I'm finding it hard to fit everything in. On the other hand I don't want to call it a day with my oldster, he's given me so much pleasure.
If I didn't ride him for a few years I'm sure I would be tempted to get back on him, even if it was just for 10 minutes. I don't think it will do any harm to give it a go, he'll probably enjoy the change. You'll soon know if he isn't happy.
Good luck!
smile.gif
 
Hi ya...I know what you mean!
I have my retired ex-racer mare (20yrs old) who I have been looking at recently and thinking 'oohhh i want to have a ride on you again'!!! Since retiring her I haven't ridden any other horse...haven't wanted too really.
She has been retired now for 1.5 years mainly due to arthritis...she has supplement, had treatment etc etc but after having another lovely 4 years of riding after the start of it all, felt it was her time to have life of luxury (which she loves) and not ask any more from her...she's quite a complicated lady!!! She was fab to ride...with a wonderful canter...

Her saddle won't fit anymore (I was going to get a new one but then retired her) but I have been contemplating riding her bareback..tho God only knows what she would think about it!!! I take her for walks in hand around the land where she is kept and there is a perfect long stretch which would be fab to canter her up!!!
The people who really know her say she would faint at the thought of being ridden again!!! When she plays up we always say show her the saddle that will stop her playing up!!!!
Its difficult tho as I miss riding her now...but she may not see it like that!!!
 
I have been thinking the same about my old boy. He has been retired for about 2 years, before that he was recovering from a chipped bone so we took it really slowly over the 2 years prior to that and never really got back into anything...it was just a bit of a change of scene for him.

When I had my trailer I took him out for the day to a lovely place that you can ride around a lake and the going was perfect for us. He was SO smiley all that week. I really want to see if he is up for hacking but our circumstances don't allow it at the moment roads and lack of company for my youngster. Maybe at the end of the summer!
 
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