Anyone use retirement livery

[pippixox]

Without going into much detail about my possible changing circumstances.
Or it would be an essay!

Has anyone got a horse or had a horse on retirement livery? I always planned on looking after my old boy for the rest of his life and would never sell, but starting to look at long term best options for him due to possible move.

They are not cheap, but then often full grass livery with shelter (which is good for him to keep moving and he likes to live out as long as warm and not hungry! Or his arthritis gets bad)

But the idea is trusting someone if I can only visit every 2-3 months freaks me out

 

[tda]

A friend of mine has one of hers on retirement livery, he lives out with support and has not looked this good /been as sound for a long time x not cheap tho

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve looked into a few and would absolutely have seriously considered some of them.
Be careful as the livery I was once at did it and I’d have been gutted if my beloved old man was treated like that.
There are some brilliant ones though with people who care and I think those ones are the perfect option for a much loved friend

 

[poiuytrewq]

Money was the deciding factor for me I should add and the fact that my non horsey o|h loves my old horse and refuses to let him go!

 

[Kezzabell2]

Nope my mare lived her days out with me. Cheap grass livery with a big shelter and my other horses for company. Where she'd been on and off For 16 years. We moved a few times but ended up back there for the last 4 years of her life

 

[planete]

I found a local horse owner with her own land and horses to take mine on grass livery. She looks after him with her own stock and I go once a week to pamper him, check him over and discuss whether his feeding and rugging need adjusting. I still feel I am in charge of his care but do not have to do the every day chores. It was a big adjustment at first as things are not done the way I would do them but he is happy and healthy and I can still keep an eye on him. I advertised in our local ads and had the choice of several offers.

 

[JennBags]

Yes, my big lad went away on retirement livery, he was roughed off and living out in a herd, and never looked better. I trusted the livery owner and looked in on my chap whenever I liked. Missed him like hell though.

 

[TheresaW]

I’m lucky that I’ve been able to keep mine in retirement, but I believe Auslander and G_G on here offer retirement services. Both are too far away from me to be able to keep an eye as I’d like to, but am friends with G_G on FB, and would be happy to send one of mine to her from what I’ve seen. Can’t speak for Auslander, but not heard a bad word.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Nb, I only looked very locally!

 

[pippixox]

Yes my worry is that some of these places may use it as an excuse for expensive grass livery! Although I’m sure there are plenty of good ones

I’m just looking at options really. I would rather always have him with me and DIY. But due to husbands changing job we are relocating to an area that is very limited with only a handful of yards with limited turn out. Not ideal for his arthritis.

For now my two are staying where they are while we relocate and paying a friend to look after them. But that means I won’t be able to see them more than once every 6 weeks roughly. I trust my friend completely. But if I decided to move my younger horse as she could cope with limited turn out if she got more exercise, it may not be as simple for my old boy as he is currently just out with her since my pony was PTS. My friends horses come in more on a separate yard area and he obviously wouldn’t be ok kept on his own out. So then a stable retirement herd may be better for him

 

[HashRouge]

Mine are sort of on retirement livery. It wasn't advertised as such, but functions that way! They are out 24/7 and checked twice a day, plus given any feeds/ medications/ rug changes they need. I still go at least twice a week though, unless I'm on holiday, as it is not that far from me (20-25 min drive). I don't think I could do it and only check them once every few months, I would worry too much. I did go away for 6 weeks once and leave them on their current livery and it was (obviously) fine, but I just don't like not seeing them regularly.

 

[Ruftysdad]

Without going into much detail about my possible changing circumstances.
Or it would be an essay!

Has anyone got a horse or had a horse on retirement livery? I always planned on looking after my old boy for the rest of his life and would never sell, but starting to look at long term best options for him due to possible move.

They are not cheap, but then often full grass livery with shelter (which is good for him to keep moving and he likes to live out as long as warm and not hungry! Or his arthritis gets bad)

But the idea is trusting someone if I can only visit every 2-3 months freaks me out

I put Rufty on Retirement Livery in October and it has been really good for him. He is out in the day and in at night. Good grazing and plenty to eat. It is costing me less than I paid last winter when someone helped me.
I can visit whenever I want as he is only 20 minutes away. The yard is a normal livery yard snd just has a few oldies who are kept together.
For the first time in ages I am not stressed about his welfare

 

[ihatework]

Yes my worry is that some of these places may use it as an excuse for expensive grass livery! Although I’m sure there are plenty of good ones

I’m just looking at options really. I would rather always have him with me and DIY. But due to husbands changing job we are relocating to an area that is very limited with only a handful of yards with limited turn out. Not ideal for his arthritis.

For now my two are staying where they are while we relocate and paying a friend to look after them. But that means I won’t be able to see them more than once every 6 weeks roughly. I trust my friend completely. But if I decided to move my younger horse as she could cope with limited turn out if she got more exercise, it may not be as simple for my old boy as he is currently just out with her since my pony was PTS. My friends horses come in more on a separate yard area and he obviously wouldn’t be ok kept on his own out. So then a stable retirement herd may be better for him

I think it sounds like a very mature and unselfish action to send a horse away for better retirement conditions. To many keep old stiff horses in small muddy paddocks just so they ‘can see them’.

I don’t know many retirement places I’m afraid but do know of a friend who is on the very fussy side who has a horse at a place called Monshall and seems very happy.

 

[pippixox]

I put Rufty on Retirement Livery in October and it has been really good for him. He is out in the day and in at night. Good grazing and plenty to eat. It is costing me less than I paid last winter when someone helped me.
I can visit whenever I want as he is only 20 minutes away. The yard is a normal livery yard snd just has a few oldies who are kept together.
For the first time in ages I am not stressed about his welfare

Ultimately this move is not based on horses (sadly!) so I’m trying to work out the best care possible when I can’t do it myself. I’ve had him 12 years and for the past 7 I have been completely DIY other then friends helping for brief holidays! But I can’t make my husband stay put for the horses sake when he has a better job opportunity (I admit I have tried!)

 

[OldNag]

A friend of mine runs a small retirement livery. They have shelter when out and a big barn for winter nights - so they can move more than if they were in individual stables. It's all designed around giving them as much opportunity to keep moving as possible. They really do want for nothing.

I am sure there are ones around which are just expensive grass livery but I think a good one would be absolutely worth considering. I would ask for recommendations in your area.

Good luck, it must be a very hard decision to make.

 

[Theocat]

Yes - mine was on retirement livery for a year. 24/7 turnout when possible; small groups living in big barns when it was grim / waterlogged. The care was absolutely second to none, and it only cost £220pcm (North Yorkshire) including trimming and worm counts as well as feed, forage, twice daily checks as a minimum, and all care. There was no way I could have found anywhere else as suitable to keep her myself, and to be honest I don't think I could do it as cheaply once you add up feed, grazing, forage, feet, and fuel to get there. It also really helped to have a neutral- but incredibly supportive- pair of eyes keeping an eye on her, rather than the inevitable emotional rollercoaster of good days and bad days.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I have a friend who runs one on equicentral principals in Wales-track system etc for healthy feet-it really is a fantastic facility that they continue to improve all the time. Can't remember how much she charges now but I'd not hesitate to send one of mine there.

 

[JillA]

Interested in this as an alternative to downsizing and carrying on on my own with a little paid help. I have one Cushingoid Itcher and one really poor doer so would need to find someone with the right facilities and experience, ideally not a million miles away - I think I might have answered my own question, better to increase the paid help and use my own land Helps to put it in writing lol

 

[mle22]

I have 2 in retirement livery. It’s expensive and I miss them but I know they are being really well looked after and I get photos every day. Due to losing grazing, they otherwise would have been in a small muddy paddock. Now whatever the weather is like I know I don’t have to worry about them.

 

[Bernster]

Have a few friends with theirs on retirement livery down in Dorset and they seem to really rate it. I think it can be a very good option. Aus does a mix and offers fantastic personal care, I wasn’t sure mine would settle out 24/7 but I feel 100% confident with her being there.

 

[ester]

I would have done so with Frank had ‘home’ not been an option. I think I would have had to find someone with a track set up though and the difficulty being he has got increasingly high maintenance with age. I was in a similar situation with moving away and I wanted him to make his ‘last’ move if possible.

 

[tiahatti]

My two are on Retirement livery. They live out. All the retirement places I looked at offered grass livery in a herd but the one I chose for them offered me a field for their sole use. I really am grateful for them to have their own field as one of mine doesn't cope well in a large group.
Grass livery was my only option, partly cost but more importantly because one of mine has cataracts. She is fine in the field but before we moved her,we were finding that she didn't like coming in to the stables in the winter. The vet said it was adjusting from dark to light, so being out all the time is best for her.
They have a lady check them daily, rug change etc. We visit once a week. I had wanted a place nearer home but I couldn't find anything suitable. They have done really well out. When I moved them, one of mine was on bute with feeds & lost weight in winter. At the moment she has maintained her weight (although I realise it could get a lot colder yet), she has stopped the bute & is less stiff. I am so pleased I found their current & final home.

 

[mandyroberts]

I have as my horse needed grazing 24x7 and I don't have enough land at home. Seeing the other horses being ridden was also driving him nuts. What are of the country are you moving to? Someone may know of something not too far away

 

[Nt9]

I have one in retirement livery in Cornwall, miles away from me but it's the right place for him and he is doing really well there, brilliant people perfect retirement livery.

 

[cbmcts]

I had 2 on retirement livery - over 10 years in total. Like many others I had to move them right out of my area to find anywhere suitable. TBH it was pretty rough and ready, while the horses had more (really good) hay then they knew what to do with and you could arrange for bucket feeds and meds if required, there wasn't a huge amount of hands on care. They were checked every day at least once and the fields used had neighbours that were very quick to call if anything looked amiss - the YO often got a call when I went to see them! But the grazing was fantastic, all old leas, never over grazed, well draining. Even in winter only the gateway/around the trough would be a bit muddy. And they had more than a few 30+ year old TBs looking fantastic on that regime.

I did have nag about trims a bit but I'm very fussy about feet and one of mine was a bit of tit to catch and with the farrier so I suspect that sometimes they threw their arms in air after chasing him around and left him till next time... My only minor complaint was that communication wasn't always great, I had to always ask if there was a problem especially with the aforementioned tit rather than the YO contacting me. This horse was a nervy pillock anyway but if he'd had a fright over something he would be practically unhandleable the next time as he really didn't trust easily so for a few years I arranged that I would be there to hold him for the farrier, vet, worming and to load him for field moves. Like too many others they looked at a hefty cob having a meltdown and thought it was bad manners not fear and needing to handle him quietly rather than getting cross with him and scaring him more. They were absolutely fine with my other much easier horse who retired there a few years after the first so I do think that any issues were because of my cob rather than systematic if that makes sense. To be fair many of the other RL would have just told me to take the cob away but apart from rolling their eyes a lot and calling him the feral ginger they just cracked on with him It was very cheap too - less than £200 pm.

 

[pippixox]

thanks for all the replies.

For the time being he is staying where he is with my mare and when we move in March (to France!) my friend is looking after them (paid)
To be honest he currently doesn’t have a huge amount of hands on any way as I have two children under three who come with me twice a day except at weekends. He is used to herd living- has done for the past 7 years. Only comes into barn for trim and if very hot (although is field shelter) or very wet, as by river. So I know the set up at retirement places would suit him well if the current set up changes (been renting for 7 years but you never know)

I would need regular reassurance! I like the places that send pictures, not that it proves much.

He is getting quite stiff at the moment despite the mild weather, as since my pony was pts he has been moping by the gate: he used to always go off and graze with him except when it was breakfast time. Where as my mare waits around for some hay even when I have opened more grass up.

Currently just trying to stop welling up at the idea of not seeing them everyday (I’m pathetic!) but I know they will be well cared for and if we were definitely staying for more than 2 years I would have to move them somehow, or both retire if no where suitable still (I’m not sure I will not miss UK too much and of course brexit may change things)

 

[hollyandivy123]

I was lucky as a friend of a friend needed a companion so I lent them the oldie, but paid for hay and straw for the barn any trims and meds etc, they looked after the day to day care and in return got a very good baby sitter who also taught herd manners to the youngsters.

It’s a trust thing at the end of the day

 

[cbmcts]

thanks for all the replies.

For the time being he is staying where he is with my mare and when we move in March (to France!) my friend is looking after them (paid)
To be honest he currently doesn’t have a huge amount of hands on any way as I have two children under three who come with me twice a day except at weekends. He is used to herd living- has done for the past 7 years. Only comes into barn for trim and if very hot (although is field shelter) or very wet, as by river. So I know the set up at retirement places would suit him well if the current set up changes (been renting for 7 years but you never know)

I would need regular reassurance! I like the places that send pictures, not that it proves much.

He is getting quite stiff at the moment despite the mild weather, as since my pony was pts he has been moping by the gate: he used to always go off and graze with him except when it was breakfast time. Where as my mare waits around for some hay even when I have opened more grass up.

Currently just trying to stop welling up at the idea of not seeing them everyday (I’m pathetic!) but I know they will be well cared for and if we were definitely staying for more than 2 years I would have to move them somehow, or both retire if no where suitable still (I’m not sure I will not miss UK too much and of course brexit may change things)

I think, in your situation I would leave them where they are because it's only for 2 years. Trying to move a family AND large animals to a completely different culture would not be easy...plus as you mentioned Brexit might well cause a huge extra amount of paperwork when you return - I'm thinking health certs etc for your horse that you would take.

However it might be worth lining up a back up or two for the person looking after them, just in case.

 

[Auslander]

Have a few friends with theirs on retirement livery down in Dorset and they seem to really rate it. I think it can be a very good option. Aus does a mix and offers fantastic personal care, I wasn’t sure mine would settle out 24/7 but I feel 100% confident with her being there.

I failed at the "retirement" bit though - didn't I! She believes that exercise is good for the soul!

 

[Bernster]

Happy girly