Can a horse come back to work after 3 years??

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Megibo

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Hi all, looking into options for my horses as hopefully off to Uni in September. My 13.3 I've had 8 years and all she does really is hack out due to an old injury stopping her doing all she used to. As I'm unlikely to find her a suitable loan (though may try) and will never sell her, she will probably join my sisters horse on retirement livery whilst I am at Uni.
By the time I've finished and able to have her back she'll be around 17 or 18. Could she come back to work after having so much time in the field doing nothing except be a horse? I'd only happy hack her but wondering if this would be possible.
 
I can't see why not. My boy was very much a light hacker (bit of roadwork once or twice a week) until I bought him when he was 16. He's working harder now than he ever had before and is thriving on it. He is frequently mistaken for a youngster out at shows :D As long as you work within her limitations and take it slow with her, I can't see why it would be a problem.

ETS That's him below in my sig.. not bad for an old fella eh?
 
I think its perfectly realistic, its not like you will be demanding much such as going eventimg or anything hard, I think your horse would enjoy having something to do, even if it is happy hacking :)
 
My mare was a broodmare for five years when her racing career ended, and then came to me and competed successfully - no reason why not.
 
My girl had nearly three years off due to a shoulder injury. She was never expected to ever come back into work. But she has. At the tender age of eighteen. She was good as gold too.
 
Thanks :) So at risk of asking a stupid question, you can literally tack them up and begin where you left off?

(Though I would of course get her a new saddle as after three years hers will not fit! And start off with inhand work etc to get her ready before starting any kind of ridden work to bring her back in)
 
Megibo said:
Thanks :) So at risk of asking a stupid question, you can literally tack them up and begin where you left off?

(Though I would of course get her a new saddle as after three years hers will not fit! And start off with inhand work etc to get her ready before starting any kind of ridden work to bring her back in)
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My mare always had a naughty streak in her and could be sharp. So the first time I got on, I let her eat a hay net of tasty haylage whilst I just sat quietly on board as I was on my own. The next day I had one of my liveries lead me around on her. Then she was good to go. Obviously I only did very small amounts in walk to begin with. 5 minutes is enough and gradually build up the length of time over a period of four to six weeks before introducing short bursts of trot. Once I got to the trotting stage, my mare felt better than she had before her injury. Really straight and supple.
 
We took an 18 yr old on loan for the winter. He had not been ridden for 3 yrs and we planned to hunt him. He spent 3 weeks on a walker (not constantly :) ) and then 3 weeks ridden in walk, then he came to us and we built up his work til he was fit enough, over this last hunting season he has been out about 15 times and has been hacking in between.

So I would say you will be able to ride your pony again, but will need to build up the work steadily. Alternatively you might find a hacking loan home for him, perhaps a stay at home mum who would like to ride out 2-3 times per week would suit him.
 
I picked up where I left off with my old mare who had been stood in a field for 18 months. Obviously she wasn't fit but otherwise she was just the same. Yours being a pony will probably be fine too:)
 
As long as you don't expect to go round badminton or anything I don't see why not.

As for bringing back into work, you need to start off with gradual work and slowly build up her fitness. Look it up i.e 'bringing back into work after injury'.
I would maybe do a bit of long reining before I got on? And definitely have someone there to help you the first time you get back on, maybe treating her a bit like an unbroken youngster just in case. Normally they are fine, but you never know how they will react.
 
My mare was retired to stud at 5, she had 10 foals and I didn't start to ride her until she was 20. She loves going out on the trails. Coming back into work gave her a new lease of life.
 
I did exactly that with my mare (she's 20 now). I couldn't afford to move her when I got a job in a city so she stayed at my mum's with a companion. I rode her very irregularly ( she was more or less retired). I moved her to livery 12 months ago and started her back very slowly (after a back check, saddle fitting etc), walk only first and really kept her to hacking and eventually some light schooling. She seems to really enjoy her work now and loves going out with others for a hack (she can still get very excitable if we have a blast round a field). I will continue to hack her etc until she stops enjoying it but no sign of that at the minute.
 
My girl was off for 2 years with a suspensory ligament injury. When I got back on, I lay across her back for a few moments, until she turned round to look at me as if to say "what the bloody hell are you doing there, just get on" at which point I did, and she was fine! she had lost a lot of muscle condition, and she was stiff so I had a McTimony practioner give her the once over, then just gradually built her workload up. She is now 18. so yes, I think you will be fine!:)
 
horses can come back after much longer periods of time off, i wouldnt worry about it :)

youll probably find even if u pop home and drag her out the field every now and again, she'll be absolutely fine!! (god knows, i did with mine!)

schooling etc will take a little longer to come back, but just treat her like any horse you'd bring back in after even a short rest
 
I brought gingerface back into work after 5 years off. Tacked her up & took her for a hack :D now been back in work for a year & a bit & fitter than ever, not bad for a 20 year old!

Similar with blackpony who came back into work after 2yrs off. Long reigned her for 10 mins then hopped on & went for hack :D

Your pony will be fine, & if u get chance u can pop on when home for the hols for quiet walk round block :)
 
Yes she can come back into work, she will probably be glad to have a job!

I recently had a mare that had never been broken, she was 13 and had not been bred from for four years. Either be broken or shot. She took to it like a duck takes to water and is now, two years on, one of the best in the hunting field.
 
I second everyone above, mine only had a year off when I was last pregnant, but I got him in and lunged in walk a couple of days then went out for a hack (he's better hacking than in the school) - you'd never have know he'd had the time off.
 
Mouse has been in and out of work all of his life. He is now 20 years old, and his latest period of rest prior to being in work was about 5 years or so. He's loving being back in work - mostly!! It was a "now or never" type thing really - it was his last chance of being back in work really and I'm glad I did as he's ticking over really nicely - staving off the onset of arthritis!!
 
Thanks all I feel much better now :D

She's been left in a field turned away for 6 months before and I've simply got back on and resumed work but of course that's alot different to 3 years! Yes where possible I'll ride when I have holidays now and then :)

And she certainly will Foxhunter, she does like to go and do some work either here and there or daily hence my guilt at her doing nothing but be a horse in a field. But ah well, she's a horse afterall and wont spend her days munching grass thinking to herself 'I wish I was out hacking' :p
 
Yep as long as there is no obvious reason why they can't be ridden.

Mine had 4 years out after a severe tendon injury, we left her to see how she would get on and if she would come sound, she had 6 months box rest then 3 and a half years turned away.

She came sound :D so we started lightly lunging her and then we got on her, she was a bit naughty at first but once she got the idea she was being ridden again she was fine. It took around 6 months to build her muscles up slowly and correctly due to her old tendon injury.

Hope this helps and good luck with your boy :)
 
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