How do you decide if it’s right to retire your horse

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Melandmary

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This may be a long post but I have been trying to decide whether it’s time to retire my horse and just don’t know what to do . She is a 16 year old traditional cob with PSSM and I have had for 12 years as a happy hacker. During covid I made the mistake of moving her to my partners which is in a fairly built up area and the hacking is frankly rubbish unless you are confident on the roads so we put an arena in and I had been having lessons and doing a bit of hacking at the weekends. Mel has had periods of on/off lameness during the last few years from laminitis, then hocks ( now injected) then more recently she had a fall and is very slightly lame still. Seen vet and phisio and currently doing rehab but I just don’t feel enthusiastic about riding her anymore and this is partly because whenever I come to catch her she has been refusing to be caught and I believe this is because she is in some pain and doesn’t enjoy schooling. The roads are also quite hilly and she struggles going down hill. Moving is not an option as I have also gained a couple of companions ponies over the years 🙈. In my heart I think I just want to retire her as we have a close bond when she knows she is not coming in to work but for some reason I feel guilty that she should be in work ( when fully sound) to keep her fit and help with weight loss . It feels like I am in the wrong place , at the wrong time of my life( peri menopausal , anxious, tired all the time) to try to do anymore with her work wise. I guess I want someone to tell me it’s ok to let her enjoy being a field ornament . Thanks for reading, just writing it down has helped but any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated ☺️
 
Type 1 PSSM?

If so they can make for a tough retirement - i have one. Don't under estimate how much your current workload is keeping the disease under control.

Mine has been retired 4 years. Mentally - for both of us - it was the right thing to do but physically she has deteriorated. I still walk her out or do in hand work 5-6 times a week and my field set up keeps them moving.

I'm not saying don't retire but if you make that call then brace yourself for what might be quite a speedy deterioration in those muscles 😢
 
It’s really hard. I have just retired my horse. At first I told myself I was turning him away for a bit over (last) winter, but that he was coming back to be ridden.
He did for a while, he is a head shaker and nothing had changed so he is currently turned away again but I have decided he is now retired ( I think!)
You don’t have to make a completely final decision, you could tell yourself she is having 6 mths off. I just think it feels easier.
In that time you will know if it works for both of you and how sound/ healthy and happy she is retired.
Getting out of the habit of riding makes a difference.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Why would you continue to ride a horse who is lame and clearly sore?

Defo time to stop riding her, but be prepared to call time on her if she is not sound enough to cope as a happy pasture ornament - not all horses do. Don’t let her hobble on the field.
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She is only 2/10th lame intermittently on the front foreleg and a little sore still in the lumbar area hence I have only been doing groundwork rehab for the last 2 months but with her hock issues I just think they will need injecting again soon and is it all worth it to go one step foreward and one back? Her phisio thinks hacking would help her once sound due to the pssm and her being overweight but my hacking is not fun for me anymore with all the roadwork. So I am not riding her while she is sore, just contemplating whether to just stop all the pressure on both of us to get ridden sound again for no real purpose
 
SEL said:
Type 1 PSSM?

If so they can make for a tough retirement - i have one. Don't under estimate how much your current workload is keeping the disease under control.

Mine has been retired 4 years. Mentally - for both of us - it was the right thing to do but physically she has deteriorated. I still walk her out or do in hand work 5-6 times a week and my field set up keeps them moving.

I'm not saying don't retire but if you make that call then brace yourself for what might be quite a speedy deterioration in those muscles 😢
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Yes it’s the pssm that is making me feel like I should persevere as she does get stiffer the less work she does, however she isn’t stabled and I was thinking they will need money I spend on lessons in a year would pay for me to put a track system in which would benefit all the ponies, keep them moving and reduce grass intake and hopefully weight. I can not walk her I hand on the road she is very strong in hand but I do walk my other companion pony out who is better on the roads
 
poiuytrewq said:
It’s really hard. I have just retired my horse. At first I told myself I was turning him away for a bit over (last) winter, but that he was coming back to be ridden.
He did for a while, he is a head shaker and nothing had changed so he is currently turned away again but I have decided he is now retired ( I think!)
You don’t have to make a completely final decision, you could tell yourself she is having 6 mths off. I just think it feels easier.
In that time you will know if it works for both of you and how sound/ healthy and happy she is retired.
Getting out of the habit of riding makes a difference.
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She has had a few prolonged periods of being unidentified over the last few years and I haven’t really missed it to be truthful. I have the opportunity to hack a friends horse so I will still be riding, just not my own. I also thought maybe give her till next spring and see how we both feel then might make it a more natural decision😂
 
Melandmary said:
Yes it’s the pssm that is making me feel like I should persevere as she does get stiffer the less work she does, however she isn’t stabled and I was thinking they will need money I spend on lessons in a year would pay for me to put a track system in which would benefit all the ponies, keep them moving and reduce grass intake and hopefully weight. I can not walk her I hand on the road she is very strong in hand but I do walk my other companion pony out who is better on the roads
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A lot of our on/off lameness issues were muscle related and obviously tight muscles lead to compensation patterns which eventually become joint issues - making it more uncomfortable for them to work. Vicious circle isn't it?

My p1/p1 Ardennes retired happily until his ringbone was too severe - but he was on bute

My n/p1 mare is hard work and if I lived in an area with easy hacking I may have persevered - but she was never an easy hack and I have busy roads. I'm at peace with my decision to retire her and that she's unlikely to make old bones so if you think yours (& that's a good age for a PSSM horse!) is better out of ridden work then follow your gut.
 
I would certainly take the pressure off yourself if you feel you have to ride but aren't enjoying it.

Can you talk to your vet about whether walking in hand would be good for her (I do a lot in the local housing estates with youngsters and they and I really like it).

Or maybe a younger kid sharer who just wants to potter about being led by a parent around the streets - if she is sensible enough for that.

When mine had nasty hock arthritis the vet thought gentle but regular exercise was better for him than retirement - so it's a balance between her needs and yours.

No harm in giving yourself a year off - and then see what next spring looks like - if she copes well with retirement = fab, if she doesn't there are middle ground options you could consider that aren't you riding her full time.
 
Sounds like you're right to be considering it, I'd just decide to try it and focus on the track system etc that you mention above. If she's strong in hand you could work on groundwork in the field if you want to keep her brain and body active.
Mine have retired mostly when they've had to as treatment was too risky/expensive/unlikely to work/I just felt it wasn't right to carry on. But some, I called it a bit early as I didn't enjoy riding anymore.
 
Melandmary said:
Yes it’s the pssm that is making me feel like I should persevere as she does get stiffer the less work she does, however she isn’t stabled and I was thinking they will need money I spend on lessons in a year would pay for me to put a track system in which would benefit all the ponies, keep them moving and reduce grass intake and hopefully weight. I can not walk her I hand on the road she is very strong in hand but I do walk my other companion pony out who is better on the roads
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Pssm could be tricky to manage if your mare is retired, because she’d be healthier ‘kept at’ some activity, to keep her muscles moving, albeit without the weight of a rider. Being led from another, marched out in hand.....that type of thing - if you could manage to keep that going?
I don’t know whether a track life would successfully replace exercise, probably depends on the type of track and on the liveliness of her companions?
But I do know that some of the ‘engineered’ tracks, thoroughly surfaced, properly fenced etc. will need planning permission, because it represents a permanent, non-agrarian structure. Even if your fields are already in equestrian use, this type of track is specifically not for grazing horses, it is a change of use. A bit like installing a manège in a horse-grazing field.
Some local authorities are really hot on this, and since you are already in a fairly built up area, would be worth thoroughly checking this out before spending a lot of money. Hope things work out!
 
Could you do some in hand walking with her instead to help keep the pssm under control if she is comfortable doing that? 16 is not old by any means and there really is no right or wrong answer here but from past experience horses tend to go downhill a lot faster when just left to stand in a field so some sort of movement will still be beneficial for her.

My boy is 26 and I question all the time whether he should retire (he has hock arthritis too which is managed) but my Vet says retiring will
not help him and keeping him moving is best. A the moment we mostly walk and have a few trots but sometimes he wants to go quicker and if he does I let him - he’s very sensible and would only do this on perfect ground. The hard ground at the moment is making lots uncomfortable tbh and nobody can do much more than walk. I would say schooling might not be a good idea with the arthritis because of the circles. Could you try giving her some anti inflammatory for a couple of weeks and see if that makes any difference? Then you will know if it’s pain causing it.
 
Than you for all your thoughts on this, unfortunately she is not a sensible horse for a novice or a child to pootle on as she is a typical dominant mare and uses her size and strength when fearful. She has always been kept till now in very rural settings and town life and traffic she still has not completely settled into so I would absolutely not walk her out in hand like I do the companion pony. I do have a school and we have been doing inhand pole work and long reigning and I could continue with this. @SEL , I am pretty much in the situation it seems as that is what the last few years have been like and the less I do the more uncomfortable she looks and yet she is not sound or sensible enough to walk out which would help massively. We are trying to sell our house and move somewhere nearer a bridle way and this would change the way I feel I am sure but right now in my current situation I don’t have the heart or the balls or even the finances to keep paying for more arthramid to be able to hack out a few times a week.
 
spotty_pony2 said:
Could you do some in hand walking with her instead to help keep the pssm under control if she is comfortable doing that? 16 is not old by any means and there really is no right or wrong answer here but from past experience horses tend to go downhill a lot faster when just left to stand in a field so some sort of movement will still be beneficial for her.

My boy is 26 and I question all the time whether he should retire (he has hock arthritis too which is managed) but my Vet says retiring will
not help him and keeping him moving is best. A the moment we mostly walk and have a few trots but sometimes he wants to go quicker and if he does I let him - he’s very sensible and would only do this on perfect ground. The hard ground at the moment is making lots uncomfortable tbh and nobody can do much more than walk. I would say schooling might not be a good idea with the arthritis because of the circles. Could you try giving her some anti inflammatory for a couple of weeks and see if that makes any difference? Then you will know if it’s pain causing it.
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Spotty pony I am only long reigning and doing pole work in walk in a sand school as part of a rehab program. Mel has seen the vet and monthly phisio and though she has improved since her fall she is still slightly lame but also sore in a couple of areas ( chest and lumbar) . It’s a cycle of lameness and then stiffness due to her PSSM . I have tried walking her out in hand on a Sunday morning when the roads are the quietest but she is very sound reactive and edgy and I worry I would let go if she wanted to be off
 
Melandmary said:
Spotty pony I am only long reigning and doing pole work in walk in a sand school as part of a rehab program. Mel has seen the vet and monthly phisio and though she has improved since her fall she is still slightly lame but also sore in a couple of areas ( chest and lumbar) . It’s a cycle of lameness and then stiffness due to her PSSM . I have tried walking her out in hand on a Sunday morning when the roads are the quietest but she is very sound reactive and edgy and I worry I would let go if she wanted to be off
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The reactiveness could well be the PSSM sadly - mine was brilliant in the short spaces of time I managed to get it under control and a reactive, spooky mess when it wasn't. Unfortunately the reactive spooky mess took us backwards into an enormous drainage ditch, nearly onto the bonnet of a car and under a tractor - so solo hacking or even leading out on busy roads is an absolute no.

I think they either need to be properly in work and using up the glycogen or a firm retirement and 'see how it goes'. It sounds like your heart is heading towards the second option and I totally understand that position. I do sometimes feel guilty about retiring a 10yo but she's now on her 4th year of being pampered in my own fields and I realistically wouldn't get back on her now. Everytime she goes through a good patch I think that maybe I could dust off her saddle - but then the weather changes, or she gets stressed over something random and I see the tightness return and know full well she wouldn't appreciate me actually getting on her back. So pampered princess she is for however long she's comfortable.

Good luck with whatever you decide
 
SEL said:
The reactiveness could well be the PSSM sadly - mine was brilliant in the short spaces of time I managed to get it under control and a reactive, spooky mess when it wasn't. Unfortunately the reactive spooky mess took us backwards into an enormous drainage ditch, nearly onto the bonnet of a car and under a tractor - so solo hacking or even leading out on busy roads is an absolute no.

I think they either need to be properly in work and using up the glycogen or a firm retirement and 'see how it goes'. It sounds like your heart is heading towards the second option and I totally understand that position. I do sometimes feel guilty about retiring a 10yo but she's now on her 4th year of being pampered in my own fields and I realistically wouldn't get back on her now. Everytime she goes through a good patch I think that maybe I could dust off her saddle - but then the weather changes, or she gets stressed over something random and I see the tightness return and know full well she wouldn't appreciate me actually getting on her back. So pampered princess she is for however long she's comfortable.

Good luck with whatever you decide
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Thank you @SEL, I think posting on here has helped me decide that retirement it is for however long that may be that she is comfortable and happy….and no chance of dusting off the tack as I intend to sell it towards putting my summer track in place . I appreciate everyone’s input🙏
 
Exasperated said:
Pssm could be tricky to manage if your mare is retired, because she’d be healthier ‘kept at’ some activity, to keep her muscles moving, albeit without the weight of a rider. Being led from another, marched out in hand.....that type of thing - if you could manage to keep that going?
I don’t know whether a track life would successfully replace exercise, probably depends on the type of track and on the liveliness of her companions?
But I do know that some of the ‘engineered’ tracks, thoroughly surfaced, properly fenced etc. will need planning permission, because it represents a permanent, non-agrarian structure. Even if your fields are already in equestrian use, this type of track is specifically not for grazing horses, it is a change of use. A bit like installing a manège in a horse-grazing field.
Some local authorities are really hot on this, and since you are already in a fairly built up area, would be worth thoroughly checking this out before spending a lot of money. Hope things work out!
Click to expand...
Yes we found out the hard way when we put in a sand “ turn out” area that moving soil, digging ditches needs planning permission so we had to get retrospective permission after nosey neighbours reported all the diggers and stone getting delivered 😂
 
Tiddlypom said:
Why would you continue to ride a horse who is lame and clearly sore?

Defo time to stop riding her, but be prepared to call time on her if she is not sound enough to cope as a happy pasture ornament - not all horses do. Don’t let her hobble on the field.
Click to expand...
Agree.

I was thinking about Lari and wondering should i get coffin joints medicated, but one bute a day and shoeing on fronts has made all the difference and he's sound as a pound now which is a huge relief.

Could you not try her on a sachet of bute a day? It's relatively cheap if you get your vet to put 2 x boxes 100 bute on a prescription and then have a shop around for the cheapest vet med supplier. There's no shame on putting your horse on bute long term as long as the dosage is minimal. My previous horse was on half a sachet a day for 8 years!
 
Can I just reiterate that I have NOT been riding my horse since she had a fall on the handstand nearly 3 months ago. The vet was here within 45 mins as I thought she had had a seizure, she was seen by another vet a week later, did a bute trial and then has been seen every 4 weeks by a phisio who put together an inhand rehab program which I have been doing in walk in a sand school. My question was just whether it was worth continuing with this saga of on and off lameness through different issues whilst having PSSM and not being the easiest to keep in regular work and to just retire her and keep her comfortable as a non ridden horse. If she needs Bute to do so she will have it while ever she has a quality of life . The doubt I have is because both vet and phisio say it would be beneficial for her to stay in work once she is sound due to being overweight and having PSSM, that is my quandary or was my quandary because I have decided she is going to be a field ornament ( with Bute if required) until I think her quality of life is diminishing
 
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