How do you know when to retire your horse?

toffeeyummy

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2011
Messages
313
Visit site
Hi. I have a 25 year old mare who is generally fit and well, with a little bit of arthritis in her hocks and slight copd.
Up until this year she was regularly ridden and competed by myself and my daughter, including lots of Hacking and fun. We've really struggled this year. The heat was one, and time is another! My daughter will take her GCSEs next summer and will probably be then off to college. I work and have all the general business of a family and life! We have hardly ridden all summer apart from the odd hack which was fine.
My farrier is coming on Wednesday and I'm really tempted to take her shoes off and turn out for the winter, let her get muddy and hairy. (We keep her at home)
Then my thoughts turn to retiring her? I can't decide. She has had a brilliant, although busy life. She will stay with me forever and live her days out in her field with her pony friend (who is a year younger!!)
Has anyone else been in the same position? I'm thinking the minute I take her shoes off I'll immediately have the desire to ride...😬
 

be positive

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 July 2011
Messages
19,396
Visit site
Unless she has really bad feet, in which case having the shoes off will help anyway, there is no reason you cannot continue to exercise her if you are sensible about building up steadily, I would take her shoes off, I would probably have done so some time ago anyway, and see how she does if she is comfy take her for a few easy hacks if not you may have to put fronts back on anyway. Just make sure the farrier doesn't trim her frogs or sole.
 

splashgirl45

Lurcher lover
Joined
6 March 2010
Messages
15,043
Location
suffolk
Visit site
i would just take hinds off to start with and maybe ride once or twice a week to keep her half fit. at that age if you turn her away for the winter it will take a long time to get her back to normal fitness again...this makes no difference if you want to retire her completely... .
 

Fransurrey

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 April 2004
Messages
6,503
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I have a 26 yr old who is still ridden once or twice a week, more due to my own time constraints, rather than his health (like yours, he has slight inflammatory airway disease, but no real signs of arthritis). I expected to retire him at 20 (he's very small, just built like a tank!), but he still keeps going. I intend to keep him going until he struggles to keep up with others or trips often, that sort of thing. I agree with others that some retired horses go downhill quickly.
 

toffeeyummy

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2011
Messages
313
Visit site
Thank you for replies. I agree on the aging quickly when retired and this is probably my main worry. Selfishly it's more to do with me not wanting to ride anymore. The point on it taking a long time to get her back into work is also my point. If I'm to turn her away, and don't want to ride, then retirement is probably the option?
 

TheresaW

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 January 2006
Messages
8,810
Location
Nottinghamshire
www.justgiving.com
Dolly is 25 now. I know I won’t ride during the week in the winter now as it’s pitch black where I keep her, so have taken her shoes off and will just hack out the odd weekends if I feel like it. It’s pretty much what I did last year too. We’ve been out and about this summer just gone, nothing major, the odd hacks, and she’s been fine. She’s out 24/7 all year round, not sure if that makes a difference.
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
I was always a bit worried that I wouldn't know when he needed to slow down, especially as he was going great guns at 23!

But mine told me he needed to this spring. (for reference he had his shoes off at 19 and was in full work inc. hunting after that).
He semi-retired to flat hacking only (after getting up to all sorts before that!) 2 years ago due to hock arthritis and annular ligament issues (mostly in the opposite leg to the hock). Shortly after that he did go down with some liver problems but hacked inc. cantering and some veteran showing for 18 months.

This spring once the ground got hard he was uncomfortable on his feet and very stiff behind (but not reactive to flexion so presume some fusion) so he stayed in the field and had some bute for his comfort.

His footiness has now resolved and he is stone crunching again but his left hind really doesn't bend very much anymore! He is now doing some short unridden walk outs just to help his hooves a bit but he won't be ridden again. He looks well in himself and has gone back to charging round the field if the mood takes him. Frankly he's never found hacking that interesting so doesn't miss it, but obviously it was good for keeping him moving.
 

oldie48

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2013
Messages
7,027
Location
South Worcestershire
Visit site
It's so difficult but I believe most horses benefit from some ridden work provided they are pain free and ridden appropriately. i retired my old boy from competitions when his hock arthritis meant that even with a long slow warm up he didn't feel completely happy and tbh I had bought his successor. I kept hacking him out in walk, with the help of friends, for several years after that and only retired him when he started to trip and I felt he was becoming a danger to himself and his rider. I did however, keep him in his usual routine and I did keep his front shoes on as my farrier felt he'd be more comfortable. I did what I felt would suit him and tbh Ithink it did and he quite enjoyed his retirement but he did decline more quickly once he was out of work.
 

pansymouse

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 May 2012
Messages
2,736
Location
Amesbury, Wiltshire
Visit site
Mads is 25 and thankfully doesn't have arthritis, every time I think I'm getting an inkling that she wants to take it a bit easier she tanks off a full gallop that hack or the next. I have friend who is a master and one her hunt horses is 25 and still good for a regular full days hunting.

I strongly believe when you know your horse it will let you know it wants to slow down. I will never again fully retire a horse even if she can't be ridden she'll go out in hand, they need the mental and physical stimulation, just like humans.
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,506
Visit site
You may find she doesn't let you but at the same time you don't have to ride for hours. I retired mine at 25 as he had mild knee arthritis and we lived at the top of a hill. He found going down hill quite difficult, especially at the start of a ride when he wasn't warmed up. I was also at his limit weight wise (I'd owned him since we were both 13 and I'd grown a bit!) considering his arthirits so took the decision sooner rather than later. Within 2 months I had to ride him again. He'd gone from being a lively and perky chap who was in the middle of everything to being totally depressed. He'd just stand in the field looking sad and wouldn't interact with any of his field mates. I started riding him again - just 15 minutes twice or three times a week in walk, shuffling round the neighbourhood calling in on friends in neighbouring yards for a cuppa etc and he was back to normal. I'd lead him down the hill and get on at the bottom. We continued this until he died very unexpectedly at 27 and he was so much better for it. In fact, a week before he died we got to the bottom of the hill on the way home and he b*****ed off to the top of it! I didn't try to stop him :)
 

flying_high

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 February 2016
Messages
933
Visit site
Mads is 25 and thankfully doesn't have arthritis, every time I think I'm getting an inkling that she wants to take it a bit easier she tanks off a full gallop that hack or the next. I have friend who is a master and one her hunt horses is 25 and still good for a regular full days hunting.

I strongly believe when you know your horse it will let you know it wants to slow down. I will never again fully retire a horse even if she can't be ridden she'll go out in hand, they need the mental and physical stimulation, just like humans.

Generally agree. My aged idiot has gone from being debatable another winter was right, to being rude and bargey and trying to tank off out hacking. Combined with bouncing, offering to canter on the road, and passaging. I am both amused and not amused. 17hh of aged, not very footsure frootloop that wants to lean on my hands and tank is not my idea of fun!! Middle point of normality would be good!
 

milliepops

Wears headscarf aggressively
Joined
26 July 2008
Messages
27,538
Visit site
I retired mine at 20 because she reinjured a leg that had needed surgery on previously.
She was still in full work and competing at that point, I loved riding her more than anything but it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to keep her sound.
She looks like a feral horse, turned out 24/7, hairy yak creature but she is sounder than ever and while she's lost the muscle she had while in work, she looks well and is very happy. I could hop on and go for a ride tomorrow if I fancied it.
Her companion arrived not-quite field sound having been in at night in her previous home, and after a year of roaming about all day and night, looks brilliant now. She's a year older, so they are now 21 and 22.

All this is to say, some get very old very quickly when they retire. And some just carry on, I think it depends how you manage them and on their individual personalities to an extent. Both of my oldies get up to tremendous mischief, they are like naughty old ladies reliving their youth :D

If you don't want to ride any more, then I'd find a way to maintain good turnout and/or exercise and let your horse enjoy a nice retirement, and have a rest yourself!
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
Frank looks out of work, so I've obviously had to adjust given that I was so used to seeing him hard fit but although he is racking up the medical issues :p he hasn't had any sort of sudden decline. But also, he's never lived for his hacking :p.
 

lar

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2007
Messages
750
Visit site
I retired mine last year aged 27. I've had him for 18 years so know him very well and he just didn't FEEL like he was enjoying ridden work anymore. I think it's easier if you have them at home though to just keep ticking them over with some light hacking. I had him on full livery so it was costing me an awful lot of money for a horse I only rode once a week. I don't feel like he's gone downhill since he retired - he's out full time and looks great (if old).
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
11,027
Location
Slopping along on a loose rein somewhere in Devon
Visit site
Ditto what someone else here has said, I would be inclined to take off hind shoes, for now, and see how that goes.

I've had the same dilemma with my old boy; he struggled with last winter yet I still managed to hack him out very lightly (walking only, on vets advice), then at the end of the summer I had a conversation with the vet and farrier, and it was decided to take off his hind shoes as because of the dry arid summer his feet were nice and hard, and we knew before the winter proper set in that we'd have to "make decisions".

He was still ridden out just a 30 min stroll round the block, and enjoyed doing that until three weeks before he was PTS in mid-October along with my old gal, we did them both together as they were pairbonded and also it would just not have been fair to put them through another winter.
 

HashRouge

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
9,254
Location
Manchester
Visit site
All this is to say, some get very old very quickly when they retire. And some just carry on, I think it depends how you manage them and on their individual personalities to an extent. Both of my oldies get up to tremendous mischief, they are like naughty old ladies reliving their youth :D
I absolutely agree with this. I think some horses don't do retirement very well, but many cope fabulously. I suspect the OP's horse would, since it sounds as though she's barely been ridden all summer and seems to have been fine with that. I think my 25 yr old looks great for an old girl - when she had her jabs this summer the vet commented that she looks younger than her years. And like milliepops' oldies, she is often up to mischief with her fieldmate! I've never quite gotten over the time they escaped from their field into the 100 acre sheep field next door and had to be rounded up by quad bike...!

Essentially, I don't think it would do any harm to retire her OP, especially if she is mainly living out and has been happy with very light work. And if she does seem unhappy, you can always start up with some light hacking again.
 

nikkimariet

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 December 2010
Messages
5,405
Location
N/A
Visit site
Keep them ticking over.

Keeps them in a routine and provides them with some attention time etc. Bruce is hacked once a week (mostly walk, couple of trots, over summer a short canter) but it has really kept him young and he definitely looks forward to it :)
 

flying_high

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 February 2016
Messages
933
Visit site
I absolutely agree with this. I think some horses don't do retirement very well, but many cope fabulously. I suspect the OP's horse would, since it sounds as though she's barely been ridden all summer and seems to have been fine with that. I think my 25 yr old looks great for an old girl - when she had her jabs this summer the vet commented that she looks younger than her years. And like milliepops' oldies, she is often up to mischief with her fieldmate! I've never quite gotten over the time they escaped from their field into the 100 acre sheep field next door and had to be rounded up by quad bike...!

Essentially, I don't think it would do any harm to retire her OP, especially if she is mainly living out and has been happy with very light work. And if she does seem unhappy, you can always start up with some light hacking again.

In fairness I think it depends on the horse. My short coupled, pony brained horse, I think would be fine. My long backed, large, arthritic warmblood, I think needs to be kept moving and kept well muscled to support himself and past injuries. Some horses are more likely to retire well than others.
 

Asha

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 February 2012
Messages
5,883
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
its a tricky one OP. In your shoes, if she was still sound id do what everyone has suggested and try and keep her ticking over. My ole girl is fully retired off, she went from being as bomb proof as they come out on a hack to spooking at everything, one day we nearly reversed into a ditch. That to me was enough, and genuinely felt she was telling me she wanted to retire.

Since then she has aged very quickly.
 

Toby_Zaphod

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2005
Messages
9,259
Location
Midlands
Visit site
I would definitely keep exercising your horse. I believe that when a horse has been in some kind of work throughout it's like when you retire it to a field it goes down fast as it no longer seems to have a purpose or job. As for arthritis, you can do alot to help that now. You can have the joint medicated & you will be surprised the difference in your horse.
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
joint medication is not always appropriate or successful, I was hopeful we could jab Frank's hock again having had fabulous improvement from it before but as he wasn't reactive to flexion it would have been pointless.

I don't think retirement has to = lack of routine or attention. He essentially lives the same life he has always done, just without being sat on.

I certainly came from a 'keep them ticking over' school but his demeanour told me he didn't want to do that and has improved immeasurably for not working so no signs of decline accelerated or otherwise.
 

milliepops

Wears headscarf aggressively
Joined
26 July 2008
Messages
27,538
Visit site
I certainly came from a 'keep them ticking over' school but his demeanour told me he didn't want to do that and has improved immeasurably for not working so no signs of decline accelerated or otherwise.

this is it :) You have to assess the individual horse IMO. I also had experience of other peoples horses getting really old all of a sudden when they retired, but my experience of 2 old girls turned out together has been very different.

Incidentally, mine do not have any routine or fuss, they are checked, have the basic care they need and for the rest of the 23.5 hours a day they suit themselves. They aren't queuing up to be groomed or faffed about with ;)

I think we also have to be fair to ourselves, the OP has hinted that she doesn't want to keep riding and has a busy life outside horses so feeling pressurised to keep going is not necessarily that helpful, and might not make a jot of difference to the horse provided it has enough time outside to get other forms of exercise/movement.
 

ihatework

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2004
Messages
21,346
Visit site
I think we also have to be fair to ourselves, the OP has hinted that she doesn't want to keep riding and has a busy life outside horses so feeling pressurised to keep going is not necessarily that helpful, and might not make a jot of difference to the horse provided it has enough time outside to get other forms of exercise/movement.

For me this is a very important observation that many on here seem to have missed.

OP you sound like you have a loved horse that is pretty healthy for a 25yo. Should you wish to then there is no harm in keeping her ticking over. But equally if you don’t have the motivation to, then it is in no way, shape or form a ‘failing’ to decide to retire her. We do not need to be martyrs to horses!
You may find she retires well and at some stage you decide to hop on when the weather is nicer and you have more time. Or you might find she ages quickly and it’s not in her best interests. But either way you will be giving a horse a far better home that many I observe get dealt with!
 

CJoe

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2018
Messages
125
Visit site
I have my 28 year old chap at home, he is loaned by a friend, however she is away travelling currently then moving out of area. Thought about fully retiring but know despite his COPD and EMS along with risk of laminitis, small but regular (only once or twice a week) has kept him young until now, I think if we did nothing with him in particular (not saying its the same for all) he would go downhill rapidly. He still tanks off with all of us, that tells me he is quite happy in his semi retired routine. We took the back shoes off, he just has fronts now.
 
Top