How sad.

[jane6395]

I am really struggling at the moment. I have had horses for 25 years and i have had 5. I am 60 years old and have a problem with my ligament in my knee. My horse Harley has been with me 17 years, he is about 22. I cant ride and i am having to pay for him to be tuned out etc. I would love for him to be a companion for someone, he is a really easy boy, gentle and very laid back, but how do i go about finding someone? Its really hard because there are a lot of people out there who do not care for their horses. (seen it over the years). How do you find someone who is genuine? Or should i have him PTS?

 

[Arzada]

Do you have a budget for retirement livery? Somewhere where you could still visit him? Whereabouts are you and someone on here may know of someone looking for a companion.

 

[doodle]

I couldn’t put a healthy horse down. Look for companion home where you still own him and know he is cared for. Or retirement livery also sounds like a possibility.

 

[jane6395]

I live in South Yorkshire. I haven't heard of any retirement liveries around here i am afraid.

 

[Gloi]

Could you get a sharer for him who would ride and help you with turning out. If he is a quiet boy you should find someone.

 

[windand rain]

I would PTS a horse of that age if I could no longer provide for them I would find suitable livery or if none availablr PTS the risk of letting him go as a companion are far too high for me

 

[Skib]

I am very sorry you cant ride. And sorry you dont live down here. Would it be possible for you to find an elderly sharer to hack your horse? When convalescent after an op in my 70s I shared my RIs elderly mare twice a week. I didnt canter her hard (I had a speedy Connie elsewhere if I needed that) and we just had a lovely time together. It gave me, a novice sharer, a chance to hack solo which for insurance reasons one cannot find in a RS.

 

[ameeyal]

I would also have him pts. There is nothing cruel about having a horse pts, i prefere to sleep at night knowing where my old horse is.

 

[Lintel]

You can't ride but can he be ridden at all?

 

[teddypops]

I would have him pts. Companion homes are rare and even on loan, you can’t guarantee how he is treated.

 

[Archangel]

Have you got a local network you could tap into to see if anyone knows anyone who needs a companion.

I have a lovely mare on loan as companion to my horse. I was only thinking tonight that she is worth her weight in gold. I treat her exactly as I would if she were mine, in fact her bed is even deeper than my own horse's because she absolutely loves her bed!

I was going to buy a companion, but I heard about the mare through word of mouth. If I didn't have her then I would have been interested in a horse like yours so worth exploring I think.

Someone with horses at home would be a good option as when they are on a yard they can just move out of the blue and you lose track.

 

[Carrottom]

You say that you can't ride, but is he ride able? If not I would pts, if he is good to ride I would try to find a loan home.

 

[PSD]

There are genuine homes out there it’s just finding one. Is it the case he can’t be ridden or just that you’re unable to ride him?

 

[canteron]

There are people who will loan him but their fear is being dumped with an old horse.
So, if you can, offer a home but say you are happy to pay for routine injections, farrier or whatever you can - this will also keep you involved?
Fb, local vets, feed merchants, teacher etc are your networking friends.

 

[Pedantic]

It's in my will if I go first my Po at nearly 27 with cushings is to be pts, couldn't bare the thought of him not being properly cared for and to have a dignified end.

 

[oldie48]

Since losing my old TB I've had three on loan as companions. They were treated as if they are my own but I always had the option to return them. I was happy to pay for routine vet care but not for really expensive stuff and their owners understood this. However, the main thing I needed was a horse that would stay in the field on it's own when I took my horse to competitions or training and it had to have good manners. I found mine via my fb friends and local RC. Decent people are out there but you may have to sort through the chaff.

 

[Frumpoon]

At 60 you are too young to stop riding if that isn't what you want

Have you spoken to your GP about the ligament issue?

I know most GPs are still doing telephone consultations and ok the waiting list for surgery is pretty long but there might be other remedies for your knee

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

I think the best way to find a loan home is through word of mouth- friends, vet, farrier (a good farrier will know everyone in a 40 mile radius, and will probably be more forthcoming with their opinions than a vet might be ?)

But if your lovely old boy would still enjoy quiet hacking, and if he's safe and sensible, then you'd probably be better off looking for a sharer to come in a couple of times a week. I think either doing all the jobs on "their days" or paying the equivalent of a day's livery are both fair arrangements. Takes the pressure off you a bit, but you've still got your lovely horse, and he'll still be ticking over for you if you're able to be riding again by the summer.

 

[wren123]

I had problems with my knee ligament the nhs physio made it a million times worse, she actually ended up referring me to a surgeon. However I went back to gp and paid for a private physio who specialised in knees and I recovered completely. The treatment was totally different, no exercising while knee swollen does more harm than good, dry needling, very specific exercises for my knee, and I had to get my glutes activated, who knew they helped your knee!
So don't give up, unless you've had enough of horses, once lockdown is over a good physio could help you.

If you have had enough then pts is better than an uncertain future in my opinion.

 

[Red-1]

If I had seen yours advertised when I was looking, I would have been interested. I actually bought a younger one, but who has loads of medical issues, with the hope that he would make a local hacking horse and a companion.

For one of that size and age, I would not have bought, but I would have loaned, if he is capable of light (walk for 40 minutes) hacking and is safe.

But, there is nothing wrong with PTS in that situation either.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I’m very sorry that you’re in this situation OP.

Some thoughts and questions;

What is the yard that he is on like?

How close is it to where you live?

What breed and height is he?

Can he still hack out, and what is the hacking like where you are?

Can he live out in summer?

My thoughts would be to find someone who wants to spend time with horses and maybe hack out lightly, and do so in exchange for doing chores. A friend just found someone who is actually paying her for time spent with her non-ridden 25 year old horse. She walks him in hand and grooms him.

I would turn out 24/7 as much as possible.

I’d also make sure he was as close to my house as possible so checks are easier.

I’d give it the summer and then rethink before winter.

 

[Prancerpoos]

If you decide that you can no longer afford / want to keep him then I think it would be best to have him PTS. He will know nothing about it and will be spared the stress of moving home at his age, possibly to an uncertain future where people may not be as kind to him as you have been. You will know that he had a good home for 17 years and you did the right thing for him.

Probably not just me, but I find it heartbreaking when I see sites with aged horses looking for a new home.

 

[jane6395]

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. Harley is kept on a livery yard where he has daily turnout, but has to be stabled night time in winter. I am happy with that. Harley can be ridden but although he is very quiet he is also a coward and unless you are a competent rider he would not go out on his own, although he would follow all day. I wouldn't want anything more than gentle walking out for him. As for my knee, its been 18 months of waiting to see someone. I recently had an MRI and i am waiting for the results. I have been doing the exercises that my phsio has given me but my knee is just grinding around and very painful. I had a knee replacement on the other knee and rode after that, but at the moment i just cannot see me riding again. Its been agony pushing the wheel barrow and i have two more months of mucking out to do. If i could get some clarity on what i need to be done it may give me a glimmer of hope, but at the moment its just hard slog and i hardly ever get to do the nice things because its really difficult walking down to where his turnout is. I am very lucky to have someone who i can rely on but i feel its rather a lot of money for no return. I think possibly if the people who i trust who i have asked came up with a good home i would let him go as a companion on loan, but failing that if i continue to struggle due to his age i will have him pts.

 

[Lipglosspukka]

A friend has had both knees and hips replaced and is back riding.

There is always hope x

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think at the moment you find him somewhere he could live out but with on site help, at least then you won't have to muck out and it would be cheaper.

Or you try and find someone local where you can loan him as a companion, I personally wouldn't loan a horse unless it was very nearby and preferably someone that was found through word of mouth or through a friend as such.

Then once you have had you surgery you may find you are able to look after him yourself obviously if that's what you want to do.

Failing all of that i would have him pts.

 

[Orangehorse]

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. Harley is kept on a livery yard where he has daily turnout, but has to be stabled night time in winter. I am happy with that. Harley can be ridden but although he is very quiet he is also a coward and unless you are a competent rider he would not go out on his own, although he would follow all day. I wouldn't want anything more than gentle walking out for him. As for my knee, its been 18 months of waiting to see someone. I recently had an MRI and i am waiting for the results. I have been doing the exercises that my phsio has given me but my knee is just grinding around and very painful. I had a knee replacement on the other knee and rode after that, but at the moment i just cannot see me riding again. Its been agony pushing the wheel barrow and i have two more months of mucking out to do. If i could get some clarity on what i need to be done it may give me a glimmer of hope, but at the moment its just hard slog and i hardly ever get to do the nice things because its really difficult walking down to where his turnout is. I am very lucky to have someone who i can rely on but i feel its rather a lot of money for no return. I think possibly if the people who i trust who i have asked came up with a good home i would let him go as a companion on loan, but failing that if i continue to struggle due to his age i will have him pts.

OK, I know EXACTLY how you are feeling. I had bad knees and every day was a struggle, every day started with a painkiller just so I could go out to the stable and feed the horses (but I don't think my knee was ever as bad as yours.) I had an Xray to confirm arthritis and the GP gave me some exercises to do. After so long I was supposed to go back. In the meantime I went to a private hospital and saw the physio, who massaged and manipulated and told me to take glucosamine in one 1500mg dose, 1 tablet (I know Which? says there is no evidence it doesn't work!). She said it would not make it better but would help to stop getting worse.

So the date of the GP appointment was looming and it was getting worse and worse, so I exercised even harder, I couldn't be doing it right, it got worse. So I decided to stop exercising, started to improve so I went to the GP who looked a bit miffed but booked in for more treatment (can't actually remember what, pre operation exam I think.)

So, there is a Bowen lady in the village and she had sorted out my shoulder which had been painful for 18 months after a fall onto my elbow (not off horse). I went to this lady in desperation, not in any hope. To cut a long story short, over a course of treatments she stopped my knees hurting. I still go occasionally, but obviously I haven't been for 12 months. So I do not know what your condition is, but maybe my story can give you a little hope.

As for the horse - I face nearly the same, the difference is I have him at home. He will be 23 this year, I am really struggling with the stable work, the physical work of cleaning out stables and all the other bits. If I ride I am pretty tired afterwards, but I am not really sure whether my horse is 100% happy being ridden, I changed his feed to see if it would make any difference, but I too think "What do I do when he doesn't want to be ridden any more?
He will still need the same care, rather high maintenance. How long will I physically be able to do all the stable jobs? Even now I know that I don't do the job properly, I think back to how I would keep everything neat and tidy and it is all starting go a bit down hill.

So I will soon face the same dilema and I haven't come to a conclusion yet. Someone said that a companion is often a neglected animal and having seen the state of some ponies when I was looking for a companion ...........

 

[Frumpoon]

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. Harley is kept on a livery yard where he has daily turnout, but has to be stabled night time in winter. I am happy with that. Harley can be ridden but although he is very quiet he is also a coward and unless you are a competent rider he would not go out on his own, although he would follow all day. I wouldn't want anything more than gentle walking out for him. As for my knee, its been 18 months of waiting to see someone. I recently had an MRI and i am waiting for the results. I have been doing the exercises that my phsio has given me but my knee is just grinding around and very painful. I had a knee replacement on the other knee and rode after that, but at the moment i just cannot see me riding again. Its been agony pushing the wheel barrow and i have two more months of mucking out to do. If i could get some clarity on what i need to be done it may give me a glimmer of hope, but at the moment its just hard slog and i hardly ever get to do the nice things because its really difficult walking down to where his turnout is. I am very lucky to have someone who i can rely on but i feel its rather a lot of money for no return. I think possibly if the people who i trust who i have asked came up with a good home i would let him go as a companion on loan, but failing that if i continue to struggle due to his age i will have him pts.

I don't know how much spare money you have but for the pain management acupuncture can be very effective - my vet damaged her arm and the pain was excruciating so she had acupuncture an after 3 sessions the pain vanished. She was so impressed she did a course and now offers it as an equine treatment.

 

[PeterNatt]

Being in constant pain is the worst thing possible and I would suggest that armed with your scans you go and see a consultant privately and get an opinion as soon as possible so that you know exactly what your options are. 22 is not old for a horse especially if it is fit and well. My friend has just taken on a 30 year old horse and they are having great fun!