I Don't want to face the envitable but I think I must

Santa_Claus

Santa_Claus

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Wiltshire/Hampshire ish!
www.katiemortimore.com
Basically although Dan is now basically sound since being treated for Bone spavins in his hocks and navicular he is stiff and realistically if he does return to competition it will be low level dressage only (gone are the dreams of top hat and tails as his hocks simply can't take the strain
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So I am stuck with my lad (who don't get me wrong I love to bits still), he is costing me a fair amount per month but I only get limited time to ride him, and lack the real inspiration to ride him daily as I know I can't do much in the school and he will only hack in company which is often lacking when I get to the yard after work.

Add in the fact I can't really afford to run two horses (loan Fleur off housemate) and I am facing the reality that maybe I need to find him a new home
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Really don't want to sell him as then I couldn't control what happens as afterall he is only 13! Would love him to go out and be a happy hacker but unless he is in company he won't hack out. If he has a buddy he will plod round all day but they can't be spooky as well you end up with two horses refusing to go past a scary thing!!
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I'm just not sure if realitically I can find someone who wants to take on a 13yo who has navicular (although treated 'succesfully' with Tildren) and Bone Spavins, who is 17h2 and is a realitvely experienced rider incase he has a dodgey moment but doesn't actually want to do anything over than 'maybe' some low level dressage and hack.

If I can't find someone to loan him really don't know what I am going to do. May have to send him home to my mum to be a very large lawnmower but if he stays sound he will get bored doing s*d all!

argh help me people do I keep him, let him be a lawnmower or will my perfect loanee spring out from no where!? (which I very much doubt!)

feeling very
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sad about the thought of having to part with him even if to be on loan as ridden him since he was a 5yo and have done so much with him. I would speak to his breeders but I know they don't have the room for another (well I don't think they do!)

arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh what do i do people what what what?!?!

Katie
 
take your time at least summer is almost here,so maybe cheaper to keep till you come to you dissision .heartbreaking choice, though in you heart you probbably know the answer and just cant part with him yet good luck
 
definitely a lawnmower I'm afraid, he isn't a cheap horse to keep and isn't able to fulfill your needs.
Plus thinking purely of him, he'll actually relish being retired provided he has company. We have some here who retired younger than that, and they are so happy...
I wouldn't sell him, but if your Mum is willing?
Or what about loaning to somewhere like Talland?
 
I agree with hh, a lawnmower.
When my large lad had to retire due to joints, he became a overgrown lawn mower. He hated going out when he was a competition horse but now he's relaxed down, I have to drag him in when I want to see him, he has a large lawnmower pal and they hoon around together and its really nice seeing him enjoy his retirement. I was worried about retiring mine, he liked his 'comforts' and didn't like being left out for very long, was incredibly spooky etc etc but he's a changed horse now.We call them the hooligans honestly he is having a second childhood and dispite all the hooliganism has become sound and he looks like a 17hand version of a thelwell but he si truely happy being retired to lawn mower duties, it took him a couple of weeks to adjust but now honestly he doesn't want to come in.
 
Lawnmower......at the end of the day he doesn't know he's missing the top hat and tails stuff, as HG said he will revert to being a horse again. At least that way you will still have control over his care and future which are the important things
 
I would try and find someone to loan him or share him, at least then you have that option. You might be surprised who is looking for a horse. If that doesn't work out you then have the lawnmower option.
 
Could you find a local person that would like to take him on as a hack and then you could oversee his future. I hear what you are saying and it is very difficult, because he is only 13 I am sure you will find him a suitable home. Good luck
 
thanks for the posts. In ideal world I would chose lawnmower option without a second thought BUT and its a big but as I mentioned he does get bored without work to the extent even with company he will field hop even when the fence is 4 foot and as proved a few months back even if on 3 legs!!!!
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And on that occasion he caused him self further injury.

Got my mum visiting at moment and discussing possible options but I think realiticially he needs somewhere he will be ridden even if only a few times a week just to stop his fence jumping antics. If he became unsound again I will probably have to make the hardest of all decisions, but if he is long term lame and since we have now basically done all treatments there is only one fair thing that can be done. But for now (and the last 6 months) the navicular/bone spavins have not caused lameness just stiffness, instead he has been off work from an abcess and then a b*ggered up back when he crashed after trying to jump the fence!!!!!!!!! darn horse
 
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