International travel for an older horse - would you do it?

[reen2020]

Hi all,

I am probably going to be moving from the UK to Switzerland/ Germany next year and am planning on taking my younger horse with me but not sure what to do with my oldie. He'll be 28 and is 100% fit and well but has been at the same yard for the last 10 years and I'm a bit worried it would be selfish to move him as he is very happy where he is and would be able to stay there on retirement livery without a problem, I just wouldn't be able to see him very often.

Does anyone have any experience/ opinions on this? Am I being precious? I would just never forgive myself if he colicked or anything like that due to the stress of a long journey/ completely new environment.

TIA!

 

[splashgirl45]

if he was mine i would leave him where he is as long as i had a trusted friend who could check up on him and alert me if he was not comfortable, 28 is a very good age but even if he is fit i wouldnt want to move him from a happy home

 

[stangs]

I wouldn't move him if I were you. Would be much too stressful, both for him and for you. Unless you found an excellent transporter, the long journey risks causing dehydration/colic, not to mention weakening the immune system. The nutrients of the grass there may be different, again upsetting the gut. Not to mention he's spent almost a third of his life at his current yard - moving would be a massive shock to the system emotionally.

Switzerland and Germany aren't so far away that you wouldn't be able to check up on him bimonthly or so.

 

[Bionic Boy]

I wouldn’t move him either. But like Splashgirl says, I would get someone I trusted to keep an eye on him.

 

[Equi]

I’d be leaving him as long as you can trust the livery to care for him properly.

 

[Caol Ila]

I wouldn't.

After my old horse was circa 19/20, I knew I could not put her through another international move again (we had moved from the US to the UK when she was about 13). So I did what I had to do in order to stay in this country. Yes, that meant getting married for a visa. When she was 26, I dithered a lot about a simple yard move, but there was a health and well-being issue involved, plus at that age, you know your time with them will be limited, and you don't want it to suck. I'm glad I made the yard move because our last year and half was magical, and she settled beautifully at the new yard.

It's a really hard decision. But if he is happy and you trust the care, I would leave him.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Nope. I moved a 22 year old horse 400 miles in the spring and lost her the next winter. She travelled and settled well but I still feel guilty that her last year was one of upheaval when she could have just stayed in a place where she was perfectly content for a few more months. I don't think the move contributed to her final deterioration, I think it was just one of those things, but you never know do you?

I would leave your old boy where he is. ❤

 

[milliepops]

i wouldn't move him either. my oldies are 24 and 25 and I'd consider a move locally as they are pretty sprightly but nothing longer, and i'd also want to maintain their lifestyle which maybe trickier if moving countries.

 

[reen2020]

Thank you all! I know you're right.. I'll miss him so much but have a trusted friend I can leave him with so you've made it clear it really would be purely selfish to move him at his age

 

[Gloi]

Maybe you can set up so your friend can zoom you from the stables regularly so you can see him.