'Jobs' for old and retired horses

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Morgan123

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Hi everyone,

Just a question about retired horses! My little mare (around 28 TB) is in light work, but getting to the point where I think she’s telling me she would like to slow down a lot. We’ve already cut her workload this year as she started refusing (v abnormal for her) and much less forward going to jump etc, difficult to catch if she thought she was going to be ridden (all usual checks on back teeth etc done). So she’s just been hacking and doing little bits of suppling dressage when she feels like she won’t mind it, to loosen her up. However she’s just gone a bit lame and I think really it’s time for me to accept I need to take her shoes off and chill out. I’ll be keeping her at the same yard and everything, but the thing is I don’t want her to get bored and stiffen up – she’s really bright and I’d like some sort of challenge which will keep her active and interested but isn’t too stressful. We’ll probably take her on the odd light hack with her friends as she likes hacking. Any ideas for ‘jobs’ for her? I tried clicker training with her as thought this would be perfect but she thinks it’s the most boring thing ever (she’s a bit otherwise about life)!.

Thank you!
 
In hand walks (expecially if they end up going via places with lots of grass to much on!) or if you have another horse and she is quiet, you riding and leading her at the same time.
 
Aw, poor you, it can be hard to accept what's best for your horse, so well done! Not sure how much work she'd be able to do, maybe a few local in hand classes? I've not got much inspiration either, sorry! Good luck!
 
I'd do a bit of long reining. I agree with you that giving an oldie a job even if it isn't much is brilliant for keeping them mentally alert. Just something that means she can have a pat and a reward.

I used to take mine for walks like a dog (as in proper cross country walks) when he was unridable. He loved it, we scrambled up banks with me hanging onto his mane and found hidden clearings in woods with yummy grass. Just lots of variety to keep him interested.

Am sure you'll find something she enjoys!
 
Ellie is 27 and is currently lame. She to loves to go out and about so we take her out in hand. I ride Daisy and OH will lead Ellie. She strides out, ears pricked, head up, and really enjoys herself.

We also bring both horses to the house on Sundays and they enjoy the change of scenery, the pampering and dozing with their heads through the living room windows with their noses resting on the window sill!

Hopefully Ellie will become sound again, in which case OH can return to the saddle and we will recommence our wanders around the local bridle paths together. If we unfortunately have to retire her we will continue as we are doing now.
 
Do you know anyone who has babies? Monty is 28yo and he LOVES babysitting. If he's just hacking he gets bored and starts being an arse (he thinks he is a 4yo!) but he really enjoys looking after my friends' younsters on hacks and seems more contented when I put him away.
 
Personal opinion incoming...

I would not stop riding the horse, if she's lame get her checked out by the vet, try her on devils claw, check she's lying down, could it just be the hard ground with all this heat?

I really don't believe there are many stimulating things to do with an old horse, yeah you could walk it out in hand but unless you are too heavy for the horse then there is very little difference to just riding her lightly.

You do find horses that would happily stand in the field and do nothing, if you're willing to pay for a such a large field ornament then you are more sentimental than I am.

When my mad Arab tells me she no longer wants to go out on hack she'll be getting PTS, she's spent her whole life wanting to do stuff, when she stops wanting to do stuff I will take that as a 'I don't want to do this anymore, I'm tired'
 
Wow, that seems a bit harsh!

A lot of people are happy to retire their horses after they have given them many years of pleasure through riding. As long as a horse isn’t in pain and isn’t unhappy then why shouldn’t it enjoy a few years of happy retirement?

Your attitude does seem a bit mercenary, but each to their own. I know I couldn’t do what you could do – my horses are with me until they need to be pts through injury or illness and not before.

But then I’m soft
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My old boy has become a dad - he is convinced he gave birth last year to a yearling colt. I was given the yearling and had nothing suitable to put in with it except my old boy. WOW it was amazing, he loves the youngster and the youngster has learnt so much from him. When he arrived he was totally unhandled. a couple of days in the old boys presence and I had a headcollar on him and could lead him around. Now the yearling is 2 and I have just got another 2 year old colt and another yearling in as liveries so my old boy is in with the 3 of them maintaining discipline and fair play. At this rate I am going to have to get him a yearling every year to nanny, he has a new lease of life and he doesn;t half teach the youngsters manners, but in a gentlemanly way, he has never bitten or kicked. Just makes horrific faces and lunges at them but never connects. THe perfect teacher for rowdy boys
 
my 22 year old is very important to me as a trainer for the young horses and seems to see it as his job. he is bombproof and gives everyone confidence on the ground or on early hacks
the baby horses stand near him when scary stuff is happening like fireworks night or low helicopters

hes a very jealous horse though and has to know hes the best boy
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i like the idea of using her as a teacher for younger horses in hand - there are a couple of nervy silly ones and Red's pretty sane most of the time as well as dominant so i think they'd probably listen to her!! and def will do lots of inhand walking. Am going to look into the TTouch exercises too i think, looks interesting!
thank you for all your help everyone!!
 
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