Lari is home ❤️

[Birker2020]

We collected him tonight from retirement in my friends lorry and he loaded in a couple of minutes and travelled really well.

It was lovely walking him down the yard to his stable again, it felt so right.

I gave him some time to settle and then decided to address the clingy mud on his legs and dried them and applied sudacrem to the worst mud fever and then finished off with Keratex talc. They'll be sorted in a few days and as good as new. I will start attending to his foot as soon as I get the Horse Leads horse clay for his sulcus thrush.

I give him a good brush, he's moulting like crazy and I put on a 50g stable rug for overnight. He won't be having one on tomorrow when he's out.

He's very quiet, I think he's a bit shell shocked. Not looking for his friends or calling out, just seems happy to be home. The horses that knew him from before he went to retirement all watched him walked past and one whinnied to him. Settled in so fast like he'd never been away and is really Happy as Lari.
.

 

[SEL]

I didn't know you were bringing him back - much easier to keep an eye on him hopefully

 

[Birker2020]

I didn't know you were bringing him back - much easier to keep an eye on him hopefully

Yes it's for good this time. He isn't coping, not all do. He seems happy and I feel like I have got my life back again.

 

[nagblagger]

I am so pleased you got him home, he does look poor to my untrained eye. With some tlc, food and creature comforts he will get back to his old 'healthy' self.
He obviously couldn't cope on retirement livery, at least you saw this and acted like a responsible owner.

 

[claret09]

didn't realise you were planning to get him home. he does look like he needs some TLC. i will have to pop down to say hi

 

[Birker2020]

didn't realise you were planning to get him home. he does look like he needs some TLC. i will have to pop down to say hi

Be lovely to see you x

 

[claret09]

i will pop in over the weekend

 

[nutjob]

I think he looks OK to be coming out of winter like that, loss of muscle tone when they're retired makes them look worse. 24/7 turnout doesn't suit all horses and without stabling it's hard to get on top of things like mud fever and thrush no matter what else you do. You've given the retirement livery your best shot but it's fortunate that you kept your place at the livery yard for such a long time, he's a lucky boy!

 

[Birker2020]

I think he looks OK to be coming out of winter like that, loss of muscle tone when they're retired makes them look worse. 24/7 turnout doesn't suit all horses and without stabling it's hard to get on top of things like mud fever and thrush no matter what else you do. You've given the retirement livery your best shot but it's fortunate that you kept your place at the livery yard for such a long time, he's a lucky boy!

Well I kept it for a new horse really lol . But I couldn't have left him there any longer. The y.o was amazing and went all out to help him, spending hours poulticing, apply cream and finding old rugs of her own to wear when he'd ripped all his! But at the end of the day the weather has been against him the past two months as it was last winter with the horrendous rain and the burst river and we can't keep doing this every winter.

At least I can still ride once a week the horse who I hack out round the corner from me. So it takes the pressure off finding another horse again.

It will happen. When the time is right. But right now Lari is my priority.

 

[Barton Bounty]

So glad he is home

 

[scats]

Enjoy having him home!

 

[Birker2020]

He looks a bit different to how he did when I used to ride him.

And when he was a showjumper lol

He's certainly had some adventures in his lifetime. He'll be 15 in May.

 

[Red-1]

He looks better already from your care. I hope you have great fun with him.

 

[Birker2020]

He looks better already from your care. I hope you have great fun with him.

Thank you, that's kind. I can't wait to get all that dead fur out and wash that tail lol! It's bugging me!

And take my massage pad up and give him a nice spa day!

 

[Horseysheepy]

Lovely news! For Lari and for you.

 

[Lurfy]

Lari looks really sweet, glad he's back. He'll be gleaming in no time.

 

[Kunoichi73]

Glad you've got your boy home.

 

[Birker2020]

UPDATE:

A week on and he's been so well behaved.

His heel is all healed up with the clay I've been putting on and I've reduced his bute to one a day.

He's been enjoying a nice deep cosy bed with plenty of hay and a small sectioned paddock which has been rested all winter. And his beloved snackaball!

And we've been for a couple of wanders around the yard. He's in a 50g rug overnight and a 100g with a neck tomorrow.

It's so nice to have something to look forward to in the evenings again.

 

[Cloball]

Oh wow what a difference he's holding himself better.

 

[bonny]

Will you be able to ride him again sometime ?

 

[ycbm]

Big difference B, retirement livery obviously wasn't right for him, good to have tried but well done for bringing him back to a more cosseted life.
.

 

[ycbm]

Will you be able to ride him again sometime ?

The horse was retired for good reason if you bother reading his history.
..

 

[bonny]

The horse was retired for good reason if you bother reading his history.
..

No need to be rude

 

[Birker2020]

Will you be able to ride him again sometime ?

No. He won't be ridden again.

Apart from the fact he had KS, and SI issues that didn't respond to 4 months of groundwork and 2 lots of steroid medication within that time frame, 11 days into retirement he did his DDFT and SDFT which the vet described at the time as significant and career ending (had he been a ridden horse).

He had a further 2 months rehab with me to get over that and was able to return to the herd and the leg has never been better, but it wouldn't stand up to work.

I can mess with him and do groundwork again if I want, as it will keep his mind busy and stimulated, but I wouldn't lunge him again.

You'd never notice that leg though now, looks completely normal. Longwave therapeutic ultrasound and ice vibe really helped with that at the time.

 

[ycbm]

No need to be rude

I wasn't intending to be rude and I'm sorry that it seemed that way to you. Lari's history is available in detail on the forum and most of us who comment have been following it for two years.
.

 

[bonny]

No. He won't be ridden again.

Apart from the fact he had KS, and SI issues that didn't respond to 4 months of groundwork and 2 lots of steroid medication within that time frame, 11 days into retirement he did his DDFT and SDFT which the vet described at the time as significant and career ending (had he been a ridden horse).

He had a further 2 months rehab with me to get over that and was able to return to the herd and the leg has never been better, but it wouldn't stand up to work.

I can mess with him and do groundwork again if I want, as it will keep his mind busy and stimulated, but I wouldn't lunge him again.

You'd never notice that leg though now, looks completely normal. Longwave therapeutic ultrasound and ice vibe really helped with that at the time.

Thank you and I’m sorry

 

[Birker2020]

Thank you and I’m sorry

It's OK.

 

[SEL]

I take my broken one out in hand - we snack & hack. Also play over poles in the arena so she's got something to use her brain for. If treats are involved then she's very trainable and it's fun to see her work stuff out

It's a shame retirement livery didn't work out but I think you'll enjoy having him back. E-riders are even offering in hand walk tests if you feel like a challenge over the summer. I think I might have a go

 

[Equi]

Well that’s a blooming change for a week!

 

[splashgirl45]

Glad you bought him home, it will also be nice for you to pamper him, the looking after was 75% of my enjoyment when I still had a horse, I enjoyed the riding but it’s the looking after I miss most.. he looks better already