Need Some Help form You Lovely People....

happyhack

happyhack

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A colleague of mine has two elderly horses that she would like to donate to a rescue centre. She does not want them to be re-homed and they are unable to be ridden.

She is looking to move house which is why she would like to donate them. She is able to contribute financially and has said she will probably leave something in her will.

She has contacted Redwings and is going to contact Bransby but is just wondering if there is anywhere else that anyone knows of?
 
I'm not sure that the rescue centres would see this as a donation - more an offloading.

Sorry, if she doesn't want them any more then she should put them down. Rescue centres are for rescue cases.

There are retirement homes around - they cost around £30 per week per horse.
 
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There are retirement homes around - they cost around £30 per week per horse.

[/ QUOTE ]

do you know the names of any of them?

She wants them to stay together if possible
 
Loan companions would be much better. The rescue centres are very overburdened & understandably reluctant to take on healthy but unwanted horses.
 
Lots of places do retirement livery- try googling it
smile.gif
 
I think your colleague should take responsibility for her two elderly horses (I presume she had their working years and enjoyed herself with them?) and either look after them herself or have them put down.
Selfish selfish selfish people make me mad!
Why should some rescue centre look after them - this seems to be all about what SHE wants, and not about them.
Sorry to rant.
S
 
A quick look found

http://www.equinetranquility.co.uk/?gclid=CPGj94OyuIsCFSVEEAoddmicvg

http://www.u5uk.com/you/tannington/index.htm?subj=Retirement+Livery

http://www.horseretirementlivery.co.uk/

http://www.warbornefarmstables.co.uk/Pages/livery.htm

Look here- there are loads!

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=retirement+livery&meta=

If the lady is no longer prepared to pay for them the kindest thing would be to put them to sleep or give them away as companions although I guess it will be hard that way to keep them together and there is no guaruntee they won't be sold on. Nobody can expect a rescue centre to take on too healthy horses because they are surplus to requirements.
 
She has had one of them from birth but is looking to move away from where she is now and has tried to look for a similar type of livery in the area that she is looking to move to but cannot find any suitable.

Her horses are her babies and she loves them to bits so this is a very hard decision for her to make.
 
Have to say I agree with you entirely.
If they are healthy enough she would be a lot better finding a properly run retirement home for them and if they are not, then perhaps it would be kinder to put them down in their own home so they have no upheaval at this late stage of their lives.
 
Mmmmm The more I think about this the more it worries me. I do think there is a negation of responsibility here somewhat. Whilst the idea sounds great, I'm not so sure it is.

Really - if she doesn't want them and they have reached the end of their working life tell her to PTS. There is no shame in that. She knows what their end will be and there is absolutely no risk of them ending up somewhere awful.

Rescue centres wont take them (I think anyway) becuase they are not rescue cases.

EDT : I have been down this road myself - and the horse was put down.
 
[ QUOTE ]
She has had one of them from birth but is looking to move away from where she is now and has tried to look for a similar type of livery in the area that she is looking to move to but cannot find any suitable.

Her horses are her babies and she loves them to bits so this is a very hard decision for her to make.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry but if she wanted to keep them that badly, well of course she could find livery for them! DIY etc, it just sounds like excuses to me, and its fair enough I suppose if she doesnt want them anymore, but she should at least be honest about that fact.

'donate to a rescue centre' , honestly those places are for RESCUE cases, not for people to dump ponies on when they are of no more use to them.

If she doesnt want them anymore, better to PTS than moved around and ending up god knows where.

Im sure a retirement place would take them, but it wont be cheap.
 
I think I may have worded it to make it look a bit like she doesnt really care, she is a lovely lovely lady and the care of her horses comes above everything else that she does, so this is why this is such a hard decision for her.

She is torn between the retirement home and PTS i think, but hasnt said much about the latter.
 
I think that she is looking after her own feelings, rather than being truly concerned for 'babies'.
If they are elderly and unridable, she may be able to find a kind person to take them as companions. But no, our selfish owner doesn't like that idea....she wants them in a rescue centre where she can pop in, visit with a carrot, feel good about herself, not face having them PTS (the nice rescue people will do that when necessary) and if the rescue centre are very very lucky in return she will 'probably' leave them something in her will.
If she cared about them, she'd have them PTS or continue looking after them herself, rather then expecting free full livery from charities
frown.gif
!
Another rant, but I've seen this so many times. Next thing she'll buy a youngster and start again!
S
S
 
Happyhack, I'm not meaning to have a go at you...but this is a common problem with horse owners who are 'too kind to have them PTS'.
Perhaps you could be a real friend to them and her, and offer to make arrangements for her, and hold them while they are PTS? If you think that would be best for them?
You obviously care and are a good friend or you wouldn't have posted......
S
 
She has offered me them but I am not in a financial position to be able to which is a shame. I don't even have my own horse.

There is no way that she will buy a youngster, she is not that type of person.

I do care for her (and her horses obviously) and I dont really know much about this so all of your comments really are helping.

I dont think they will be PTS but it is not something that she has just brushed over, it is being taken into consideration.
 
Perhaps also worth talking to the veteran horse society as last year they were thinking of doing a recommendation scheme for retirement home so may have some suggestions to.

Or full livery for the pair of them at a local yard so she can still see them?
 
I'm sure if your friend really, really wanted to keep her horses, and it sounds as if she's got some money, she'd be able to come up with a solution. If she knows where she wants to move to, could she spend a Saturday going round the tack/feed shops in the area looking on the noticeboards for livery yards? There would prob be loads of smaller yards there which aren't nec big enough to be found by googling / yellow pages.

My mare is 34, she's been in the family since she was 3 & I'd do absolutely anything in my power to continue to look after her to the best of my ability even tho her sj days are now behind her.
 
Shame you're not nearer me! As i have a vacancy for retirement livery. If she was willing to pay for them financially and still be there owner, i could have taken them, although i have only got space for one really, but to far away i suppose.
 
If the horses are healthy and happy then a retirement home/retirement livery sounds ideal - im not one for keeping horse alive when they are dangerous/miserable/unhealthy/unhappy etc but if they are happy and healthy why should she PTS? Theres no point in it. My friend is happily still competing her 27 year old.
Yes not a case for a rescue centre definately not! But if they are happy why not let them live their lives out at a retirement centre?
 
Catembi - your 34 year old mare is very lucky to have you - I hope she appreciates it
smile.gif

Kayleigh and Rocky - I agree, I don't intend to have mine PTS until they have no quality of life and/or the vet recommends it. My point was, that this would be a better option for these elderly horses than being passed from pillar to post as unwanted objects.
I agree with you - retirement home with owner paying bills. Not rescue home with hard working charity struggling to keep them.
frown.gif

S
 
I think if you have had a horse that has given you years of loyal service, the least you can do is make sure they have the best kind of retirement, and if thats something you cant afford, then you should consider having them PTS. Its kinder than them being left in a field to age rapidly and end up suffering.

However if you're friend is a financial position where she can afford to keep them, but maybe doesnt have the time or facilities, then a retirement home is the option. As i said its a shame you're not closer as i have a vacancy for retirement livery!
 
The Veteran Horse Society have a loan scheme, where they match up old codgers (bless their cotton socks) with suitable homes, and they keep tabs on them to make sure all is OK, and the homes are inspected. Might be worth her looking into this?
 
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