older horses

GMR

GMR

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 January 2005
Messages
75
Location
essex
Visit site
How old are most horses when they retire? Mine is 16 to 18 and as the ground has got harder this March is already going pottery,
The vet has worked with him for 1 year now to help his feet, just wondered if sometimes its time to retire early?
 
My lad is 16 this yr and is still very much like an 8yr old :) however he has low mileage!They all age differently as do people!Sorry to hear your boy is feeling the ground,its always a difficult decision to make,but ultimately only one you can judge yourself,hope it dosnt come to you having to retire him though! x
 
We have ex point to pinters in thier twenties still going strong depends on the horse , i would say foot problems arent to do with just age so this could be resolved.

We have other types breeds ages too and lameness and feet problems are just part and parcel of horses would depend on the cause older horses can recover just the same as young horses.

You would have to consider the cause of problems the attitude of the horse your set up etc but dont just write off because of age.
 
My gelding is 16 but very low mileage. He's used for schooling and light hacking. Just depends on the horse. There's a pony at my yard that's 31 and would have been able to be ridden up until a few months ago.
 
Sunny is 26/27 and has only just been retired because of a severe tree pollen allergy. While he's in remission (winter) he still has the occasional amble on flat ground (lungs shot).
 
My old boy was out competing until the summer of last year, where he was 27. He was a TB, with a very full past including teamchasing until he was in his very late teens (19 or so!). Admittedly, he spent the last few summers on a sachet of bute a day as he found hard ground difficult to deal with but he was happy, healthy and loved life. And was entirely unbeatable in jump offs!

Some people disagree very strongly with giving an older horse bute to prolong their ridden life, but in this case it worked very well for everyone. He was a horse who needed a purpose, and he loved competing and going XC and being a silly, strong TB. The but allowed him to keep doing that for a lot longer, and as soon as a sachet a day didn't cover any soreness he was retired and then PTS. Might be worth thinking about the cause of his doddery-ness, and ask a vet about how you can deal with it?
 
Vet has throughly checked him out, his had MRI and its been put doen to bad shoeing, he was going so well up till the ground went hard, but
Vet has never mentioned laminitis as a problem... he is overweight Irish draught x ,
Maybe I should trat him as such.
I am also moving him to a new yard with softer hacking a brand new school with a great surface next month....if that does help maybe it is going to be a early retirement.
 
So a better farrier could be an option, as well as a diet?

We have boa boots for our retired horse which come in handy when the ground is hard - he wore them in the winter when the ground got very hard and rutted. We have a bog/marsh area in our field with a natural spring, and in the summer months he will stand in there I think to relieve his feet - I think this sumemr he will be shod in front to help him out. Our farrier is not a fancy pants one, but he shoes amazingly well and has done our horses for 20+ years. :)
 
my oldest us 19 this summer and he thinks he is 2. it depends on the horse. i know ponys in there 34 and 29 that still hack and love it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top