Opinions please...TB living out/ companion/ non-ridden

M

merliebug

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 January 2009
Messages
84
Visit site
Hello All,

Right, I'll try to keep this brief! (Not going to work).

I've had my now 8yo TB for 4 years, and during those four years he's been sound for a maximum of 3 months at any one time. He's a lovely boy, just like a big dog, but here are the problems we've had:

-Proximal suspensory desmitis, off fore
-Chronic navicular both front feet, worse in off fore (diagnosed with MRI)
-Hock injury needing 9 weeks box rest
-3 abscesses in various feet, all needing 5-6 weeks' box rest
-A million and one injuries to be stitched up and bandaged
-Suspected pelvic fracture (never knew if it was hairline or bruised, treated as hairline)
-Tear to gastroc tendon
-Almost fatal abdominal infection
-Now lame again on off fore

I expect I've missed a few things, but that's probably some psychological self-preservation technique! The past year HAD been great, literally no injuries for a whole year, really grown-up, then BAM! pevlic fracture and abdominal infection all in one hit. (Incidentally was out with a huge herd of 16 horses).

Anyway, I love him dearly, he's a sweetie, but every time he comes right from one thing, he suffers another. I don't know what to do. He's currently on part livery as I had to move him to a yard further away from home (with better medical paddock facilities!) and he is costing me about £400pcm. Also just received his recent vet bill of £4k, which I will need to pay in instalments (but hopefully just the 15% excess).

Would you attempt to rough him off, leave him out 24/7 at local (quiet) retirement place, checked daily, or do you not think a very fine TB would cope well in such conditions? If he's in a safe field and can't injure himself he'll be fine, so perhaps I should just stick as I am at the new livery yard and see how he goes? I'm at a loss of what to do! I know that come the winter I'll want him in a stable again, but I don't know for how many years we can keep on like this. Ideally he needs to be a pet in someone's (my!) back garden where he's with a quiet companion and can just munch in a flat field, hack out occasionally and just be a lovely friend. I don't want someone to inherit my problems though, and I don't want him passed from pillar to post. Equally I don't want him PTS as he's a happy bunny and most of the time is fine! Should I try the turnout retirement option? (of course retaining ownership) or stick at livery?


Help!

Pat on the back to anyone who made it this far!
 
I had an injury prone 7/8th TB that at age of 13 I finally decided enough was enough.

He is now out 24/7 as a companion and thriving.

I completely understand where you are with yours at this point in time and would say 'lob him in the field' !!!! And don't bother bringing in for the winter, just make sure a never-ending supply of hay available!
 
Hi sorry to hear all the bad luck you have had. I have a TB gelding who I retired at the age of 13 perfectly sound to be a field ornament. I lost interest in riding and he was a bit 'quirky' to say the least so selling or loaning him was never an option. He's not the finest of TBs but not the chunkiest either - he's an ex flat racer. Anyway to cut a long story short he lives out 24/7 365 days a year and is a totally chilled, relaxed and happy chappie to when he was stabled and ridden. People say it's a waste of a horse when he's sound (he's 18 now) but he doesn't seem to miss being ridden and he still gets plenty of exercise chasing the llamas he's turned out with! I'd recommend retirement - and if my lad could speak I'm sure he would too!
 
Thank you both for your replies, it's reassuring to hear it's possible! I know it's us humans who worry more about the weather than our horses do. Perhaps if I find somewhere with a field shelter where his hay can go and he can then stay in the dry if he needs/ wants to?

Lots of big rugs I presume with your two over the winter?

Thanks again!
 
I would think it is highly likely that your TB will be fine wintering out as long as he has adequate shelter and genuinely adlib hay/haylage.
 
I keep a big, prone-to-skinniness TB out all year round, in the north of Scotland. He has (almost) ad lib haylage in the winter - he (and the others) seem to do much better on it than on hay. He has several different rugs, and has been out on a stormy night with a full neck heavyweight and a lightweight rug on top. There is some shelter in the field too. He used to get very stiff when he lived in (I knew him for a while before I bought him), and also suffered from sarcoids and, just before I got him, a very peculiar bout of ataxia. Since being out all the time, he hasn't had anything other than minor scratches (touching wood with many body parts as I say that), and his sarcoids have regressed. He is in work, barefoot, and works as much of the winter as weather permits, although not hard!
Why not take the shoes off, turn out, see how it goes and perhaps he will come right for you?
 
We keep an out of work 27yo TB out 24/7 all year round. Yes, he does drop weight in winter, but he is much older than your boy!

He will be fine turned out :) I used to keep a blanket clipped TB out in winter, in an old NZ canvas rug - he coped fine - but he was a hot bod anyway (although I'm not suggesting you do the same!) :)
 
being near enough in the same position as you i would turn away for a year or two. As he is only 8, you have plenty of time. My tb is 13, has served me well the last 5 years but it has taken its toll and he now has navicular, kissing spines and bone spavins in both hocks. It has been 1 step forward and 10 back for the last 8 months. He is now out in the field with a small creature and is coming right in his own time. As for living out, he will be absolutley fine! Mine has been out all winter in the snow with a decent rug on and ad lib forage to eat and shelter from the wind and rain. Aslong as he is warm and you have spare rugs for when it gets wet. He has a constant supply of haylage or hay. He wouldnt really even need hard feed, mine only had a scoop of hoofkind 1xdaily for him to have his drugs. It can be done, even if they are a tb :-)
 
merliebug said:
Thank you both for your replies, it's reassuring to hear it's possible! I know it's us humans who worry more about the weather than our horses do. Perhaps if I find somewhere with a field shelter where his hay can go and he can then stay in the dry if he needs/ wants to?

Lots of big rugs I presume with your two over the winter?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

You know what - certainly not lots of rugs for mine! He has evolved a massive Yak-like coat (must be the 1/8th non-tb genes LOL!) so is in a Rambo MW without neck for the majority of the winter and a Rambo Supreme HW for the very worst weather. The key is a good quality well fitting rug, shelter and lots of hay!

He has gone from this ....

EledaJack2.jpg


To this .....

6a8f98e3-a6b3-400e-9c06-8471ef999abf.jpg


I can never believe it's the same horse!
 
Definately turn him out! He will be absolutely fine if he has plenty of good quality hay / haylage and is rugged accordingly... I would try to rough him off as much as possible though and not rug until absolutely necessary... I can't believe the number of horses still with rugs on even now!!
 
I have a full TB living out, and some part bred TBs, and they do fine. The full TB has only wintered out the last 2 years and shes done absolutely fine. She doesnt grow the best coat in the world but Im careful with her rugs, also shes much more relaxed as a horse now compared with when I got her.
 
Oooh this is making me feel like much less like an evil person for even suggesting it.

I would certainly invest in some good rugs, and would have to toughen myself up as well as my horse! He's pretty hot-blooded and rarely gets cold, so with the right clothing and shelter I would hope he'd be ok!!

What do you all do if they have an injury though? If there's no stable...?
 
merliebug said:
What do you all do if they have an injury though? If there's no stable...?
Click to expand...

In 2 years mine hasn't had an injury requiring a stable (the longest he has lasted !!!).
He has had a couple of pus in foot episodes - treated in the field with nappy and gaffa tape, and a couple of cuts which get the hosepipe and sudocreme!

If he gets pottery on front feet on hard ground he gets slipped some bute.
 
I have 2 retired tb's living out 24/7 365 days a year. I worried like hell 2 years ago when I finally made the decision to retire them (one due to age (he is 25) the other due to arthiritis and various other ailments (he is only 10)) but they both proved me totally wrong. They LOVE living out and even with a shelter in the awful winter they hardly ever went in it. They only really use it in the summer to get away from the flies. They had plenty of haylage and 1 bucket feed of veteran vitality and chaff throughout the winter and they both maintained a good weight (which is more than I can say for previous years when they were stuck in stables eating processed rubbish!)

They are both less stiff and are having a whale of a time. Re the injurys / no stable issue - mine go footy regularly and duck tape and nappies are our new best friend!! I only have my 2 in a 30 acre field so (touch wood) dont get kicks and bites etc. Dont tend to get colicky as main diet is grass or haylage with a token handful of feed in summer to get glucosamine down them and 1 bucket feed a day during winter to keep weight on.

Anyway I am rambling now - he will be completely fine and will prob love it!! x
 
QR
All my tb's live out all winter mainly in mw weight with adlib haylage and a token feed.
My local tb stud and racing yard has theirs out all winter unruggen and just adlib hay, it can be done and its amazing the size of the winter coat they will grow.
But then i am a wicked mummy who does not rug till end of november normally (unless the weather is dreadful) so they have had time to grown a full coat.
Is he living out full time now, if not get him out there so he gets used to it.
Have to say mine much prefer being out ieen in the worst of the weather i used to leave to stable doors open so they could go in, but they just dont bother.
at first it will seem hard when it is tipping it down at night and blowing a gale, but when you get there all stressed in the morning (i know i did it) and you find they are happy munching, nice and warm under their rug, and seeing how relaxed the are you wont worry again
 
Last edited:
My companion horse is a TB mare. I do now rug her in winter (MW Rhino Wug) because she is now 20!

This is her at 18, living out 24hrs. :D
Melodysnow.jpg
 
A TB will do perfectly fine living out 24/7. I think people tend to see them as a but wimpy but actually they seem to be very hardy little horses (ok, so maybe a bit accident prone!) and living out suits them well in most cases. I mean, if they have come from racing they are generally out as foals in all weathers and are not molly coddled liek a lot of horses.

Our old TB has had a few lameness episodes being out (the worst being abscesses) but the most we did was put him in an electric fenced paddock as the others were bullying him. He was actually on 3 legs at one stage but some Boa boots helped him. He is not actualy that good being stabled. Although he loves to be able to come and go in the field shelter and likes a good roll in a stable he is not keen on being shut it so living out suits him much better.
 
Thanks everyone, this is really useful! I'm seriously considering it.
He's still partly stabled at the moment, but is used to living out May - October, so as soon as he is sound enough to stay out I'm going to get started. He isn't usually rugged very heavily in the winter anyway, so perhaps if I up it slightly and invest in some good quality rugs it will pay off.
We're definitely the ones who worry more about it than they do aren't we?!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top