Retired Horse Fun Things

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jilly2024

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I am bringing my retired 23yo TB in off retirement/grass livery into full livery luxury.
He is no longer ridden, but Im looking for ideas of fun things we can do together.

I can't free school in the arena, but can do ground work in hand in both arenas, and have a lunge pen too (he free lunges but its tough on his wee joints so looking for low impact, fun activities)

Any examples/photos of poles, grids, obstacle courses, etc etc or success taking horses in-hand to the beach or forest would be great (he is old but can still be his spicey OTTB self when he wants so advice about doing this safely would be great)

Just want his golden years to be good and fun, and to reignite the bond we had before he was turned out 24 7.

(To add, he is only coming in because he has been lame a few times this winter already and its only October- the ground will only get worse. He also didnt winter well last year, and dropped a lot of weight. Otherwise he would be out for the rest of his days. This way I think ill preserve him a little longer, and keep him healthier and happier)
 
My boy is almost retired (he does get ridden out a couple of times per week in walk) but we also do a bit of in hand polework in walk - a small row of poles set out at walk distance- random pole patterns and shapes. We also do some long reining over them and I’m planning on long reining him out on the roads too. My physio has said this is good stuff that will help him. 😊
 
You can do in-hand TREC or horse agility - have a look online for patterns. There are also in-hand and long reined online dressage classes you can do now (dressage4all and dressageonline off the top of my head).

With my boy, I mostly take him out for walks in hand and occasionally do some in-hand schooling in the field.

I did take him out for a park and ‘ride’ (i.e in-hand walk) this year and plan to again next summer. Asked around for a route that would be quiet, so I didn’t run the risk of having horses ride past us, and had a lovely morning. (Mine is pretty good but always goes for walks bitted just in case.)
 
spotty_pony2 said:
My boy is almost retired (he does get ridden out a couple of times per week in walk) but we also do a bit of in hand polework in walk - a small row of poles set out at walk distance- random pole patterns and shapes. We also do some long reining over them and I’m planning on long reining him out on the roads too. My physio has said this is good stuff that will help him. 😊
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Thank you :) ive never long reined him before actually now i think about it, will be fun to try :)
 
stangs said:
You can do in-hand TREC or horse agility - have a look online for patterns. There are also in-hand and long reined online dressage classes you can do now (dressage4all and dressageonline off the top of my head).

With my boy, I mostly take him out for walks in hand and occasionally do some in-hand schooling in the field.

I did take him out for a park and ‘ride’ (i.e in-hand walk) this year and plan to again next summer. Asked around for a route that would be quiet, so I didn’t run the risk of having horses ride past us, and had a lovely morning. (Mine is pretty good but always goes for walks bitted just in case.)
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Omg Id forgotten about the dressage at home in hand tests 🥰 definitely doing that!
And yes bitted is good advice, maybe with husband leading for some places haha

I think i might actually have more fun with him now he is retired
 
Lots of good online stuff available, if you are on Facebook then look at Alternative Equine Club and Top Barn Challenge.

Trec GB are also running a winter in hand Trec series and I’ve just seen the Working Equitation Society doing a winter skills challenge.

I’ve done a fair few of these things, first with my old retired lad, and now with my unridden youngster.
 
jilly2024 said:
This might be fun, Im guessing theres lots if online info about doing this 🤗
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Plenty of information - the easiest entry level stuff would probably be on Connection Training or The Willing Equine's YT channels. You can also join the clicker training thread we have running here.
 
little_critter said:
I could never do that with mine….not that they’d run off, the opposite, they’d be head down grazing and no walking would get done.
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Toddler pony does indeed like his snacks, but is also a slightly Velcro child who likes to stay quite near.

Old lad had a self imposed perimeter of about 20m and would either stop and wait for me or trot to catch me up. He knew pocket snacks would be forthcoming.
 
rhino said:
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I also love walking out, anywhere and everywhere I can. Young ‘un isn’t allowed off lead too much yet though.
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Oh wow! I think I might try this with Saus at some point, I already walk her around the field off-lead and she seems like she’d enjoy a bit of extra fun in her old age! 😍

I will definitely teach her recall in the same way as a dog to be on the safe side, she can be a mischievous b*gger! 😂
 
I used to do parelli, full-on, all the levels 😆

I did think the groundwork was excellent, nearly everything out there is aimed at improving ridden work but the parelli felt more like communication - I could control each foot of my horse from 30 feet away with no line just body movements and stick pointing. Backing through a gateway, sideways along poles, figure of 8 round barrels, doing half circles and back both coming towards me and moving away. We bothoved it.

I do think you need a certain type of horse though, this was my very intelligent and forward thinking sports horse, my cobs just go to sleep.
 
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