Retirement age - horses, not people!


Well, Archie is nearly 8 and he is retired!!
Marsden died when he was nealry 20 and I was xc'ing him the weekend b4 he died. I reckon he'd still be going now!
My old pony was PTS at 25.
I think it really depends on the type of horse and its qaulitiy of life.
 
15.2h horse about 28 I think (legs became too unstable to be ridden) - although mind was eager judging by his exuberant bucks! He lived to 36.

12h pony - no idea how old he was when we got him, only that he was old - but I would say he carried on being ridden until he was thirty. He was still tanking off with little girls (in trot!) and generally being mean to people (he always was!). Think he still had a good 8-10 years of retirement with his horse (old one above) and donkey friend. They all died/pts within a few months of each other.
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The yard I used to work at had horses still in work well into their 30s, and still giving riders what for! It completely depends on the horse! One horse on my current yard is 28 and winning Veteran classes and championships left right and centre.
 
A pony I used to ride and compete was jumping well into her late 20s (albeit smaller courses) but soon let us know when she'd had enough, she was such a sweetheart and took me round my first bsja! She had a few years in retirement doing no work and was sadly PTS after she got cut and it got too infected too quickly. RIP Velly.
 
I used to work at a yard with a 26yr old Welsh x Tb mare. We took beach rides out, which were 2hrs long with a deal of fast work involved. This old mare had a couple of health issues; she had a blocked tear duct, but also could be mildly arthritic, so we became concerned that these rides were too much for her.
After consulting our vet we 'retired' her to half hour treks (walk with maybe a little trot) for about a week. In that time, she took to cantering sideways down the roads, bucking, squealing, rearing, reversing. After consulting the vet again, we 'unretired' her for her own safety and she went back quite happily to her beach gallops.
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I think it depends on the horse.
B
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Our old pony was still doing lead rein PC well into his 30's, he then retired to gentle hacks. He stopped work about 4 months before he was PTS. WE think he was approaching 40
 
Mine retired this year at 29yrs old, he is still going strong but i thought he would enjoy life just being a horse for the next few years instead of working. I'm sure he's still capable now but he was slowing down getting abit of arthiritis and loosing weight due to work and i didn't want to push him anymore.

He's happy now though eating grass, getting fatter and being out all day.
 
My WBxTB is 26+ and is fully retired now due to health problems, but when I got him at 16 he acted like a 6 year old! I found whith my boy, that over the past couple of years our rides strarted to take an easier pace, and I went by how he felt. I think if his body was able I would still be riding him, as his mind is as sharp as ever.
I don't think you can put an age on when to retire a horse, you need to listen to them, and realise when they need to take it easier. When they stop feeling like themselves when you are riding, then you need to stop and think.
 
My mare is 28 now. I retired her from hunting at 24 because I didn't want to bugger her up, although she would still go now! She can still be ridden though. It really does depend on hoss. x
 
Bob retired at 26 (& that's probably an at least 26). He's a bit stiff & my son has outgrown him but if we had a suitable rider he'd still be up for a hack - preferably with a good canter. He would feel the good canter the next day though.
 
Kelly is 28 tb ex racer she retired nearly 5yrs ago, she had a stroke and has a heart condition, she loves eating thats her main purpose in life now! im sure she sniggers when the cob gets pulled out of the field to be ridden!!
 
My 14.2 pony competed in PC teams etc until he was about 23. He then had about 5 years enjoying light work, just hacking. When he was about 28 he got chased by a dog in the field & injured a knee. THis has slowed him down & he is now 31 & enjoys being out in the day & in at night.

He looks well & is still cheeky.
 
Haddy is a 16.2 tb and he is 30 in January. He still hacks out a couple of times a week and loves it. He would never be happy just standing in a field all day. He is a lively ride and full of beans. He can be a little stiff in the mornings but after a few minutes out he is fine. Personally I believe that if you can keep them doing something (health permitting) they live longer and happier lives!
 
My 33 year old is still long-reined out twice a week. It takes two of us in relays to get him round the block. One person to long rein him, the other to lean against a tree panting after having their go with him.
 
My boy is around 28 and still hacking/light jumping. He's still full of it and loves going out for a good canter. But I have also known some that have retired before their 20's, depends on the horse.
 
Our lovely old boy retired from ridden work completely when he was about 34, he was pts at round 36 (no exact age as he came over from Ireland as a youngster).

From the age of about 30 he was in light work only as his arthritis had started to catch up with him. He did love going out for his bimbles round the lane, but from the ageof around 34, he was stumbling so badly he wasn't safe to ride.

In his late twenties he was happily participating in a range of riding club activities and was fun and forward going. He is much missed.
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My first pony was aound 27..when we got her (on loan)..i had her for 4 years, she was completely mad and full of energy and lived on a handful of chaff. i did everything on her hunting/xc/pc she then went onto a little boy who she was too much for at the grand old age of 31 - kept ditching him and jumping him off over jumps lol. she then went onto be a companion...although im sure she would have preferd to carry on being ridden...
 
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At what age did your oldies retire?

Just interested how long some horses have gone on being ridden, albeit perhaps just the odd hack out.

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My old chap was out BE eventing up to the age of 23. He was then loaned to a friend who continued to dressage and hack him until he had to be PTS at the age of 26 with problems with melanomas. He was still sound and full of life and if it wasn't for the melanomas he'd still be with us.
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we got a mare on our yard shes 36 and still going strong, never been lame, was an old jumping pony now just used for hacking and kids 2 ride her. she is always full ov beans n loves a gd buck and gallop dwn fields !!!1
 
well my old pony stopped being ridden at 36.shes loved jumping.she wasnt stiff or anything but i just felt jumping her for longer wouldnt have been fair!
she stayed sound and healthy until the week she was pts aged 48 last year.

one of my other mares is now nearly 19 and still acts like a 3yo.she is ridden light schooling and hacking although id say she is semi retired, only through a tendon injury she picked up.otherwise she would still be in the dressage arena!
 
The old Appy was ridden up to the age of 29/30, I retired her then as she was unable to slow down! The last time I rode her she half passed all the way across the common (NB I did not ask her to!). She was pts last october as we felt that another winter would be too much for her, she lost condition and stiffened up
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The Black and White cob retired 2-3 years ago at the age of 24ish. She had a hard beginning to life (7 foals in7 years, from the age of 3). She is currently a field and stable ornament.
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The old Welsh xTB retired age 12, but stayed with us for about anothe r12 years until she had a stroke.
 
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