Retirement grazing/livery in essex or nearby areas

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jessieblue

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Hello everyone. I am hoping someone may have some suggestions for the above as after a heartbreaking year of trying to rehabillitate my much loved horse, I hve decided he is not happy in work and his issues have clearly not been completely resolved, although to look at him you would never know! He is only 10, so this decision breaks my heart and I feel like I am throwing him away. However, if he is not in work, keeping him stabled ll the time in winter months is simply not an option and so I feel grass retirement with natural shelter and hay/haylage etc in winter may be the best i can do for him.

Any suggestions? I have rung a couple of places, one in ingatestone which i hear good things about, however, it is quite pricey. Sadly I do need to watch my costs as this is probably a longterm commitment.

Thanks xxx
 
Hi I looked into these and the 2 I found which looked good were the Chinnerys in Great Yeldham (Riosie Chinnery is the daughter) I may be able to get you the number. They have 150 odd acres and feed haylage when the grass gets poor - smallish herd too. The other was in Woodbridge and I need to check the name Lydia ? Let me check.

Here we go Lydia Harvey - she is involved with the hunt and schools and deals a bit too.

http://www.lydiaharvey.co.uk/

You never know jessieblue - 18 months of Dr Green, may just fix your horse. Have you tried a holistic vet at all? I used Donna Blinman for my WB - she is osteopath and acupuncture qualified and really brilliant and gets to the root cause of the problem. Inexpensive too. She is at Higham.
 
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Thank you so much. I am in south woodham ferrers near chelmsford, but can travel as I wont be going down all the time of course. I had considered finding him a home as a hacking horse on loan/permanent loan, but how can you be sure they will get the care they deserve and not get sold on or asked to do too much?? I really hope I can find the right place which will help with the whole decision.
 
Here is the telephone number for the Chinery's - 07890 188276
That one comes recommended by a friend who had a pony there.

I agree - you either get him further looked at and sorted out or you retire him would be my choice also. If he is not right don't pass him on to a hacking home - he could get abused.

I saw from one of your previous posts that you mentionned a sacro illiac problem - that is what my WB has - chronic SI dysfunction and Donna manipulated his sacrum (something AHT and other vets dispute is possible). My horse moves so much better now. He has had 12 months turned away and we will bring him into in hand and then ridden work next month. I know he has built muscle on his gluteus muscle on the affected side, so I am hopeful he will be sound. Good luck and keep us posted please.
 
Wow, thank you so much! Lydia Harveys place looks beautiful and its very reasonable. Woodbridge is doable so I am going to call her and go and visit. So greatful for any help as I am struggling with this badly.

I am open to trying anything so if you have a number for the osteo I would be glad to try her. I had a ciro treating him last year, but havent found a good replacement as yet. He has physio regularly and remedial farriery, vet reviews, I have an amazing trainer who has restarted him with me. Its a really long and upsetting road as I have paid a fortune to many people along the way, only to find the horse is still the same basically. He is sound, looks amazing, but schooling work just doesnt sit well with him. He is very resistent and becomes bolshy. To me, he is in some sort of pain or discomfort when working in an outline. Its just too hard for him. Hacking is fine, but he is a sharp horse and I dont particularly enjoy hacking him as I am quite nervous, so think keeping him as a hack myself would not be the best. He was a fabulous event horse, its such a shame, but I just feel I have come as far as I can and we both need to move on.
 
Yes he had hindlimb suspensory desmitis and related sacroiliac strain. We dont really know which one caused the other so both were adressed. He sacroiliac is much less reactive than it was, he is still tight in lumbar area. I keep a very close eye on his back and it seems ok, but of course I have no idea how it feels when he works! He has very little topline, he never did, which I suspect is part of the bigger picture. I think he is literally unable to use himself in the right way to build the muscle on the topline and quarters that he needs to to protect himself.

I would only rehome him if I were able to give him to someone I know and know well, as the thought of him being sold for profit and passed around is just not an option. The thing is this horse looks amazing, to many people they would not see a problem, it is because I know him so well and I understand him, I just know he is struggling. I would love to try the osteo, even if he is still to be retired, I want to keep him as comfortable as I can. We started him in hand and tried to work on his many crookednessess. It was going well untill last couple of weeks really.

Thanks for all the numbers, at least I can do something rather than nothing about resolving the situation.
 
Donna's details are as below. She is imo really worth a shot. I sent my boy to her for 2 weeks and he returned a much happier horse. She recommended to then turn him away for a minimum of 8 months. It's certainly worth talking to Donna - my horse was very crooked with mismatched measurements either side due to his SI problem which we reckon he injured possibly as young as 2 years old!! He will be 7 years old this year.

http://www.donnablinman.co.uk/

I guess the thing is at either of the yards I have recommended you will take shoes off and let nature take it's course. Both yards have proficient pro riders at them and there would be nothing stopping you to try again to see how your horse comes back into work after a year off with the yard rider. It would probably do him the world of good mentally to have a long break to recover naturally.
 
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You are so right. I really appreciate the help, I am on to it right away! Guess I need to find a new hobby for a year at least lol!
 
jessieblue said:
You are so right. I really appreciate the help, I am on to it right away! Guess I need to find a new hobby for a year at least lol!
Click to expand...

Ah really wishing you a positive outcome. I have had my WB since September 2010 - he was lightly ridden until January 2011 and then he was just so aggressive and violent (bucking ridden as well as striking kicking and biting) I knew there was something seriously wrong. And he was finally diagnosed wiith minor ulcers firstly in Feb 2011 and then chronic SI dysfunction by AHT in May 2011. He was treated by a physio and long reined until September 2011.

Donna treated him in june 2011 and he was turned away and has wintered out unrugged since Sept 2011. I can finally trust him not to kill me. He is now a loving horse - I can stand and stroke him in the paddock - yes he was that bad he would have bitten or kicked me previously. He is looking good so fingers crossed we will slowly bring him into work.

Projects eh? I didn't bargain for this either. Mine passed a 5 stage vetting. He has LOU now. :)
 
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I wish you the very best of luck too. Ill keep everything crossed your boy comes back good and you can finally have some fun together. My boy passed 5 stage vetting too, he came from a professional yard and had been well produced. I dont know when the problems started, but there were issues as soon as I got him which gradually got worse. He is a saint on the ground but becomes a different horse when ridden. I believe its discomfort as he genuinely wants to please. I guess if your guy survived the winter mine can too!! It worries me sick to think of him out in the cold!

Best of luck and ill keep in touch. Thanks again. xxx
 
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