Retirement livery for the EMS horse (+ yard recommendations)

[stangs]

Keen to hear people's experiences regarding putting their EMS horse on retirement livery, whether weight management proved a problem, and recommendations or warnings about retirement yards. Alternatively, would be interested recommendations to hear from anyone who keeps their horse on a grass free/restricted grazing livery whilst still being out 24/7. Feel free to PM if you need to stay anonymous.

Ideally looking for a yard in the SE, but would consider a yard further away from London, especially if it's accessible by rail.

(Also, apologises for sounding like a mean old bint but please no comments from people who've seen a yard on social media but that's all they know of it, unless it's a very small and unknown yard. I've been through the FB of Graveney/Abbotts View/the popular track yards so often I could probably recite their posts by heart. Really looking for first-hand experiences.)

 

[Sanversera]

I think a track livery would be the best option

 

[Surbie]

PM'd you.

 

[Fieldlife]

Have you see this FB group?

 

[HollyWoozle]

I know it's a long shot but it's also worth asking around or keeping an eye out for people looking for companions for others with EMS who you could make an arrangement with. We have a mini with it and we advertised on Facebook for a companion for him who would suit the same conditions - in the end we have a loan from a lady we already knew, but actually that pony needs a bit more food so has to be separated for a feed twice a day which isn't ideal. I doubt it comes up often but I just wanted to mention it as another option as sometimes people with one horse/pony with the condition need a buddy for them. Ours live out 24/7 but with next to no grass.

Good luck with your search.

 

[MuddyMonster]

My EMS horse did far, far worse on a track system & he's not the only one I've known to not adjust to them.

They can be really helpful if they work for your horse but they don't work for every horse in my experience having been on two.

Personally, I've found track set ups can be quite inflexible in terms of being able to tweak management for individual horses (obviously a bit dependent on overall yard management too).

Which is fine if yours does well on the set up but not so helpful if they don't!

 

[Tidy_rabbit]

Back On Track – Horse Retirement & Rehab & Track livery

backontrackretirementlivery.co.uk

Is in Norfolk so quite remote from you though. My horse was actually here before they built the track but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. They also have normal fields and starvation paddocks if the track doesn't suit.

 

[Fieldlife]

A friend of mine had horses on a well known track livery. She and horses hated it snd had a miserable experience.

I had a negative experience with a horse of mine ten years ago, at a track in Exmoor.

I’m sure are great tracks too. But worth looking round with eyes open and checking winter conditions if have wet winter and seeing how much adjustability there is to suit individual horses.

 

[stangs]

Thanks all

My EMS horse did far, far worse on a track system & he's not the only one I've known to not adjust to them.

They can be really helpful if they work for your horse but they don't work for every horse in my experience having been on two.

Personally, I've found track set ups can be quite inflexible in terms of being able to tweak management for individual horses (obviously a bit dependent on overall yard management too).

Which is fine if yours does well on the set up but not so helpful if they don't!

Did worse in what way? My main concern is that he'd just stand around a pile of hay all day and not get enough movement.

 

[Burnttoast]

Back On Track – Horse Retirement & Rehab & Track livery

backontrackretirementlivery.co.uk

Is in Norfolk so quite remote from you though. My horse was actually here before they built the track but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. They also have normal fields and starvation paddocks if the track doesn't suit.

My friend has her EMS/Cushings horse on the track here and he's doing very well.

 

[Lamehorses]

Don't know if they are still going, but my friend sent an ems pony to Eastlake retirement livery on dartmoor.
He lived out on their rough grazing & flourished, was there for years & never had a lami episode & she used to struggle to keep him lami free on soaked hay etc when he was in work.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Thanks all


Did worse in what way? My main concern is that he'd just stand around a pile of hay all day and not get enough movement.

Which is essentially what mine did!

I think he found the whole thing very stressful but he put on so weight when on a track, kept getting relapses of a few infections and also struggled with sleep issues by the end as I don't think felt safe enough to lie down so close to other horses.

I think he felt quite hemmed in and claustrophobic as the herd can't scatter like they would in a field.

It was also hard to manage things like limiting access to hay if need be (for example, I think be able to provide sole access to soaked hay might have helped a little bit).

It seems a real marmite thing - some horses thrive but I've seen quite a few struggle and often for too long as there can be a belief that a track is the gold standard.

Just for reference mine wasn't and isn't retired though, but I dont think that would have made much of a difference.

 

[maya2008]

I retired mine at home on poor grazing - she was a TB parked with the native ponies on a proactive ‘avoiding laminitis’ diet, where she had to fight the greedy natives for her pile of low sugar haylage! It suited her fine, and she wintered out in just a rainsheet. Her EMS was easily controllable through diet alone though, so fairly easy to manage.

So essentially the question is - how bad is the EMS? Is your horse on medication? Do they currently need work to keep insulin levels down? Have there been recent laminitis episodes?

 

[Bobthecob15]

I'm at a livery yard in North Herefordshire that has the majority of retirement liveries, some have EMS. I can highly recommend it! If you want details PM me x

 

[stangs]

So essentially the question is - how bad is the EMS? Is your horse on medication? Do they currently need work to keep insulin levels down? Have there been recent laminitis episodes?

Not sure exactly how bad the EMS is. He's not on meds, just restricted grazing, but he's used to being worked hard throughout the spring and summer. This is the first year he'll be spending too broken to be ridden.

I'm at a livery yard in North Herefordshire that has the majority of retirement liveries, some have EMS. I can highly recommend it! If you want details PM me x

Have PMed you.

 

[maya2008]

Not sure exactly how bad the EMS is. He's not on meds, just restricted grazing, but he's used to being worked hard throughout the spring and summer. This is the first year he'll be spending too broken to be ridden.

Given what we had happen with our Shetland when she stepped down the work she was doing, I would find out what the blood levels are now, then monitor very closely through spring/summer (with vet involvement if needed) at a yard that can confidently assure you they have done this before successfully. I am guessing you have stopped work successfully now on winter grazing with hay and not had any problems. Your vet might have recommendations - or contacts that would have.

 

[Fieldlife]

Not sure exactly how bad the EMS is. He's not on meds, just restricted grazing, but he's used to being worked hard throughout the spring and summer. This is the first year he'll be spending too broken to be ridden.

Is the broken fixable? As lots of brisk walking up and down hills might help. Exercise seems pretty important for an EMS horse. What’s stopping him being able to walk out in hand?

How was the EMS diagnosed? How old are the last bloods? Might he be worth new bloods and discussing options with vet. I think some drugs help lower laminitis risk.