Retirement Livery

[bugsysmum]

Hi all
Just after some opinions please! I'm about to put up two stables to keep my boy at home (subject to planning permission!). He's not one of those who can be by himself so after much thought I've decided that my bes option is to try and find a retired horse as a companion (that way Bugs won't ever be left alone while the other horse is worked). BUT I can't really afford to keep two as I don't want to cut corners and stop pampering them because of money (and Bugs really does get pampered - just ask my OH!!).
So I was wondering how much you would all be prepared to pay for livery for a horse you had to retire, bearing in mind it will be stabled at night (surely there are some who don't want to suddenly live out 24 hrs a day) and kept in the style it has been used to - i.e. full livery with ad-lib hay, rugs and feed if needed, grooming and fuss etc.
Realistically it has to be cost effective as I can't afford to subsidise it so bedding and feed will have to be paid for as will feet trims, dentist, vets etc.
What do you think and where should I advertise?
Thanks BM

 

[Haniki]

The only retirement liveries that I know are kept cheaply - loose housed in a barn over winter or out with access to a barn in summer. This is also so they don't stiffen up by being kept in a 12' x 12' stable. I think you may struggle to find someone willing to pay to keep a retirement horse the way you mention. Henryhorn on here has some retirement liveries you could try pm'ing her.

 

[Sarah2207]

I agree with the above, although there's no harm in advertising and seeing what happens. The only concern I'd have is do you need insurance if taking money for looking after someone's horse, as effectively you are running a business, and will be liable should something go wrong?

Another option (what we've done in a similar situation to yours) is to speak to your local rescue centres and look at rehoming a native pony. Will be relatively cheap to keep, all we pay for ours is injections, insurance (v cheap as just field kept), and hay as they're fatties now! We actually ended up getting two, so that when the other 2 go out together they still have company. We also know that should anything horrible happen, forcing us to sell land/horses, the rescue ponies will always be welcomed back by the charity. Obviously we don't intend to be giving them back, but nice to know that they will always have a good home to go to should it be necessary.

 

[Angelbones]

Just googled retirement livery and it brought up loads of websites - here's a link to one that lists prices:

http://www.retirement-livery.co.uk/id11.html

They have everything down to each feed type etc, but obviously there must be a market for it -and its not cheap!

 

[applecart14]

Just googled retirement livery and it brought up loads of websites - here's a link to one that lists prices:

http://www.retirement-livery.co.uk/id11.html

They have everything down to each feed type etc, but obviously there must be a market for it -and its not cheap!

It certainly isn't cheap as this was one of the options I helped my friend look at when making the decision over her young horses future when it was diagnosed with untreatable kissing spines. Retirement liveries were back then (approx five years ago) anything from £40 per week to £75/£80 per week plus depending on what you wanted. My friend quite rightly wanted to buy another horse but could not afford to keep both. In her case her options were extremely limited and her horse went to live quite happily the rest of his life at the blood bank in Milton Keynes where the horses have a fab life living very naturally in large herds as nature intended.

Here is one that is quite reasonable for example http://www.retiredhorselivery.co.uk/page4.html