Retirement yard - how often do you visit?

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Fizzandfun

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Guess I’m feeling guilty. Our boy was retired three months after we bought him. It’s been almost three years since and we moved him to a retirement yard over 3 hours drive away.

The yard is fantastic and well known to us, plus the climate is better suited to our old boy which is why I decided he’d be better there than on any of the options local to us.

We visit most holidays and he wants for nothing. Has company, well cared for, regular checks etc. I guess I feel guilty that someone else is doing the heavy lifting.

Has anyone else done similar and sent theirs away? How often do you visit?
 
One of mine is on retirement livery. I sometimes see her twice a week but there was a year or so when I only saw her once every 3 months. Some of the owners never visit. The horses really, really don't care. They're having an amazing time in a 50 acre field with a gang of mates. They want for nothing. When I go to see her, she's happy to come to say hello but she always wants to wander back to her crew once she's had a fuss and some treats.
 
Fizzandfun said:
We visit most holidays and he wants for nothing. Has company, well cared for, regular checks etc
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If he wants for nothing then you have nothing to feel guilty for.

Fizzandfun said:
I guess I feel guilty that someone else is doing the heavy lifting.
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Someone else is looking after him because it's their job and you are paying for them to do it. No need for guilt at all!

Frankly, in your specific case, having had him for three months then paying for three years and still ongoing all-he-could-want retirement livery is a lot more than many horses would get.

He's a lucky boy.
 
I'd agree you're paying for a service and providing you're happy with the care he is receiving its probably best to let them get on with it and their routines and proceedures. Hopefully its staffed with genuine horse lovers who provide a loving scratch or kind word with the daily interaction. Agreed he's a lucky boy as many people who not afford their horse this luxury after just 3 months of ridden work. I do understand the guilt though as we've just retired coblet onto grass livery further away as a companion pony and I've gone from doing all his care twice daily to only seeing him 4-5 times/week and its a little strange.
 
Its a week & a half since moving my older lad onto retirement at a track livery. He's settled in & taken to it like a duck to water! I've been a few times as its all new to him & he's almost looked at me like an inconvenience - has a scratch, polos, brush etc & he's off. I'm lucky with him he's very independent & herd savvy, even after 20 years he's happy to just have the nice bits from me & then wander off.
I'm aiming now to go once a week at a minimum - part of the reasoning for him going there was to take some stress & work off me as I work shifts, so the going to see him is more for me than him. He's happy & wants for nothing.
If it were my other one on the other hand, he'd miss the human contact & stand watching me walk away making me feel guilty . . . . as he does now!
 
awelshandawarmblood said:
Its a week & a half since moving my older lad onto retirement at a track livery. He's settled in & taken to it like a duck to water! I've been a few times as its all new to him & he's almost looked at me like an inconvenience - has a scratch, polos, brush etc & he's off. I'm lucky with him he's very independent & herd savvy, even after 20 years he's happy to just have the nice bits from me & then wander off.
I'm aiming now to go once a week at a minimum - part of the reasoning for him going there was to take some stress & work off me as I work shifts, so the going to see him is more for me than him. He's happy & wants for nothing.
If it were my other one on the other hand, he'd miss the human contact & stand watching me walk away making me feel guilty . . . . as he does now!
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Coblet has been at his new home a month and we timed it to co-incide with me having thyroid surgery as I was in hospital then out of action for a few days. At first he would linger by my daughter and I for the hour or so that we were up there, and we would brush him and play with him then gradually the interaction time has got less and less as he's more settled with another old gelding he has bonded with. Last night he only came over long enough to gobble his small feed then wandered straight off again. It did make me momentarily sad but I guess that's what I wanted really so I cant have it both ways. His retirement is only going to be short lived though as he's lame and managed with danilon and supplements, I have the vet coming out next week to talk about THAT decision :(
 
Thank you for sharing. To be honest, we had him with us for such a short period that the bond never really got a chance to develop so it’s very much the same - comes for treats but there’s not really much more than that. Although I do know his favourite scratch spot so he will happily hang around for 5 mins for that.

I’m sorry to hear about coblets long term prognosis. It’s such a tough decision. Our aim was just to keep our boy field sound but once that isn’t possible then we’ll face the same problem. How old is yours?

As an aside, I’m also facing thyroid removal- I hope your op went well?
 
Gosh what a couple of unhappy co-incindences! Firstly coblet is rising 18, we bought him May 2023, had 1 happy year mainly hacking, funrides, low level stuff then he went lame, investigation revealed annular ligament damage in both hind legs, long story short the vet suggested surgery with a success rate of approx 60% but despite following protocol, box rest, paddock turnout, twice daily inhand walking for 8 week and an initially promising start he just never came sound and got off the danilon :(
So we retired him at xmas as vet felt he was field sound and then moved him onto grass livery a month ago. It's idillyic and we hoped he would have the summer there but I just feel he is too uncomfortable so the vet is coming out next week to take a look and see what he thinks. My daughter tells me i'm pessimistic but I just cant bear to think of an animal in pain.

I had a hemi-thyroidectomy 3.5 weeks ago due to a malignant nodule on the right side, and honestly the surgery and recovery has been that straightforward, 1 night in hospital, then off painkillers in 2! Driving on day 3 and back on a horse by day 9 once the stitches were out. I did have 3 weeks off work but only because i work in a private school and had 3 weeks off for easter, but could have gone back after 2. I'm up tonight at the consultant to get the final pathology results and see what the next steps are and if I need any further treatment.
 
Ours is only about 30 mins away, on a fabulous retirement yard where he is looked after brilliantly in a small herd. We visit every few weeks. I know he is in safe hands so don't worry.

It is an adjustment after years on DIY with l twice daily visits!
 
Fizzandfun said:
Thank you for sharing. To be honest, we had him with us for such a short period that the bond never really got a chance to develop so it’s very much the same - comes for treats but there’s not really much more than that. Although I do know his favourite scratch spot so he will happily hang around for 5 mins for that.

I’m sorry to hear about coblets long term prognosis. It’s such a tough decision. Our aim was just to keep our boy field sound but once that isn’t possible then we’ll face the same problem. How old is yours?

As an aside, I’m also facing thyroid removal- I hope your op went well?
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I think it’s incredibly lovely of you to be paying out in retirement livery for a horse you had so little time with.
If you’re happy he’s happy and being looked after then I’d not worry how much you visit if you trust where he is.
 
Fizzandfun said:
Guess I’m feeling guilty. Our boy was retired three months after we bought him. It’s been almost three years since and we moved him to a retirement yard over 3 hours drive away.

The yard is fantastic and well known to us, plus the climate is better suited to our old boy which is why I decided he’d be better there than on any of the options local to us.

We visit most holidays and he wants for nothing. Has company, well cared for, regular checks etc. I guess I feel guilty that someone else is doing the heavy lifting.

Has anyone else done similar and sent theirs away? How often do you visit?
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Don't feel guilty,he has much to be grateful for.
 
My 29 y o wb is on retirement livery about 7 mins away from me. He is usually in with a dear same age old mate, but atm that mate is 'uncle-ing' a weanling, but when that's over, the old boys will be back together.

Turnout 24/7 with a run in shed. I'm up to him twice a week; I like to keep his coat brushed, feet oiled, check him over. I bring him up the farrier, make sure he's wormed [and FEC tested]. I need to keep an eye on his mouth too. Two years ago after dramatic weight loss, vet took out top 5 and bottom 5 front teeth due to a degenerative disease, EOTHR. He manages really well, and since the op has been a good weight.

And! I am responsible for cleaning his paddock. So that's a weekly or two weekly job. And honestly, our partnership is now 14 years, and I just love seeing him, especially if I'm a bit down. He and his old mate DO enjoy a handwalk around the property.
 
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