Should I retire my horse at 13? :(

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Rocky715

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Feeling really at a loss. Turns out the issues with Rocky's leg was a small lesion to the suspensory ligament (at the bottom on the inside branch) - queue three months "rest" (box and tiny pen rest) with plodding in straight lines for 15 mins max a day on concrete ground. This is just as I have entered 2 dressage tests and to go to West Wycombe. Non refundable.

Vet has said *hopefully* after this three months the ligament will be ok. We will re scan.

My question is - should I retire him? I got him when he was 10 and he had been a polo horse before this. In the first year I got him a lameness issue cropped up but went away. Last year he went suddenly crippled in front - xrays and scans never got to the bottom of this and it was in both front feet so was treated with navilox and three months of literally not leaving the stable. After the three months he came back sound and has been fantastic since as I have brought him into work slowly again.

This year, EXACT same time as last year... this problem with the ligament starts. I was not doing anything extreme with him - we have been schooling and hacking as normal and going to dressage as normal.

I am concerned that every time we get going, something breaks. I don't want to push him to do something that is going to injure him as I absolutely love him to bits. Rocky is my first horse so there is no way I could sell him as a happy hacker or anything.

Would I be stupid to consider retiring him, or letting him be just a hacking plod? If I did retire him... the only way I could buy another horse so that I could ride is if I found him a cheap grass livery? Ideally though I would want him at the same yard if I got a new horse?

I genuinely do not know what to do :( x
 
Oh what a dilemma you've got! It's hard to know when the right time is to retire them isn't it? I almost retired my 21 year old last year, and then he came back and started winning dressage again! My only concern is once you retire them is that they can go downhill quickly when they have no job to do. I would keep him hacking out if you can and see how he goes.....but only you really know what's best for him - it's easy for us to say keep going, but you know your horse best and whether he would be happy in retirement.
 
That's tough - horses can be so frustrating Personally I wouldn't give up yet especially as it seems to be a different problem each time and you are probably just unlucky - believe me I've had more than my fair share. He is not very old and I think often horses with issues deteriorate more quickly if they are not kept going even if at a lower level than currently doing. There is no guarantee another horse will be problem free there are plenty of examples on here where people are unlucky enough to have a field full of crocks. Unless the vet thinks there is no hope then I would carry on and see what happens. Hope it works out.
 
I would do the rest as prescribed and then just stick to hacking, lots of road work hacking if possible and steadily build up his strength (obviously this wil depend on what the re-scan shows).I would steer clear of doing any schooling work, espcially on a surface as I feel this puts so much more strain on the tendons and ligaments. If you do NEED to school (but who does really?! Lol) then try and do this on firm grass surfaces instead.

That would be my advice anyway. If you say he was an ex-polo horse then he will have had a lot of strain put on his legs turning etc so he could be prone to these problems. It may be ultimately you will have to retire him but at 13 he is still pretty young so I wouldn't give up hope entirely. If though you do want to do more than hacking etc in the immediate future then maybe look at a loan or something so you don't have the initial expense of forking out for a horse and yes grass livery may be a good option for Rocky.
 
Dressage crocks up horses. Too many dont do enough hacking and straight line work. Constant turning strains joints that never evolved to take that load.Add a gripping surface where the hoof cannot rotate on the ground easily and you get all the leg problems. Lack of straight line work weakens ligaments .Put in at least 1500 miles of steady hacking !
 
Mike007 said:
Dressage crocks up horses. Too many dont do enough hacking and straight line work. Constant turning strains joints that never evolved to take that load.Add a gripping surface where the hoof cannot rotate on the ground easily and you get all the leg problems. Lack of straight line work weakens ligaments .Put in at least 1500 miles of steady hacking !
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I always have done way more hacking than I have done schooling - he prefers it that way
 
he sounds like a very sensible horse. Seriously , a year of gradualy building roadwork/ hacking ,would toughen up his legs no end. And watch how horses walk and turn, if the hoof cannot rotate ,all the strain goes into the leg. best way to strengthen the leg is "pavement pounding".
 
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