Stories of elderly ponies moving yards, please!

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Polo*Pony

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So, my old boy is moving yards next week to be with a friend of mine. He's going to be on her own land and she is going to be his surrogate owner, so I've got no doubt he will be very well cared for. It doesn't have the same facilities and is not as well presented as current yard, but I look at through a horse's eyes and see lots of grass, fieldmates, great hacking and lots of loving people around so I don't think he'll really care that the barn needs painting!

I'm hoping he'll love it but just worry about upsetting his routine at his age - he's in his 20s and has only moved yards 3 times in his life. He really does love his current yard, but unfortunately cannot stay there as the price is increasing beyond what I can afford. I have had him all his life and have always moved yards with him so he does - and will - always have that constant amongst all the change, but I am a natural worrier when it comes to him. He is my baby - I do love the others but they are 'my horses' whereas he is very much 'my family'. :o

So, please tell me to man up :p and share your stories of older horses and ponies who've moved yards without really batting an eyelid.
 
I rehomed my 21 year old Arab mare to a friend last September, as I was struggling with three and friend needed a companion. She settled very quickly and is very happy being spoilt rotten xx
 
Thanks, glad to hear she settled well :)
Exactly the sort of story I'm after (especially as that's basically what I'm doing, too!). I know in my head he'll be fine.
 
We moved to Essex about 6 years ago, my big worry was the 2 ponies, Mum and Son. They travelled as always like pro's up from Hampshire, thru the Dartford tunnel and not a hair out of place. Mistletoe (the mum) wasn't at her best and had had an awful winter - we thought her last and this in 2006 was to be her last summer.

Anyway, she settled in and even became a proper Essex bird, her bargyness returned and generally the spirit we thought we had lost started to regain. Her cushions was reduced and she loved her extra thick stable mats. She then became the nanny to the foals and later nanny to our special foal that was orphaned at 3 months. Unfortunately we lost her on 8th November 2010 at about 45 years old, she gave us an extra 4 years and seemed to love every minute. Her son who is in his late 20's (I had them both over 25 years) is still with us and although he hasn't weathered quite as well as his his mum, takes a while to adjust to changes and the loss of our foal actually affected him more - he hasn't quite picked up since October, but is very determined to still cover himself in mud and be part of the 'gang'. In the next few years we'll probably move again and yes I'll be worried, but then that's what mums do isn't it?

My point is, if they are happy, they will tell you, the oldies tend to take change more in their stride.

Good luck with his move and hope he likes the new place. XX
 
Mine was diagnosed with pymetra which is a womb thing and was fading fast. We moved her so that she had better turnout for her final 2 weeks before pts. Her friend moved with her. That was 2 years ago almost. She's moved since then last spring as the yard became over crowded and we lost turn out. She now gets gently ridden once a week and is fat. Unlike the hat rack she was prior to moving. Oh. She's 32 in a couple months.
 
10 years ago my 26 year old moved yard 4 times in a year. We had moved house and had trouble finding the right place. He was fine, as long as he had us and his girlfriend he didn't care. Our younger mare however was stressed every time.

As few years ago we moved again, he was now 33, again with his girlfriend and our other mare. Again he didn't mind at all, the mares did stress slightly though.

The only trouble we have had at all was when the new yard put him with the veterans instead of his two girls. He wasn't happy when out, and I gave notice. The yard changed the mares and geldings rule just for him and he has never looked back :D :D

He is now 36 and I wouldn't think twice about moving him, the mares are a different story.
 
I moved my 20 year old from Portugal back to England last year!
Apart from having about 10 heavy weight rugs on and him having a passionate hate for snow he has taken to it like a duck to water!
 
I loaned out my old pony - aged 29, he settled well into his new home and loved having a small child to teach.
They then moved to Eire taking pony with them - by this time he had two children to look after and loved his life - going hunting and to shows.
Finally he was PTS when he had pneumonia for the second time and no longer wanted to fight it.

I am glad he went to my friends as he loved being loved and working.
 
I forgot about another 'retired' pony that I loaned to another friend for his daughter.
Pony settled well after refusing to allow any adult to catch him!
I hadn't seen them for a couple of years and next time I did they were in a LR class. When it was their turn to do the individual show pony planted near the collecting ring and refused to move.
I was cross when father tilted his hat to the judge and retired. Mother had run into the ring to take pony whilst father lifted daughter from pony and carried her out of the arena. Two minutes later daughter had epileptic fit.
That pony would sense when she was going to have a grand mal and refuse to move.
He too ended his days with my friends.
 
Our horse is 28 now and has the added disadvantage of being almost blind. we had to move off the yard/grazing we had rented for 11yrs as the owner sold it. He has moved twice more now but where we are he has a big field shelter, he wont go in a stable but he loves his shelter. The field owners are there most of the time and its good to know they wil ring us if there is a problem. He has settled really well, appart from the livery yard we made the mistake of going to, but to be fair no one stayed there long, the owner is nice enough in VERY small doses!
 
When we moved house (approx 2hrs from previous yard to our own land) we had a range of horses from 5wks old to 39yrs!!

The oldest aged 39 absolutely thrived when we moved! She was as happy as larry, with all the grass she could possibly imagine! It was the best thing for her & she lived for a further 2yrs acting as a nanny to the youngsters, despite being half their size!

The other was in his late 20s & again thrived! The difference in him (well all of them) weight wise was unbelievable! They had moved from a crowded livery yard to our place which only had 8 on 13acres of barely grazed fields (we had to get 200ewes & lambs in to help out with the grass!!)

We also moved an arthritic 17yr old & again he settled brilliantly! They were all transported by professionals & when they arrive he commented on how perfectly they had travelled! To make it easier on the oldies we did give them some bute for a few days before & a few after to help easy any discomfort that they may have had but to be honest I doubt they needed it!

Good luck moving your boy! I'm sure it will be the best decision you will make!
 
Some amazing stories of long journeys and resilient horses! Especially the epic journey across Europe. Glad to hear so many positive changes brought about in the horses :D:D

I really do love hearing about oldies still going strong as well - when Pony was ill a few years ago (he was about 16?) a professional trainer told me "ponies don't last forever and he is very old" - Pony is obviously still with me and still in ridden work and I hope he will be for a few years yet, but that man's voice does haunt me every time Pony looks even a fraction under the weather :(. Then I come on here and all you lovely people with all your amazing veterans cheer me up :):D

Thank you everyone. I know deep down I am worrying over nothing but it's always good to be reassured - thanks for not laughing at me :o.
 
My chap is now 20, but never has any problem going onto other yards (apart from current one, we're leaving soon). We travelled across the country twice last year to horse camp and a riding clinic, and he was great.
 
I move my mare without even thinking about it! She is 22 this year. I work in Essex and moved here from Herts for my job last August. She got off the trailer, strolled into her box and stood there munching straw like she had lived there all her life. I'm a teacher and as I get the school holidays and a lot of my friends are back in Herts we go back to our old yard in holidays. We did for Christmas and will do for Easter and summer as well. At Christmas she had her old stable at her old yard - not a bother on her at the change in routine - she quite liked hacking out with her old buddies, but was pleased when she was turned out with her fieldmates at the Essex yard when we got back again.
 
My pony moved yards at 31 and then again at 35. He led his herd to their new home and arrived with his tail up like a flagpole! The youngest horse was the one sweaty and tired :D I may (if lucky enough to get the grazing right next to my house) move him again in the spring :)
 
My pony is in his 30's he moved to his current yard 3yrs ago and is doing brilliantly. He has plenty of grass and we have a flexible routine so he can come in early if the weather is bad etc. I don't regret moving him for one minute and he seems much happier where he is now than at his old yard.
 
WE bought Bobby aged 22. After that he moved yards 3 times, !st yard, short move to a "better" yard, back to first yard & then to a really better yard. As long as he had food & company he was fine. Did look a bit panicky when we took him to the first yard & he had to go round a corner in the field before he saw the others so he was unsettled for a whole minute!
 
I took on a couple of oldies as companions a few years ago and they settled very quickly and put lots of weight on. They were a bit thin and had a few problems when they came but these got sorted out. A few people i didn't know came up to me and commented on the change in them over just a month. As long as horses have plenty to eat are looked after and have company they are happy. Good luck with the move. I am sure they will be fine.
 
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