Time to retire?

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laurajane

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I'm really going through a tough time with my gelding at the moment.

He's 17, so not very old really. Full of life half the time but recently he's been abit down - which i'm blaming on the weather.

We had an accident a couple of years back and it's thrown both our confidence. He's such hard work to try and get to jump and that's what I bought him for, nor was he cheap as his blood lines are good.

I recently took on a mare who is fantastic at everything, I'm not sure what to do with the big lad as he doesnt' seem bothered about being ridden anymore, but I don't want to waste him.

Any advice?
 
Some thoughts:

Do you currently ride for a trainer - if not, perhaps a few lessons could help you get going again.

What about doing something else than jumping, would you consider trying a different discipline which may suit him better?

If you really want to jump him and have already tried the trainer option, would it be an option to send him away for 2 weeks to a professional rider to help work on any issues he may have with jumping?

If you are not interested in riding him,
- can you afford retirement livery?
- do you know anyone who may be interested in loaning/sharing him? Perhaps another person could enjoy riding him, if he does not have issues and would be suitable as a dressage horse or happy hack.
 
If he's hard work to get to jump, he's obviously not enjoying it, so I wouldn't worry about wasting him. Does he like hacking or flatwork? There's nothing wrong with retiring him if that's what you want (and are able) to do - I'm sure he won't mind ;). Else you could loan him out as a hack.
 
I've been having lessons on him but recently i've been abit short on cash and not been able to have one. In my lessons he performs really well but any other time he doesn't seem too fussed.

My friend has him on part loan and I don't go up when she does, I'm not sure if she might have done anything to upset him (not trying to blame anyone) He has string halt so dressage is pretty much out of the question, and he's scared of everything from twigs to lorries so happy hacker isn't much of an option either.

I couldn't afford retirement livery, so I guess i'd just keep him where he is. My instructor takes on horses and schools them, I guess I could just send him up there for a couple of weeks?
 
amymay said:
Just because he doesn't enjoy jumping I wouldn't be thinking of retirement.

Sell him or loan him??
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full loan could be a good idea, with the right rider I think he'll perform like he did 5 years ago. It's a shame as I no longer have any confidence on him.

He's not worth much due to his age, and the price i'd get for him wouldn't cover the heartbreak so I don't think I could sell him... but when I get his saddle out, baring in mind I don't jump very often so it's not like he's soured, he just looks at me then the saddle like 'I really CBA with this today'

Typical man I guess... lol
 
laurajane said:
full loan could be a good idea, with the right rider I think he'll perform like he did 5 years ago. It's a shame as I no longer have any confidence on him.

He's not worth much due to his age, and the price i'd get for him wouldn't cover the heartbreak so I don't think I could sell him... but when I get his saddle out, baring in mind I don't jump very often so it's not like he's soured, he just looks at me then the saddle like 'I really CBA with this today'

Typical man I guess... lol
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I would not be confident selling either, considering that he has stringhalt, his age and reluctance to jump - in this financial climate there are too many "lower price bracket" horses and once you sell you never know where they end up.

A full loan may be a good idea, if not perhaps continue with the 1/2 sharer, and, if you know someone good & confident who may school him for free, perhaps they could work him for you the other 1/2 time to get him going again?
 
I think I might try that CJ, thanks.

The girl who helps me with him is a good rider, but she's only ever ridden in a riding school and is a little too robotic, and I think she's abit used to a robot horse aswell. Ideally, I want to keep him at my yard as he's more of a family member than a pet.

I wouldn't get much if I was to tell him and i'd still have to save up to buy another.

I think I should probably try and scrape together the cash for a couple more lessons and then see from there
 
It is nice to hear that you want to keep him and care for him even even through hard times.

Maybe the other rider can pay for her own occasional lessons with your trainer as well, if she can afford it?

Best of luck with your lessons, post us an update and some photos in the New Year :-)
 
Yes, time to retire from jumping I'd say. We have a 19 yr old who has shown some reluctance to jump over the last year, with the odd stop now and then, but has stopped uncharacteristically several times this season over small fences. The vet has diagnosed arthritic changes in his hooves which were probably bothering him last year but he was too polite bless him to make much of a fuss.

However this year he has definitely said, hey you, I've had enough of this jumping lark! Fortunately he is very happy in gel pad shoes to still hack, so he has a use, but with hindsight I wish I had called it a day last year. At 17 (nearly 18) yours he may well have a touch of arthritis somewhere and his lack of enthusiasm is his best way of telling you.

You obviously know and love him, and he still has a use, so I personally wouldn't bother with the lessons - he isn't getting any younger, so save what's left of his legs.
 
Llewelyn said:
Yes, time to retire from jumping I'd say. We have a 19 yr old who has shown some reluctance to jump over the last year, with the odd stop now and then, but has stopped uncharacteristically several times this season over small fences. The vet has diagnosed arthritic changes in his hooves which were probably bothering him last year but he was too polite bless him to make much of a fuss.

However this year he has definitely said, hey you, I've had enough of this jumping lark! Fortunately he is very happy in gel pad shoes to still hack, so he has a use, but with hindsight I wish I had called it a day last year. At 17 (nearly 18) yours he may well have a touch of arthritis somewhere and his lack of enthusiasm is his best way of telling you.

You obviously know and love him, and he still has a use, so I personally wouldn't bother with the lessons - he isn't getting any younger, so save what's left of his legs.
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This sounds quite a lot like my boy, it's a real shame it really is. Because he's so fun and used to put in so much enthusiasm, but he runs out or just runs straight through it. I never really thought of it being anything medical before.

But thanks for this, it would make sense and at the end of the day i've got an 11 year old mare who's full of life and practically drags me over jumps so it's not like i'll lose anything. Is it worth getting him checked over do you think?
 
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