Time to retire?

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SueandSplendida

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My beloved 21 year old mare is slightly lame with arthritis in three legs, currently has a dry cough despite daily turnout and is becoming a little reluctant to work (she has just had a week off). I hack out for an hour daily and we do a bit of trot and gallop on the sand gallop where I keep her (northern Italy bythe way). I am wondering if I expect too much of her but the vet advises me to keep her moving. Should I be putting her out to grass now? and if so what type of management should I expect to do, i.e. worming vaccination etc.
 
I'm no expert, but I find that if you totally retire them, they fade fast - now, thats just in my opinion. If you could just walk and trot her a few times a week, or even just walk her, to keep her ridden and interested, i think it would be good for her. hope it works out for you, 21 isnt that old really. What do you give her for the arthritis? do you give her any oils in her feed, they worked for my 25 year old mare.
 
Have you tried something like cortaflex/superflex to help her with her arthritis?People use this supplement with amazing results over here :D 21 really isnt that old,and if you can find a supplement to help you could have many yrs of hacking her about :D
 
As far as I know gentle exercise is better for arthritics than complete retirement and if your vet is happy for you to continue I would tend to keep going. Maybe cut out the galloping for now and keep her in walk/small bursts of trot, and see what happens.
 
I'd avoid hard or uneven ground & steep hills from past experience. I used to do gentle exercise (as opposed to work) with my girl when she was over 25, passed on from stroke aged 29, being ridden gently until few months brefore end. In the last year I felt I was too much for her (not fat), but got very competant teenager to take some weight off her back.
 
id agree keep her gonig even if its just a walk out, ive retired my 16 yr old, hes got arthritis, now hes retired his legs are getting worse although out 24/7 (various reasons made us come to an informed decision) but if your mares happy to go out then id keep on with it.
 
As others have said, it sounds like she needs to have her work levels brought down a peg and have a supplement to help with the arthritis.

We've retired one arthritic aged pony, but he still likes attention, so he comes in every day for his vits and has a play most days in the school. D1 will get on him bareback with just a halter and have a plod round, which he seems to enjoy :D. He used to be a complete ar&e at times under saddle, so we've taken that pressure away and now he's chilled and seems content :)
 
Thanks for your advice folks. She has been on Glucosamine HCI and MSM for ten months, mixed with sunflower oil in a small portion of cereal mix. The majority of her diet is hay and grass, so I don't think there is much more I can do except cut down her exercise. Next step I am going to try Suppleaze Gold. Has anyone else had good results with this?
 
i use radian b lotion on my arty knee, it plays up in damp weather or if let it get cold, warmth is the only thing that gets rid of the the pain, keeping joints warm equals relieve from pain and results in being able to move about freely which lubricates the joints, any muscle warming cream or lotion and warm bandages, when in or standing is what i would use
 
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