What age did you retire your horse and why?

[JJS]

Tudor retired at seven due to grade five headshaking. It was clearly uncomfortable for him to wear a bridle and he'd become dangerous to ride, so that one was a no brainer.

Sixpence, on the other hand, is rising 26 and still not retired. He does very little these days, due to riding being pretty low on my teenage sister's list of priorities, but is as sound as a pound and loves going out and about more than anything.

 

[splashgirl45]

i semi retired my mare at 23 as she hated the hard ground, so i could ride in the winter with no problem but once the ground got hard she wasnt striding forward and although not lame i knew she wasnt comfortable, so i just hacked occasionally when the ground was ok. when she was 25 her cushings levels couldnt be controlled with medication and i retired her completely, after 6 months she seemed a bit pottery and after consultation with leahurst and my vet she was PTS because it was very likely that she was on her way to laminitis...

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I am having the same dilemma currently. My boy is 26, lovely lad. He has bit of arthritis in left shoulder. Other than this he's fine in my view. He has become lazier over last 12 months, canter few strides an he's had enough, trot ok, but you have to keep leg on. With this an the fact sometimes I don't have time to ride for a week or more, feel it's probably better for him to retire, as unfair nothing for a week or two then being made to work, an it starting again. What you think ?

Have him cushings tested.

 

[still standing]

Just over two years ago, I retired my boy at 20 due to a catastrophic injury caused by him frolicking then falling in the paddock (fractured hock, inoperable site). He had been in full competitive work and after 10 weeks of box rest, he was retired to full-time turn out as X-rays showed his fracture had just healed but was not strong. But much to everyone's surprise and delight (especially mine!), a year later he was sound again, no sign of fracture line on X-rays and no arthritis. However, I did not want to push him back up to the level of competition we had been at, so he is now semi-retired with the occasional outing to the beach and even last Autumn, to a low level competition (he drags me onto the trailer to load). So retirement is not necessarily an absolute!
And just to add I've been reading Oldie48's posts with interest as I too did not feel ready to retire myself, despite fairly mature years, and also bought myself a new horse last year!

 

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Buzz has retired at 27yo although he still has the odd Potter about.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

My welshie is semi retired & has been since 7 years old (now 14!). He's frustratingly never had a day lame or issues like that - but exercise intolerance caused by a pollen allergy. Tried everything over the years bar steroids (wont risk laminitis) so he's only in work between October & April properly, then has the odd loose rein hack over the summer months max as he struggles with anymore - I take him out more because he gets bored more than anything.

 

[windand rain]

23 and still in work bless her she has had a fairly quiet life mostly flat or in hand showing was 11th in a HOYS qualifier at 19 by far the oldest in the class with a very novice rider who wanted a go at county showing. She is teaching yet another child to ride and her better jockey is coming home from Australia soon after a year away. Her only medication is turmeric which keeps her sound so while she is happy she can just carry on

 

[conniegirl]

I've retired quite a few.
currently I have one who retired age 8 due to spinal arthritis and dJD of a hock. I don't expect him to make old bones, but whilst he is comfortable and we can afford to he is retired to a field.

Previously I had:
purebred arab who retired age 18 having been semi retired aged 15 due to on and off lameness caused by a trailer accident.
Show hunter pony was retired aged 18 because I got too fat to ride him, he went down hill fast and started jumping gates to follow us out on hacks, so I got him a loaner who brought him back into work aged 19 and he was in work up until about a week before he died aged 28.
Welsh B, retired aged 23 as no rider for him, again was not a happy bunny and needed work so loaned him to a friend for her tiny daughter and then to several other friends for the same job, he was in light work (tootling round the lanes with a toddler on his back, doing the odd LR showing class etc) untill he was 34, he then retired properly and was PTS aged 38

 

[Cortez]

Over the years we have tended to retire our horses at around 18 - 19, on average. Ours are display and film/TV working horses, in what I would describe as fairly light work and - touch wood - I've never had to retire due to lameness or injury. A few have had minor stiffnesses, one had cushings, but generally they just start to slow down a little, and I like them to have a well-earned rest in the paddocks for a few years while they can still enjoy it. I don't believe horses "enjoy" being ridden per se, and don't like to see geriatric horses being kept going just so their owners can boast how old they are (I have an acquaintance who is still riding a 30 year old for this reason alone ).

 

[oldie48]

And just to add I've been reading Oldie48's posts with interest as I too did not feel ready to retire myself, despite fairly mature years, and also bought myself a new horse last year!

As you may know from recent posts I very sadly lost the lovely horse I bought for my 65th and bought a mare for my 70th who is turning out very well. I hope your horse is going well and giving you lots of pleasure and fun!

 

[conniegirl]

I don't believe horses "enjoy" being ridden per se, and don't like to see geriatric horses being kept going just so their owners can boast how old they are (I have an acquaintance who is still riding a 30 year old for this reason alone ).

Some horses honestly do love it, my hunter pony was one of them. So much happier when in work and going places.

 

[Annagain]

I tried retiring my old boy at 26 as he had knee arthritis but he got really depressed so we would go out about 3 times a week for a 15 minutes potter round the block. The last time I rode him, a few days before he was PTS unexpectedly due to colic he legged it up the lane with me so was obviously feeling quite good!

I 'retired' Arch at 11 due to foot problems, but after 8 months of field rest he was 100% sound so the vet gave us the go ahead to start again. I was fully expecting to have a year or two before we had to retire him again. We've not really jumped since then - just the odd little log out hacking but 12 years later he's still going strong with just one blip that only lasted a few weeks.

 

[Cortez]

Some horses honestly do love it, my hunter pony was one of them. So much happier when in work and going places.

Oh yes, I do agree about the work - some of ours don't settle out in the field after a lifetime of regular routine, but riding isn't the only way to work horses....

 

[Chinchilla]

Th NF was retired from ridden work aged 12 ish. (I think she was 12?) as she just hated it and wasn't a suitable mount for me, but as she was really nervous and small it didn't feel an ethical/safe thing to do to rehome her.
Might get criticised for that but whatever, so long as she is happy that's all that matters to me...she wasn't treated great at all as a very young foal though hence the extreme nervousness. Now her official role is 'cute thing for people to hug when feeling down', which isn't a bad job for any pony lol.

 

[NinjaPony]

One of mine retired at 10-bad hock arthritis meant he was too fragile to be ridden by decent riders which was the only type of rider suitable for him.... he’s far too sharp for a small child despite his size (11.2hh)
Other one is 18 and still going strong, though he doesn’t jump or do much fast work. I’m thinking the next couple of years he will stop competing at low level dressage and mainly hack, with the odd bit of schooling to keep him supple. I feel that he’s the kind of pony who will stay in very light work as long as possible, even if that’s just a hack a couple of times a week.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Op, my situation sounded a bit like yours. I kept going just gentle hacking for so long because my vet said it was best to keep him moving and so many people said when I stopped he’d go downhill suddenly.
I realised one day how much we both disliked it. I was doing it simply because I thought it best for him and he was being forced to plod round the roads when really he’d have preferred staying in his field eating.
I called it a day. He was about 16 I think, he’s now 20 he’s probably been sounder since retiring but is starting to look a bit miserable. I think this will be his last winter but he’s had a nice retirement.
I think you know when it’s time.

 

[LegOn]

I have to say I do agree that some horse do love their work - my veteran got really depressed when he would get holidays or breaks in his riding. I would only ever give him a week or 2 off at a time cause he hated it - would get down, go off his food, get hard to handle & lead. When he would hear tack coming, he would perk up & whinny at you!!!

He retired at 24, he was diagnosed with Cushings at 19, and managed it very well, never once got laminitis thankfully (touches wood) and is happy out on his retirement getting hairy and fat (took him a good while to take to retirement aswell & get him settled but found the right yard and he is delighted with himself now!). I also dont believe that horses always tell you - he was so stoic and stubborn he would always put his best foot forward when you rode him, and also try extra hard to show you he wanted it, so I had to tell him when enough was enough but I'm glad I did. He had a hard life before I got him & he deserves his retirement! We never got a definitive diagnoses of what was wrong but he just was lame & it seemed to be from the sacroiliac area - when I rode him he was sounder than on trot ups or vet exams... it was just his stubbornness though!

 

[LaurenBay]

I retired mine age 12 due to arthritis in her hocks, I couldn't keep her sound and she became quite dangerous to ride when she was in pain.

She had just over a year of retirement in a beautiful place, before she was no longer field sound and she was PTS in November.

 

[HollyWoozle]

My mare will be 17 in June and I haven't ridden her in something like 4 or 5 years I'd guess. Essentially I out-horsed myself and she has some quirks... I feel that someone more skilled and with better facilities could've gotten along well with her (she is good-natured, well-built and fairly athletic), but she is also a nervous sort and has a blind spot in her left eye these days too. I couldn't bring myself to sell her as I am sure she has had a walloping in her time and I believe she has a relaxed, easy life here which suits her. Everyone I asked agreed that I probably shouldn't ride her anymore so decided just to keep her as a pet essentially.

 

[dixie]

Retired at 8. Had neck arthritis and injections never worked. Also suspect something is going on with his back. He is 12 now and whilst very happy is looking uncomfortable behind - back fetlocks, so not sure how much longer he'll go before I have to make a very hard decision.

 

[pansymouse]

Mads is rising 26 and still up for more than I feel confident to do and I'm not shrinking violet!

 

[SEL]

M was retired from ridden work the minute I saw the x-rays of his ringone / sidebone - especially as we'd got hold of previous vet records recommending his retirement from ridden work 2 years earlier. He'll be 15 this year so has been retired by me from ridden work for about 3 years now. I used to pop on him for a little plod every now and then but he gets girth rubs so no we go out for walks like an over grown dog.

Bute a day and he's happy in the field.

 

[Leo Walker]

Mine retired at 13. He had a couple of weird flip outs which culminated in a more serious one, and we called time on driving him. Whether it was a physcial niggle that got too much or mentally he couldnt cope with the work I dont know. I suspect a combination of the 2. He lives with my friend and is a pampered pet now. He does the odd pony ride for the kids and thats about it now!

 

[Megan V1]

My poor home bred TB x Welsh D was retired at 7 because she had health issues, still have her and she will be 26 in July, she is healthier now than she has ever been but too late to bring her back into work now. My MIL's mare was ridden until she was 30 when she just made it clear she didn't want to be ridden anymore and lived a happy retirement until she was 36.

 

[windand rain]

The old girl loves being out and about and gets bored silly being retired She is happier still now as she has a new little girl to look after. I will admit she prefers to go out than pootle around in the field She behaved abomnally at the show today but was obviously loving every minute She won the veteran class no one believes just how old she is as when she acts the goat you would think she was a youngster