What are the options for retired completion horse

[sjdress]

Unfortunately I have had to make the decision to retire my horse from competing, she is lame on a surface and doing arena work. She is sound to hack, however I am not a happy hacker and I want to get back competing. I cannot however afford 2 horses, or have the time for 2.
I could find someone to hack her on loan , however most want a quiet plod, which she is not.
She seems to well to retire completely and it seems a waste to just chuck her out in a field. Any suggestions?!

 

[cauda equina]

If she's only lame on a surface/in an arena, could she hunt?

 

[ihatework]

What is her diagnosis?

Is she a horse that really enjoys her work even when lame or is she struggling or being stoic about it?

 

[ycbm]

For me, a horse who is lame on a surface is lame and I would not ride it (unless for rehab purposes, or purely mechanical with no pain), because even on a hack you can't keep on straight lines and flat surfaces all the time.

If by gentle hacking it becomes sound on a surface provided is not regularly worked on one, I'd retire it as a hack if it has the temperament.

 

[sjdress]

She has been diagnosed with sclerosis of the knee. She is sound on and hard surface but really struggles in an arena. She now pretty much refuses to move in the arena so she will not go in there any more. She had the whole of the winter off, which she settled into pretty well and was roughed off in the field, however by the end of month 4 she started to get bored and so I brought her back into work. She is now walking and trotting out hacking and I am just starting to introduce canter again. She really enjoys hacking out, however she can be a bit sharp and better when ridden frequently so I don’t think now and again hacking will suit her. It’s so hard to know what to do! She’s 17 but doesn’t act a day over 7! She’s lovely and feels a million dollars hacking, just lame on the soft surface.

 

[sjdress]

Apologies about the title of the thread, it won’t let me edit to competition horse!

 

[ihatework]

She has been diagnosed with sclerosis of the knee. She is sound on and hard surface but really struggles in an arena. She now pretty much refuses to move in the arena so she will not go in there any more. She had the whole of the winter off, which she settled into pretty well and was roughed off in the field, however by the end of month 4 she started to get bored and so I brought her back into work. She is now walking and trotting out hacking and I am just starting to introduce canter again. She really enjoys hacking out, however she can be a bit sharp and better when ridden frequently so I don’t think now and again hacking will suit her. It’s so hard to know what to do! She’s 17 but doesn’t act a day over 7! She’s lovely and feels a million dollars hacking, just lame on the soft surface.

I’d probably retire her to be honest. I’ve taken a similar decision on a couple of mine that could light hack on a bit of bute, but who in reality would be a bit sharp for that job. I think though that if you do retire you really have to consider the quality of the environment they retire too. No small boggy paddocks, acreage in a herd and they are generally very happy with the deal

 

[Goldenstar]

I would retire her to the field if that’s not possible I would PTS I would not pass on a lame 17 yo .

 

[sjdress]

She wouldn’t be passed on. I would never sell her! The option could be to part loan/share her to someone to hack, but she would still be under my care. If not full retirement is probably the realistic outcome

 

[wingedhorse]

I kept mine. Feeling he owed me too much and was too complex and high maintenance for any sensible person to take on an do right by for a lower work level. Mine still works, but it is about keeping him fit/ strong / supple, and he has ups and downs.

I have two on part livery, and a reasonable job, and a live very frugally! Main reason are on livery, is it is so far away to find a really good set up for him.

 

[WandaMare]

I would advertise for someone who would enjoy hacking her out. I have done this in the past and had some very good riders respond. I live near a vet uni and quite a few of the students have enjoyed riding out my horses during term time, is there anything similar near you?

 

[ihatework]

She wouldn’t be passed on. I would never sell her! The option could be to part loan/share her to someone to hack, but she would still be under my care. If not full retirement is probably the realistic outcome

Actually, I completely forgot one of mine .... he was younger and not quite as compromised as yours but needed to slow down. I thought I had retired him after he dropped his perfectly capable sharer on her head out hacking (he was quite cheeky!) ... but I moved areas and someone hacked him out 2-3 times a week from the field. On paper it could have been a disaster, she was quite novice and straight out of a riding school, but he really liked her and she was very relaxed and they enjoyed their jollies out for a couple of years.

So it’s perfectly possible for her to get a bit of attention and to keep ticking over if you can find the right person. I’d just say try and let he down, keep fitness minimal and ride from field with minimal clipping/food - sharper ones are generally better that way

 

[Blixen Vixen]

If you retire her to a proper set up then she won’t be bored. There’s a huge difference between pottering round the same field with one or two and having freedom over a lot of land with a herd.

Horses generally love it and revert back to being in a herd like ducks to water. I think it’s by far the simplest solution for you and some very nice places that I’ve looked at aren’t expensive like £25 - £30 per week. Okay she’ll be far away but if it’s with a reputable place you can trust then I wouldn’t personally have a problem with that.

 

[milliepops]

I have my old competition horse retired to the field. She won't stand up to schoolwork now due to re-occurrence of a soft tissue injury. She has a buddy who is super quiet so they don't monkey about too much, 8 acres of rough grassland to potter about in and all kinds of goings on to watch. They are both soooo happy. Mine is a big of a pickle to hack, she loves it but can make mischief so I was reluctant to look for other riders for her, and the hacking where I have my other ridden horses isn't that great tbh so I knew I wouldn't ride her out from there enough to make it fair to keep her there - turnout is limited in the winter etc.

As it is, she's having a whale of a time and I will probably do a little light hacking from the field during the summer months, its a nice area with off road tracks and I think she will enjoy doing little bits. If I hadn't had this option I would have had to pts I think.

 

[EventingMum]

We have retired my son's eventer, he owed us nothing and after breaking his jaw his tongue sticks out all the time which would obviously be penalised in dressage although it's not because of evasion (his jaw is now misaligned so it just flops out!). I really worried he would not like being retired and for the first few months he hated the lorry going out without him but now he is very settled. He still has his routine and comes in at night because that suits him and we live in a very wet area and he gets fussed over a lot and he's happy as larry! It's probably not the most economic way to retire a horse but it works for him - looking at him now you'd never believe he was an eventer, he's hairy with no muscle but he's happy!

 

[sjdress]

Thanks all for your feedback.
Regarding those that found someone to hack, did you find them through word of mouth or from advertising?

 

[WandaMare]

Thanks all for your feedback.
Regarding those that found someone to hack, did you find them through word of mouth or from advertising?

I found mine by looking out for adverts asking for help needed with horses, once the weather improves a few of these pop up. I also put out a few word of mouth requests in local yards, and also at the uni (mentioned in my post above). The people I have found have generally stuck around and a couple of them have become good friends.