What did you all do???

[Dolphin]

I would really like to hear people's stories who have, for one reason or another, ended up with a horse they love dearly, but who can either no longer work at all, or can no longer do what you wanted to do with them, through injury.

What did you do? Did you keep the horse? What if you only had the resouces to have one horse, and having a second horse was not an option? Did anyone make a transistion from competition rider to happy hacker? Or from say show-jumping to dressage?

Morally, do you think someone in this situation should give the horse a home for life, or do you think they should look at othr options?

I do have personal interest in your stories, but my circumstances (which I won't bore you all with) have made me wonder what happens when other people end up in this situation - it must happen all the time...

Looking forward to reading some long and interesting posts!!!

 

[chestnut cob]

I'm not sure whether this is useful to you or not as mine isn't a particularly extreme case and it's not through injury, it's through a reasonably rare medical condition.....

My Sec D gelding was diagnosed with displacement of his soft palate at the end of last year, which basically means when he comes into an outline (and at other times as the condition worsened, which I didn't realise at the time) he can't breathe properly as his palate fills the airway. The only treatment is to have it cauterised, which I had done in January this year. He made a great recovery from the op but the condition hasn't gone away completely. His breathing will never be 100% and so he is limited in what he can do.

I really wanted a horse to compete with and had hoped to do more dressage and jumping. After the op I did do a few novice tests with him and he gets reasonable marks (low 60s) but he finds cantering in an outline hard work still and it wasn't fair to keep pushing him to do something he couldn't.

So, after lots of soul searching I decided to put him on loan to someone who would do less with him. He's still 100% doing fun rides, still hunts, hacks without any problems, will still jump small courses (2ft6/2ft9...will do 3ft at a push but his heart isn't in it), and does a nice Prelim test. He has been out on loan for just over a month now to a lovely family up in Northants and he's much happier than he ever was with me. The daughter rides him - loads of hacking, some schooling, odd bit of jumping. She's even started doing gymkhana games with him, which is ideal for him as it keeps him aerobically fit but doesn't stress the breathing as he doesn't need to be in an outline.

I have a massive loan contract which states the things they can't do with him because of the breathing, and I made it very clear how he was limited and how it might affect him in the future. A month or so in and I couldn't have asked for better people to have him. He is so happy there and they've said he has a home for life. They're not a competitive home but I think they're going to do a bit of local dressage and showing with him.

We had a chat this weekend gone about them maybe buying him in the spring. I think it depends on the case but for me it wasn't an option to give my boy a home for life - he's only 11 and far too young to spend the rest of his days with someone who wants to do more, and therefore finds reasons not to ride him. As it is, he's now with people who're doing the same sort of stuff he wants to do and is capable of doing and I have an older more experienced school mistress I plan to SJ with.

 

[Worried1]

Maddie who I bought as a foal, was retired last year aged 4! She dislocated her pastern and damaged her hock which left her technically unsound. She is now in-foal as I couldn't bare to part with her. I also have my old competition horse who is out on loan to a lovely lady who hacks him.
My sister and I also bought our first pony back and she lived with us in retirement until we had her PTS aged 37.
I can't help it I get really attached

 

[Jo C]

Patrick was originally my show connemara but he decided to grow an extra bone off his splint bone due to a bone infection, I had to have this removed (it was growing into his suspensory ligament) so he then decided to throw a huge and I mean huge splint in its place. I retired him from showing and now do affliated dressage with him and I have to say I'm loving it. We do now have an added complication of his breathing but I'm not sure yet how that is goin to affect us.

 

[Tia]

Well I have a lot of horses therefore am quite different from a lot of people in that I don't really need to be able to ride all of mine if the situation arises as I have loads of others that I can ride. If I can find a job for that horse to do then it will remain here, regardless of whether it is rideable or not.

At present I have a horse who broke his neck a couple of years ago. I am just starting to back him now and he is coming along nicely. He will never be sold as he is the father of 2 of our foals and I'd never want him placed in a situation where life may become too tough for his capabilities.

I own the sister of the above horse; she has severe Upward Fixation of the Patella. At present she is nannying the yearlings here and she does a great job. Time will tell as to what becomes of her, but she certainly won't be sold on in this condition. Unless she starts to make marked progress in the next year, then her future hangs in the balance.

I have an ancient old QH that was given to me a couple of years ago. He's a good boy and causes no trouble. He is still very fit and has not the slightest signs of arthritis etc. He is on full loan to a boarder of mine and she adores him. He will spend the rest of his days on my farm, regardless of his loan status.

We have a small pony that we brought with us to Canada from England. We've owned her for 10 years and she will never leave this farm. She is very fit and I can't see a day where my daughter will no longer ride her regardless of how tall my daughter may grow. This pony also has a foal at foot and this filly will never leave us either.

I have a beautiful palomino mare who had some issues whilst pregnant. Since foaling she has been totally sound again. I actually really really like this mare a lot and have absolutely no intention of selling her as things stand at the moment.

My main riding horse, Jet, is not for sale and I can't really see him ever being sold at any time in the future....but who knows!

The rest of my horses - yes I'll likely sell them as they are all eminently saleable and most of them were bought to be produced and sold.

I honestly can't say for sure what I would do in the scenario you have given - it really would depend on the particular horse. If I truly loved the horse then yes I would keep it forever regardless of whether I could ride it, and at the expense of the chance of getting another rideable one.

If I didn't love it but it was capable of just being a happy hacker, yes I'd likely keep it. If it wasn't rideable then I might look for the best alternative in giving it to someone I knew personally, on permanent loan.

It's tricky to say for sure what anyone would do because it all comes down to emotions and how you feel about each horse.

 

[Enfys]

Complicated question. The answer would have to depend entirely on the individual situation.

I had to have mine PTS.

I was emigrating, and had found a great endurance home for my boy, at the vetting it was discovered he was almost totally blind (huge guilt thing here, but he was a very temperamental arab and rushing and stroppiness was the norm for him).

So, what to do? Not feasible to ship a blind horse 3500 miles, wouldn't re-home him as it wouldn't have been fair on him, so he went in the lorry for his last journey to the kennels, his final thought was that he was going hunting Bless him, he loved hunting.

So, if I had been staying I am not sure that I would have done any differently actually, he liked to work, didn't enjoy being a field ornament, I would never have ridden him again and this wasn't a horse you took for sedate walks around the lanes, he didn't do anything sedately. It wasn't a question of getting rid of a useless horse, more of ensuring that he was never passed from pillar to post or ended up on a meat wagon.

Some people agreed with my decision, others let me know exactly what they thought, funny though, not one said "Oh, I would have had him"! At the end of the day though, he was my horse, I was quite dotty about him and I did what I considered best for him knowing him as I did. I have never, for one moment, regretted my decision.

 

[AmyMay]

My mare was put to sleep after developing ringbone, and then ultimately buggering herself up further in the field.

As much as it broke my heart - she wasn't easy, was 18, and I wanted a horse to ride..........

 

[Happytohack]

I have an Icelandic who has Cushings and is lamintic and can't be ridden. He is kept purely as a pet, even though he costs quite a bit with special shoes and medication. He has a good quality of life and is quite happy. I also have Tilly, a 4yr old coloured cob - she was an orphan foal who I handreared. Although I should sell her, when it comes to it I just can't bear to part with her. I have two heavy horses as well - both happy hackers when their arthritis permits them. I used to do a lot of endurance riding but all hopes of ever doing that again are gone as I would rather just keep the horses I have got. I am lucky in that I have all of them at home and I don't need to justify their existence.

 

[Cobland]

Angel is 9 and has to be semi retired due to an injury she gave herself in the stable. She gets rode once/twice a week and only if shes given bute. It was a huge shock for me as i would have rode her nearly everyday, there was never any talk about her being rehomed but she is going on loan to the local RDA as her injury means she can no longer canter but she can still walk and trot, making her perfect for them.

Mae is my main horse, we are aiming for our first show next friday, woohoo. Ive been in the situation where i never had a horse to ride and my friend let me ride her irish draught.

 

[Bossanova]

My grey horse, Boss, decided he was sick of eventing last year in a fairly major way. He had full vet workups etc and there was no physical cause found, I think it's just his brain that has deteriorated. I love him dearly but he's no happy hack and I cant afford to have him and a competing horse. My solution was to send him to an equine college.
How's now in his element teaching stage 3/4 students the finer points of riding. He gets tonnes of attention, plenty of work to keep him active but doesnt have to do any of the things that he dislikes- like and dressage tests!!

Hopefully he'll stay there during term times whilst he's still able to work. If the time comes that he cant work due to pain for whatever reason then he will be PTS. Sadly he cant live out 24/7 all year round due to phobias

 

[Chex]

I'm happy for Chex to be a field ornament if anything happens to him, or when he's just retired. I can't guarantee his future if I got rid, and I just couldn't do that - he deserves more than that. I often think it would be nice to have a horse that I could compete and do a bit more with, but that will have to wait until I'm rich enough to afford two

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I bought my mare and was conned- she had very bad high and low ringbone in her front two pasterns and arthritis (shes only 9!)
I had tried to loan her out (She was my first horse and i only ever rode her 3 times before this all came about but i loved her) No one wanted her so i kept her and in april she popped out a suprised foal much to everyones shock this baby is extremely healthy and thriving so i got two for one!!

I could never sell my mare, i love her and although she is very mechanically lame and costs me dearly in bute as long as she can keep having a happy life i will keep her- if she deterioates i will have her PTS. I will also keep baby forever, shes a part of my mare and i love them dearly.

I want another horse, but i dont think its rational at the moment financially.
Its not out of the questions completely, but for the moment it is.

 

[chestnut cob]

Sorry to hijack.....

EquestrianFairy - I haven't spoken to you in ages!! How are your two doing now? Have you got something to ride?

 

[merlinsquest]

I bought merlin to jump and dressage with, but after the diagnosis of arthritis this time last year, that all stopped.

I would not sell him as he is still willing mentally but would break down if allowed to do all he wants too.

Strangely enough though, I am happy not to do all i wanted to originally..... after the shock of being told he was fit for the knackers, being able to ride him at all is a blessing. And we just enjoy hacking.... and being active.

As I say, I would never sell him, but if he became so lame as to be unrideable then I would prob pts, as i think he would be in pain all the time if he couldnt even go for a quick walk.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

LOL- hello!! (sorry again to hiijack X2)

Im good thankyou, you?
Nope nothing to ride, its depressing!

Did your lad find a new home the second time around?

 

[EquestrianFairy]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL- hello!! (sorry again to hiijack X2)

Im good thankyou, you?
Nope nothing to ride, its depressing!

Did your lad find a new home the second time around?

[/ QUOTE ]

Doh! Obviously im being very special today- as your post is about his new home!! My poor boyfriend humors me at times like this!

 

[tillyd]

My mare has been off all year and finally diagnosed early arthritis.
I am seriously thinking of what my options are, though too early to make any decisions.
She is only 8, I had only owned her a year, and bought her to compete - would have affiliated dressage and SJ.
We are still trying expensive treatments (IRAP now), but in my heart I know she is never going to come sound enough for what I want to do - as much as anything I'm doing it so that if I have to make a horrible decision I can know I tried everything.
She is only fractionally lame - more unlevel - but too much for a comp horse.
She is not an easy ride - I think its massively unlikely I will find someone competent enough to loan her that would only want to hack/lightly school.
I wouldn't keep a horse for the next 20 years that I can't do what I want to with - selfish as that sounds, my welfare is as important as the horses, and I think I would just end up resenting a horse I was scrimping and saving to pay livery for and not able to compete. I can't afford to keep 2 horses.

I think it is possible that I will have to make the decision to PTS which would be very very hard, when she is healthy in every other way.

I would love to have a foal from her, but it wouldn't change anything - I really don't think I'm tough enough to have a foal, give her a year in field say and then have her PTS.

 

[malibu211211]

My boy D has arthritis in his coffin joint at the age of 12 and although I tried desperately hard to keep him sound it was very obvious that he could no longer do the work I was wanting to do. So after lots of tears I decided it would be best for him if I semi-retired him. I hack him 1-2 times a week which he copes well with and seems to enjoy.
I love him to bits and couldn't bear to part with him (plus he does have issues

) so I work nights to keep him and my new project 6yo at a DIY livery yard.
He has calmed down alot since taking an easier life, he always used to get quite stressed and cross. I do wonder whether it was because he was always put on box rest then bought back into work all the time. Now he gets to go on fun hacks and doesn't have to do boring schooling

 

[chestnut cob]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL- hello!! (sorry again to hiijack X2)

Im good thankyou, you?
Nope nothing to ride, its depressing!

Did your lad find a new home the second time around?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes he did. He's gone to the other family I really liked first time around and I'm hoping they will buy him in the spring! I went to see him on sunday and he's so happy, it's just fab

Saw the pics of your baby...nawwww!!!

 

[Rueysmum]

I have a 12 year old gelding who retired completely at the beginning of this year due to arthritis and a bent foreleg which is becoming increasingly bent.

He is treated like a king and always will be until the inevitable happens and he has to be PTS.

I also have an 18 year old TB who is fine at the moment. The pair of them keep each other company and will do until one of them pops their clogs. When that happens I will probably get another one to keep the remaining one company as I am completely soft.