What do you do when horse can’t compete/train anymore

[sjdress]

My horse is turning 20 this year. She had some ongoing lameness in the past, all investigated/treated as well as could be and prognosis was better suited to hacking, might be able to do some competing/light schooling but will have to go with it and see. Repeated schoolwork most likely make condition worse... Said horse had 3 years of time off/hacking, felt super so started her up again at the beginning of last year. Just went to 2 shows at lower level dressage than before. Super at first one, second one won first class, didn’t want to canter in second class.
Gave her the winter off and now brought back into ‘work’ (hacking).
My issue is she is not sound enough to do dressage realistically and I don’t want to push her as she is very giving, but perfectly happy hacking and she loves it! I am not a happy hacker, I miss the training and the competing so much and I feel my riding has gone downhill. So now I just don’t know what to do. I thought about in hand veteran showing... showing bores me to death but maybe it will fill a gap, I enjoy the pampering and getting them ready and perhaps will enjoy the competitiveness of it again?
I could put her out on loan again as a happy hacker, but I did that and she came back, for no fault of her own (finances of loanee). She doesn’t deserve to be going from one home to another. So my other option is do I retire her? I’m sure she would enjoy her older years out in a field with others but I feel guilty about that as she still very much enjoys hacking out and I would only be doing it so I could get another horse to train and compete again, when actually I could just continue to hack her. I don’t really have enough grazing to retire her with me or time to look after two. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Yes I retired Amber. I could have - maybe - got her sound enough to hack. Maybe she would have enjoyed that but I did not like hacking her much. It was a duty not a pleasure! She could not school or jump, never mind compete! So for me, full retirement was the better option. She's a 2010 foal so very young to retire but she seems perfectly happy.

 

[ester]

Could you loan/share her from your current place or does the grazing limit that option?
If you did retire her would you keep her there or elsewhere?

 

[AmyMay]

I’m sure many of us have been in this situation. She sounds as if she’s served you well and is sound enough to enjoy her well earned retirement, with the occasional hack. I certainly wouldn’t loan or sell her.

So I’d retire her, and get yourself another to bring on.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

If you are in a position to get another younger horse to train and compete to fill your time, I don't see why you shouldn't retire her most horses don't care about being ridden and if she can be a companion for your new one that's even better.

 

[Lexi 123]

Most people just put them in Retirement . Loaning a horse out that has lameness issues isn’t ideal because you can’t control how much she is being ridden.

 

[Birker2020]

My horse is turning 20 this year. She had some ongoing lameness in the past, all investigated/treated as well as could be and prognosis was better suited to hacking, might be able to do some competing/light schooling but will have to go with it and see. Repeated schoolwork most likely make condition worse... Said horse had 3 years of time off/hacking, felt super so started her up again at the beginning of last year. Just went to 2 shows at lower level dressage than before. Super at first one, second one won first class, didn’t want to canter in second class.
Gave her the winter off and now brought back into ‘work’ (hacking).
My issue is she is not sound enough to do dressage realistically and I don’t want to push her as she is very giving, but perfectly happy hacking and she loves it! I am not a happy hacker, I miss the training and the competing so much and I feel my riding has gone downhill. So now I just don’t know what to do. I thought about in hand veteran showing... showing bores me to death but maybe it will fill a gap, I enjoy the pampering and getting them ready and perhaps will enjoy the competitiveness of it again?
I could put her out on loan again as a happy hacker, but I did that and she came back, for no fault of her own (finances of loanee). She doesn’t deserve to be going from one home to another. So my other option is do I retire her? I’m sure she would enjoy her older years out in a field with others but I feel guilty about that as she still very much enjoys hacking out and I would only be doing it so I could get another horse to train and compete again, when actually I could just continue to hack her. I don’t really have enough grazing to retire her with me or time to look after two. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

No but I'm in your shoes with mine, been unable to even hack since before Xmas, last chance saloon in April with gel in joint procedure and if that doesn't work the horse will be fully retired.
I really miss my competeting, I was out every weekend with all my horses and I loved, loved, loved it and miss, miss, miss it Had to stop jumping Oct 2016 due to existing injury and then had to stop riding in the school/competing dressage around 2018 due to the same injury. Then I was hacking a lot more, I didn't really miss competeting then as I was filling in my time with hacking, and going out in the trailer to a place a few miles away, parking up and hacking from there.

But then that had to stop due to a check ligament injury 15 months ago which healed amazingly well, but then issues with another limb and now coffin joint problems, arrrrgggh the list is endless.

I wouldn't pts mine just because I can't ride, equally I can't afford a retirement home and have another, and even if I could, being freelance it would scare me to death if I were out of work for any long term reasons like for example I was last year due to Covid.

So I have to just hope and pray and cross everything. Like my physio said last week, they can't go on forever and I've done well really with this one. But hell, do I miss it.

Even decent retirement homes are around £45 per week and if they have to have medication once or twice a day then the cost will be a lot more. If I had my own place which I intend doing eventually then this won't be a worry but whilst at livery the cost is prohibitive to me, especially as prices have just gone up, my salary is going down next month and we are all paying a lot more tax in the future.

 

[Cortez]

If she's not sound enough to compete, then she's not sound. I also have a 20 year old who is not 100% sound, so he's retired. There wasn't a moment's hesitation in making this decision.

 

[Cortez]

Double posted.

 

[Birker2020]

If she's not sound enough to compete, then she's not sound. I also have a 20 year old who is not 100% sound, so he's retired. There wasn't a moment's hesitation in making this decision.

Yes but with due respect, people who have other horses to ride like yourself, may not find it such a struggle as people who are one horse owners and whist they might be will to accept that they can't compete anymore, they still want to throw everything at their horse in order to get it sound enough to plod down the lane once or twice a week.

 

[sjdress]

Yes but with due respect, people who have other horses to ride like yourself, may not find it such a struggle as people who are one horse owners and whist they might be will to accept that they can't compete anymore, they still want to throw everything at their horse in order to get it sound enough to plod down the lane once or twice a week.

I have to say I agree. yes she’s not 100% sound but she was given the all ok to hack. Straight lines she is fine, you wouldn’t really notice. And she loves to be out hacking and exploring. If she didn’t feel right hacking I would not make her, but she has a great time, she isn’t pushed and i think it helps keep her healthy in her old age by keeping moving. Obviously if she was hopping lame I wouldn’t even think about it! It’s much less pressure than working in an arena on an artificial surface with repeated movements.

 

[milliepops]

My last oldie was not up to regular schooling work in the last year before retirement but I did veteran ridden showing which was spot on for her, effort wise and that may be an option for some. Having a solid background in flatwork she was fine to just turn up and do a little show without any arena work beforehand. i did enjoy a different kind of day out and she enjoyed the outings.

 

[Kat]

My horse is turning 20 this year. She had some ongoing lameness in the past, all investigated/treated as well as could be and prognosis was better suited to hacking, might be able to do some competing/light schooling but will have to go with it and see. Repeated schoolwork most likely make condition worse... Said horse had 3 years of time off/hacking, felt super so started her up again at the beginning of last year. Just went to 2 shows at lower level dressage than before. Super at first one, second one won first class, didn’t want to canter in second class.
Gave her the winter off and now brought back into ‘work’ (hacking).
My issue is she is not sound enough to do dressage realistically and I don’t want to push her as she is very giving, but perfectly happy hacking and she loves it! I am not a happy hacker, I miss the training and the competing so much and I feel my riding has gone downhill. So now I just don’t know what to do. I thought about in hand veteran showing... showing bores me to death but maybe it will fill a gap, I enjoy the pampering and getting them ready and perhaps will enjoy the competitiveness of it again?
I could put her out on loan again as a happy hacker, but I did that and she came back, for no fault of her own (finances of loanee). She doesn’t deserve to be going from one home to another. So my other option is do I retire her? I’m sure she would enjoy her older years out in a field with others but I feel guilty about that as she still very much enjoys hacking out and I would only be doing it so I could get another horse to train and compete again, when actually I could just continue to hack her. I don’t really have enough grazing to retire her with me or time to look after two. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Why not advertise for a sharer or loaner from your yard? Means she wouldn't be moved around but could continue hacking while she enjoys it.

You would have time for a new competition horse but could keep an eye on your old mare and make sure she is ok.

It might take a while to find the right person but plenty of people would be happy with a safe hack in return for a reasonable contribution.

 

[RachelFerd]

I've made the decision to retire my 19yo - he was being ridden and worked by a teenager on the yard, but she's got too much going on with others to ride and exams, and for me there is no joy in just hacking and doing low level things. Turns out he's just as happy going in and out of the field as he was doing some work. Next month he'll move across to a retirement yard where he can live in big shared barns in the winter, as he's not hardy enough to be out 24/7 in bad weather. I'll be sad to move him along, but I've only got the time to keep two in work, and he's really not going to miss it - he just wants company and food.

 

[Leandy]

Only you can make this decision. The alternatives seem to be that you find another suitable loan home, you keep her to hack for yourself, you retire her to grass somewhere or you PTS. It all depends on what you want to be doing, and what you can afford. Personally I would retire at grass and get myself something else to ride. There is absolutely no reason to feel guilty about retiring at grass, they love it, it is perfectly natural. I can assure you that she will not sit in the field wishing she was hacking! In fact, personally I would feel more guilty about the other options, and particularly keeping her in work (hacking) when actually she isn't particularly sound any more and I don't really even want to hack myself.

 

[Cortez]

Yes but with due respect, people who have other horses to ride like yourself, may not find it such a struggle as people who are one horse owners and whist they might be will to accept that they can't compete anymore, they still want to throw everything at their horse in order to get it sound enough to plod down the lane once or twice a week.

I don't have other horses now, he is the last. A horse is either sound, or not sound, there is no halfway house. The fact that people find it OK to continue to ride horses that are uncomfortable is entirely up to them, but it does not disguise the fact that the horse hurts somewhere.

 

[RachelFerd]

I don't have other horses now, he is the last. A horse is either sound, or not sound, there is no halfway house. The fact that people find it OK to continue to ride horses that are uncomfortable is entirely up to them, but it does not disguise the fact that the horse hurts somewhere.

I would have to disagree pretty strongly on this. There very much are halfway houses - in the same way that people are not either physically perfect or imperfect. It's not a binary thing.

A mildly arthritic horse is not 'sound', but being mildly arthritic doesn't mean you stop all exercise. You manage the condition as best you can and continually assess the horse as you go. There are many shades of grey, and there are many methods of management. And there are very few truly sound horses!

 

[Red-1]

I wouldn't rule out selling or loaning, if the horse is straightforward to hack and would still enjoy doing that.

I bought one that was physically compromised, he wasn't expensive but that doesn't mean he has been abandoned. The previous owner vetted me pretty thoroughly before I was allowed to have him. I also agreed that, if I sell, she can have first refusal.

BTW, I think there are levels of soundness too. I won't keep one that isn't comfortable enough to happily do a hack round the village (as that is similar to a mooch round the field), but would keep one who wouldn't be for for dressage. Everyone has differing levels of where they think it is OK.

 

[Cortez]

I would have to disagree pretty strongly on this. There very much are halfway houses - in the same way that people are not either physically perfect or imperfect. It's not a binary thing.

A mildly arthritic horse is not 'sound', but being mildly arthritic doesn't mean you stop all exercise. You manage the condition as best you can and continually assess the horse as you go. There are many shades of grey, and there are many methods of management. And there are very few truly sound horses!

We shall have to agree to disagree. If you note I said that some people are OK with riding unsound horses, indeed I have had to do it myself when circumstances dictated. Now that I no longer "have" to ride horses I can at last make the decisions that suit me, so: no more bute to ride, no steroids, no joint injections, no patching horses up to compete, etc., etc. If the horse is happy toddling around the pasture then that is where he shall be until the day when he isn't happy, and then he will go quietly over the bridge. I've seen too many "pasture sound" horses that weren't, too many medicated horses that had to be on drugs to be ridden. I won't do that, and some/a lot of rehab doesn't work.

 

[Mule]

I don't have other horses now, he is the last. A horse is either sound, or not sound, there is no halfway house. The fact that people find it OK to continue to ride horses that are uncomfortable is entirely up to them, but it does not disguise the fact that the horse hurts somewhere.

Do you think you'll get another horse in the future?

 

[Cortez]

Do you think you'll get another horse in the future?

Might. I have had such a profound life change of direction that I need a prolonged, uncomplicated period to reflect. I am planning to relocate to Spain whenever this £%$& lockdown is lifted, and I just want to be free to think for a little while.

 

[Birker2020]

I don't have other horses now, he is the last. A horse is either sound, or not sound, there is no halfway house. The fact that people find it OK to continue to ride horses that are uncomfortable is entirely up to them, but it does not disguise the fact that the horse hurts somewhere.

Well Cortez I am not trying to argue with you but that's why I said in my post that I and others in my position (who don't have our own land to chuck a horse out in retirement and said horse has a very good quality of life and isn't lame enough to warrant euthanasia) will do everything in our power to get it to soundness again. If the vet considers that my horse will become sound by carrying out a procedure like medicating a coffin joint or for me to carry out extensive rehab on a check ligament injury (which incidentally, the vet and physio still call the recovery of my horse a minor miracle due to my intensive hard work and that of my physio, vet and farrier combined) then that is fine by me. I will do every in my power (and pocket) to ensure that I give my horse the best. If she remains sound, bonus.

Whilst in your post you state "There wasn't a moment's hesitation in making this decision" in regard to retiring, it is not so simple for the vast majority of people to reach this decision. In an ideal world it would make sense to comfortably retire an older horse and get another one so you can do whatever you want to do with it. However, for most of us we don't have that luxury financially.
And the sad fact is that there are a great deal of horses that are 'abandoned' in fields under the pretext of retirement that are neglected and have chronic ongoing pain and do not receive pain relief and some do not even receive the minimum care. And whilst I am not accusing you or suggesting that anyone on here who has retired their horses fall under this category this is what can, and does happen.


Finally it is not up to me to judge that putting a horse in retirement is the wrong choice, anymore than it is for you to say that continuing treatment of a horse (when the vet thinks its in the horses best interest to get an outcome compatible for riding) is wrong. It's very much up to the OP what she decides to do for her horse and there is no wrong or right way.

 

[ihatework]

In these sorts of situations it is very horse specific. It depends on how lame/uncomfortable they are, their personality, how much overall management they need.

Im very much in the ‘sound for purpose’ camp. Which means you acknowledge they aren’t completely sound, but with modification to their work and management can happily do a job. If that is the case then I loan for that job if it’s not something I’m interested in doing.

When they become unhappy under saddle then, if they have been a good horse for me and I can provide them with a good retirement, they get that while they still have a good quality of life. But I don’t keep them going until ancient at all costs.

 

[milliepops]

Birker i think the point is, if treatment is actually successful, then the horse is no longer lame, it is?

I don't have an issue with pausing a horse's ridden career to treat an injury or illness, and then on successful recovery, the horse returning to work. Or modifying the horse's work to only activities that maintain or enhance it's soundness, like hacking an arthritic horse within a sustainable and comfortable level.

But to ride a horse that is not quite right is a different matter IMO, unless it's with a view to making an intermittent hard to detect problem worsen enough to be diagnosable. Riding a horse that is unlevel, uneven, not quite right, (lame) whatever you want to call it AFTER treatment is not defensible from a welfare POV and it's pretty irrelevant what other people do.

 

[Michen]

I think it’s a very personal thing. I have an all or nothing horse. He’s not a happy hack, I hack him for his fitness and health benefits but if he could only hack I’d find that very difficult as frankly he’s only enjoyable if he has got other things going on in his life to keep his mind busy. He needs to be in hard work, and the last year has been very tough because we’ve spent most of it ambling around. Or rather me trying to persuade him to do that. My situation is slightly different as I have another horse, but even if I couldn’t afford another horse there is NO way on this earth my horse would be PTS if he could have a happy retirement. I’d have to wait until his time had naturally come and be without riding.


My horse at the minute is technically the most broken he’s ever been. He has a (healed) ligament injury but with adhesions and fairly recently diagnosed arthritis. He also feels the best he ever has in the 4 years I’ve had him. So I’m happy with that, he's being managed (so far) and it’s reflective in his work and body. But he will be looked at for soundness by my vet every three months without fail, however he feels.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I tried everything with my old boy to keep him sound but it wasn't to be. He is 25 now and has been fully retired for 5 years. I bought another as I couldn't imagine not riding .

 

[SEL]

I also have a 2010 horse who isn't really proving sound enough to ride. Vet reckons light hacking but she's not an easy hack and I popped on her for 15 mins this morning at a walk & could feel a more wonky motion than she has without a rider - so there's definitely more of a struggle with the rider's weight than there is as a field pet.

For her we're probably going to try osphos just to see if that helps. I'm only really giving that a go because she's young and because she's the type whose weight is hard to manage out of work.

I did get another one to ride last summer but unfortunately she ended up in surgery just before Xmas and is also now a light hack only. I'd mind less if we had decent hacking!

I miss have something to play around with tbh so my current life plan is to try and find a field to store the broken ones, see if there's someone who wants to light hack the pony and look out for something with working legs and working lungs

 

[Cortez]

Whilst in your post you state "There wasn't a moment's hesitation in making this decision" in regard to retiring, it is not so simple for the vast majority of people to reach this decision. In an ideal world it would make sense to comfortably retire an older horse and get another one so you can do whatever you want to do with it. However, for most of us we don't have that luxury financially.
And the sad fact is that there are a great deal of horses that are 'abandoned' in fields under the pretext of retirement that are neglected and have chronic ongoing pain and do not receive pain relief and some do not even receive the minimum care. And whilst I am not accusing you or suggesting that anyone on here who has retired their horses fall under this category this is what can, and does happen.


Finally it is not up to me to judge that putting a horse in retirement is the wrong choice, anymore than it is for you to say that continuing treatment of a horse (when the vet thinks its in the horses best interest to get an outcome compatible for riding) is wrong. It's very much up to the OP what she decides to do for her horse and there is no wrong or right way.

There are three things you can ethically do with an unsound horse; fix it, retire it or put it down. There would be no hesitation involved for me, but seems to be for other people. Judging by the number of uncomfortable horses that (in normal circumstances) I see out and about doing things, people are either blissfully unable to recognise an unsound horse or just fine with riding one. Many vets are keen to keep treating animals that IME have guarded prognoses - I am all for treatment and rehab that is sensible and affordable, but this is often more limited than a lot of people realise.

There is always a wrong and a right.

 

[ester]

We have a treated/rehabbed old suspensory branch injury.
Horse only not right the day after doing circles.
Horse no longer does circles.

 

[sjdress]

There are three things you can ethically do with an unsound horse; fix it, retire it or put it down. There would be no hesitation involved for me, but seems to be for other people. Judging by the number of uncomfortable horses that (in normal circumstances) I see out and about doing things, people are either blissfully unable to recognise an unsound horse or just fine with riding one. Many vets are keen to keep treating animals that IME have guarded prognoses - I am all for treatment and rehab that is sensible and affordable, but this is often more limited than a lot of people realise.

There is always a wrong and a right.

I think I have learnt that it very much depends on the horse. I had a horse put to sleep last year as he was unsound with many problems, after 12 months rehab he was no better and wasnt even field sound. He was unhappy and therefore retirement wasn’t an option for him.
This horse i am talking about in this post , I have been told by the vets after extensive tests, treatment etc that she will be absolutely fine to hack but wouldnt stand up to arena work. They said give her a rest and see how she goes, as that could change things, which I did, but turns out the repeated movement and extra strain of dressage does her no favours. She’s happy to hack, she enjoys it, is nice and forward and never feels like it isn’t right to be hacking her. It’s just not something I personally enjoy doing as the sole activity And feel it would be a shame to Chuck her out in a field right now when she is happy and comfortable doing this job. Obviously if she deteriorated at all I would stop of course. I’ve had this horse for a long time and would be confident to know if there was a problem or the time had come to stop hacking too.