HashRouge
Well-Known Member
You might not be able to judge it's soundness but you can judge a horses quality of life particularly if you have known the horse a while .
And that's what you have to when you retire a horse in the field .
But people's setting of the bar is different .
I know people who keep horses to sore to lie down and think that's ok -I don't .
I know people who won't give pain relief but think it's ok to keep a retired horse sore in a field because it's retired - I don't .
I have no issue with people giving horses long well managed retirements but to often it's a case of I can't bear to put him to sleep but I can bear to watch him limb through the mud I don't have much time for people like that .
I do very much agree with this post. I'm doing my best to give my two the "well managed" retirements that they deserve. To me, this means ensuring that they have a good quality of life and do not suffer unnecessary pain. It also means ensuring that they live in the right environment, which for these two is 24/7 turnout year round. As far as I or anyone else can tell, neither horse is currently in pain. It is impossible to be 100% certain, of course. They both have a degree of arthritis, the mare more than the gelding. But they are sound in the field, at walk and trot and as far as I can see in canter (they don't do very much of it!). And they are bright and lively in their manner, the same funny characters I have always known. I'm sure the mare in particular will feel discomfort related to her arthritis at times, though there is rarely any obvious evidence of this. There is no indication that either horse finds life a struggle and I like to think I've known them both for long enough to judge this. To me, a field sound horse is one that should not be easily identifiable from the "riding" sound horses when seen in the field. I know my two aren't!