What does "field sound" mean to you?

[HashRouge]

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!

 

[ycbm]

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

I like this definition.

 

[tristar]

i think it can be very difficult to know, for example i have plantar fasciitis at the mo, it works like this , first thing getting out of bed i can hardly walk, after 20 mins i am sound and can walk perfectly, as the day day go on i can, but not always become lame yet sometimes i just ache a lot, so how can you tell the degree of pain in a horse, only by its lameness? i`m not sure because if i have the backache unless its really bad no one would know and yet i am uncomfortable.

it leaves me to draw the conclusion that a horse can be in pain and put up with it but if it is showing stiffness then that very likely is pain, i do not find either acceptable

horses retire for many reasons, i know completely blind horse who seems very happy.

 

[tristar]

ycbm my horses are planning the future, they are they now waiting for me to go outside and make interesting things happen, and i can guarantee they are looking forward to the next nosh-up, and should nosh-up be 5 minutes late i will be summoned by great clanging banging and general neighing, and indeed they have great schemes afoot to perform dastardly deeds, jump higher than each other, rip up anything they can get their teeth into in fact their very purpose in life is to live life to the full, but then you have never met them to know this.

they are ultra real, the most, alive switched on creatures i have ever met, its their very brilliant light of awareness of their own exsistence and sheer energy which fills my life joy!

 

[KittenInTheTree]

I have a four-year-old Connemara gelding who due to a muscular injury sustained as a yearling has a permanent issue with his off hind leg - essentially, the ligaments around the stifle can support his own weight, but not that of a rider. He appears completely sound at liberty, without any medication, but does need the farrier to give him some extra consideration when trimming his near hind, and would definitely break down if ridden

I get very tired of explaining this to people who wonder why he isn't in work. I get even more tired of explaining that I'm perfectly happy to keep him until the end of his days, but that I will PTS when he is no longer able and/or willing to be a pampered field ornament...believe me, this horse will let me know if he's not happy!

He lives out on relatively poor grazing with ad-lib hay when needed (currently about three round bales a month), along with my other four-year-old gelding (cob, fully sound, just backed) and their small companion pony (also fully sound, retired broodmare, bought purely to ensure that the Connemara always has company). I check them all twice daily, bring them in for the vet and farrier as required, and they are stabled overnight in the worst of the winter. Sometimes I even scrape together enough time and energy to ride, although the cob prefers not to encourage that sort of nonsense...!

 

[Cortez]

the cob prefers not to encourage that sort of nonsense...!

Very wise

 

[Clodagh]

I had my 'field sound' horse PTS last week. He has been OK, and cheery, but if you ride him he goes wrong behind. Last week the ponies were having a mad 5 minutes and he stood and watched them, and tried to spin but couldn't. Knacker man came out the next day. Field sound means they should still be able to exhibit normal field behaviour. I have no objections to bute but personally I chose not to long term medicate a horse with many issues.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Ycbm I wasnt upset. I am fully aware his time is coming but as someone said you shouldn't be able to tell the difference between a riding horse and a field sound horse in the field. My boy walking towards you you wouldn't class as lame as he is fine and over tracking by a full hoof length in walk and has a good turn of speed in the field and plays and chases his mares, even chases them and hits them with a tree branch when he finds one he just takes a while to in trot to Track up with that one hind leg the other he is always tracking up or over tracking. He gets a supplement, is quick off the leg and seat and happy and willing to move forwards under saddle, he just needs warmed up.

My friends warmblood is short in front until he's warmed up, never anything found and vets done X-rays the lot but after he's warm to wouldn't know any difference ti him. He does have one hoof conformationally smaller than the other but even the vet isn't 100% sure this is the cause. He's being doing it since bought at five. There is a big difference in years obviously but having had my boy for going on 16 years he is not shy in telling you he is sore but of a drama llama

 

[EmmasMummy]

Lame but not in pain and not requiting any long term medications but unrideable.