What to do with an old mare?

As with most of the other posts here are my thoughts;

1 - 20 is not old if she is sound, could have 5 - 10 more years in her
2 - consider a sharer
3 - A carefully vetted loan or loan with a view to buy for a nominal fee to the pefect home, I would not regard this as foisting off an old horse
4 - TB's can live out perfectly well ans are often much better physicaly and mentaly for it, my oldie is beter out than in.

Good luck what ever you choose
 
I wouldn't sell one of my oldies, but I do have the luxury of my own land, and extra grazing that I rent very cheaply. If you can find a loan home local to you, where you can keep an eye on her then that is an option. Personally I would rather have one of mine pts rather than sell, as no homes are guaranteed for life. If you sell her to someone as a hack, they may well be in your situation in a few years time if she has to retire, and then she will get sold on again. I would look at grass livery too, she may well surprise you if she is well rugged and has ad lib forage.
 
If i where you, i would put her out onto a long term loan, to a well vetted home, with refs. With the understanding that you have her back when her ridden days are over and she is then PTS by your self. That way you are giving her a chance at a few more years of a good life, you know she wont be passed round. Its the most responsible thing to do. I dont think i woudl sell her, She is not worth a lot of money, but coudl still be useful to someone.
 
KingCharles said:
If i where you, i would put her out onto a long term loan, to a well vetted home, with refs. With the understanding that you have her back when her ridden days are over and she is then PTS by your self. That way you are giving her a chance at a few more years of a good life, you know she wont be passed round. Its the most responsible thing to do. I dont think i woudl sell her, She is not worth a lot of money, but coudl still be useful to someone.
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Yes, this is what I would do. I certainly wouldn't sell.
 
Mairi said:
Berkeley, the hho doesnt do just fluffy bunny wunny replies. You have just lost all your brownie points through your very nasty childish post. I am one of 'the rest of the readers' and find you slightly obnoxious. Take the rough with the smooth and stop thinking that your presence here makes you special. We all have the right to reply and each one of us has different beliefs and experiences.
My advice is-grass livery, loan, sell or put to sleep.
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I agree with Mairi - this is a horse forum and we should definately not be discussing rabbits, especially fluffy ones. I'll be honest, I have no idea what a wunny is, but that too sounds like pure evil.
 
DAA83 said:
I agree with Mairi - this is a horse forum and we should definately not be discussing rabbits, especially fluffy ones. I'll be honest, I have no idea what a wunny is, but that too sounds like pure evil.
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FYI according to Urban Dictionary: Wunny = A cute word for someone's buttocks.
 
Sorry Mairi, Fluffy Rabitt Buttocks?? Are you sure this is what you meant, because frankly it seems ludicrous that any website should legally be discussing this subject? I feel dirty even writing this
 
Put her on grass livery or on loan to someone. You will be surprised how well even a used-to-being-stabled TB does being out 24/7. It is much better for an older horse to be moving about as well and, as mentioned it may mean it calms her down a bit. 20 is not old these days and certainly if she's still fit and healthy there may well be someone out there wanting a loan horse like her - we got our ex racer after two failed loan homes as he was "too lively" and their remedy for that was to starve him!

With the only other option being him being PTS we stepped in and took him on. As Stencilface says mainly he's just living the life of riley in the field with his mates. He's easy to look after even though he can have his moments and occasionally he will go out for a walk or be ridden and he loves it. We gave him a 7 year extension on his life and he's still going strong now and other than a bit of extra feeding in the winter months he is cheap and easy to look after.
 
Hi, I keep my 21 year old TB mare out all year round. She gets rugged to the ears in really rough weather and also has haylage ad lib in a field shelter. She seems very happy.
 
If she were mine i would put her on grass livery. i have several Tbs that live out, rugged and fed according to individual needs. One is in his late 20s.

You obviously cant just suddenly do it in the middle of winter but you can start this summer so she gets gradually habituated to her new circumstances. I'd bet money that if you did it slowly and fed/rugged appropriately then she will be fine.
 
Berkeley said:
Grass livery for a TB? she has been stabled at night her whole life. I don't think living out now would be an option.
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Its worth trying.

My TB mare lived in at night all her working life, with 2 feds a day and adlib haylage, shes now 25 and retired for health reasons, she lives out 247 in all weathers, she has is hay in the winter when theres not much grass but hasnt had a hard feed in 3 years. She looks well, maybe even better than when she was stabled, and is as happy as larry!
 
Grass livery on a farm? Ive know alot of farms which wil include a barn or sometimes stable for £15 a week or so you just have to look around and maybe trawl the yellow pages a bit.

Alternatively loan yes, 20 yr old and sound loads of people will want a fun TB to ride, pop her on project horses and see what happens £75 is an awful lot Im assuming thats full livery, can you reduce to DIY where you are?
 
i don't really understand your post?
you said she's too much for you in so many ways, so i'm guessing this means areas other than just riding, so i don't see what putting her on grass livery will change other than the cost.. but that doesn't stop her being too much for you.
i personally would loan her out, it doesn't need to be a full loan, but i don't think it's fair to have her live out the rest of her life in a stable and going in the field for a couple of hours a day, if she's sound and can do something a bit more intereting!!
i would consider selling her but if she's too much for you i would worry she'd be too much for whoever you sold her to

but if you don't want to loan her or sell her.. or keep her on diy/full/grass livery, then your only other option is to have her pts..
 
DAA83 said:
I agree with Mairi - this is a horse forum and we should definately not be discussing rabbits, especially fluffy ones. I'll be honest, I have no idea what a wunny is, but that too sounds like pure evil.
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Giles, is that you? Whoever you are, please stay. We need you and your sense of humour.
Finally, someone who hasnt got their head between their 'wunny'.
 
Mairi said:
Giles, is that you? Whoever you are, please stay. We need you and your sense of humour.
Finally, someone who hasnt got their head between their 'wunny'.
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Love it! Listen if I have caused offence I hold my hands up - no excuses. Sometimes my SOH is a bit eccentric.

Anyway, I have decided to sell. I have put the advert up and now waiting with interest. I will keep you posted. Thanks a million for all your advice on this, it has been an extremely hard decision to make - I feel very emotional despite sounding light about it. I just know at the moment she is being wasted and I know there's so much more to her than mooching around a field.
 
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