What would you do if your horse can't be ridden again?

If my horse was healthy and happy otherwise and capable of going to the field then I would change absolutely nothing and would keep her on my DIY livery.

Riding isnt the be all and end all for me, I care about the horse herself much more. Shes my pet/family member.
Our last horse was retired at 15 with navicular and we kept her on livery til she was 29.

Plus its easy to get rides on other peoples, even competing, if missing that side of thing.
 
If anything happened to my 11 year old I would keep him no matter what however I also have a yearling that I will ride and compete. If something had happened to the older one and I could only afford one I can guarantee you the youngster would have to go as no way I would ever part with the older one even if I couldn't ride him again!
 
I'd keep mine as a high maintenance pet, could eventually get another too - as livery is cheap at my yard. Probably a baby though to bring on.

She had surgery this year and just back in work, brought it home that she might not come back to work. So far she is doing well, but I have faced up to the alternative :(.

She's with me till the end, ridden or not. She's my world :)
 
I would definitely keep mine if they can no longer be ridden. I pLan to keep them for life. I have my own land though so it is easier to do this. After years of enjoying riding them I think it's the least I can do.
 
mine is on full livery but unrideable, if this continues I'll find a nice field for her to live out her days in with some friends, sun on her back and plenty of attention.Of course if she was in pain it would be a different matter...
 
I'd keep 2 as economically as possible. Currently have a field ornament but when I fell in love with B2 I asked for him even lame or broken off the track - I just wanted him
 
Well I have 5. So I have a mix of ridden and not. A 17 YO who was never supposed to come sound when I bought him, with his injuries, at 9. So I suppose when he did come sound riding was a bonus. He is a semi field ornament. Then my 13 YO ex broodmare keeps everything running properly in the mare herd. She has done plenty for me and she stays til the end. She really is invaluable even though not ridden. Then I have 3 others. Two youngish of riding age and a 2yo. It's a nice mix.

I don't have a lot of land, 10 acres. It's in crap with the weather and it's also not great to start. I rent. So mine have to come in at night out of the muck. Retired or not everyone gets treated the same. And I don't think they complain because as the ground has deteriorated and the weather is still dire, everyone waits at the gate in the evenings. If I had more and better land they'd be equally happy to stay out rugged up with hot meals delivered twice daily.

So if any of the others need retired due to injury, it really wouldn't be an issue. These 5 will stay with me. Small possibility of the 2yo being sold as we used to sell young prospects, but I doubt it. My husband and I are a little too attached to Cupcake! Plus I've hit that fluffy bunny stage of hating her leaving all her friends that she's know her whole life! It's no wonder I sell as foals normally. By the way I do expect things from the horses. Abba jumps and so will Cupcake. I think they can do both. Be competition horses and be horses too.

Terri
 
in my current situation (rent 8 acres very cheaply) i would keep any of mine that had to retire as field ornaments, i can take or leave the riding so it wouldn't bother me one bit and it's completely do-able financially. When i have to move from the rented land which will happen at some point then if i can't find more land to rent then i'd have some serious thinking to do.:(
 
My mare was written off by Rossdale with a tendon injury as a 6 year old. It took 3/4 years, but I now have her back, and she has done xc, sj, and endurance up to 50 miles, so I am probably a bit more positive about the long term prognosis than many.
Out of our 6, 5 have been written off at one time or another due to lameness issues, and the 6th due to her behavioural issues, but they are currently all in work.
I would always keep them, but mine live out, and I rent grazing, which changes things slightly.
 
I have my 5 year old that I will never be riding again :'( sad as we only had a year riding, his so happy in the field with his little pony as company I love to watch them play, so as long as his happy with what his doing then so am I . Love him dearly! !
 
I currently have 2 field ornaments... 1 who i will hopefully ride next year, one who hasn't been sat on for about 3/4years, and never will be again! I thought he wouldn't be ridden again after a horrid field injury 10yrs ago, but he came sound after that, but then had a series of pretty awful injuries, so although he is sound in the paddock, he would have needed a bute a day to be sound enough to ride, and I decided I'd rather have him as an ornament and happy, and hope I have him for another 10 years at least! I'd be lost without him. He still goes for 'hacks' in hand or ride/lead in the summer if I have something suitable to take him on, and he loves this, but he's also very happy being a big spoilt pet :D
 
I retired my old boy last year due to a tendon injury, he walks in hand and I enjoy just pottering about at the yard and spending time with him :)

I have a few others I can ride if and when I want, but I'm actually not that bothered the majority of the time. I've been able to get more involved with stewarding/fence judging etc., so still get my horsey fix that way :D

I'm sure at some point I will end up with another, but there's no rush for the moment.
 
I have a 19 year old that we bred ourselves that has been a field ornament since the age of about 6, its a long story. I bought my cob just to keep her company and I will keep her as long as she is happy with her life. I do walk her in hand and she loves that. I do realise that it is not so easy if you don't have your own land. Good luck with your decision.
 
I am possibly facing this at the moment. My boy is on box rest 'til spring on vets orders, re annular ligament strain. with a very guarded prognosis. He does get to go out in the yard and seems content, (maybe not happy) with his current lifestyle.

I don't know what I will do if unridable. I do not think I can justify keeping him as a field ornament, and all the work involved on DIY livery, not to mention my age. If I had my own land, no problem. At the end of the day each horse and owner has a different take on the situation. I would not send my boy away and would take the ultimate choice for him with a very sad heart. He will not be replaced.

I will add that he had upwards of 2 months box rest due to headshaking at the beginning of the year due to a tooth problem. Poor sod!

How much can we put them through?
 
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