Why do people assume a horse could not be retired?

I'm 100% with Wagtail and Spyda. Horses do not need work, they can all live without work as long as they are well cared for and provided with enough freedom and company.

I also wish people would not lie to themselves and others that they are being kind to the horse by pts instead of retiring - retiring is better if the horse is comfortable as a field ornament. However pts for economic/selfish/circumstantial reasons is not terrible, it is the next best thing, and every time people are judged as terrible for choosing this perfectly reasonable option it just further encourages this BS about horses not coping with retirement.

Keeping the horse in work, selling it to a dealer/numpty or giving it away are the choices that people should be discouraged from, retirement and pts are the first and second best options in this situation.
 
But not all horses can retire in the conventional sense, i knew of one that had been imported, never been turned out before he came here. He couldn't be turned out in the field as he would turn himself inside out with stress, he instead had to be allowed to graze the track from the yard to the stables with the gate open to he could go back to his stable when he wanted. He was lucky that his owner was happy and able to keep paying for his full livery so that he could stay at the yard, but he could never have been retired to a field. As it was his melonomas worsened and he was PTS at the end of the summer as it was felt he wouldn't cope with the winter:(
He was an unusual case though i admit ;) IMO as long as the horse has been given the chance to try retirement if the owner can afford it then PTS if they don't cope is the kindest option.
 
I never thought my old boy would be happy retired, but he's loving it. He's been semi-retired for about a year and he's loved it. I am going to give him the next few weeks off and then see if hes up to hacking for 30mins maybe once or twice a week, bit if not, he'll be fully retired. He's loved living out with his herd for the last couple of months. He takes all the newcomers under his wing and he's the herd leader. He will be retired for as long as he is not in pain, and happy. I am on livery - I pay money to keep him on DIY.
I would never have him PTS because I wanted to ride. That's the deal I take on with animals.
My mare is currently undergoing investigations into lameness which make her work limited or even mean that she is not rideable. Would I have her PTS? Hell no. And this is a horse which hasn't been right from about 7 weeks after buying her. But if I have two retirees, then that's fine. I love looking after them - I get enough pleasure from that.
 
That isn't the same thing, (ETA Ibblebible's post) that is a horse that won't live out (and chances are it would if in the right situation), not a horse that is unhappy without work.
 
I certainly have met and dealt with a horse that was unhappy without work. I knew her before she retired and saw how she changed when she stopped working and for several years after that when she got excited whenever anyone came on to the yard with tack and then sulked when she was never ridden.

Because of seeing what she went through I would assess any horse in my charge very carefully before making the decision to retire or pts. I'm sure most horses would be fine left in a herd environment but not everyone is able to provide this, those who cannot be certain that they would be able to provide an environment where their horse would thrive are justified in making the decision to pts, for the horse's own good, IMHO.

I have one fully retired at the moment and very much enjoying himself, I have two who may need to be retired and I will be keeping a careful eye on them to see how they cope, if they aren't happy then they will be pts, I love them far too much to see them miserable.
 
Well Wagtail it may wind you up but it's non of your business is it?
My view some horses enjoy retirement and some do not, I have have had both sorts one lovely well bred mare who was competion proven who I pts sleep straight away as she was never happy in the field for more than 30 mins so I did not even try to breed from her to an advanced event mare who was a complete workaholic who settled to it fine and I kept until she got cushings.
For what it's worth what winds me up is old horses miserable and cold in fields while the ones in work are warm and cozy if you can't give your horse the same lifestyle minus work I do not think it's right just to turn them out and leave them to get on with it esp' if they have had busy competion type lives but it's up the owner that's what being the owner means, it's up to you and it's between you and the horse and I accept that every one sees it differently .
 
I see what Wagtail is saying and I do agree with Spyda's comments that in the case of an owner saying the horse has to be PTS because it wouldn't enjoy retirement is probably a financial one. I'd go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of horses can be retired with a bit of consideration. I have quite a few semi-retirees, in both the traditional sense of the word but also ones which are but may not at first glance come under the umbrella of "retired". These are the competition/sports horses who are now broodmares. All of my retirees, the ones in their 20s and 30s and the younger mares, are 100% sound so all could go back into work. What I've found is the old ones take to retirement readily, the younger mares take more time to settle into a quieter life. Retirement is often a very big change in a horses life but it is something which can be done successfully if managed appropriately.

When I was younger I admit I was not so hung up on people having their horses killed for whatever reason but as I've aged I do now see it as something quite monumental. I do view life, any life, as something precious and not to be discarded BUT I do understand that people have to make decisions based on many factors and sadly money nearly always plays a part.
 
I have personally posted one of these threads on here. Whether or not to PTS a horse who doesnt cope with retirement. I got very mixed advice which mirrored my mixed feelings. To see this thread and the blatant assumptions that i am doing it for financial reasons is complete and utter twaddle!!!

In my exmple my mare did a suspensory in the field a year ago and has been on field rest for a year. I am still dreading the day i turn up (as has happened before) to find her standing holding the leg up and screaming. She is kind of sound but has a weird gate, i guess protecting the leg, and will be brought back into work very slowly (hand walking all winter and get on in the spring) i am faced with the decision to PTS though if she breaks down again or cant be ridden.

She is a stress head and has had a year to settle and she hasnt. She still hoones around if you take any of the heard away and NO before you make any more assumptions she isnt left alone ever. But she is NOT a field ornament type and has not settled after a year on rest.

I have very conflicting emotions and am trying to make the decision that is BEST FOR THE MARE. of course i would prefer to keep her around, but if she is stressed and unhappy is that fair???

As it is for now its a moot point until the spring. Or if she breaks again. Since she has done the tendon more than once its a possibility and the vet has already backed my PTS decision should i ever make it. Finances never came into the decision and to just assume they do is well, rude. And who cares if someone does PTS for financial reasons. The way things are i think its a much kinder and wiser choice than passing along a horse that cant be ridden. the horse wont know its dead, the owner definitely will and you STILL think people just callously make the decision... you are blind
 
soulfull said:
yeah and can you imagine the slating owner would get on here for saying
oh really sorry my horse is lame, he is not in pain But I can't afford two and I still want to ride so I am going to PTS.

people presume that horse has given years of service etc. BUT some don't some cause heartache and lots of problems from the start and owner never or rarely gets to do the things they bought the horse for. yet when they decide enough is enough they are evil

owner would get VERY VERY nasty comments so she/he chooses to say he/she won't cope with retirement.

maybe if people on here weren't so judgemental ESPECIALLY those who have an easy option of retiring on theirs or friends land then people could be more honest about their reasons
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This too, ,y mare for example tore the tendon not long after i bought her. i have ridden her less times than i have fingers!!!
 
i wouldnt put my horse into retirement at his age tbh. hes 9 years old, 17.2hh a handful and he cost so much to keep looking un-neglected. he was out of work for 9 months (enough time to settle in to non-working life) and he didnt settle he was on ACP so he could be lead and yes he was turned out 24 hours. some horses just cant be retired with safty of the handler in mind and the cost of keeping said horse in the life of luxury. there are alot of horses that are fine doing nothing but others cant do it :/
 
Wagtail said:
:confused: There is no thread that I am aware of regarding this. If there is, I have not seen it. I would have posted on the thread as I always do when people use the 'he could never be retired line'. I always hope to change people's minds if that is the only reason they have to PTS.
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There is a thread on this forum about this it is MINE in CR. Thank God I didn't post it in here.
Do you know my OH's horse? He does he has owned him for 15 yrs.
All I can say is thank goodness you didn't post on my thread, all we have received is messages of support which have helped us through a terrible experience.
For your information we did do the right thing we stood with our lad while he fell in such a dignified way, befitting the horse he was, we watched the pm, WE KNOW WE DID THE RIGHT THING BY HIM. in a matter of weeks he would have been in agony, having watched my mare a few years ago suffer while the insurance vet wanted to keep her alive we couldn't bare to see another horse suffer like she did.
Sometime this forum can be a wonderful place, sometimes if you cant say anything nice say nothing at all.
Better a day too early than a day too late.
Thank you to the people on here who have offered their support we both really appreciate it.
 
Wagtail said:
I see this time and time again on PTS posts where a horse sustains an injury that would make it paddock sound but no longer able to work. The owner says 'oh he could never cope without being worked...' or words to that effect. It really winds me up. I think it's a complete misconception and that virtually ALL horses will settle into a life of retirement, so long as they are well cared for. I think it is putting our own feelings onto the animal and that it is us that would find it hard to cope with the situation.

By all means, if the horse is suffering, then PTS, but don't assume the horse will not get used to a new life of leisure. My own field ornament loved to work. She always tries to come out when I bring other horses in for work. I know she misses it. But is she happy? Hell yes! :)
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A)B ecause people are unable to realise that for a horse a life in a field is not wequivalent to a life in a retirement home for us-Horses are designed to live in fields and given sufficient let down time I've not know one yet that doesn't enjoy it-the crucial bit being 'given a sufficient sized field and companionship'-i.e not just chucked out in an bare acre.
B)Because it's easy to assume that yuor top class competition horse of course couldn't just be a field ornament.
c)IT's easier to PTS than keep a horse for years in a field.

I am sat looking out the window at a very highly strung competition horse who thrived for his work. He has a rug on, he is mooching around several acres with a companion. If I took his companion away suddenly he might jump out(and has) of certain fields so he is certainly no laid back field ornament-he is extremely content with his life.
Some horses are easier than others to retire and often it is just taht owners are not used to having animals out 24/7 and seeing them gallop around the field and have high jinks. Plus its easier to PTS
 
Haven't read all this thread, but because we all know our own horses, and yes they may have had a happy life as youngsters out in the field, but I don't think that's the same when they are younger, beacuse for about the first 6-12 months they live with there mum then other youngsters and to be fair alot of horses will off spent more off their live being pampered and stabled than running around as youngsters. My mare is 23 yr old this year, is still fit and is has been out hunting this is her retirement, I've had her 9 and a bit years, I've learnt alot from her, before I started hunting her she competed mainly showjumping but two years ago was stopping alot more than normal, we took her hunting and we both loved it so much we went out about 15 times that season having a ball, she then had the summer off in the field but never really looked happy, unforunately at the beginging of last season she did her check ligament, so spent the winter on box rest, she was a lot happier in her stable than in the field, this year we have hunted once so far and she loved it, acted like a 4yr old, I'll never compete her again but I will keep hunting her as her retirement and up front, I'd rather that she goes happy and there is no denying that she is happiest out hunting., than try and retire her out in the field were the decsion becomes harder and harder each day, and alot of pep put off PTS and there horses get lamer. I don't see why pep should judge other pep for their decsion to PTS their OWN horse, different horses react differently though.
 
'She suffered with stress and colic, but gave birth to a healthy foal. After weaning, we then tried to bring her back into work, but all she wanted to do was jog - and each time she came back lame because she was supposed to walk. She was turned out, but stood by the gate. Her leg suffered with the mud, and cold and she was very stiff - so she stayed in. So it was obviously she was not going to come sound. But, we had come this far....what to do? The vet suggested using her as a broodmare, so the following summer she had another foal, and during the summer in the dry, she was sound. Unless she had a little gallop round the field, and then she would be lame for days....she was only 8. '

The difference with this horse is that it was lame, not field sound and had to be box rested. That is a totally different kettle of fish-that is not a soundish healthy horse that is able to tootle round the field.
 
SusieT said:
Plus its easier to PTS
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What an awful thing to say, i know i have just picked out one part of your post but if you think that people who decide to PTS thier horse do it because it is easier you are sadly mistaken. People agonise over this decision. For the vast majority it is a quality of life decision based on individual circumstances. Lots of people seem to think that retirement to a field is a good quality of life, it can be but not always.

One of the best hunters on our yard had to be retired at the age of 24 (spent 14 years as the masters horse and then the last few showing hunter newbies like me the ropes hunting twice a week). He was retired finally due to minor injury but not in pain or lame. He could not settle, despite good grazing and a herd environment. There were no monetary conditions and it broke my YO heart to have to say goodbye but she put her emotions aside and did what was best for him, as already said better a day too early than a day too late.
 
Another point, if "retirement", to you, means turned away in a big field, in a big herd, unrugged, without good shelter and kept on a shoe-string budget, no it won't suit all competition horses, but if it means being kept in a similar way to that which they are used to, just no longer being expected to work for it, which is what it means to me, they'd cope just fine.

It isn't the lack of work horses have problems with, it is the cheaper management that people want to provide retired horses with.
 
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It is easier-I often contemplate it-having a retired horse can be stressful. Yes, you might agonise over the decision but once it is done you can move on and do other things, which you can't whilst you have a horse wandering around your field.
 
Flame_ said:
.

It isn't the lack of work horses have problems with, it is the cheaper management that people want to provide retired horses with.
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Not necessarily so, the exSJer I knew was still at full livery on the same yard she'd been on for years, the only difference was that she didn't get ridden, and from having been a very happy horse who enjoyed her work she turned into a miserable one.
 
Not sure how people can believe that it is easier to have a horse PTS... yes the one phone call it might take is easy peasy but the emotional attatchment and the heartache that goes with it is by far harder than pottering along with a field ornament. How many people with retirees are doing it for more their sake than there horses? Not that there is anything wrong with that decision provided the horse is well and enjoys its life but that is the owners call, and maybe just maybe it is just as hard for those of us who have to face having a beautiful animal put down. It is not always black and white and just because it works for you does not mean that it will work for everyone.
 
I had my old mare pts, she was lame in the field, not dramatically so, and many said she could live out happily. However regardless of her age (early 20's), she got very bored, she would randomly gallop around and jump out of her stable, resulting in increased lameness (she was out of work for over a year in total - including a long period of box rest), she would become stressy if she could see other horses working in the school - particularly if they were jumping. She was pts, and i believe i made exactly the right decision for her, and to some extent, me too. It was horrible, one of the hardest things I ever did, and i miss her like crazy (chestnut in my sig) - but I stand by my decision even though she looked amazing and could have probably lived out in a field for many more years.
 
I have just watched as my TB was PTS. He was 24, he was still sound but had not gained any weight over the summer and despite huge feeds, good hay and grass was not going to get any better, he was just old. We could have kept him going longer, he has been retired for 3 years but I thought it was time he went before he looked and felt aweful. So he went with the sun on his back, with people that he knew and his palls with sight. No stress just sleep.
All I can say is is easier not to make the descision than to do it. Retirement for him was living in a herd but being fed and shod as if he was in work, nothing was scrimpped because he was not being ridden. I hate seeing the ones with stiff joints,overgrown hooves 'retiring' in neglect just because someone can not be a***d to be a grown and take responsibility or frightened by obuse they may get from the ones that say ' you have to give it a chance'.
 
Ibblebibble said:
But not all horses can retire in the conventional sense, i knew of one that had been imported, never been turned out before he came here. He couldn't be turned out in the field as he would turn himself inside out with stress, he instead had to be allowed to graze the track from the yard to the stables with the gate open to he could go back to his stable when he wanted. He was lucky that his owner was happy and able to keep paying for his full livery so that he could stay at the yard, but he could never have been retired to a field. As it was his melonomas worsened and he was PTS at the end of the summer as it was felt he wouldn't cope with the winter:(
He was an unusual case though i admit ;) IMO as long as the horse has been given the chance to try retirement if the owner can afford it then PTS if they don't cope is the kindest option.
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Agree. At least give them a chance. At least 6 months or so, though some may take up to a year. If it doesn't work then fine. I have another horse that it very much looks like is going to be a field ornament at only 7 years old. I am not attached to him. He's cost me thousands in vet bills excess (one thing after another), and I am still unable to ride him. Not lame, just won't go forwards like he used to, and feels awful. More investigations booked in but it looks pretty grim. The selfish side of me would have him PTS as I cannot afford another horse. No room on the yard either. But he is obviously happy in the field. He's a sweet boy, but not easy to handle as he's quirky. He'll want for nothing though. So, looks like that's my lot for the next 15 - 20 years. Two field ornaments. Will have to be content riding other people's. It's not the same though.
 
Flame_ said:
I'm 100% with Wagtail and Spyda. Horses do not need work, they can all live without work as long as they are well cared for and provided with enough freedom and company.

I also wish people would not lie to themselves and others that they are being kind to the horse by pts instead of retiring - retiring is better if the horse is comfortable as a field ornament. However pts for economic/selfish/circumstantial reasons is not terrible, it is the next best thing, and every time people are judged as terrible for choosing this perfectly reasonable option it just further encourages this BS about horses not coping with retirement.

Keeping the horse in work, selling it to a dealer/numpty or giving it away are the choices that people should be discouraged from, retirement and pts are the first and second best options in this situation.
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That's exactly how I see it. My latest horse may have to retire. He's a TB and very stressy. Some would say he's not a good candidate for retirement. I'm going to give him a year though. I think he will be fine. But if he isn't then I wouldn't risk rehoming him as he's not lame and too tempting for someone to try to ride him. Also he doesn't settle well. Took a year to settle here. He wouldn't make a good companion as he eats so much and is very messy in the stable and sometimes a character to handle. So it's retirement or nothing if the vets can't fix him. :(
 
Holly Hocks said:
I never thought my old boy would be happy retired, but he's loving it. He's been semi-retired for about a year and he's loved it. I am going to give him the next few weeks off and then see if hes up to hacking for 30mins maybe once or twice a week, bit if not, he'll be fully retired. He's loved living out with his herd for the last couple of months. He takes all the newcomers under his wing and he's the herd leader. He will be retired for as long as he is not in pain, and happy. I am on livery - I pay money to keep him on DIY.
I would never have him PTS because I wanted to ride. That's the deal I take on with animals.
My mare is currently undergoing investigations into lameness which make her work limited or even mean that she is not rideable. Would I have her PTS? Hell no. And this is a horse which hasn't been right from about 7 weeks after buying her. But if I have two retirees, then that's fine. I love looking after them - I get enough pleasure from that.
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What lucky horses! It is so frustrating though when you have one problem after another. I hope your girl comes sound. Your boy sounds lovely.
 
Goldenstar said:
Well Wagtail it may wind you up but it's non of your business is it?
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If you are going to post on a public forum, you have to expect that people will have opinions on what you say. Otherwise, it isn't your business that I disagree that some people assume their horses will not cope with retirement before even trying it.
My view some horses enjoy retirement and some do not, I have have had both sorts one lovely well bred mare who was competion proven who I pts sleep straight away as she was never happy in the field for more than 30 mins so I did not even try to breed from her to an advanced event mare who was a complete workaholic who settled to it fine and I kept until she got cushings.
For what it's worth what winds me up is old horses miserable and cold in fields while the ones in work are warm and cozy if you can't give your horse the same lifestyle minus work I do not think it's right just to turn them out and leave them to get on with it esp' if they have had busy competion type lives but it's up the owner that's what being the owner means, it's up to you and it's between you and the horse and I accept that every one sees it differently .
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I agree, that you should retire a horse the way it has been used to. I wouldn't dream of leaving retired horses outside whilst my others are warm and cozy. However, it does not mean that horses cannot adapt to all year turnout so long as they are well rugged and have shelter. Many people would argue that this is a kinder, more natural life for them.
 
Spring Feather said:
I see what Wagtail is saying and I do agree with Spyda's comments that in the case of an owner saying the horse has to be PTS because it wouldn't enjoy retirement is probably a financial one. I'd go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of horses can be retired with a bit of consideration. I have quite a few semi-retirees, in both the traditional sense of the word but also ones which are but may not at first glance come under the umbrella of "retired". These are the competition/sports horses who are now broodmares. All of my retirees, the ones in their 20s and 30s and the younger mares, are 100% sound so all could go back into work. What I've found is the old ones take to retirement readily, the younger mares take more time to settle into a quieter life. Retirement is often a very big change in a horses life but it is something which can be done successfully if managed appropriately.

When I was younger I admit I was not so hung up on people having their horses killed for whatever reason but as I've aged I do now see it as something quite monumental. I do view life, any life, as something precious and not to be discarded BUT I do understand that people have to make decisions based on many factors and sadly money nearly always plays a part.
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Very eloquently put. :)
 
honetpot said:
I have just watched as my TB was PTS. He was 24, he was still sound but had not gained any weight over the summer and despite huge feeds, good hay and grass was not going to get any better, he was just old. We could have kept him going longer, he has been retired for 3 years but I thought it was time he went before he looked and felt aweful. So he went with the sun on his back, with people that he knew and his palls with sight. No stress just sleep.
All I can say is is easier not to make the descision than to do it. Retirement for him was living in a herd but being fed and shod as if he was in work, nothing was scrimpped because he was not being ridden. I hate seeing the ones with stiff joints,overgrown hooves 'retiring' in neglect just because someone can not be a***d to be a grown and take responsibility or frightened by obuse they may get from the ones that say ' you have to give it a chance'.
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Honetpot - that's three of us on this board just today. What a sad day.

The situation with your TB was virtually identical to ours. As I said on the other thread, it will hit me later I'm sure but at the moment I feel a strange sense of calm knowing that we did exactly the right thing, in exactly the right way, at exactly the right time.

Never judge a man until you've walked in his shoes and all that. You never know the full situation.
 
Alphamare said:
I have personally posted one of these threads on here. Whether or not to PTS a horse who doesnt cope with retirement. I got very mixed advice which mirrored my mixed feelings. To see this thread and the blatant assumptions that i am doing it for financial reasons is complete and utter twaddle!!!

In my exmple my mare did a suspensory in the field a year ago and has been on field rest for a year. I am still dreading the day i turn up (as has happened before) to find her standing holding the leg up and screaming. She is kind of sound but has a weird gate, i guess protecting the leg, and will be brought back into work very slowly (hand walking all winter and get on in the spring) i am faced with the decision to PTS though if she breaks down again or cant be ridden.

She is a stress head and has had a year to settle and she hasnt. She still hoones around if you take any of the heard away and NO before you make any more assumptions she isnt left alone ever. But she is NOT a field ornament type and has not settled after a year on rest.

I have very conflicting emotions and am trying to make the decision that is BEST FOR THE MARE. of course i would prefer to keep her around, but if she is stressed and unhappy is that fair???

As it is for now its a moot point until the spring. Or if she breaks again. Since she has done the tendon more than once its a possibility and the vet has already backed my PTS decision should i ever make it. Finances never came into the decision and to just assume they do is well, rude. And who cares if someone does PTS for financial reasons. The way things are i think its a much kinder and wiser choice than passing along a horse that cant be ridden. the horse wont know its dead, the owner definitely will and you STILL think people just callously make the decision... you are blind
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I think it is very OBVIOUS you are not making the decision for financial reasons. You can easily see that from your postings. To a certain extent I am in the same boat as I dread the day I see my mare do her tendon again and having to make that hard decision. She too hoons about and screams if others are taken away. But that is how she has always been, retired or not. It is her nature, so I don't think that means that she can't take retirement. Yes, she has to cope more often with others being removed, but I always make sure she has a neighbour next to her. I think that we assume horses are in more distress than they often are when they are calling. They are just keeping tabs on the whereabouts of their herd members. It's a natural thing for them.
 
Flame_ said:
I'm 100% with Wagtail and Spyda. Horses do not need work, they can all live without work as long as they are well cared for and provided with enough freedom and company.

I also wish people would not lie to themselves and others that they are being kind to the horse by pts instead of retiring - retiring is better if the horse is comfortable as a field ornament. However pts for economic/selfish/circumstantial reasons is not terrible, it is the next best thing, and every time people are judged as terrible for choosing this perfectly reasonable option it just further encourages this BS about horses not coping with retirement.

Keeping the horse in work, selling it to a dealer/numpty or giving it away are the choices that people should be discouraged from, retirement and pts are the first and second best options in this situation.
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^^^^

This.

Also, there are a lot of areas where livery that is suitable for a retired, maybe arthritic stiff horses just isn't available especially over winter. Mine had to move to the next county to find suitable 24/7 turnout.

I have seen people abused by the 'must save' types when they have made the hard decision. Very, very few people decide to PTS for now good (to them) reason and really, honestly and truly it is no one elses business what they do as long as it done humanely and legally.

Always Broke. Estherand Honetpot

RIP your boys/girls.
 
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