Would you risk moving a 30yo horse?

[Highmileagecob]

Our little yard is overcrowded. I have been there over twenty years, and have seen numbers increase from six horses to fourteen. We have a ten acre summer field and a two acre turn out field for winter. Now a friend of an existing livery has rocked up and announced she is bringing three on 'to get them settled before she gets pregnant.' Farmer owner takes no responsibility, only our money, and we do all repairs and turn out organisation ourselves. I am now feeling this situation is untenable for a 30yo, and think he will get bullied. Would you risk moving him at his age?

 

[dorsetladette]

There are a few questions to ask before giving a yes or no answer.

How fit and healthy is he?
Would he be moving with other horses or on his own?
Where would he be going? retirement type place with similar age/able bodied horses?
How long is the journey?

It's a tough one - but I agree with you 17 horses in a 2 acre turn out paddock would worry me no end.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve done it twice. Once my own because he’d been on loan but I wanted him to finish up with me. It was the best decision. He had a 2 he trip but I paid a very good transporter and it all went well.
Next last year I moved my neighbours pony from her temp retirement home to mine. She’s late 30’s I moved her myself, about 40
Mins and she too was fine. It was certainly the best decision for both.

 

[94lunagem]

I agree I think some more information is needed. For me it would boil down to the physical moving itself rather than settling at the other end i.e. how healthy he is, how steady on his legs he is, is he particularly attached to anything he's leaving behind and how long the journey is. As the above poster says a good transporter might be worth their weight in gold on such an occasion, I worked with a transporter temporarily 20 years ago and I have seen the merits of paying the professionals.

17 on 2 acres in winter is asking for trouble though, and I would be looking at ways to make it possible (within reason and subject to the above).

 

[Highmileagecob]

He is fit and reasonably healthy, in that his COPD is well controlled. Not particularly attached to any buddies. but attached to 'home' if that makes sense. I wouldn't be looking to box him. We have a few options locally, and with a few compromises it could work. I just worry whether the stress of new surroundings would be signing his death warrant. He definitely would not be turned out alone.

 

[94lunagem]

He is fit and reasonably healthy, in that his COPD is well controlled. Not particularly attached to any buddies. but attached to 'home' if that makes sense. I wouldn't be looking to box him. We have a few options locally, and with a few compromises it could work. I just worry whether the stress of new surroundings would be signing his death warrant. He definitely would not be turned out alone.

I totally appreciate its so much more easily said that done when it's not your horse, but I would be moving him. Your current description of winter turnout in particular far outweighs stress of new surroundings, in my opinion. And it sounds like your current yard situation is only going to get worse i.e. more horses not less.

 

[stangs]

FWIW my boy's at a retirement livery, and we've had several horses in their late 20s move here without issue, a couple of whom had been on the same yard for decades before moving. As long as the new yard's set-up in a way that promotes settled herds and he can physically cope with the journey, I would do it. 14 horses on 2ac is untenable.

 

[Reacher]

I moved an elderly horse who had been put in paddock on his own as was being bullied by the other horses. He had looked like he was giving up on life, I first moved him to parents then moved him and friend 2.5 hours journey when I bought somewhere with land. I think it gave him another couple of years.

 

[webble]

If it was the lesser of 2 evils yes. Is there an option for him to have a fenced off area with 1 or 2 sensible friends?

 

[Kaylum]

My friend moved hers, he had been there a long time and got stress laminitis when he moved.

 

[Peglo]

I moved my 2 older horses to stables at my own house rather than at my aunties. (Fields stayed the same.) I was really worried about it since my 30 yr old had been in her stable for nearly 20 years but she loved her new stable and settled straight away. She was much happier after the move.

I would’ve always said it was unfair until I did it myself and now I would say it depends on where they are moving from and to and how healthy the horse is. I don’t think my old horse would’ve minded being in different fields if it went with the new stabling but fortunately didn’t need to change turnout.

 

[dorsetladette]

If it's only walking distance then I'd be tempted to give it a go.

Would you be able to cover livery at both places for say 2 weeks to see how it goes, but keep the option to return open if he doesn't settle?

if he doesn't settle them he's sort of told you where he prefers to be.

 

[mini-eventer]

I moved mine at 28 but he moved with his companion, I do think he would have been fine regardless. I hacked (rode and lead) as he hadn't been on a box for a few years and wasn't the best traveller as he got older

 

[Highmileagecob]

If it was the lesser of 2 evils yes. Is there an option for him to have a fenced off area with 1 or 2 sensible friends?

Unfortunately not. Our only fenced off area has had to be given over to a young lady who has inadvertently bought a rig, which is adding to the stress.

 

[Highmileagecob]

If it's only walking distance then I'd be tempted to give it a go.

Would you be able to cover livery at both places for say 2 weeks to see how it goes, but keep the option to return open if he doesn't settle?

if he doesn't settle them he's sort of told you where he prefers to be.

Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind.
It's very encouraging to hear that most oldies actually don't mind moving, and settle relatively quickly. Thanks all, very helpful comments.

 

[AppyLover1996]

My friend has recently moved her 32 year old horse to the same yard I'm on and he's coped really well with the move. He did drop a tiny bit of weight but he's prone to weight loss anyway xx

 

[meleeka]

I just worry whether the stress of new surroundings would be signing his death warrant. He definitely would not be turned out alone.

It's a risk, but what option to you have? I think the risk of him being unhappy where he is is probably higher.

 

[maya2008]

We moved our ageing Shetland (EMS, no longer able to defend herself against a full herd of bigger ponies, sound but increasingly vulnerable) 3 hours away, back to her previous family. She knew the people but not the place. She is turned out with one pony with whom she has become good friends and the move overall has been a huge success.

 

[pistolpete]

Definitely doable but needs to be thought through very carefully with lots of contingency for possible issues. Wouldn’t say no though.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Just got to find somewhere within travelling distance now. Absolutely will not hand his care over to anyone else.

 

[Jenko109]

We had this concern with one.

He was 27 I think when we moved him.

He settled literally immediately, despite having lived at the previous field since he was a yearling.

If you are moving to somewhere quiet where there are just a few quiet ponies for him to go in with, then I would certainly try.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Is there any chance that one of his field mates where he is, possibly another retiree, would be interested in moving with yours? That is the only thing that would concern me a little, leaving all his familiar horses behind, that he might settle better with a familiar equine pal with him?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I vowed my old horse would be pts at his previous yard if needed. He was 28. Unfortunately we had to move. I don't think I would move him again. I have had him 20 years so I really know him and it took him a fair while to settle even though to someone who didn't know him would think he was fine.

 

[Nari]

I don't see that you have any choice but to try, I would have my prime of life horse on such overcrowded grazing because I think it's asking for trouble. The only other thing you could try is approaching the farmer and asking if he'd rent you - just you - another piece of land.

 

[Amymay Again]

I don't see that you have any choice but to try, I wouldn't have my prime of life horse on such overcrowded grazing because I think it's asking for trouble. The only other thing you could try is approaching the farmer and asking if he'd rent you - just you - another piece of land.

I agree.

 

[marmalade76]

I'd be more concerned about the place he/she was moving to more than anything - will they settle in, be comfortable, happy, have kind companions (I had to ask someone to move out because her horse kept kicking my 22 year old causing nasty injuries and electric fencing them apart wasn't working)? One thing's for sure, where you are sounds no good at all, particularly for an oldie.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I’ve moved past horses in their late 20s with no problems, both on their own and with others they knew.

 

[exracehorse]

Our little yard is overcrowded. I have been there over twenty years, and have seen numbers increase from six horses to fourteen. We have a ten acre summer field and a two acre turn out field for winter. Now a friend of an existing livery has rocked up and announced she is bringing three on 'to get them settled before she gets pregnant.' Farmer owner takes no responsibility, only our money, and we do all repairs and turn out organisation ourselves. I am now feeling this situation is untenable for a 30yo, and think he will get bullied. Would you risk moving him at his age?

Beau was very old when he came to me on retirement livery. He had been on a very big yard. With dropped fetlock’s. And Cushings. He absolutely loved being on my quiet private yard. And thrived. Lost him a year ago to a sudden fit.

 

[WuzzBred]

No way. I think I would pts

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I took on a very elderly horse who was being bullied off the hay. He settled immediately and was accepted by my two mares. He looked years younger in just a few weeks. I’d move him.