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| By Sharon Biggs Retirement is a fact of life. We’ll all face it; but unlike humans, horses can’t tell us when it’s time to throw in the towel. So how do you know when it’s time for your equine partner to slow down? Karen Hayes, DVM, author of Help Your Horse Live a Good Long Life and Hands On Senior Horse Care has some tips. Read the rest of the article - click here.
- HC Community Moderator
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| Good article. I like the one about not being able to ride or compete without meds. I refuse to ride any horse on bute. My vet told me I could bute my mare if I wanted to keep jumping (cross rails.) Thats rediculous. I dont even ride her at all anymore, because she has sidebone and i can feel that its uncomfortable for her when i ride. Ive seen some older horses listed for sale. I think buying an older horse who can still perform is great, but you also have to think down the road. can you afford to keep a retired horse? some people cant.
Lacys Corona
1998 14.3 APHA
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When it comes to the bute issue, I think it depends on the horse and his situation.
If it's arthritis that is causing the pain/stiffness and requiring the bute, it's best to talk to your vet and see what kind of activity level he or she recommends. In many cases, bute + light riding (20-30 minutes of walking, maybe a little trotting) is very beneficial for the horse. Yes they may start out stiff and uncomfortable, but the exercise does a lot to help protect the joints in the long run, and an older horse who has a relatively good fitness level will be much more likely to stay healthy and avoid injury, just like an old person who is fit is less likely to suffer age-related injuries like hip fractures.
If the horse can't be ridden at all, then ponying and hand-walking are great alternatives to being ridden, and again, help keep the horse fit and healthier than if they are simply on turnout or in a stall.
So IMO, if it takes some bute to get the horse initially comfortable enough to do them good, then it's a good use of the medication. However, if you're buteing your horse just so you can continue to ride like you want to, that's selfish and doesn't put the animal's best interests in mind. Sadly, I think that that scenario happens far too often.
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| Quick question. How do you safely pony a horse?? I would love to try that if I had another ridable horse. I would worry about her pulling back and myself not being able to hold on. I was reading on another forum, alot of people just take their horses on walks, kind of like how you would walk a dog, in the park. Thats always fun if you have a horse who is safe on the ground.
Lacys Corona
1998 14.3 APHA
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sillybunny11486 (10/9/2009)
Quick question. How do you safely pony a horse?? I would love to try that if I had another ridable horse. I would worry about her pulling back and myself not being able to hold on. I was reading on another forum, alot of people just take their horses on walks, kind of like how you would walk a dog, in the park. Thats always fun if you have a horse who is safe on the ground. If memory serves right, Woodrow's Mommy posted a great explanation of this a while back (maybe a year ago). Do a search of past posts, I'm sure you'll find it. Good luck!
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain. 
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| My gelding is 17 and has navicular now but my vet says that he is still rideable. I just ride for pleasure and take it easy, mainly walk. I've had his hooves trimmed and the next step is to get therapeutic shoes put on. The vet said that egg bar shoes will help him the most. We can't afford them til payday but he is doing ok for now. Trouble is I will be glad to be able to ride him cause he is a "munchkin" and is getting to fat from not being exercised. But I made a promise to him when I bought him that I would keep him til he died no matter what and I will. I've seen to many horses that were thrown aside just because they were old or unrideable. Rocky is the sweetest horse, he doesn't have a mean bone in his body.
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| ^ I agree. My old horse is very sweet. He's very nice and loves people. My friend's old horse on the other hand is very mean. I have no idea why he's like that, but he doesn't like to be messed with, or have anything to do with people.
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