By ARIANE STIEGLER
Retiring a horse is far more complex than many riders initially realize. Although cost might be a major concern, quality of care should also be one.
“You have to know why you are retiring your horse. Is it because of an injury or lameness, or just old age?” Amy Rabanal, DVM, CERP, says, as that can affect retirement options. “Is it a stallion or a mare? Can he be turned out with other horses, and how big are the pastures? Is there shelter, and what are the weather conditions? If in a warmer climate, does your horse shed his coat easily, or will he need to be clipped in the summer months? Where is the closest veterinary clinic [should] your horse need care? Do they offer a supplement program, should all be things to consider as well.”
The best way to choose a facility is to either check it yourself, just as you would a show barn, and ask questions about the facility, care, paddock space, vet and farrier schedule. If you can’t visit the farm, speak to people to get recommendations and their experiences.
Another thing to consider is the temperament of your horse and what they’re used to.
“You can’t just throw a stallion in a field. Some people will geld an older stallion, but that has its difficulties.” Rabanal says. “If you have a horse that doesn’t do well with others or a large group of horses because they are alpha horses or can be beaten up, you need a farm that has smaller groups, or different paddocks. These show horses have been turned out by themselves, and some are alpha horses, others aren’t. At some retirement farms, they turn all the mares together, and all the geldings in other paddocks.
“These are things you have to ask. How big are the fields, and how big are the groups? … If it’s smaller paddocks, with only two to five, it might be easier for them than if the fields are 20 acres or bigger,” she continues. “It might be harder to pull them out if a horse doesn’t acclimate well to large groups. Can my horse go in a smaller paddock is a legitimate question to ask.”
Horses can also get injured during retirement, and vet care is crucial, as well as supplements and medications, if your horse has suffered an injury. Injured horses cannot be turned out all day, so you will need to ask about run-in sheds and possible stalls inside. And what are the different costs of boards offered. If your horse is on medication, who will administer the medication and how? If your horse is in a large herd, administering medications will be a challenge.
Find out what the access to veterinarians is, because in some of the cheaper farms in the middle of the country, you might need to ship to a vet clinic as they are far and few apart. The board might be cheap, but not the vet care. “That’s one of the biggest things that people forget to ask,” Rabanal says. “How close is your veterinarian, and how close is your clinic? What do you do in case of an emergency? Who is your vet?”
Some people’s expectation of retirement is different from others. Some want to do the bare minimum, while others like their horse body clipped, hooves trimmed, teeth done, continuing their routine just like in a show barn. Amateur rider Debbie Pipines of Darien, Connecticut, is one of these owners.
“Ideally you pick a farm where you can visit your horse and they are well taken care of. It’s easy to get your eyes off the ball because life gets busy,” Pipines says. “You want to make sure all the service providers are accountable.”
It’s important to visit once in a while, to ensure you’re a good steward to your horse. “You should really understand the budget and see exactly what service your horse is going to get for what you pay, and you definitely need run-in sheds for the weather if they need shelter,” she adds. “I tell the farm I want my horse groomed every day. He will live the same life as he did as a show horse, with the exception that he won’t go in the ring or [doing] lessons anymore. The crazy thing is we are so particular about our service providers now, who our blacksmiths are, our vets, our chiropractors.. but then when some retire their horses, they don’t familiarize themselves with them anymore.”
Where you choose to retire your horse is a factor as well, as some horses are not fit enough for the harsh Northern winters. Rabanal suggests every horse have their health checked first. If your horse is in a harsh climate, it can be hard to keep track of their weight, as they live most of the winter months in sheets and blankets. Is your horse capable of enduring low temperatures? Will the retirement check them during the winter for weight gain or loss? A horse too fat or too skinny can mean several issues. Horses can become too skinny because he is not getting his hay or getting harassed by the other horses getting his food.
On the flip side, for horses retired in the South, where temperatures soar, you need to know if your horse is a sweater. Will he be able to endure those temperatures? Are there sheds in the paddocks where they can cool off? Will they get clipped? You need to take all these factors into consideration before picking a retirement farm.
Sloane Coles, a professional show jumper who also runs Spring Ledge Farm, a 350-acre retirement farm in The Plains, Virginia, with her father believes every retiree should first be evaluated and partnered with a buddy before being introduced to a herd. “The most important thing is grass. Each horse has a couple of acres to themselves,” she says “We are so lucky to have that here, and we take each individual horse’s nutritional needs into consideration. We make sure to match up horses who get along, and we turn them out gradually.”
Four-time Olympian Laura Kraut says her biggest concern when retiring her horse is that “eyes would be on my horse on a regular basis to make sure he was safe and healthy. I would want a facility where the people truly care about the well being of the animal.”
There is a lot to consider when retiring your horse, more than just how much it cost. And why think “out of sight out of mind” when these horses have given us so much during their competition year, it is our duty to offer them a safe and healthy retirement. “Our horses trust us for their well-being,” Pipines says. “We are their guardians, and when you get involved with horses, you should consider horses might live into their 30s and you should maintain them.”
