When to Retire a Geat horse

[3dayeventing]

Have a wonderful horse in his late teens, competed at the upper levels for years. Solid as can be, however he gets so worked up before and during XC I am worried he may have a heart attack some day! At what point do you turn it down a notch. Anyone have a similar situaiton? Maybe turn this one into a dressage or show jumping horse? :) He wants to work still. :yes:

[faluut42]

he may not be ready to be fully retired but maybe its time to retire him from eventing?

I retired my old guy and he is now being leased by a friend and he is teaching her the ropes of dressage (hes a 4th level schoolmaster).

Maybe its time for jumpers or dressage with him??

[hldyrhrses]

If he's quiet enough to ride, maybe lease him out to do lower levels? Bn/Nov. Then he can still have some fun! I had a 22 yr. old teaching me Training level and he loved it and an even older on before that taking me around BN.

[GotSpots]

What does your vet say?

In other words, whether or not one gets jazzed up doesn't seem to be a particularly good predictor. I'd ask: does he have any irregularities in his heartbeat, is he uncomfortable, sore, limping, whatever? In my experience, many of the older guys who are generally in decent condition do much better continuing on with some sort of program, under supervision of a vet, than just being thrown out in a field.

[Gry2Yng]

My long format ** horse still loves the xc game. Due to a variety of issues, he didn't get schooled or competed for over three years. Now that he gets out there (only three times in 2009) I can see that the light is back in his eye. Even if we are only doing N/T. Nothing makes him happier than a complicated combination and giving me a couple of bucks afterward. At 17, I think he is still too much for a N or T level rider - he only knows how to go Mach 1, but he is happier to get the chance to play on xc. I show him in hunters, jumpers, dressage and at N horse trials. Thinking about a T. (Trying to keep him sound after a suspensory injury.)

[3dayeventing]

Thank you for all your replys. I am thinking that Dressage and SJ is where we are headed. He loves to jump, however the SJ is so much easier on them then XC. He loves being in a program so that wont change for at least a few years. :)