With the fall indoor championship shows starting soon, it’s time to reflect on more than our accomplishments over the past year. It’s also time to review our report card.

A lot of horses change hands during the fall season. And so I can’t help thinking about all that our equine partners give us and how we care for them, both during their competition years and in their retirement years.

I think it’s important to me because I’ve reached the age when it’s natural to start wondering about what I’ll be doing in five, 10 or 15 years. Where will I live, what will I do with my time, and how will I care for myself or be cared for in my pensioner years? One day we’ll each be the old man or woman we see at the store or walking down the sidewalk. When we’re young, we think it will never be us, but unless we leave this earth prematurely, we’ll all be faced with old-age issues.

As equestrians, we’re faced with the old-age issues of our horses too. While I was riding with my friend Tracey Weinberg a few weeks ago, we began to talk about the future and about how time spent with our horses allows us to leave the stresses of daily life behind.

Almost immediately, our conversation de-toured into what we do with our retired horses. All too often, you hear about horses who spend their twilight years toiling away in riding schools, being sold when they’ve passed their prime to homes that medicate them excessively to continue using them, end up go-
ing through auctions to the slaughter houses, or standing in a field with flies all over them in the hot sun.

I ask you, is this how you would like to be treated in your old age? Do our equine partners deserve this kind of treatment?

All too often in today’s world, people consider assets as disposable, and that includes horses. If a horse can no longer perform as he once did, let’s just sell him to someone else so we don’t have to be bothered caring for him any more. This may make sense from the economic viewpoint, but is it what’s best for the horse? Are we doing what’s right for this animal after he’s given all he can for us? Do we owe him something better? Yes, we do.

Horses rely on their owners and caretakers for everything to exist. They’re completely dependent, just like a baby, and without our attention they can suffer miserably.

Our horses deserve the same kind of treatment that we want for ourselves. They give completely of themselves for our benefit, almost always doing their best to do what we ask of them.

Since not everyone will be able to afford to retire horses, it’s all the more important to consider the situation when purchasing an older horse. The older the horse, the more likely you’ll end up retiring him.

There are many different ways to care for retired horses. I’m fortunate to have clients who are capable of caring for their retired friends in the same way they did when the horses were competing. Although some of you will think I’m crazy, I appreciate that these clients share my philosophy about the responsibility we have to our horses in their old age.

Show horses usually receive very considerate care during their competitive lives and become accustomed to that level of care and interaction with humans. Dumping these horses into a field and changing their lives overnight must cause them some concern. One day they’re treated like kings, and the next they’re mostly forgotten.

This doesn’t happen with my clients’ retired horses. They live in the barn during the bad weather, summer or winter, and are handled daily. They’re body clipped in the hot weather, vaccinated, dewormed, and have their feet trimmed regularly. Maybe this is why they’re all living into their 20s and 30s.

These guys definitely miss getting on the van to go to the shows for about a year or two, so I have to believe they would also miss the continual interaction with humans should they be turned out without a thought. Getting used to being left home isn’t so bad, but I can’t imagine what they must feel when abandoned by their owners and caretakers.

But several options can provide horses with a good retirement life. There are retirement farms, therapeutic riding programs that are low stress for the horses and give wonderful care, and people who are just looking for a companion horse for their other equines. I’m sure there are other options I haven’t thought about too. If you’re considering retiring a horse, make sure to investigate all the options available.

It’s imperative that we educate all our equestrians, especially our young riders, on the responsibility we have to ensure that the lives of our equine friends are held to the highest standard. It’s every professional’s responsibility to teach his or her clients the importance of providing older horses with a good life once they’ve reached that stage.

Many young riders start their careers on these older teachers, who are in their competitive golden years. That’s why they’re such a precious commodity–they provide a safe, confidence-building experience, and that’s just one of the reasons they deserve to be cared for respectfully. In a society so full of disposable products, we cannot let our horses be a part of this insanity.

By teaching our young riders the responsibility that goes with owning a horse, we’re helping them to become caring and considerate human beings and a benefit to society. Children learn by example, and we need to be sure we teach them the right thing to do with their horses, because one day they’ll be making decisions regarding the care of their parents or other family members. I would hate to see a herd of people turned out in a field on a hot summer day with flies all over them.

So think about it and, more importantly, do something about it. Explain how dependent horses are on their human partners and how we must be responsible for them after they’re no longer competing. Horses give us so much, and we must give back to them.