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Horse retirement options

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  • #1

    Horse retirement options

    Does anyone know any reputable retirement farms? I've heard horror stories of horses sent away to be retired only to be resold/sent to auction/etc. what do people do with their retirees?
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Honestly, keep them forever haha

    My parents have my 35 year old show pony from when I was a kid and I currently board 2... My 25 year old Tb who is sound for trails only and my greenie. I couldn't bear to get rid of them and they ended up in the wrong hands.
    Read my adventures with my 4 year old OTTB, Scott's Truluck at: Scottie's Journey, Rehabbing and Retraining a Louisiana-bred OTTB http://scottieottb.blogspot.com/

    Comment

    • #3
      Honestly, keep them forever haha

      My parents have my 35 year old show pony from when I was a kid and I currently board 2... My 25 year old Tb who is sound for trails only and my greenie. I couldn't bear to get rid of them and they ended up in the wrong hands.
      Read my adventures with my 4 year old OTTB, Scott's Truluck at: Scottie's Journey, Rehabbing and Retraining a Louisiana-bred OTTB http://scottieottb.blogspot.com/

      Comment

      • #4
        I have not retired a horse but also have not heard of retirement farms sending horses to auction...if one is within a few hour drive where you could visit even a 4 times a year would ensure horse is cared for.

        Comment

        • #5
          I have retirement care available at my farm - and would never think of sending a horse to an auction or reselling one. That's just theft.

          Comment

          • #6
            I would imagine that the resale scenario would crop up more often in cases where one has "donated" their retired horse to some sort of program...

            Comment

            • #7
              What kind of retirement situation are you looking for? And in what part of the country? Lots of different options for different needs and pocketbooks.

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              • Original Poster
                #8
                I googled and the first hit--'7 springs farm'-- looked perfect: 24 hour pasture with hay, pond and waterers, 250-350$/mo plans can even include a stall and grain but I think my guy would do best on hay and grass alone. Then I saw location-- MO.... I am in midatlantic and am planning on visiting and that is far... Someone told me Susie wetherill has a place but it is full care and 1000$/mo... Which I can't afford. Even some field board places in my area are 400-500$. And I understand it may just cost that much and I'll have to figure it out... But it did make me think, 'what does everyone else do?!'

                Small change-- that makes sense good point

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                • #9
                  There are retirement farms and there are RETIREMENT FARMS.

                  You do not say where you are from so I do not know what part of the country you would consider, and, of course some areas are less expensive than others.

                  But ask around at boarding stables and vets and then go see the farm. Never send your horse to a farm that you have not seen in person. Pictures do not tell the whole story.

                  Are the horses fat? Do they have shelter? Pick up feet; have they had hoof care? What about grass? Are they fed hay? Ask to see the hay; does it smell good? Is it fresh, or moldy and dusty? Is there a barn with good stalls if a horse needs to be layed up? Do they separate mares and geldings? How many horses/acre? How often does each horse get looked at? If the field goes over a hill and feed/ hay are fed by the gate, a horse could be hurt for several days if no one goes in and "counts heads" to make sure everyone is fine.

                  Many of the cheaper retirement farms do not tick all the boxes. How could they and still stay in in business? There are many great farms out there but, sadly, there are many places which do not give the horses under their care a good quality of life.

                  Keep in mind always, that is is not the longevity of a horse's life, but the quality of it that is your primary concern. Horses have no sense of "the future". They do not understand the concept of "living out my life in a beautiful field". All they know is the present -- If they do not get enough food, or are living in a field without shelter or trees and have black flies mercilessly biting them. If they are lame/infirm and can only hobble around. "Pasture sound" may not be "out of pain" sound.

                  Ask yourself if you would want to live under those conditions. If not, then IMO, euthanasia is a very viable option. Just because a horse can live until it is 30, doesn't mean the horse should live until it is 30.

                  [These are all questions I should have asked myself last winter and, by the time I did I was wracked with guilt for allowing my old guy to suffer.] So I now realize that keeping a horse/dog cat/llama alive because you will miss him, is not the right criteria to use when making hard decisions.

                  Off my soapbox now.
                  "He lives in a cocoon of solipsism"

                  Charles Krauthammer speaking about Trump

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by ThatBayHorse View Post
                    Honestly, keep them forever haha

                    My parents have my 35 year old show pony from when I was a kid and I currently board 2... My 25 year old Tb who is sound for trails only and my greenie. I couldn't bear to get rid of them and they ended up in the wrong hands.
                    Thats great for you but OPs parents may not even be living let alone be in a position to board horses and sometimes finances impact what you can do if you do not own your own property. Hopefully you will never find yourself in that same situation. As "advice" that's not helpful for OP trying to make the best decision.

                    For OP, we have several posters who operate legit retirement facilities and can refer you to others, if you can give your general area, maybe we can get you some recommendations. I found the one for my senior via word of mouth, I was basically invited when the time came. The good, smaller ones don't take just anybody. The bigger ones often don't advertise much, they don't have to.
                    When opportunity knocks it's wearing overalls and looks like work.

                    The horse world. Two people. Three opinions.

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                    • #11
                      http://www.retiredhorses.com/ Owned by a fellow COTHer. She runs a top notch facility just for retirees.

                      I have a retirement boarding option at my barn as well.

                      You get what you pay for. And caring for a retired horse is NOT inexpensive. Special nutrition requirements, special needs, extra attention to be sure there are no issues. I have a barn full of retirees (two being boarders, one being my own), their care far outweighs the care my own show horse receives. For quality retirement board, I would expect to pay exactly, if not more, than what I would pay for a performance horse in full care board.

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                      • #12
                        I am northern Illinois. I retired my mare at a local retiree farm. It was $600 per mos. She was out all day on grass, in and night, groomed,got lots of attention. Also it was close for me to visit. The same person that owned it had another farm in Missouri that her parents ran. It was very nice pasture turnout for half the price. My mare was too frail for that, but the horses that were there looked happy and healthy. I know there are lots of places in Virginia like that. You just have to really do your research and make sure they are reputable. I have a friend who has two horses in Virginia. One is retired and stays there year round. The other comes north with her for the summer (she lives in south Florida)
                        I know its inexpensive and she is very happy. I've seen pics and it looks wonderful. I can get more info if Virginia is doable for you.
                        Lilykoi


                        Hell hath no fury like the chestnut thoroughbred mare

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                        • #13
                          True but you don't have to pay for things like indoor arenas, stadium lights, heated viewing rooms etc. I was paying about 900 for full service board+ required minimum services. Pay just over 500 for basic services, stall, turn out, some grooming incl. barefoot trim every 8 weeks and quarterly worming. No indoor arena, outdoor lighting or bathroom but they do have hot water and use it when below 50f.

                          Thats not inexpensive but less then half of previous digs. Mine is also off all meds except twice a week P.coxx in winter, no injections to keep going, just a few once a year shots. In a more moderate climate, a run in would be fine and cheaper but they really don't have many of those around here. Not with people I can trust anyway.
                          Last edited by findeight; Sep. 2, 2015, 12:42 PM.
                          When opportunity knocks it's wearing overalls and looks like work.

                          The horse world. Two people. Three opinions.

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                          • #14
                            This is a place where a friend retired her horse in Va. She was very pleased every time she visited.

                            http://www.visitlongbranch.org/
                            Some riders change their horse, they change their saddle, they change their teacher; they never change themselves.

                            Remember the horse does all the work, we just sit there and look pretty.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by izzy 2 View Post
                              I googled and the first hit--'7 springs farm'-- looked perfect: 24 hour pasture with hay, pond and waterers, 250-350$/mo plans can even include a stall and grain but I think my guy would do best on hay and grass alone. Then I saw location-- MO.... I am in midatlantic and am planning on visiting and that is far... Someone told me Susie wetherill has a place but it is full care and 1000$/mo... Which I can't afford. Even some field board places in my area are 400-500$. And I understand it may just cost that much and I'll have to figure it out... But it did make me think, 'what does everyone else do?!'

                              Small change-- that makes sense good point
                              What did I do? I bought a farmette and I have my 2 retirees at home with me and set things up so I could board 1-2 other retirees as well.

                              I hate to tell you but even with my setup (which is designed to be as easy as possible) between labor, hay/grain, and other overhead costs-- it's hard to offer even pasture board for under $400. And I'm in South Jersey where land is available and it's not terribly cost prohibative. Other areas of the country are worse! If you want quality care for your horse, it's going to cost something and the cost will be largely area dependent. Maybe out west land and feed is much cheaper but in the mid-Atlantic it costs what it does.

                              You might look for smaller barns that are not advertised as "retirement barns" per se as well as look at farmettes. Before I brought my horses home, I used a small, low-key barn. It wasn't technical retirement boarding but the care was great and the cost was less than a show barn (and it had much more limited facilities). I also boarded my horses at someone's farmette and honestly that was a very good option too. If you find someone like me who basically will take care of the horse like it's her own, and you have similar horsekeeping standards, it can work out very well.
                              ~Veronica
                              "The Son Dee Times" "Sustained" "Somerset" "Franklin Square"
                              http://photobucket.com/albums/y192/vxf111/

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                              • #16
                                I kept mine about an hour and a half away. Far enough that its MUCH cheaper, but close enough that I can pop by to check in occasionally. It wasn't a RETIREMENT FARM per se, but a low key boarding barn run by a vet tech who was more than willing to give me a good price that included what I needed.

                                Comment

                                • #17
                                  To me, retirement board doesn't mean chucking the horse out in the field and expecting it to live out it's days.

                                  A retirement facility will cater to the extra nutritional needs (senior grain, soaked cubes for the toothless), will have turnout for each horse's needs (pasture to cater to the cushings horse, and grass for the hard keeper), grooming at least twice weekly, extra inspections, ability to give medications and supplements, retirement board cost should include barn staff being in attendance for vet and farrier, and cost should even include trims and basic veterinary services (it's a little difficult to bill long distance owners). On top of all that, a place for burial, and the ability to do so, should also been available to the owner when the time comes.

                                  So there is a HUGE difference between pasture board, and "RETIREMENT" board.

                                  Findeight- ~$500 for what you receive is a hell of a deal. Would be interested in knowing if that bill goes up with additional grain, soaked cubes, extra hay, etc. That barn owner is not making a dime.

                                  Comment

                                  • #18
                                    izzi 2 you have a PM
                                    Oh, well, clearly you're not thoroughly indoctrinated to COTH yet, because finger pointing and drawing conclusions are the cornerstones of this great online community. (Tidy Rabbit)

                                    Comment

                                    • #19
                                      I board two retirees.. at $385/month each.. They are stalled from October through May (depending on weather and when the horses really want to come in)... I have been with my BO for 12 years + and trust her totally. There is a mix of young horses, semi-retired horses and retirees.. The oldest is 35 yo.. and doing very well. Like Findeight " No indoor arena, outdoor lighting or bathroom but they do have hot water." My BO gives meds without extra charges and this summer, has been willing to give Previcox in stud muffins every day to my two, even though they are outside 24/7.
                                      I visit at least 3 times a week, so no grooming necessary. Farrier is there 3 times a month for different groups of horses and if need be, I can move my gelding (who grows so much hoof in summer) to another group ie 4 weeks instead of 6. Farrier is extra ($102 for both).
                                      There are about 30 horses on the farm, including the BO's Belgians.

                                      Comment

                                      • #20
                                        I found a home for a retiree using bulletin boards (COTH, equine site, and Facebook). I found someone looking for a companion for her own horse when I was looking for an amazing retirement home and trying to decide what to do with my 8 year old who has a handful of unique medical issues that make her simply not suited to having a job, though she is a perfect fit for the role of lawn ornament.

                                        It's been a win-win, cheaper for everyone than the alternatives. I pay all the out-of-pocket expenses on my horse but the total monthly cost for me is lower than all the prices mentioned above; the family caring for my horse doesn't have to pay those expenses but does donate to my horse valuable things, most importantly their labor. I couldn't ask for more personalized, attentive care. My horse has never looked better or had the opportunity to live in an environment more perfect for her needs, and she even lives close enough that I can visit every other week.

                                        With me still owning my horse and paying expenses, there's no chance of her turning into one of those auction horror stories (as the folks who have her could much more easily just text me and say, time to come pick up your horse. And now they know me well enough to know that I'd be there the next day, and I know them well enough to know that they'd never put me in that position except in some kind of extreme emergency.)

                                        If you advertise that you're looking to place your horse as a companion and that you'd like to continue paying the expenses, you may hear from folks who could offer this kind of a win-win situation (as I did). There are lots of people looking to place companion horses, but a smaller pool of people looking to place companions and wanting to continue paying the expenses on those horses.

                                        This assumes your horse is suitable as a companion, but then again, my horse has plenty of quirky things about her personality and her needs that her new home has happily accommodated!

                                        Having the right fit between all the people involved has been key. I had no previous relationship with the folks who keep my horse, but we all took the time up front to get to know each other and give ourselves the best chance of having it working out. It has been by far the best "boarding" situation I have ever experienced, and I've boarded many horses for many years at many barns (including very pricey ones).

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