Retirement options if you can't afford to keep 2 on livery

Louby*eko

Louby*eko

Member
Jun 19, 2008
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Berkshire/Hampshire border
I am beginning to realise that Samson will probably never be the horse I want ridden wise, even when he is sound. I could never part with him but I think I need to look into options as I can afford neither the time or money to keep two on livery. sharing is an option but there are no horses on my yard I would be keen on sharing, although I do have options to ride others ( I like heavies really)

My yard does not do grass livery and I don't really have the time to go to two yards, I don't really want to move though.
I have one of the only big stables on my yard and wouldn't want to loose it. Heavies are my thing and I would want another one day.

What would be ideal is to find him a companion home, but I know that is tricky in this economic climate.

Has anyone loaned out as a companion/light ridden but still paid for the horses upkeep (feet/feed/insurance ect) so effectively having someone else do day to day care?
 
I have not replied to this thread although I have read it a few times. I think the reason no one else has replied is because its a difficult reply to write.

Your horse is your responsibility, if you can't afford two on livery then I would take that as you can't have two then. Shipping your horse out as a companion is strewn with difficulty, fraudsters and welfare issues, its not something I would ever do or recommend, especially with something that has medical issues.

Your thread says, you don't want to compromise on anything, ie you won't move, you don't want to share a horse if its not what you like, and you don't want to lose a big stable. I think you need to think about your horses needs first, what's best for his welfare and then come to a compromise.

Also, I talk about this from direct experience.

There are places like the link below that offer retirement livery, they so all the work for the fee, just feet etc on top. It could be an option if you can afford it and get good reference from them

http://www.equinetranquility.co.uk/horse/retirement/recession_busting_livery.asp
 
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I think its worth trying. I'd be interested in taking on a companion in those circumstances if I needed one, and you'd have more of an input too.

Can't think how it could be anything other than more beneficial to you and a new carer for this sort of arrangement?

Just hope others can contribute to add more perspective.
 
someone i know loans her 14.2h to someone as a companion, but she still pays for feet/rugs/feed, but doesnt need to look after him. She was very very lucky finding this lady through a friend though, i cant imagine people like that come around often.

I part loan my sisters cob out but i do the daily care, the lady just pays monthly and rides him 3 days a week. An extra lady rides him most sundays and just pays £10 when she rides but has no responsibilities at all.

What is wrong with Samson? is he lame enough to claim loss of use?
 
I think Nat makes a fair point, and I tend to feel this is how I'd think about things if the worst did happen with my boy, but I appreciate that is my opinion and in the interests of exploring your suggestion of loaning for a light hack, I'd say that I'd only ever do this with someone I knew, and somewhere I could keep a very close eye on him. I do think folk tend to like smaller horses or ponies as companions though.
 
It is too much of a risk for me personally - unless I happened to have a really good friend whom I trusted, I just would not risk loaning out any of mine if the worst was to happen and they couldn't be ridden. I am at home with mine, so it is not really ever going to be a problem, but even if I was on livery I just would not feel happy parting with a horse of mine - I'm afraid I would just have to carry on paying what I was paying on livery and hope that the opportunity to help exercise somebody elses on the yard maybe would come along? Either that or get involved with a share on the yard. I appreciate this is not every body elses view - but I have read so many negatives about loaning out as companions, light hacks etc.
 
Having put a horse out on loan who disappeared ............!! Actually in this instance, I did trust her. He liked her and was a pretty marmite horse and she had had much worse than him.

Personally .......... if the horse has physical issues - I think you have to man up and have them put down - bit unreasonable to expect someone else to take them on. I think if it was me and I couldn't afford to keep them and didn't want to, I would have them PTS.
 
Trewsers said:
It is too much of a risk for me personally - unless I happened to have a really good friend whom I trusted, I just would not risk loaning out any of mine if the worst was to happen and they couldn't be ridden. I am at home with mine, so it is not really ever going to be a problem, but even if I was on livery I just would not feel happy parting with a horse of mine - I'm afraid I would just have to carry on paying what I was paying on livery and hope that the opportunity to help exercise somebody elses on the yard maybe would come along? Either that or get involved with a share on the yard. I appreciate this is not every body elses view - but I have read so many negatives about loaning out as companions, light hacks etc.
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I am with you on this one and we do pay livery for 4, 2 only grass - one semi retired and her companion who we purchased for that role - we wouldn't move our Mare on so we have an elderley companion for her - the other two have management needs so its not cheap - if anything happened to our mare then we wouldn't get rid of her companion shes small so she could stable share but if the companion could not continue her role then we would PTS and replace her - hard as it would be but we would still need a fully functioning companion for our mare as that would not have changed and I couldn't afford a 5th, lifes hard at times but they are your responsibility.
 
Thanks, it helps to get some other perspectives. responses were pretty much what I expected. I am not entirely comfortable with the idea of letting him out of my sight, just wondered if that sort of arrangement had worked for others., or if there may be options I had not thought of.
I suppose there is no harm in keeping an eye out if the perfect home were to come up but I would want someone local so I could keep tabs on him which is probably unlikely!
I have always been of the opinion that he will live out his days with me and that I would have him pts rather than part with him but I do have the odd wobble, wondering if I am doing the right thing for him or for me.

He has a navicular problem (not disease so not necessarily degenerative) he has been sound for 3 or 4 years now but he can't wear shoes so he struggles on the stoney ground we have. we can't hack out and he is also prone to abscesses as he has very flat feet. I am generally happy to just have a plod about and do a bit of schooling but I may want to do more I future.
In a few years I will probably have time/funds to keep another so I guess I will plod along till then.
 
I would look into moving him somewhere with direct access to fields to ride in so you can do more together. If walking on stones/roads is a problem for him then I am sure you could find somewhere that you don't have to do this.

There are some yards which offer full retirement livery - basically they live out in big herds in big fields and are checked over by the staff. This may be an option for you but you would still have to pay for it.
 
I have thought about moving but to get the sort of hacking we need I would have to move more than 10 mins away really, which isnt practical with having the baby and when I go back to work. We are on gravel so even the off road hacking is stoney.there are two yards with slightly better grassy tracks (still on gravel) but they only have 12x12boxes which is a bit small for him. He could live put though, I suppose.
 
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