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Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

The tack room

Retirement livery and pony

12 replies

lavendersun · 17/05/2015 14:44

I have a lovely pure bred Shetland pony and one horse. The Shetland has not done anything for more than a year (outgrown) but was a really lovely lead rein pony.

I have got ten acres of land - much too much, three fields with tall mature unkempt hedges in between so no direct line of vision from one to the other.

Obviously my shetland can't have access to the whole field, she has a post and rail fenced pen in the first field. She gets super stressed when my horse is not in view. We are planning to move next year and I really can't justify the cost of three post and rail pony pens as the first one cost four figures. The first field was used all winter and really needs six months off (pony pen aside).

Electric (six strands on wooden posts with insulators and a bullock energiser) doesn't keep her in. I am so fed up with it all that I am thinking of sending the Shetland to a retirement livery and my horse to a livery yard.

She really is a lovely little pony, now 20, backed as a 12 year old and never put a foot wrong. Did very well when ridden by a competent young boy in the bringing her on stakes. She has only ever been ridden by my daughter (from 4-8 (daughter) and this boy).

It seems such a waste I didn't approve of the people who came to see her when I advertised her so I think she might be stuck with us.

I think that she might be happier at retirement livery in a slim field full of fatties than fretting on her own at my place. If I did that I would put my one remaining horse in livery and use the freedom to travel a bit more until the time we move house.

So, after that essay I would really love to hear about retirement liveries or a wonderful experienced, kind and gentle family who have actually heard the word 'laminitis' as none of my viewers had.

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Gabilan · 17/05/2015 16:02

I'm on a yard that does retirement livery and it can work well but in this case they are stabled at night in winter and during the day in summer. For a Shetland pony that might be expensive/ unnecessary.

I suppose the ideal thing would be to find someone local who wants to use the pony as a kid's pony. 20s not all that old for a Shetland, is it? I knew one in light work in her 30s.

Re. the stress, a friend of mine is involved with Dartmoor Hill Ponies. She takes them in as weanlings and brings them on until they're ready for a child rider. As they grow up, they provide company for her horse. Would something like that be a possible companion for the Shetland in her paddock? Saves her stress and gives another pony a good home.

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lavendersun · 17/05/2015 16:50

Gabilan, thanks for your response. I would prefer her to stay out if at all possible. Right now she costs me very little, a bit of food and hay in the winter, foot trimming every six weeks, wormers, teeth and vaccinations, not sure how much but no more than £15 a week all year round. I have no idea how much ret livery costs - maybe £30 a week plus all the things other than food/hay ? So expect to double my outlay.

I realise how young she is but finding another home has proved difficult and I gave up after the last people.

Definitely don't want to take anything else on, maybe a youngster in a couple of years but not now. I would let her go to someone suitable as a companion.

She is very pretty which attracts people, not necessarily the right people though, she would be laminitic in an instant in the wrong hands.

We were involved with the local breed society for a while, there are always ponies a plenty looking for homes, very difficult, hence my ret livery plan.

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Gabilan · 17/05/2015 18:39

Laminitis scares the bejeesus out of me. I really wish that more people realised that over-feeding animals is not kind.

Can't help with guidance on the costs but a friend of mine keeps her laminitic Welsh D at grass livery on moorland pasture. It's much closer to the sort of grassland native ponies have evolved on/ been bred to cope with and the mare does very well. It's the only place she doesn't get laminitis.

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lavendersun · 17/05/2015 19:02

Gabilan, I think I have just shared a photo with you, if you click on my name you will see why she is so special attracts the wrong people. That was at a dressage test when she had been ridden properly for 4 days (although I had done a year of work at home). She came 3rd, the big flashy warmbloods were embarrassed - 9.5 hands of loveliness.

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Gabilan · 17/05/2015 20:13

Sorry, but for some reason since I had updates the other day, I can't click on posters names. Very annoying. I've tried in Chrome as well as IE but it's not playing.

Does make me laugh when small ponies do a very correct, accurate test and beat big horses!

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IthinkIneedmorewine · 17/05/2015 20:22

Where do you live? We could be in the market for another lead rein pony

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lavendersun · 17/05/2015 20:22

Try this .. in the warm up. So well behaved, just a gem.

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lavendersun · 17/05/2015 20:27

IthinkIneed - I am in Norfolk.

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IthinkIneedmorewine · 17/05/2015 20:32

Too far for us, we are in North Wales. Have you thought about contracting your local pony club? That is how we found DD's pony, and generally, the pony club mums have a bit of a clue (they do here at least).

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lavendersun · 17/05/2015 20:36

I did have an ad at a pony club event but didn't hear anything from it. We don't do pony club though. My farrier has an ad in his van, I have given up on advertising her tbh after my run of idiots.

She can stay with us forever but right now I don't have a solution for my field situation, hopefully when I move house I will be in a better position. I have always thought that she would end up living in the garden as a 35 year old!

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Gabilan · 17/05/2015 20:38

Oh yes, see what you mean Lavender. Overload of cute and I can imagine people who think ponies are easy (they just eat grass, right?) being tempted to take her on and making a mess of things.

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lavendersun · 17/05/2015 21:02

Thing is that there are so many ponies available these days.

I am obviously fond of her, there are a lot that have done a lot more than her but she is kind, honest and genuine, she was slightly nervy at the beginning but with consistent handling she has turned into a star.

Reading my posts back makes me realise that she will be a lawnmower at Chez Lavender in 15 years, she is clearly not going anywhere. I just wish that I could do something with my grazing situation - too much grass is not a remotely good thing, it equals too much fencing, maintenance and all sorts of other things that are a PITA!

Obviously I have more than one for company but my current grazing situation doesn't allow them to be together all the time. If I wasn't moving I would look for another field to rent for a year, a couple of acres, no hedges would be perfect.