Retirement livery

[Ellybellboo]

Just wondering if anyone has a horse on retirement livery and how you find it

We have an arthritic retiree. She lives on livery with my DD’s pony. She was doing ok generally however she picked up a nasty dose of mud fever which we’re struggling to get rid of (she’s on antibiotics) so she’s mostly been in for a while - not good for her arthritis, although we’ve been waking her in hand twice a day for a really good mooch round our lanes. Despite our best efforts and us seemingly having shares in the company that makes Danillon, she’s uncomfortable and miserable

The fields at our current yard are bloody awful, mud up to their armpits round the gates (although ok further into the field)

Pretty much every horse at the yard has, or has had mud fever over the last few weeks so I really don’t want to risk putting her out until we’ve got her infection under control.

We’re moving the end of his week to a much better yard, the fields are well drained and the whole set up is much better so I’m hoping she’ll improve, but I have been having a look around to see what else I can find just in case.

There’s is absolutely no retirement livery anywhere around here.

We’ve tried her living out full time but she hates it. She’s never lived fully out in her life, when we’ve tried her out she drops weight hugely, even with hard feed and hay in the field, hangs around the gate yelling her head off and is downright miserable - she loves her stable so we would prefer that whatever we choose for her, she has access to a stable or field shelter

I cannot find any kind of field with a field shelter near here for her

I’ve been recommended a retirement yard - small herds, fields are well drained and dry, they do rug changes as required, give medication, etc, and they have big barns they can go in to get out of the worst of the weather and access to stables should they need a night in/vet treatment or whatever. Sounds great - but it’s 2-3 hours drive each way which means we’d only be able to visit a couple of times a mont at most.

I don’t want to let her go out of our care unless she were to go to retirement livery - she’s an absolute darling and when she’s comfortable she’s a sprightly old thing so I don’t want her put at risk of any harm so companion homes or anything like that are out

I’m just trying to work out what to do, but our options here are limited and I’m worried about her being too far away

I’ve no experience of retirement livery as like you , when I looked into it for our aged pony it was an out all year option which wouldn’t suit her . You sound like a lovely caring owner but if she’s uncomfortable despite all the medication she’s on have you considered that it’s time to PTS .

Yes, it has crossed my mind but I don’t think she’s there yet.

Before the mud fever she was having a whale of a time but the infection seems to have knocked her for 6 and we’re struggling to keep a handle on it

Although, having said that, she seems to have turned a corner tonight. Absolutely pissing down today so I took her for a walk round our indoor school. As soon as I took her lead rope off she was off like a rocket, bucking and farting her way round the school, took herself over a couple of low jumps that had been left out so is obviously feeling a lot better. Not so stiff and using the leg that the infection was in as normal so hopefully we’re over the worst of it.

I think we do need to make plans for her future now though.

Thanks!

I know it’s a horrible thought , maybe plan for a good summer where she currently lives and revisit the decision in the autumn .

I think with the oldies it's a mistake to try and plan or worry too much about the future, take it a bit of a day at a time. I'd get her onto the new yard and see how she settles there and how well the mud fever settles down. If you can get her settled and happy through to spring then there's every chance of a better summer and you'll have a chance to get your bearings.

The retirement livery place might become an option for next winter possibly if it would mean she can stay out 24/7 or if you can't get enough turnout on current yard but there's lots of water to go under the bridge before then...

Thanks!

I like to have all my options prepared in advance as I can be a little bit (ok, a lot ) of a worrier so have been searching for ideas ever since she retired

We’re moving to the new yard tomorrow and I’m really hoping it’s all going to work out - there’s actually a lot riding on this, DD has somewhat lost interest so we’re moving to a yard with her best friend with some amazing hacking straight off the yard in the hope we can pique her interest again.

If not, we’ll have a pony to sell or loan and decisions to make for our retiree

Pony is actually doing really well at the moment. From tomorrow we’ll be able to turn out a lot more so hopefully we’ll see more and quicker improvement.

Hope the move goes well for you all OP

Thank you!

They seem to have settled pretty well and love their new mud-free field - well, it’s a little muddy by the gate but not the lose-your-welly, squelchy up to their armpits mud that we had at the old yard.

So happy to see her so happy, she took off across the field at an actual gallop - after seeing her so miserable and uncomfortable and hobbling around for the last couple of weeks, it made me cry