Does anyone need a companion, help required

[dailymailgoaway2]

I purchased a "showjumping schoolmaster" in august last year , he is a 14.2 Connie. Sadly from day 1 I felt panicked and in October the vet confirmed he has spondylitis and osteo arthritis in his back and retired him from ridden work but said he was "good for life" with no medication. I would continue to pay for vets/insurance.

He is barefoot and lives out! He is a big personality and loves to be fussed over and is very clever ! He likes going for walks and trick training.

Vice wise- he can be very riggy if there is a mare in field or adjacent field, he gets very protective and will guard the mare by pacing the fence line and will charge if other horses try to get to her. He has had a blood test and is not a rig.

My circumstances have changed and although I love him I am sadly not in a position to keep him .

[Pleasedontdothat]

Sadly he’s not the kind of pony to make an ideal companion so I think it’s unlikely you’ll have a queue of people desperate to take him on.

I think I’ve seen your post or a very similar one on a companion horses Facebook group - in which case you must be aware of the type of pony which is normally sought after as a companion (and also realise how many other people are also seeking a companion home for larger horses without your boy’s issues).

There are plenty of retirement livery places around - some are very expensive but others are more basic, grass livery set ups and can be very reasonable.

If you can’t find him a home where you can be certain he won’t be ridden or buted up and passed on and you really can’t afford to keep him then you need to do the right thing by him and have him put to sleep. There are worse fates for a pony.

[lastqueenofscotland]

He’s too big for what most people want in a companion, that’s before you get into him being a rig. Honestly I’d PTS with a horse like that and the market as it is I’d worry someone would drug him to the eyeballs and sell as a teenagers pony.
Having him PTS is the right thing by him imo

[Floralnomad]

I agree with the pp , the responsible thing to do would be to have him pts .

[dailymailgoaway2]

Thanks all I've been looking at retirement livery and they seem to be ££££ I know he isn't an ideal companion! Wish I wasn't so attached to him, he will stay with me I'm just having a financial difficulty at the moment but hoping it will be sorted soon. Wish I had been less impulsive when I brought him .

[BertramLacey]

I have an assisted livery that starts at £40pw and includes 24/7 turnout but with access to a stable too. OK it's still expensive but as horse ownership goes, kind of cheap. My old boy is retired so it suits me really well. I get where you're coming from. You love them, want to keep them and know they have quality of life, but it costs and you can't ride.

I agree with PP - the riggy aspects in particular make your boy difficult. My lad is easy to turn out with mares, geldings, young or old which makes it much easier. Think about it over the summer and if things don't look good over the autumn then I would PTS. (Well, I say I would, really so long as the horse was OK I'd struggle on, but I'm nuts).

[Elieza]

Are there any local yards that totally separate the mares and geldings?

I had a boy that had the same behaviours, although blood tests proved he had been properly gelded.

I found a yard with mares living out on one side of the farm and geldings living out on the other. Totally separate. Problems like fence walking and guarding solved. Happy pony.

Don’t give up until you’ve exhausted all avenues. Perhaps he would do for tiny kids to perch on for a local hack with a mum on her horse and dad leading yours with the kid or something? Get on google earth and look at all the grassy places and see if there are any yards/small set ups you are not aware of. He may well do as a companion somewhere, but as others say he’s a large companion and will cost more to look after than a 12 hand companion.

[Postapocalypticcowgirl]

Spondylitis is a degenerative condition- I am not sure that the vet can confirm he will be field sound "for life" (whatever that means).

If money is an issue, I guess getting a second opinion may not be possible, but are you sure his behaviour is not due to pain?

[dailymailgoaway2]

Hi all , he isn't a rig blood test confirmed. Vets have recommended he is PTS at the end of summer depending on how he goes. She said his back changes are significant and winter will be painful for him. He has settled back with the herd after 4 weeks of rig calm.