All retired

[Redhound]

Just that really, all three horses retired now due to old age/arthritis. Owned them for between 17 and 25 years and never been without a riding horse! Anyone else in/been in the same boat? I had lost my mojo for anything serious anyway but still enjoyed hacking out with a friend..

Yep retired my ex-racer 22 in September in horse heaven. First few months over winter we're fine but now it's Spring I'm starting to get FOMO. Lots of offers from friends to ride their horses but I don't want to ride theirs, I just want to ride mine again 😆
Can't afford to buy yet so will just bide my time. Never been without a riding horse for 40 years so it's taking some adjustment. I'm just filling my time grooming for friends at competitions and booking my weekends up until October going as a spectator to events.

Yep , we had 3 retired at one point and I stopped riding for over 20 yrs , then went back to riding school for a couple of years and then had to give up for health reasons . We still have a 33 yr old retired pony that weve had since she was 6 . We’ve owned continually now since the late 70s but once this one goes that is it for us , neither of my children maintained an interest past 8

Twisty sorry to hear about your ex racer, sounds as though you are keeping busy though. Horses still seem to have 'Covid tax' prices but I have heard they are starting to come down. You'd think so with COL and all that...
Tiny that was a very long time to stop riding, was it voluntary? Glad you still have your 33 year old pony that's a really good age :)

I stopped between about 33 and 53 roughly , I could have found something to ride or gone to riding school but I had always said I would never buy another horse for myself as my thoroughbred mare was my ❤️ horse . I went back to riding school with my sister when our mum died and I did enjoy it for a couple of years and was riding at least twice a week but my various health conditions were exacerbated by it so I stopped again . My sister keeps threatening to buy something but we have very different taste in horses so the temptation won’t be too hard to resist .

Mine are now 17. I am 54 and don't intend to get any more horses. After a lifetime of riding it will be weird to stop. Can still ride now, hopefully still got a few years though.

Goodcat the youngest of mine is 17, it was a surprise when the vet said she wasn't sound as she seemed fine to me! I had hoped for a few more years too but her old injuries/conformation have caught up with her. I might be able to do very quiet hacking for a while it seems but I want to do the right thing for her..
I am a similar age to you and unsure whether to get another at some stage. I will see how things pan out.
Tiny, that's sad but lovely that you had your heart horse for many years

@Redhound we have a friend who rode into her late 80s early 90s , she only stopped then because her last horse had to retire and she felt it was irresponsible to buy another at that age . She also had the oldest horse I’ve ever met he was 15:2 hh and lived to 41 , he was still hacking in his 30s .

Oh, you're all making me so sad. Mine is 16 this year and I'm dreading him needing to stop.

Lovely to hear about responsible owners who don't ride to keep a horse for its lifetime. You are all stars.

Tiny that is amazing and heartening. I am hoping mine go on to 41!
Hornung, 16 is young! I have only recently retired my 28 year old girl. She was hunting the season before last! (Well the odd day) I only retired my 25 year old boy last year. The 17 year old has always been wonky with awful conformation so she was destined not to last as long. I hope you have another ten plus years with yours. I am lucky I have my own land so it's not hard to keep them, they deserve a nice retirement.,