What to Do?

[Honeybee111]

This is going to be a fairly long winded post, so please bear with me.

I have a rising 20- year old Cob type pony who was born on the current yard and who has always been a member of the riding school.

I loaned him a few years before I bought him five years ago. Soon after I purchased him, I stopped riding him as he’d be too unpredictable and I’d get ditched a lot (not something I’d want to do when I have family and a mortgage to pay).

I loaned him out to the riding school and got a very reasonable livery deal in return. The children there love riding him and don’t mind his quirks.

Fast forward a few years and I own a second horse who I trust with my life. He gave me my confidence back.

I am now in a very difficult position as my Cob has been removed from the riding school permanently due to him bucking off beginners. This happened last week.
He‘s become stiff and arthritic and can’t do advanced lessons anymore (where riders would be capable of sitting his bucks and shoulder drops).

He can’t be turned away with the other retirees as he does not cope in the field. After an hour of being turned out, he canters up and down, screaming and wanting to come in. He also has Sweet Itch which makes turn out more challenging in the summer. Apart from that, he’s had his eye removed two years ago due to constant Uveitis flare ups and ongoing pain and infection.

Some of the capable teens are happy to ride him occasionally but other than that, he has no job.

He is retired but stabled with daily turn out in a paddock by his stable.

The livery will change to standard full livery as he makes no more money for the riding school.

I can’t afford to pay two lots of livery (my other horse is on working livery) but then I owe my Cob a good life too.

I’m interested to hear what other horse parents would do in my situation?

Thank you for reading!

Yes actually I agree with this. Horses are cheap to buy and expensive to keep. I always compare them to a phone contract. You get the phone and it’s all great, but you’re tied into a long contract that you have to keep on paying even if the phone breaks

If he is physically up to it, I'd have a more advanced rider or a trainer school him out of these behaviour issues and leave him in the school to teach the beginners.

One of ours didn't take retirement well and ended up being brought back into some light school work to keep him happy. He teaches the beginners and happy hackers and does a bit of equine therapy.

When he is too old and creaky to do it anymore, I think he'll be put to sleep. It's better than him working himself into a state watching the others being ridden. He's very jealous and hated retirement. Gave himself ulcers from stress. I'd rather him live a slightly shorter but happier life tbh.

If he is 20 years old and has arthritis he is probably in a serious amount of pain and the bucking with intent to remove rider seems to confirm this. An elderly horse, in pain, with only one eye should not be written. He is in pain and the one eye adds to his anxiety.. I hope you can find away to retire him op. Very difficult. He could maybe be lunged in the school without a rider to give some exercise and calm him then try the field retirement again. I know an old horse that settled this way with owner spending an hour every morning but not many have time for that. I definitely feel that he should no longer be ridden as he seems in significant pain. Glad he won't be passed on but no idea what you should do..💐