No I’m not talking about your husband but your equine partner that you have spent hours in the saddle with, thousands of dollars on and shed many tears along your journey with. Know when the time correct to retire your horse can be a daunting challenge. These circumstances can vary greatly from partnership to partnership. There can be a vast range of conditions that lead up to this moment, maybe you have reached your goal, the horse seems to be struggling to reach a new level, lameness seems to be a consistent challenge or the partnership seems to be deteriorating. All these factors can be pointing to you needing to make a change in your game. This doesn’t need to be the end of your horse’s useful life but rather you becoming the cheer squad instead of the main player. For instance one of my colleagues was showing a horse that she had bred and trained to Intermediare I. During showing she was having experiencing difficulties presenting the test to her satisfaction and this was proving to be a challenge on her and her horse’s relationship. After the show season during a trail ride on this gelding she made the announcement that she was going to retire him. While this horse didn’t enjoy the difficulty of showing at the FEI levels, he still loves tootling around at the lower levels while occasionally going on the bit. We were able to find a rider at our barn who has been able to further her riding career and occasionally experience the joys of the upper level movements! It has proven to be a great fit for both the rider and horse!
We have another great story at our barn about a gelding named Nemo. Nemo is a Morgan gelding that was shown to 2nd level by my daughter. He was her first show horse and I couldn’t have asked for a better horse for her to get show experience with but he has a physical issue with the collection required of 2nd level work and we decided he needed to find an easier job. We incorporated him into our lesson program and he has been irreplaceable! This kind gelding has been many kids’ first introduction into riding and has been loved on by many people. Nemo has been a great ambassador for the breed and has taught people what a good horse truly is.
The last story I will share with you is about our past stallion, Iron Forge Starman. Starman and I not only spent many hours together but we accomplished a lot of goals together. Who it came time to make the decision to retire him was a daunting task. He was physically and mentally sound but he was always a sensitive ride plus being a stallion I didn’t feel a lease option was a great option. He had lived in a herd environment in his younger years with his mares so out to pasture he went with his favorite mare! It was hard for me to watch him change physically because he lost a lot of muscle tone that took years to develop but mentally he was flourishing.
My point behind sharing these stories with you is that even though you may have a tough decision ahead of you, you may have the opportunity to make someone else’s dream happen or you might be making a better decision for your horse’s mental happiness. Don’t be afraid to step to the side and become your horse’s biggest cheerleader, it may just open new opportunities for you that you didn’t see possible.
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