Just wondering. Do people actually find good companion homes for easy, pleasant, and pretty, but unrideable horses? I’ve heard a lot of people talking about these homes, but have rarely met people who are actively looking for an unsound horse. If they’re out there, how do you find them?
I’ve always believed euthanasia was the right thing to do if you couldn’t keep a retired horse yourself and the perfect situation didn’t just pop up, but a few friends convinced me I might not have given the companion home idea a fair shake when a group of us were discussing the options for our friend who just ended up in this situation with two very well-schooled, but lame horses (long story!).
When I was looking for a friend for my horse I specifically looked for someone who was companion only. Met two horses at local rescues that were in their teens and sound, getting ridden about 3 times a week. I didn’t even consider them because I knew I would never have the time to ride them and didn’t want that for them. I ended up with a foundering mini. She’s sound now and I sometimes feel guilty that she’s just sitting around all day and then she does something crazy bratty and I remember that not only am I the only person in this world who would put up with her but that she could never be trained properly.
Well, yes it does happen. I got my two rescues from an old man who had them for years and years for the sole purpose of being pretty pasture ornaments. He unfortunately passed away (he had the horses ten + years before he passed) and I took them in… they are very rideable and actually have a few shows under their belts now, but that was never a concern for him.
I also recently saw a post on Facebook made by someone searching for a gentle companion horse for their two year old filly… I think she ended up buying a twelve year old horse with moderate- severe lordosis. A similar situation may work for the horses you mentioned.
I think it’s possible. Probably heavily dependent on the area you live in and the costs to keep a horse in that area.
I got a companion horse last year for my gelding. $300 for an old arthritic mare that wasn’t sound enough for former owners daughter to use anymore. Her only job is to eat and keep my gelding company.
I think the issue people run into when finding companion homes is that many of the horses they’re trying to retire have maintenance issues. And few people want to take on that effort and expense for a horse that is a pasture pet. Especially if you already have a riding horse. My companion mare gets the basics - trims, food, water, salt block. I did have her teeth done last year when I got her because they were terrible. I give her bute before farrier but that’s pretty much it in terms of maintenance. She’s sound enough to get around pasture ok. We’re going to put her down this fall as she seems to struggle to see in our dark winters and the cold is hard on her arthritis. I have another gelding lined up to replace her.
I don’t know that people are actively seeking “unsound” horses, but some people are willing to take them as a companion. I have done this twice, knowing that the horse was unrideable and/or could only be essentially used as a “pony ride” being led around a paddock for my kids.
The way to find them would be to spread the word - tell your vet, farrier, etc.
If you advertise, be absolutely honest and check references. Let people see the vet records and/or get a vet out to do a basic PPE outlining the health and long-term needs. People may be more willing to take a horse that they think has a reasonable number of years without becoming a huge maintenance burden.
I picked up a free companion pony for my mini, and he was a trainwreck health-wise. The owner clearly knew and did not disclose, and I believe were looking for a way out of their responsibility for him. They even used my vet clinic but would not let me look at his records when he was having major medical issues the week after we got him (ended up being Cushings and probably already had been diagnosed but not treated). They never checked my references. And then when I let them know that he was doing very poorly and I might euthanize if no improvement, they asked if they could get him back to be buried at their farm, because “he was part of their family.”
Um…no.
You let a stranger take him away. Some family. (Luckily poor Cushingoid dude is still kickin along 5 years later…but not every “companion home” would have wanted him and/or treated him.)
I found a companion home for my gelding many years ago, and a free lease at that. The lady was moving her horse home, and wanted an easy keeper companion who would be fine if left alone for a few hours, since she trailered to her trainer’s to ride. My guy was perfect. She adored him, and had him about a year. When she decided to move and board again, he came home to me. I don’t think she will ever know how thankful I am that an honest, caring person took him, even for that short period of time. It was like finding a unicorn!
My first horse is a companion horse. I still have him. He has kissing spine badly enough that he will never be safe to ride, and he hates stall rest. I won’t subject him to painful surgery and weeks in a stall for my enjoyment–it’s not fair to him.
All my horses live at home, so he’s not really taking that much extra, but even when they were boarded it wasn’t a big deal. I love him. He did a lot for me. So much so that I wrote an article about him and got it published in The Mighty:
I will never ever give him up. When he finally can’t cope anymore (he’s 12 and already starting to slow down) he will get the dignified end he deserves. But until then he has plenty of grass to eat, plenty of field to play in, and two pasture mates to keep him company.
If you are looking for “perfect” homes the answer is “no.”
If you are looking for “excellent” homes the answer is “maybe.”
But the real question, IMO, is transferring a horse you “can’t” keep to somebody else. Why CAN’T you keep a retired horse? It’s a fair question. Reading responses over time the usual reason is money. The discussion of money when it comes to horse care is usually treated as an “impolite” subject and folks often pretend it’s not an issue. But it is. Always. Unless, of course, your name is Gates or Buffet of Zuckerberg.
The day before anyone buys a horse they should ask themselves, “how will this journey end?” And have an “end of life” plan for the horse. That’s a dark thought on what ought to be a happy day but Ms. Reality is not a nice person and doesn’t really care about how anybody feels. ;(
I concur that euthanasia is the only sure choice. It’s not not the only choice. Other choices exist but are not nearly so sure. That leaves the owner with a problem and no really “nice” solution.
I ended up just recently getting a companion horse (pony) for a draft horse, that unlike the previous horse, could NOT be alone. I ended up buying one, granted for close to a companion horse price. Why? Time was of the essence partially. But most of the advertised ‘companion’ horses were: high maintenance, needing shoes, medicines, fancy feed, often limited to dry lot conditions, and often not temperamentally suitable. Or were coming with strings attached by the last owner/rescue. Don’t get me going on rescues. They do a great job, but…I don’t care for ‘guilty until proven innocent’ when trying to adopt.
I’m happy to have one of my own horses be a pasture puff for their lifetime, ironically the draft horse tried very hard to become that shortly after the companion pony arrived. But I am not willing to take on someone else’s problem.
So, yes, people need companion horses but they don’t need a high maintenance mouth to feed right from the get go.
I’d love to have found that older, able to go barefoot, not needing expensive medicines, capable of coping with 24/7 grass turnout, with GOOD barn manners for free. I bought it instead, she is very happy now that she is over the culture shock of leaving a high performance big show barn for life on a rural farm. She gets trimmed by the farrier, gets the usual shots, gets her teeth checked. But she won’t get bank-breaking medical intervention and I won’t go to extremes in her old age. What I will do is give her a quiet end with the rest of the herd that sleeps beneath the pasture.
I’ll reiterate what someone else said - if you are looking to find a good home for a companion horse, talk to your farrier! My husband is a farrier and he hears about this all the time. I think some people are hesitant to talk to their vets for fear of judgement, but farriers hear it all! Trust me
There are some rare actual companion homes out there, but they are few and far between. Most competent, respectable horse people are already booked up taking care of their own retirees or unsound horses. People who actually ARE looking for companions generally have pretty strict requirements–the horse would typically need to be something with lovely manners that doesn’t require any maintenance or medication and doesn’t have too many special needs.
The idea of finding an actual, legitimate companion home for an old or permanently lame horse is largely fantasy. There are many people out there with a great story about wanting a backyard pet or a “companion for their barrel horse” who will eagerly step up to take your old or lame horse. Of course, once they get their hands on the horse, they will quickly re-sell it at auction.
Some horse owners are comfortable letting this happen–they don’t have to face the sadness or guilt of euthanasia, and they get a fantasy story about their horse living out its days in a green pasture somewhere. They can tell their friends about how their horse is having this pleasant retirement somewhere as a “companion” instead of having to explain that they put the horse down, which will earn harsh judgement in many circles (even some equestrian ones).
By all means, look into companion homes. You never know–it’s possible that there will be someone out there who fits the bill–someone with an impeccable reputation who lives near enough to you that you can keep tabs on things. It will make your friends feel better to know that you have explored that option. But in general, euthanasia is a much more safe and realistic option.
Personally, I would be in the market for a “companion” or unsound horse as a second horse if I could afford it right now. It depends on the type of equestrian - I enjoy every aspect of owning horses, and some people only enjoy the riding aspect, and that’s okay. I don’t even need a companion horse as I board my horse, but I would be content giving a horse a home that would otherwise be unwanted, and just doing grooming, groundwork, etc. I enjoy the company of a horse more than anything. But I think my desire is in the minority, even more so those that want an unsound horse AND have the money for it.
I JUST dropped a mare off (unsound permanently) at a “forever” home as a companion two weeks ago. Woke up to texts the other day from friends seeing an ad of her. The woman was/is trying to sell/ trade her as she is “too tall” and “excitable” for her despite getting a full description of the horse and going back and forth through messages. Now she is trying to scam someone out of their money/ sound horse. She refuses to let me have the horse back either, so now I get to worry that she will end up in a local auction.
Never again.
Beehoney has it 100% - I was talked into looking for a retirement/ companion home for this horse because it would be “better” than euthanasia. I 100% regret my decision as now I worry that she will end up being tossed around, abandoned, sold for meat, etc. If I had gone with euthanasia I would know that she had gone peacefully and had known safety, food, and love until the day she went.
It does work out sometimes. I currently have two ‘extra’ companion horses, one I was given to keep my gelding company when i bought my farm. I knew what his medical issues were, nothing too serious and easily dealt with. He has now become my favorite go to guy on roads and trails. Nothing fazes him. The other more recent horse is lovely as well, and I have no intention of betraying the trust of the previous owner who gave her to me. I will keep her, whether my plans for her work out or not (maybe breeding). I think it goes a long way to know the people you are gifting your horse to. Horses are not cheap to own, and if you have any doubts about the situation you are sending your horse into, then you need to seriously consider your options.
They are out there, but I think the number of horses looking for homes exceeds the amount of good honest people really looking for companions.
I worked for a family that had 9 saddlbreds. They had ceased showing years and years ago after they had moved them to their own house. Kid lost interest so the horses were “pets.” Then finally they called me back a few years later to help them sell them. They were pretty clueless because trainer had held their hand when they were actually still riding.
They had some barely halter broke ones that they had paid a lot of money in stud fees. We priced them the best we could (very cheap but I hoped enough to discourage killer buyers.) In a different area might have been different but it was SO not the breed for this state. I still had to ward off obviously killer buyers, buyers who couldn’t afford to feed them, ect.
It was really exhausting.
I think of it this way. You have this horse and it goes lame or unsuitable for what you do. Usually when rehoming, it’s because you don’t want to pay for the horse anymore. Uncomfortable but that’s the truth and I don’t think that’s horrible in it’s unself. But why would someone else who has no emotional attachment to the horse want to pay for the retirement? Just realistically.
I do think there are people that need a horse to keep home with their younger horse or whatever. I just don’t think they are as abundant as people wish they were.
There are some of us out there that may take on the “free to a good home” horse. I have done so twice and will likely do so again at some point. In many cases these are horses that are at the end of their careers and even if they do not require maintenance beyond regular trims, worming etc. they do require at the least someone who has time, resources and knowledge to ensure they stay healthy. Your farrier or local trainer/coach may know of someone who you could possibly approach.
I took on a retired school horse because my coach knows I have a soft spot for retirees and enjoy them immensely. I did take a “free” (lol) horse from an on-line ad but I was selective and went to see him first. My other two retirees are my own.
I do think there are folks that just like to have horses as a hobby and they don’t necessarily want to ride them or are looking for a companion horse to round out the herd but placement is such a risk. Good Luck, I hope you or your friends find that soft landing for your horse.
