I don't understand "retirement" farms...

[Equilibrium]

Look at it this way Buddy Roo, if you started a retirement facility people from this board would be calling you up from all places to find out if they could send their oldie to you. They can pretty much be assured their horses will be cared for properly and no short cuts will be taken. In short their minds would be at rest.

Some people probably have sent their horses far away because of the people running the place have the reputation that says your horse will be well taken care of no if ands or buts.

Terri

[tkhawk]

[QUOTE=EqTrainer;4390175]
I wasn’t being insulting. A2 made a point to say that because I am a trainer (a professional) that I should know better. I wanted to point out that her view is very common for ammy’s and that might indeed be why we have two different view points on this.

Most pro’s handle and get to know many, many more horses than an ammy ever will. Their experience with horses and owners and change is much more wide-reaching. Personally I would be relieved to know that my horse was not a basket case without me, but I guess that’s just me :lol: Honestly, if horses were just devastated after their owners left, I would never recommend anyone ever put one in training or boarded one or - as A2 mentions, go to the bathroom :lol: I do think that horses recognize people, of course they do. But they don’t dwell upon them in their absence. I have four horses in my upper pasture right now (that are not mine) that are happily eating grass with their friends and I am quite sure that if we could read their minds, it would be something like this… "ahhh… grass… sun… shade… grass… water… ahhhhh… hmmm… dogs… hmmm… grass… oh, my friend… grass… ah, EqT!.. food… scritchies… spray stuff… grass…

and yet each of them has a loving, caring owner who will be happy to see them and vice versa.

In my case, I keep my business small enough so that no horse is ever “just a horse” and it’s never just a job. I can understand why people would be worried about that. Being careful WHO you leave your horse with is very important![/QUOTE]

Agree. Either extreme can be bad. Like that lady on the Parelli thread who got down on all fours and is pawing her hand to “tell” her horse to roll!:lol: When the horse rolled, to her it was some great spiritual breakthrough!

On the other hand, I have been in many proffessional barns and to some of them it is just a job and horses are just what keeps the bacon rolling. Those kind of places -I would not go back to again. But one has to exerience that . I mean everybody needs to make money, but the best is someone who actually has some passion for it left! .

Nah horses don’t sit around contemplating. I haven’t seen mine in a month and probably won’t for a few more, but she is queen bee in her pasture now . It is heaven for her-she has a few geldings in there with her , the BO takes her out and cleans her feet and grooms her twice a week. She gets fed cookies and carrots. I miss her -I miss the long trail rides, I miss her hot opinionated stubborn fiery self, I miss her. But I think she is just fine .

But she will see my truck roll in and she does recognize it and is just as happy to go out on a trail ride and get a good run in. It is just a balance. It is the same with retirement boarding. They will be just fine, but doesn’t mean they don’t remember persons or other horses they were close to. They do, but this is the new reality and most do just fine and adapt as do we.

[Mozart]

I have taken in retired horses to board when I have had the stall space. One owner moved to a damper climate far away where the horse would have less turnout, it was decided the trip and the climate would be too hard on him, the other was was simply retired from more expensive boarding barns. Both owners saw their horses very rarely. Both got, IMO, great care and attention to detail. One got wrapped daily at no extra cost, the other got to wear whatever I had in my horse wardrobe that I thought he needed. I loved looking after my “Grumpy Old Men”.

A retirement farm is going to run the gamut from stall at night with turnout and all the feed, meds, care and attention the horse needs to…40 acres surrounded with barbed wire into which a round bale has been plunked. Like anything, you get references and make arrangements to either check on them or have someone else check on them.

A lot of private barns will take in a retiree or two to help pay bills. Especially if they want to maintain their privacy and are not set up for boarders who come out a lot (i.e. no bathroom in barn, no separate driveway, etc)

[coloredhorse]

I used to run a boarding facility and really loved many aspects of it. Among my favorite tasks were those that involved caring for a few golden oldies; some had nearby and actively involved owners, a couple had owners who were less present (one due to a career location, another due to a problem pregnancy). Personally, I was flattered that these people thought well enough of me to entrust their horses to me in that way.

I’ve often thought that if I did boarding again, I would like to limit it to retirees. I wouldn’t see it as a dumping ground, but WOULD prefer to deal mostly with the horses and not have to provide riding facilities for horses in work, etc. I would love to provide specialized care for a handful of horses who are at the end of their life of service. As the owner of an elderly horse, if I didn’t have my own place, I would welcome an opportunity to board her somewhere with extra turnout to keep her arthritic limbs moving, older companions who wouldn’t devil her the way some of the youngsters can, and an attentive BO to administer necessary meds, blanket when needed, make sure her sensitive eyes are fly-masked in the summer, etc.

When I win the lottery, I’ll open this facility!:winkgrin:

[Bluey]

I wonder if BuddyRoo’s question stemmed from threads like this one:
“20 dead horses in retirement farm”:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=219440

And others like this one we read about here and again?

Cases like that one can give you pause…

[Auventera_Two]

Well, rock on people. But I could not dump my horse at a “retirement farm” and walk away UNLESS I was not in a position to care for them properly at home anymore. In that case, obviously the best thing would be for them to be where they CAN be cared for in some regard. But as long as I’m able, they will be with me. I have arrangements for my horses, in such an event something happens to me, and it doesn’t involve a retirement facility. That would be my absolute last choice.

Has nothing to do with being emotional or melodramatic or amateurish. It has everything to do with feeling that I have a responsibility of stewardship to my animals until the very end. But I came from a family in which the old folks never went to nursing homes either. Must just be a difference in upbringing I guess.

No retirement facility is going to know my horse like I do. And when you have 40 of them standing out there, how in the world can the owner of the facility possibly observe every little detail of every single horse, every day? They can’t.

I have SEEN a retirement facility up close and personal and was NOT impressed. Horses were dirty, thin, and living in fields with run-in shelters and round bales. My horses are accustomed to daily grooming, treats, one-on-one time, and you’re wrong if you think they don’t care about those things. If I am working long hours and my horses get stuck in the rain or their dinner is late, or they don’t get their scratches and chin rubs, they’re very clearly annoyed by it.

I couldn’t sleep at night knowing that my horses were standing in a muddy field with a run in shelter around a round bale.

All I know is that horses DO bond with humans very tightly. If you don’t think they do, well, then too bad for you I guess. Sad to think that a person could never experience that type of bond with a horse.

[Trixie]

Well, rock on people. But I could not dump my horse at a “retirement farm” and walk away UNLESS I was not in a position to care for them properly at home anymore. In that case, obviously the best thing would be for them to be where they CAN be cared for in some regard. But as long as I’m able, they will be with me. I have arrangements for my horses, in such an event something happens to me, and it doesn’t involve a retirement facility. That would be my absolute last choice.

Well, way to go you. But some people can’t afford land. And never could afford land. And making proper arrangements for the animals in their care is the most responsible thing that they CAN do.

I just don’t see a retirement facility as being any different than any full care boarding scenario, with proper arrangements made at a safe barn with a qualified barn owner and manager. I don’t think anyone here has ever advocated “dumping” anything anywhere. That’s a twee bit melodramatic.

Has nothing to do with being emotional or melodramatic or amateurish. It has everything to do with feeling that I have a responsibility of stewardship to my animals until the very end.

How is making proper arrangements for the proper care of their animals NOT responsible stewardship?

No retirement facility is going to know my horse like I do. And when you have 40 of them standing out there, how in the world can the owner of the facility possibly observe every little detail of every single horse, every day? They can’t.

Generally, if it’s a 40-head facility, they have staff.

I have SEEN a retirement facility up close and personal and was NOT impressed. Horses were dirty, thin, and living in fields with run-in shelters and round bales. My horses are accustomed to daily grooming, treats, one-on-one time, and you’re wrong if you think they don’t care about those things. If I am working long hours and my horses get stuck in the rain or their dinner is late, or they don’t get their scratches and chin rubs, they’re very clearly annoyed by it.

A retirement facility. ONE. One shoddy facility that left their horses dirty and thin is NOT all facilities. Frankly, the generalization is insulting to those that run good facilities.

I couldn’t sleep at night knowing that my horses were standing in a muddy field with a run in shelter around a round bale.

So don’t BOARD THERE. But once again… that is NOT every barn. And not every horse actually needs a barn, some do perfectly fine living outdoors with a run in and good quality hay. I mean, they’re horses. For hundreds of years they lived outside. Thin? Ok, not excusable. But living outside? Hell, my horses get annoyed when we make them stay INSIDE their barn with thick shavings.

All I know is that horses DO bond with humans very tightly. If you don’t think they do, well, then too bad for you I guess. Sad to think that a person could never experience that type of bond with a horse.

Some do, some don’t. But, I will tell you that I absolutely don’t think it’s irresponsible for making a careful, well-thought out decision for your horse’s care. Do you condemn all boarders, boarding facilities, and non-landowners? Seriously?

[Donkey]

@AnnaCrew;4389464

Sports horse also would like green pastures but… professional barns here are near city so it means no possibilities for bearable turnout. If horse is in training and gets ridden every day, lack of turnout is not so bad. Oldies just need space and peace more than young and full time working ones.

I live in a city. If I have a retiree and I want it to have lots of turnout (preferably unlimited) then I will have to board it at a minimum an hour away, 2 hour round trip - more likely 3 hours.

Due to having a job etc I would not be able to see the horse on a daily basis so I would want my horse to board somewhere where they will check the horse daily, change blankets etc… I would gladly exchange paying for a riding facility for this kind of care when I need it (of course since it is not in the city I would hope to pay a lot less $$$ for it too).

[magnolia73]

Can I just tell- the average horse owner knows LESS much less than someone who has operated a high quality boarding facility. I do not know what is best for my horse always. I don’t know how to give injections. I am certain that the vet tech who manages my new barn can wrap a wound better. I’m certain he can evaluate colic and take first steps.

Please DO NOT assume that those of us who board allow “lesser” care for our horses. Our horses may actually get more meticulous care than home boarded horses. I can tell you- when I first got my horse she was boarded at a wonderful facility about an hour away. Two weeks into boarding I received a call from the BO- my horse had taken 15 minutes to eat her grain vs. her normal 8-10. He had checked her gums, listened to her gut, took her temperature and observed her all day, checking on her hourly for signs of colic.

You’d have been impressed with that farm- no round bales, no muddy fields. Sheds for horses on turnout (small groups- 2-3 horses) and plenty of grass. Grained twice daily and a staff member stood with the old horse while she ate (she hated to come down to the barn).

Not everyone is “dumping” their oldsters into an inhumane situation.

If I am working long hours and my horses get stuck in the rain or their dinner is late, or they don’t get their scratches and chin rubs, they’re very clearly annoyed by it.

This kind of made me laugh- if your horse was boarded with mine, dinner would not be late, and they’d be in during the rain if it was your preference. And by request, you could have your horse scrtitched daily by a groom.

[katarine]

while you are busy rocking on you are busy condemning anyone that ever boarded a horse. Nice high horse, ever get nose bleeds?

I couldn’t sleep at night knowing that my horses were standing in a muddy field with a run in shelter around a round bale.

Look yall, the drama llamas are here! Complete with ulcers (human and horse), heartburn, PTSD, and whatever other horrors come from bearing the nearly overwhelming, knee-buckling burden of being the Only Good Horse Stewardess On the Planet. Rock ON, sister, the lunacy is cute, from a safe distance.

[BuddyRoo]

I’m sorry…I really didn’t intend for this to offend anyone. I was just kind of mulling it around after seeing several posts about people either looking for retirement facilities or the disasters…not just here…wanted to get some different perspectives. Got 'em! LOL

[equineartworks]

[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;4390555]
I’m sorry…I really didn’t intend for this to offend anyone. I was just kind of mulling it around after seeing several posts about people either looking for retirement facilities or the disasters…not just here…wanted to get some different perspectives. Got 'em! LOL[/QUOTE]

BuddyRoo, I think it was a very honest question to ask. I wonder how many people even know that retirement can be an option for their horse.

Hopefully this thread will show people that there are good and bad options out there and to look carefully…just like they would with regular boarding.

[Sithly]

@Trixie;4389988

Or, maybe they just know that SOMETIMES you have food. And sometimes you’ll feed them. And it’s better to come running to you to check it out than not. Anthropomorphizing, much? [/QUOTE]

Lol, got it in one. Also, I have great faith that someone, somewhere can take much better care of A2’s horses than A2 can. :lol: The air up there on that high horse must be pretty thin.

[QUOTE=Auventera Two;4390430] I have arrangements for my horses, in such an event something happens to me, and it doesn’t involve a retirement facility. That would be my absolute last choice.

You’re going to have them mummified and placed in your tomb?

No retirement facility is going to know my horse like I do. And when you have 40 of them standing out there, how in the world can the owner of the facility possibly observe every little detail of every single horse, every day? They can’t.

Mighty rich from someone whose horse suffered from undiagnosed ulcers for god knows how long. Perhaps an experienced professional caring for the horse daily would have recognized the signs sooner and taken care of the problem. (If they weren’t busy abusing horses and eating babies, that is. :rolleyes:)

I have SEEN a retirement facility up close and personal and was NOT impressed.

Your point is…?

[Trixie]

I’m sorry…I really didn’t intend for this to offend anyone. I was just kind of mulling it around after seeing several posts about people either looking for retirement facilities or the disasters…not just here…wanted to get some different perspectives. Got 'em! LOL

Buddy, I don’t think you were offensive… I think you had a valid original question.

My response to your now edited question would be - many simply decide what the best and most viable option is for the animal. Sometimes that’s not staying at a “convenient” boarding barn. Sometimes, as you said, it winds up becoming a much more comfortable situation for the horse.

I just can’t see this as “dumping” them off. “Dumping” to me is what you do at an auction, not paying to ensure their good care for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t seem fair to me to judge people that have the best interests of their animal at heart and have taken steps to ensure their well being.

[tkhawk]

The facility I have my horse in is a semi retirement facility. She started out as a regular boarding place, but it is a bit out in the boonies(well by L.A standards) so she now has a few retirees . They get excellant care. Nice pasture-not more than 3-4 in each pasture(ok in s.cal pasture doesn’t mean grass!:lol:) . They are fed , watered and BO checks them and make sure they are ok. It is quite a nice life for them. the BO or the barn help or other boarders are there -so there is always some traffic.

I enjoy the bond I have with my horse, but also know life is fleeting. Things come and go, life itself ebbs and flows. I don’t have land and if I did and started taking care of my horses 24/7, I will go crazy. I can’t do that. I love the freedom to just pick up and go somewhere at the spur of the moment -sometimes not knowing where I am going and ending up in the Grand Canyon!

Others may have outgrown the horse or maybe the horse had a bad injury and can’t be ridden or who knows the reason. In today’s market that they are willing to put them in a retirement home and go on with their life is in itself a big feat. If God forbid something were to happen to my mare and I can’t ride her, I will do everything possible to make her life comfortable. But I am also going to wan’t another horse that I can share the trails with-one that loves the trails as much as I do. Luckily my facility is a bit of both. But if you are living real close to the city, your choices will be limited.

You can have the strongest bond with your horse-but life goes on . They adjust. Doesn’t mean they are automated machines incapable of any feelings-they still will remember you. But they go on and adjust .

[JSwan]

[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;4390555]
I’m sorry…I really didn’t intend for this to offend anyone. [/QUOTE]

I think it was an excellent question and something folks should think about. If the horse is unserviceable, something has to be done. A well run retirement facility sounds like a pretty good deal for a horse.

[SMF11]

Who knew there would be such controversy! :lol:

As with most things equine: there is no one right way! There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

If you think about it, most people who chose retirement boarding, are just moving from one boarding situation to another. And, many people who board do not know a lot about horses! Two of my boarders cannot go into the field and get their own horses out, let alone notice if there’s a problem (not to condemn them in any way – there’s different levels of knowledge in the world!)

One of those owners has had the horse for 10 years. He stepped down from a national career in the H/J world to do low level eventing with the owner’s daughter. When she went off to college, the Mom started riding him. She only ever walked and trotted on him, and now at 27 with spinal issues he’s been completely retired here. I think she is a fantastic owner to continue to care for her daughter’s horse as long as he is alive. She should be celebrated!

And one other thing on doing retirement boarding: as my trainer told me when I was thinking of starting – very few people pay to retire mean or nasty horses. And that’s been my experience – all of the horses have been sweethearts.

[BuddyRoo]

Well, like I had mentioned in my second post, I personally love the oldies and would love to have a retirement home but I was thinking of it more along the lines of picking up oldies at sales or taking the occasional rehome–not as a business. (remember, this is for when I win the lottery and money is no object!) What I guess I HADN’T considered is that not everyone has the opportunity, ability, desire, finances, whatever–to retire their horse like I was able to. I’ve never lived in a place where it was absolutely cost prohibitive or unworkable for the horse’s situation.

Ya learn something new every day!

I’ve got an 18 YO mare and I guess it’s something I need to be thinking about in the next 15 years…I hope I will be in a position to retire her with me, but I guess if not, now I know that there ARE some good places out there.

[lawndart]

Thank you Trixie When the Retirement Farm owners reply to these threads, it just looks like a defense response. When someone outside that world responds in a calm concise manner, its a big help.

I groaned when I read the opening line on the 20 starved 10 dead on a retirement farm. I knew it would reflect on us all. But a bad boarding barn of ANY kind reflects on all barn owners, one way or another.

The bottom line here is do your research. You are trusting that BO/BM to care for a horse that has meant everything to you. Go visit, ask a million questions, check references. When you visit, don’t just accept an overall view of what you can see from the entrance, walk around. Often times, those pretty white fences in the front, give way to sagging, broken wire in the back. Check the pastures up close and personal. Even weeds can look green, from a distance. Look at the watering troughs, are they green with algae, or a mosquito breeding ground? Are all the horses plump, shiny, and content, or only the ones you can see? There is no question too stupid, or too intrusive, if you are trusting your horse to their care.

While I risk sounding like a sap by saying this, I’m honored when an owner chooses me to take care of the horse of their heart. I will do my best, every day, to make sure that horse gets the care it deserves in return for that trust. They trust me to take care of their horse, I trust them to pay me for that care, no matter how long that horse may live.

Sometimes, an owner and I will have a difference in opinion in how a retired horse is kept. I don’t think horses need their manes pulled, and their faces shaved when they are retired. If the owner feels that is necessary, they can go to that $2000 per month:eek::eek: retirement farm someone else mentioned earlier in this thread;) Like someone else mentioned, its good there are varying levels of retirement board, some want the deluxe super duper option, some want to throw them out into a field for as little $$ as possible. And there are the middle of the road barns, like me, who just want to take care of a small group of horses in the best way possible.

SMF-I find your trainer is correct IMO. I’ve only had one horse here I couldn’t handle, and I suspect that is because I was trying too hard to make him ‘fit’ into a herd he was not ever going to work with. I don’t do single horse turnout, I’m not set up for that. They moved on to a barn where he could have that option. Every other horse here has been darn easy to love, and I grieve for each one when it passes on. That is the worst part of retirement boarding, having to let go of a horse that you love like your own. Horses won’t ever be just a number to me. :no: If they were, it would be time to quit.

[Huntertwo]

@eponacowgirl;4389120

Check out my favorite retirement facility:
http://www.retiredhorses.com/horse-boarding-philosophy.html

They have a lot of interesting info and you can keep track of their day-to-day in their blog.

We have a mid-price-range barn in Middle TN and one of our boarders inquired to Paradigm about retiring her horse there- when she realized their board was more expensive, she kept him with us! So now, retirement farms are not “dumping”- just a nicer lifestyle for your old guys!

That is my favorite too…

If by chance something happens where my mare is no longer ridable, I’d rather see her in a warmer climate on lots of pasture with other horses as opposed to alone on a dry lot, which is her current situation.

It is not a bad situation for her right now, as I ride several times a week and see her every day.

But, if that day should ever come, I love her, so I’d do it for her.

P.S. She is also in my “Will” to go to this particular farm if I passed away and my husband didn’t feel comfortable taking care of her.