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| My personal opinion, but I think they "age" quicker if you let them sit. My sister has a mare that was retired earlier than planned (18) but probably could've been lightly used. She is now 20 but seems much older to me.
We have a gelding that is 20 this year. A few years ago we offered him to a family that was connected to the man we purchased him from when he was a 6yo, so that their little girl could learn the ropes. Unfortunately she wasn't ready for him yet but they said as soon as she is ready to jockey a horse of his caliber they would like to have him.
In the meantime we have leased him to a neighbor boy (about 13-14 years old) that has grown and learned a TON on him. We kept the gelding at our house so that we could be in charge of making sure he was getting cared for properly, and that if anything happened no one would be responsible but us. He comes and rides him 2 times a week (one night he takes him to the fairgrounds for 4H practice) and they pick him up on the weekends to take him to shows, and drop him off at night when they get home. It worked out really well for us, and IMO it has kept our gelding "young" and healthy.
It's looking like this year the family with the little girl might be taking him and giving him a new home. It'll be bittersweet for sure. |
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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
 
Location: Texas | Heck, I want Bob for myself. I need a babysitter (Grandma keeper). He would never leave our pasture if I were you. Those once in a lifetime horses are too valuable to share even with the best of intentions. Love him the rest of his life because you want to and he deserves it. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Like some of the others said... If you have the means, leave him be.
I have a good boy (not one of those once in a life timers..was horrible on the barrels,but is an awesome beginner lesson horse), i have since stopped most of my lessons to go down the road with one of my students to barrel races. I was getting burned out and not able to ride my own. He's just siting in the pasture doing nothing but eating popping....
I have been contplating allowing my friend to use him for her kids since I board and could get him off my feed and pasture bill and save some extra money to purchase property soon. We are good friends have been boarding at te same place for over 10 years I wouldn't do I for anyone else. my Agreement would be I get him back if she doesn't want him any longer. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | SmokinGirlie - 2016-02-02 1:47 PM I feel you, and have been lucky enough to have family keep using my 'Bob'. He's always stayed at my barn, I don't know that I would feel comfortable letting him 'live' anywhere else. I also always haul him if he goes anywhere.
Do you have anyone that would lease him while under your care?
That would be the only way I would share a horse like that. Live with me, and ride him under my supervision. There is a 28 year old in my pasture right now that was a great first horse for my daughter. I have had several opportunities to sell him or loan him out to be a great first horse for another kid, but when the first loan fell through, I decided to just let him die here.
My own very special lifer, when he retired from running at 18, I totally hoarded him and I don't feel guilty. He was like part of my family and selling him or loaning him out wasn't an option. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| Keep him and turn him out. Let him enjoy his retirement. I've seen some amazing horses given to the wrong people and it was a very sad ending for the horse. When they've earned their place in the retirement pasture let them enjoy it. What a neat horse!!! |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Tricky question! I've totally benefitted with my kids having the option of riding someone elses retiree's (at least I think they're pretty good hands) My question is why is he retired? He's not that old....in fact I remember in college my "good" horse got hurt and I used my "retired" barrel horse for a few of the spring rodeo's-he was not quite as competitive but he was tons of fun-you may never know when you need him!
He should be able to adapt to something if necessary.....we all know anything can happen. I would definitely not get rid of him since you have 2 kids that are wanting to go so hard! He might just need to chase a few calves or turn a few steers.... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1525
| I had one of those two years ago. My daughter was not old enough to ride and I had a friend that always needed a safe lesson horse. The more the old one's get used the younger they seem to stay. I gave him to her....free and clear. She loves him, he loves the kids and I bet he lives another healthy few years with less arthritis because I did that for him. I wanted to wait until my daughter was old enough...but two years of "sitting" wouldnt have been good for him. I still think I did the right thing even though I am now hunting another kids horse for my daughter, who is now ready to ride. |
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 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | LMS - 2016-02-02 2:31 PM Tricky question! I've totally benefitted with my kids having the option of riding someone elses retiree's (at least I think they're pretty good hands) My question is why is he retired? He's not that old....in fact I remember in college my "good" horse got hurt and I used my "retired" barrel horse for a few of the spring rodeo's-he was not quite as competitive but he was tons of fun-you may never know when you need him!
He should be able to adapt to something if necessary.....we all know anything can happen. I would definitely not get rid of him since you have 2 kids that are wanting to go so hard! He might just need to chase a few calves or turn a few steers....
He's retired because he loves the job of baby-sitter, but he knows the barrels aren't going anywhere, so he doesn't really care how fast he gets through them. He WILL bust to cattle, though. Perry took him to a team roping a few years ago and won the round robin heading steers on him. HA.
He walks pretty slow in the pasture, so when there's a 6,000 acre pasture to cover, no one wants to ride him. haha. Last fall, when Giz was hurt, Elli was going to use him, but he was a fat slob and she didn't have time to leg him up. He will run in the 3D or maybe 2D if he's in shape and fed to feel like Superman- otherwise he's a 4 or 5D horse.
He excels at keeping kids safe. He is VERY serious about the responisbility of being a kid's horse! Elli has just decided he's not fast enough to be fun anymore, so she barely rides the old fart, unless they're taking him to use as a diving board at the dam.
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | How is Bob 19??!! That's crazy!
Here's my opinion: Don't sell him, but when just the right little person needs him, you will feel good about letting him teach someone else.
I'm all about letting them live fat and happy enjoying retirement. But, like someone else said, he's not THAT old. And, let me tell ya, after feeding 786323444556 katrillion tons of mash to my now 34-year-old retiree... it's not so romantic and fuzzy feeling. Oh, how I wish just the right little girl had come into our lives so that she could have been enjoyed more. Instead, she's just been eating for years and years... And, now I'm in the same boat with my 22-year-old...
So, there ya go. I'm sure that's doesn't help. lol!
Â
Edited by just4fun 2016-02-02 5:13 PM
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Elli needs a heading horse!! If the right situation comes around where someone is in need I'm sure you will do the right thing!
He IS your horse-it is YOUR decision to just look at him! Don't let your conscience (or hormones) work you over!
Edited by LMS 2016-02-02 4:16 PM
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  Sweet Tea
Posts: 3496
Location: Home of the World Famous "Silver Bullet" | No one loves your young un' like you love your young un' . Just keep him, you'll sleep better. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | They're herd animals, and I've always felt that they go through some stress when they're taken away from their family (human and equine). I don't think I could let him go, he sounds like such a great horse, I'd feel obligated to give him as peaceful a retirement as I could. |
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 Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Nope, too many people out there don't care for their horses the way I do. I am OCD about it anyway, but I've heard too many horror stories.
I retired my mare 2010 at the age of 21, and she now is baby sitting my 10 month old colt.
Would she have been great for a kid to teach. She sure did teach me most of what I know. (I started running barrels on her, only did English before that) I bet she would've been great, but again, I am very OCD on the care of all our animals, so I just didn't take the chance.
So, if you have the means to keep him, I would do jusst that. He deserves it. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 754
Location: Arkansas | Three 4 Luck - 2016-02-02 3:13 PM SmokinGirlie - 2016-02-02 1:47 PM I feel you, and have been lucky enough to have family keep using my 'Bob'. He's always stayed at my barn, I don't know that I would feel comfortable letting him 'live' anywhere else. I also always haul him if he goes anywhere.
Do you have anyone that would lease him while under your care? That would be the only way I would share a horse like that. Live with me, and ride him under my supervision. There is a 28 year old in my pasture right now that was a great first horse for my daughter. I have had several opportunities to sell him or loan him out to be a great first horse for another kid, but when the first loan fell through, I decided to just let him die here.
My own very special lifer, when he retired from running at 18, I totally hoarded him and I don't feel guilty. He was like part of my family and selling him or loaning him out wasn't an option.
I agree--my "lifer" is 23 and turned out at my parent's house where my mom spoils him and he doesn't get worked up seeing me ride other horses and the trailer pulling out without him. I will hop on bareback for a spin around the pasture when I visit. That is him in my avatar pic.
I had a "borderline" lifer as well, she was never advertised for sale, but she now belongs to Three 4 Luck's daughter, and I don't regret it at all. I think it was the best thing for her health-wise, and I know she is getting EXCELLENT care and much more attention than she would be at my house. I had several people tell me after the fact that they wished they knew she was for sale because they would have bought her. I smiled and thought to myself "no, you wouldn't have" LOL
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 Expert
Posts: 1538
Location: South Dakota | ND3canAddict - 2016-02-02 12:34 PM We have an 18 year old gelding at home that we raised. He's been to 3 world fairs and 2 pumpkin thumpin's. So careful and responsible. Runs all youth rodeo events- keyhole, barrels, poles, ropes, safest kids' ranch horse and can work a cow with no help from his rider... everything. He is a big guy- like 16h and 1500#. No one is really using him here, but he has more than earned his lifetime of retirement. We all love him. Here is the question. Would you feel guilty having such a gifted kids' horse just sitting around? I would love to be a philanthropist and just give him to a family of little kids who would care for him and let him teach them the ropes, but that can get messy. Bob (the horse) certainly doesn't care if he never gets ridden. He's out with the cows and maybe gets used 3 or 4 times a year. He's fat and happy, I just feel kind of bad that we aren't sharing him. Would you?
Maybe I'm just hormonal or something... hahaha
This video is of our daughter, when she was 5 and Bob was 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6THbkLbbZ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-fDzm4nBw - Elli was 9 years old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVesv-dWZ_c - Goat tying- no child left behind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml4YtolbNx8 - Elli was 10, I think...
Like you said Bob has earned his retirement and I would not be guilty one bit. I retired my good barrel horse Prince and he was still sound and could still run with the best of them. He earned living out his life as just being a horse. I did not feel guilty one bit. Of course you could always send Bob to my house.  |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | rodeochick382 - 2016-02-03 10:42 AM Three 4 Luck - 2016-02-02 3:13 PM SmokinGirlie - 2016-02-02 1:47 PM I feel you, and have been lucky enough to have family keep using my 'Bob'. He's always stayed at my barn, I don't know that I would feel comfortable letting him 'live' anywhere else. I also always haul him if he goes anywhere.
Do you have anyone that would lease him while under your care? That would be the only way I would share a horse like that. Live with me, and ride him under my supervision. There is a 28 year old in my pasture right now that was a great first horse for my daughter. I have had several opportunities to sell him or loan him out to be a great first horse for another kid, but when the first loan fell through, I decided to just let him die here.
My own very special lifer, when he retired from running at 18, I totally hoarded him and I don't feel guilty. He was like part of my family and selling him or loaning him out wasn't an option.
I had a "borderline" lifer as well, she was never advertised for sale, but she now belongs to Three 4 Luck's daughter, and I don't regret it at all. I think it was the best thing for her health-wise, and I know she is getting EXCELLENT care and much more attention than she would be at my house. I had several people tell me after the fact that they wished they knew she was for sale because they would have bought her. I smiled and thought to myself "no, you wouldn't have" LOL 
Edited by SmokinGirlie 2016-02-03 10:59 AM
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| We had an older head horse that had been in the family for 18 years. He was too old to keep heading on but still had so much heart and try. He would pace the fence while we roped like "hey, did y'all forget about me?".
He was still too much horse for my daughters to ride and was getting bored out in the pasture being retired. We found a therapeutic riding facility near our house that serves kids and veterans. We checked them out to make sure everything was up to our standards as far as his care and use was concerned and we ended up donating him.
We go out to visit him every month and love getting to see him in his therapy classes. He looks happy and healthy and we benefit ourselves getting to see the difference that he makes in the lives of others.
It was hard to see him go at first because he is a part of the family but I'm so glad that we decided to share him. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | kboltwkreations - 2016-02-02 1:39 PM
Nope, I dont and wont feel bad about the others I put out in the semi retired/retired pasture.
Too many people out there who dont appreciate a good horse and they end up under fed and under utilized. If you have the means to keep him I would. Those great ones deserve to be well cared for forever.
This! My retired barrel horse is just that kind of horse. She was awesome running barrels in her day and just as awesome being a babysitter for riders of all ages/skill set. She earned her retirement. I can afford to just let her be and KNOW without a doubt that she is being well cared for. |
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Sparklin Cowgirl
Posts: 4379
| I have a horse like that. She is 17 this year I think. Will do anything asked of her. Do You want to do Western Pleasure? Jumping? Dressage? Run Barrels? Goat tie? Trail ride? Then Blossom is your horse. She is a nice one to keep in my back posket. We really dont use her much but she is the first horse I pull out of the pasture for a newbie. We have a 4H kid lease/use her in the summer to show most every year. You could maybe let a kiddo use him but he is still yours kinda thing? |
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Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | I retired his mother here, but it was an easier decision, because she was such a stellar horse for me- AND she would have been too much horse yet for just anyone. My kids rode her a few times and called her the "Extreme Gramma" because she was still a firecracker. She also is stringhalted due to a trailer accident after a branding. She wouldn't have been suitable or useful to re-home, so she retired here without a second thought. She is 27 this year and is still fat and healthy.
Bob is usable. He is as fat as a round bale with legs, but not really getting any special care. He's out in a big barbed wire pasture with trees and draws for shelter. If I can find the perfect family and their horses have always looked well-cared for, I'd probably "loan" him to them. If not, he can stay here for eternity! Maybe I'll leg him up for myself and rope off him. He's a good boy and deserves only the best, and a family who loves him like the hunk of solid gold he is!! |
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