Retirement Jobs:
"Will is to grace as the horse is to the rider". - Saint Augustine of Hippo, De Libero Arbitrio, 388-395
Boarding
Schools with Equestrian Programs Colleges with Equestrian Programs
Jobs with their own page
(see Table of Contents at left)
 Del Camino has extensive experience caring for
senior (age 15 and up) horses. One of the rewards of operating a
large riding academy was being able to offer well-trained horses the
opportunity to retire from strenuous competition or other work, cease
frequent travel, but continue to have plenty of appropriate exercise,
social interaction, and affection. Coupled with careful nutrition, farriery, and veterinary care, this environment enabled horses of many
breeds trained in various disciplines to age gracefully and enjoy their
golden years.
One of the missions of Del
Camino is to help horse owners find timely information that guides them
through this journey. We want to keep our seniors as fit, as active,
as contented as possible, as long as possible. It can be done.
We dedicate our work to a few
of many beloved Del Camino horses: Freckles, who left us at age 43,
Miss Cricket, who delighted children until age 38, Captain Oliver
"Ollie" who fought Cushing's until age 32, and Brandy's Prince,
and Smokey, both of whom had Cushing's which caused laminitis at age 26.
Thank you for having graced our
lives, and taught so many people the joy of horsemanship.
Please read the overviews of the topics before
clicking on links. We can't possibly list every reference available
on the internet, and we do not accept any compensation for a listing.
None of these listings were solicited.
This site is meant to distill information from a variety of sources, as
well as our own experience, before sending you off on your own
quest.
The descriptive paragraphs at the start of a section are there because we
believe they are important.
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Topics progress from those
for people caring for their senior horse, to those wishing to place their
senior horse in a new job, and finally, how to prepare for and make
arrangements to euthanize a horse to prevent suffering.
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Del Camino
does not endorse, approve, guarantee, warranty, or otherwise recommend any
product, service, vendor, book,
article, website, webzine, magazine linked on this page
 Sometimes
you can't give an older horse the gentle exercise and continued attention he
needs. He may be serviceably sound for light work, but no longer able
to enjoy the strenuous sport you want to keep doing. If he is still
sound on the flat at the walk, trot, and canter, you may consider finding
him a new job where his years of training and experience will enable him to
enrich other lives as a teacher. Temperament and ground manners are
very important for these jobs. If your horse is very tolerant of rider and
handler mistakes, being ridden and handled by many different people, and
especially calm and easy-going, he may be suitable for rehoming as a school horse.
Consequently, a horse that "needs work" or is
already on serious medications or supplements or special shoeing, or 25 or
older, is usually past the optimal intake criteria for a lesson horse.
Not
all older horses can do this job, and there are a limited number of
openings. The lesson academies and riding schools cannot absorb all of
them.
If you honestly think he can do this job for a
long time, and would adjust to it well, look into the possibility
carefully. It is not enough that the work they do with
children and adults is valuable and commendable. Not all lesson
stables are financially sound. With skyrocketing hay costs,
and other expenses outpacing inflation, some are struggling to care
properly for the horses they already have.
If your horse is lucky enough to be selected by
a well-established lesson program, please visit it several times before
loading him on the trailer. Please visit him several times, during
his first year. Be prepared for a phone call if he does not work out,
even after the trial period.
Before there were hippotherapy stables and horse
rescues and adoption agencies, some lesson programs received so many offers
that they have posted some information about their horse intake, trial
period, and adoption procedures on their websites. It is ironic that
when they have too many horses, they tend to be inundated with horse
offers, and when they need a particular horse, they have to search for him for
months.
 Everything that we have said about Therapy
Horse jobs really applies to placing your horse in a regular lesson program
as well. The vast majority of "lesson" horses we have seen
advertised have no aptitude for the job, are not suitable for beginner
riders, and are not exercised properly - either overworked, under worked, worked on painkillers carrying too much weight for their age and
condition, coping with ill-fitting tack, or doing too strenuous a job. For a good overview of how to
judge your horse's suitability for this kind of job, and how to evaluate a
lesson program that offers to take your horse, visit the Del Camino
Equestrian Academy Schoolmaster page on this
website. So many people wanted to give us their older horse, we posted this page to help them understand our
criteria. We did acquire some wonderful horses this way. However,
like the therapy programs, it is rare that the right horse to fill a
particular niche is offered at the right time.
Again, proceed with caution when marketing your
horse, and be scrupulously forthright about what his best and worst
features are and his health history. Also, the more involved the
students are in the grooming and tacking and after-work care of the horse,
the better.
TIP: If you want to find a new suitable home for your horse, put together an up-to-date, accurate description of him, with current good photos before contacting any potential program. This book by famous horse topics author Cherry Hill can help you.
If he has the right movement, temperament, ground
manners and training, he might be suitable as a lesson horse. Of
these characteristics, temperament and ground manners are generally
considered critical. Essentially, the horse is so gentle and docile,
in hand and under saddle, he can be called a "babysitter." In the
event the rider or handler does something wrong, or becomes unbalanced, or
makes an unexpected noise, the horse does not flee or speed up or jig or
buck. On the contrary, he slows down, breaks gait, or stops, and waits
for his rider or handler to reorganize, rebalance, and calm down.
Doesn't fit the typical description of horse behavior, does it? These
horses, when found to employ this way are truly special - "worth their
weight in gold."
Generally they are at least ten years old, to
have proven this temperament consistently. Riding academies typically
prefer the horse to be under age 20 upon acceptance, so that they can work
with the horse for many years, and care for it properly while keeping it servicably sound and healthy. When the horse can no longer be ridden,
or its health requires great expense and attention to maintain, they, like
any other owner, must retire the horse.
Stables specializing in using retired show,
pleasure, and ranch horses as schoolmasters are few and far between.
Most training stables are competitive barns specializing in training,
showing, and sales. While they may keep a horse that is "between
owners" to give lessons to new clients until they purchase their own horse,
most do not specialize in managing the health and work routines of older
horses.
DO visit in person any ranch you have placed on
your short list after reviewing their website or brochure, and talking to
the operator on the phone. You won't be making this trip regularly, so
make it at least once before your horse sets hoof on the trailer ramp.
Many special needs aged horses cannot live at
pasture. Some cannot eat grass. Some would get beat up and run
off the hay by younger horses. Some need daily medication. Some
cannot regulate their body temperature well enough to live outside all day
in summer heat or in winter cold. Ensure any lesson or training stable you
consider has small group covered pens, individual covered pens, and inside
stalls as options. Have the routine for turning out and exercising
these horses explained to your satisfaction. Remember that the
customer horses that are paying for training or turnout necessarily get
attention first in a busy barn.
Find out how hoof care and veterinary care is
handled. Your loved one will no longer be trimmed and shod by his
regular farrier, and no longer be examined and vaccinated by your trusted
veterinarian. Many retired horses go barefoot, especially if they have
good hooves are are working very lightly in groomed footing. But they still need
regular trimming, even if old hooves grow more slowly. Others need
shoes for support, in which case the farrier doesn't need any fancy
techniques, but needs patience with oldsters who may not be able to stand
for long periods with stress on a bad stifle, or arthritic hock, etc.
But see, senior horse owner, you really can't
just rely on a good farm's statement "we will schedule
regular farrier work." Find out how long the current farrier has
taken care of their boarders, and how often he comes. If I could
schedule my visit (since it may be my only one) on a day the farrier and
even the vet will be there, that would be ideal.
I would definitely
watch more than one lesson, preferably both a private lesson and a group,
or a youth and an adult lesson, to see examples of how my horse will be
handled, groomed, tacked, warmed-up, ridden, cooled-down, and put away.
If you like one or two ranches, at
the end of your visit, ask for a couple of references from people
who retired their horse there. Follow up.
For help evaluating a lesson horse program, we
have saved our old webpage that described our intake of new
schoolmasters and how they would be used and cared
for. It will give you an idea of what to look for. Our old pages
describing our
lesson and
lease
programs for students may also help.
Further, some horse trainers and riding
instructors do not have good barn management or reliable trained and
supervised barn staff educated to the needs of older horses. This is
possible if they specialize in breeding, showing, or horse sales, rather
than instructing students who use school horses or lease horses from them
This is because these other industry specialties focus on young horses, and
performance or breeding horses, which have different needs, in terms of
feed, exercise, and types of ailments to stay alert for. It is very
difficult to be a successful expert at breeding horses under age 10 and
caring for youngsters, and also be an expert at prudently using and caring
for active seniors or retired geriatrics. It is difficult to spend
half of every month gone to horse shows with client horses, and know that
the stable hands and grooms are paying as much attention to the horse that
produces lesson revenue for the trainer as they are to horses of clients who
tip them frequently.
Older horses
need daily supervision by qualified barn managers who monitor their
condition, eating and socializing, sleeping and elimination habits.
Used appropriately by instructors, their skills, manners, and health are
maintained, and they are valuable assets. Used inappropriately,
skills, manners and health deteriorate. When placing your senior horse
in a lesson program, you need to evaluate the main purpose and overall
operation of the stable and staff, not just the single employee who gives
lessons.
The Better Business
Bureau (BBB),
should be able to give them high marks, but few horse businesses belong to
consumer confidence associations.
Everyone who starts a lesson program means well. Certification as a
riding instructor, or as a type of trainer, or even an Equine Studies degree
does not ensure a person is good at using lesson horses wisely or caring for
them. Depending on the formal training received, certifications and
degrees represent a starting point, or base, not a level of accomplishment
in practice.
NOTE: A regular lesson
program at a regular training stable may have a hippotherapy program as a
sideline. This enables a team of freelance instructor and therapist to
offer a program one or two days a week in a geographic area that cannot
support a dedicated center with horses. The regular trainer uses the
horses for regular lessons on the other days. This partnering makes
good business sense for two compatible small enterprises. The
physical, occupational, speech, or mental therapist should still be a member
of the
American Hippotherapy Association (AHA), and the riding/handling
instructor should still be certified by the
North American Riding
for the Handicapped Assn. (NARHA). A residential therapeutic
school or program for special needs youth or adults should be a member of
National Association of Therapeutic Schools and
Programs (NATSAP) whose members adhere to best practices in the field,
and which is an excellent resource for referring physicians and families. Participation in these professional
organizations by the people who use your donated horse makes it a little
more likely that they will be successful and able to provide a long-term
situation where he is used appropriately. Finding these
programs can be a little more challenging, since they are not always well
advertised locally or online.
Self-Esteem Assessment of Adolescents Involved in Horsemanship Activities, Saunders-Ferguson, K.E., Barnett, R.V., Culen, G. & TenBroeck, S.
from the website of the University of Florida Family, Youth and Community Science department.
Most of these programs do not accept truly aged or
companion-only horses. However, they may give you ideas for other
programs in your area that do. All of the recommendations for
evaluating a hippotherapy facility and its program, or a regular for-profit
lesson program apply when exploring these alternatives. Most of our
examples come from Arizona and surrounding states as a result of our own
independent research in recent years to help place horses. As with our
other lists, it is not intended to be definitive, but representative of the
many ways horses can be used to heal and teach life skills.
It is advantageous if program uses Equine
Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) to help with behavioral issues, corporate team
building, at-risk youth intervention, or inmate rehabilitation is an EGALA
Certified Center. The
Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) has professional
standards that include an appropriately licensed clinical professional and a
horse professional conduct sessions. They do not, however, establish
horse care and facility standards as the NAHRA does (see
Therapy Horse page.) EAGALA maintains a list
of certified centers on their website.
National
Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) provides a
searchable online directory used by referring physicians and families to
locate a member facility by state or specialty. You may find it useful
for identifying schools and programs in your state that use equine-assisted
therapies, as a large percentage of their members do. They do not, however,
establish horse care facility standards, since their focus is on treatment
facility standards. Thus, you'll need to refer to the guidelines on
this web page for evaluating horse and stable management if you are lucky
enough to find one with a suitable opening for your horse. Searchable
Directory:
http://natsap.org/search.asp#Category%20Search
NOTE: Carefully investigate any "boot camp" opportunity
for your horse, including the treatment of people. Many of these
operations that contracted with state juvenile justice agencies as
quasi-detention or rehabilitation centers are more profit oriented than
treatment directed. If they do not hire, train, and supervise
qualified people, tragedies for people and/or horses can result. A
place that doesn't take good care of people, for whatever reason, is
unlikely to take good care of horses. This problem came to public
light in Arizona a decade ago:
http://www.nospank.net/azboys4.htm
Any program
that would like to be added to our list should
Contact Us, and any horse owner who wishes to let us know about a
program where they were able to rehome their horse is encouraged to
Contact Us.
Salem Children's Home is a non-profit child welfare
agency in Illinois that accepts Arabians and Half-Arabians into its equine
ranch program. This is a Christian based rehabilitation program for
troubled youth. It receives no support from the Arabian Horse
Registry, despite its breeding and registration program, and no support from
the IAHA, the American breed show and sales association, or the Arabian
Racing Association. The school holds special auctions to sell its young
registered purebred and Half Arabian horses. It does not appear to
take aged Arabians. It is allowed to market its fund-raising events to
their membership by buying booth space at shows or advertising space like
other commercial vendors.
Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, Bend, Oregon. Kim and Troy Meeder created a haven for children and horses that is truly inspirational. Here's the Windows
Media link to a video description of the ranch. This is a faith-based program that pairs horses that need help with children that need to heal. Better yet, read the book that inspired many other programs across America, and its sequel.
 Hill
Country Youth Ranch, and Big Springs Ranch for Children, north of San
Antonio, Texas is an excellent residential school
for abused, troubled or orphaned children with horsemanship programs at both
ranches. A Christian ministry, more than 1,100 children have been
raised to be commendable citizens by this private school. Read the
story of PFC Javier Paredes, who was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star,
and Iraq Distinguished Service medals. Read
how Michael Priour's dream of helping children and his love of horses got
its start in 1977 and continues today
http://www.youth-ranch.org/newsletter/michaelsdream.htm .
Arivaca Boys Ranch and Academy, Arivaca, Arizona is a new (opening February 2008) private high
school
for troubled teen boys that uses one of the oldest cattle ranches in
Arizona, and exclusively Arabian horses to do equine assisted therapy and
"create men of integrity, one horse at a time." It requires family commitment and is based on LDS Christian ethics and natural horsemanship
techniques. It receives no support from any Arabian horse breeding,
showing, racing or marketing organization. The work is with imprint
training foals and backing 2-3 year olds. Therefore, aged horses are
not suitable.
Copper Canyon Academy, Therapeutic Boarding School for Girls, Rimrock, AZ
In Balance
Ranch Academy, Residential Therapeutic School for Boys, Southern AZ,
Canyon Acres Children’s Services, Anaheim, CA
Residential treatment center and group homes for severely abused
and emotionally troubled children ages 6-12.
EAGALA Certified
Therapeutic Riding Program is a unique program designed to serve the needs
of seriously emotionally disturbed, abused, young
children.
Mustard Seed Ranch, Warner Springs, CA
Residential 142-acre ranch operated by Orange
County Rescue Mission serves at-risk youth and teens from foster care
settings, and at-risk adults on a real working ranch with professionally
administered educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities.
Academy Ranches, Inc., Preston, Idaho
Therapeutic Residential School, boys ages 12-17.
EAGALA Certified
Program built around Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, daily ranch experiences,
life skills training, and accredited academics.
Aspen Ranch, Loa, Utah also
http://www.aspenyouth.com Therapeutic Boarding School ages 12-18.
EAGALA Certified
Accredited on-site school. Students involved in daily ranch chores. Has an
intensive Equine Assisted Psychotherapy component.
Avalon Hills Residential Eating Disorders
Program, Petersboro, UT
Email:
avalondrbenita@aol.com,
Females only, ages 11-17.
EAGALA Certified
Their mission is to assist pre-teens and adolescent girls in altering the
negative beliefs, emotions, behaviors, interactions, and cultural influences
that have contributed to the development of disordered eating and
concomitant medical concerns.
Eagle Valley Youth Ranch, Bryce Canyon, Utah This is a private residential facility
for troubled teen girls with self-destructive behaviors, substance abuse
problems, etc. on a 250 acre ranch that uses many outdoor activities,
including horseback riding and individual, group, family, and equine
assisted psychotherapy and is an accredited school.
Eagle's Nest School for Boys, Woodland Park, CO for ages 14-17 is
a fully accredited residential school with accredited therapists. It
uses nature, including Winter and Summer horsemanship, to help boys learn to
cope with a variety of behavioral or learning issues that place them at
risk, from ADD, ADHD, Bi-Polar, ODD or depression, alcohol and drug abuse,
defiance, authority issues, low self esteem, lack of motivation, or anger.
A private school depends on alumni support as
well as tuition, and necessarily has a different focus than a commercial
stable, and usually a more formalized method for acquiring school horses.
When contacting a school, start with the Director of the Equestrian Program,
rather than the Headmaster. He or she will know if there are any
openings, and for what kind of horse. This list is by no means exhaustive, but a
sampling to give you the flavor of these kinds of placement opportunities.
There are dozens of similar schools across the country. Only schools that offer lesson horses in
addition to boarding horses belonging to the students are included in this
list. If the program specializes in a particular discipline or breed, it
is noted.
Andrews Osborne Academy, Willoughby and
Painesville, OH Hunter/Jumper.
Asheville School, Asheville, NC
Hunter/Jumper
Chatham Hall, Chatham, VA
Hunter/Jumper
 Flintridge
Sacred Heart Academy, La Canada Flintridge, CA
Dressage & Hunter/Jumper (using the Hansen Dam Equestrian
Facility).
Fountain Valley School of Colorado, Colorado
Springs, CO Western & English
The Thatcher School, Ojai, CA
Hunter/Jumper, Polo, Pole Bending, Barrel Racing,
Driving (Percherons) Western Pleasure, Trail Riding
The Orme School, Mayer, AZ
Western & English
Florida Air Academy, Melbourne, FL K-12 Day & Boarding College Prep and Flight Co-Ed. Horsemanship, Dressage, and Hunter/Jumper
Missouri Military Academy, Mexico, MO Horsemanship and Western
Valley Forge Military Academy and College, Wayne, PA D Troop Equitation, Parades, Show Jumping, Cavalry Skills, Fox Hunting, Intercollegiate Horse Show Team,
Wasatch Academy, Mt Pleasant, UT
Equine Science Program: Stable Management, Health
Care, Nutrition, Reproduction, Dressage, Hunter/Jumper, Hunter Pleasure,
Polo & Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Reining, Roping, HS Rodeo
HorseSmarts is a referral service for college-bound students to help them find a college with a horseback riding program or with facilities where they can keep their own horse.
 If
none of the retirement jobs we have discussed are appropriate for your
friend, it is time to just let him hang out and be a horse. It is time
to visit with his pasture buddies most of the day, be groomed by you and
enjoy his gentle stretches and massage to stay comfortable, be
inspected daily for possible injury, illness, or loss of condition or teeth,
and get a treat.
"Advancements in the equine health field have helped to increase the life
of the horse to well into their 30s, but often well beyond their athletic
usefulness. Prepare to be a responsible horse owner and plan ahead for your
horse’s retirement years and beyond. As a horse owner, you should also plan
to set aside an emergency fund for the unexpected but all too common
injuries or illnesses that may occur in horse ownership. One final point for
all horse owners to remember: the horse is a living being whose life and
welfare are in your hands." -- AAEP Health Article What to Expect When
Owning A Horse, Purchasing a Horse - February 15, 2007
[Comment: The emergency fund ensures you have the means to provide
humane euthanasia whenever that time comes.]
The Retirement
Stables
page has information on retirement stables, and how to choose one, if you
cannot keep your companion at home.
This happiness should last while he is still fit
enough to enjoy it, a timeline no one can predict. When rapid decline
occurs, when constant discomfort or even pain invades him, you will know.
Your long association as friends and companions will have given you an "eye"
and an empathy that is priceless. No one else will have this insight
into the change in his behavior, his demeanor, his eyes - not even your vet
who has helped you maintain him for years.
When you reach this leg of the journey, please
see it for the natural course of events that life is, and begin to prepare
for him to leave you. Please visit our
Euthanasia and Memorials pages, so that you
will be ready to help him across "The Rainbow Bridge" responsibly, just as
you have cared for him all along. Choosing to own a horse is something
like a wedding vow, and the very best horsepeople are just as skilled at
compassionate elder care, hospice, and end of life care as they are at any
other.
The Del Camino Products and Services catalog offers some horse
products of interest to owners of senior horses.
Horse Welfare Statistics
Equinezone Horse Supply
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