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"So did this horse excel a common one
In shape, in courage, color, pace and bone.
...What a horse should have he did not lack,
Save a proud rider on so proud a back."
-William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis
Topics on This Page
Directory by Region and/or State
General Retirement Boarding - Other Links
Topics on Their Own Pages
Such as Hauling, Emergencies, Dental Care (See Table of Contents on the 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.
Nearly 4 Million
Pleasure Horses in the U.S.A.
Today's American equine
population includes an historically high
percentage of seniors. We can attribute this to many factors, but it
is a trend that has created a growing demand for attention by feed
manufacturers, veterinarians, equine dentists, farriers, barn managers,
trainers, horse retirement facilities, and all the other service providers.
Of the 6.5 million horses in the United States today, 60% are
pleasure horses, according to the American Horse Council. As
the role of the horse in America has
changed dramatically from laborer to recreational partner, and from "aged"
at 10 to "aged" at 15-20 and "geriatric" at 25-30, so has the viewpoint
of his caregiver.
When the small farmer represented the bulk of
rural America, and rural America represented the majority of the U.S.
population, retirement for the occasional aged horse meant, quite
literally, "turning him out to pasture" for the day, instead of
working the fields or pulling the
 loaded wagon into town. The cavalry
mount, artillery horse, barge or city drayage horse rarely became
"aged." But then, life expectancy for people was much
shorter due to hard work, disease, lack of dental care, warfare, accidents,
and childbirth. For the racehorse, and the infirm due to accident,
the local county abattoir was a mercy. The small businessman who ran
it was a member of the local community. He handled many different
animals. His methods were humane, because everyone in the county
would know if they were not. In a society built by immigrants
escaping poverty elsewhere on earth, nothing went to waste. The
tanner, the candle maker, the soap maker, the rope maker, and myriad other craftsmen
depended upon him. In America, there is no tradition of eating
horsemeat, as there is in other countries. While the butcher came to the
abattoir for other animals, not so the noble horse. Still, it was a
culture of usefulness at every stage of life, fulfilled with dignity and
husbanded with respect. A horse that was suffering from illness or
injury simply did not receive antibiotics, stem-cell grafts,
hyurlonic acid injections, to get through the rough patch and heal.
Diseases that used to bring him down are nearly eradicated by regular
vaccinations and treatments Better nutrition and dental care prolongs
every bodily system.
 As the baby boomers look
forward to decades of "senior" living, so, too, do our horses. Today's pony doesn't teach
a generation to ride, but two generations. An adult couple begin
riding as their teenagers empty the nest, and are still caring for their
horses two decades later. The horses have replaced the children for
many never married and divorced adults, just as dogs and cats do.
Except for one teensy, weensy,
problem. A horse doesn't fit in your "senior living"
apartment. A horse doesn't fit in your car. A horse has big
feed requirements. You can't take him to the groomer, the groomer has
to come to him.
The aging people learn to wear
hearing aids, and eyeglasses. They learn to wear support stockings
and dentures. They drink Ensure and take Senior Multi-vitamins and MSM
and glucosamine and chondroitin and baby aspirin. They learn to use a
cane, buy a special contour support mattress and gel inserts for their
shoes and rub creams on their achy joints. They are active and enjoy
working much longer than their grandparents. Grandma loves to do her
volunteer work, even if she has to give up her knitting and uses audio books
instead of reading. If they are horsepeople, when they can no longer
ride, they learn to drive.
And so it is with our senior
citizen horses. They are loved and valued family members. They are useful
well into their twilight years, because we didn't wear them out or break
them in their youth or their prime.
Deserving, beautiful, if only
in the eyes of the owner who has shared so many trails with them, our
senior horses look to us. It is our job to maintain their quality of
life. It is our job to learn what is, and is not, an acceptable
quality of life. Lastly, it is our job to ensure they do not suffer
when that quality cannot be maintained.
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.
We are still kicking ourselves
for not taking videos of our wonderful seniors over the years. But
this one on YouTube of a 32 year old Tennessee Walker mare encountering a
motorized wheelchair should inspire you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXQQY3lrzeY
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.
The descriptive paragraphs at the start of a section are there because we
believe they are important.
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.
We update this section of our website fairly
often, so we recommend you return regularly. Why not add this page to
your browser's Favorites list? Doing so does not cause us to send you
junk mail.
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Large sections acquire their
own page, to keep it easy to read.
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As we find a broken link, we
remove it if we cannot easily repair it.
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Visitors are encouraged to
join discussions in the forum
to share their knowledge or experiences. There are no reviews on
this page.
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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
 Stables specializing in retirement are few and
far between. Expect them to be located the furthest from the major metropolitan
areas, where land is less expensive, property taxes are lower, and
clientele do not need to come several times per week to ride. 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. If you won't be making this trip regularly, 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 retirement stable you
consider has small group covered pens, individual covered pens, and inside
stalls as options. Have the routine for turning out, grooming, and exercising
these horses explained to your satisfaction.
Seniors who have lived in their own stall and
been separated into individual turnouts at show barns all their lives need
time to adjust to herd dynamics if they will be turned out in small groups,
gradually acquiring buddies first, with whom they can socialize. As
social creatures, retirees need horse or human companionship, without being
stressed or herded around the pasture relentlessly by a band bully. The barn
manager should explain how this introduction is handled to your
satisfaction.
More small "ranchettes" in suburbia with just a
few stalls would be smart to offer retirement boarding. The retirees
do not need a big ring with a jump course, barrel pattern, or a galloping
tack. A small automatic walker enables controlled gentle exercise and
takes little space. Two turnouts used in rotation on a schedule so
buddies can get some fresh air, scratch withers, and have a nice roll.
A wash rack, and crossties for grooming with non-slip mats. A good
first aid kit. Well ventilated, clean, well-bedded, well-lit stalls.
A small arena for lungeing or very light riding. A little grassy patch
for hand-grazing on a sunny day to dry after a bath and do carrot stretches.
Flexibility for owners to drop in to visit. An excellent barn manager
who understands seniors and is rigorous about their feed schedule and
lifestyle routine. The ability to send a photo with a 1/2 page email
report when sending out the monthly bill. If you offer such a service,
please e-mail us with your location and contact information.
Contact Us.
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, 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.
Especially in remote areas, ranchers and horsemen complain incessantly
about not being able to keep a reliable experienced, humane blacksmith
regularly trimming and shoeing their horses. Sorry farriers, but we
know just too many horsemen who were forced to learn to trim and shoe their
own horses because there just weren't enough of you who were willing to
maintain a clientele in the country. With gas prices probably
climbing further, no one blames you for not wanting to drive a big
territory for your business.
But see, senior horse owner, you really can't
just rely on a good retirement 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.
If you like one or two retirement ranches, at
the end of your visit, ask for a couple of references from people
who retired their horse there. Follow up.
Needless to say, you get what you pay
for. Retirement is expensive, and how long it may last is
unpredictable. Make sure you are able to go the distance when you
choose this option. In most states boarding stables have an lien on horses whose board is not paid. While it is possible to find straight pasture
board for $125 per month, most start around $300 per month.
For help evaluating a retirement facility, this
website has a checklist you can review:
Doris Day Animal League
Guidelines for Operating an Equine Rescue or Retirement Facility
 Our listing is not complete by any means, and
never could be. These links are meant to provide a starting point for
owners of retirees who need appropriate board and care. We will be
adding a rating code system for farms that meet our recommendations,
beginning with those that offer an automatic monthly report with photo by
e-mail or snail mail for owners who are unable to visit on a regular basis,
online billing and receipts, senior feed at no extra charge, individual
feeding at no extra charge, safe fencing, dry lot turnouts for
insulin-resistant horses that cannot be on grass, herd vaccination and deworming,
run-in sheds in pastures, fly and manure management, salt licks, disaster
plan, confirmation that horses are not ridden or used for any purpose
without owner approval, clipping service available for heavy coats, euthanasia/burial service
arrangements available.
Western States
(Top of Page)
Arizona
Happy Dreams Ranch, Payson, Arizona http://www.happysdreamranch.com
Empty Acres, Buckeye, Arizona http://www.emptyacres.com
Southern Arizona Green Horse Pastures at El
Milagro http://www.elmilagropastures.com
California
Miles Horse Ranch, Watsonville,
California
http://www.mileshorseranch.com/index.html
Goodenough Farms Horse Spa,
Fillmore, California
http://www.goodenoughfarms.com/index.php
 Paradise Acres, Orland, California http://www.paradiseacres.net
Colorado
Lost Creek Quarter Horses, Bennet,
Colorado
http://www.lostcreekquarterhorse.com
New Mexico
The Desert Sky Ranch, Belen, New Mexico http://www.thedesertskyranch.com
Oregon
Anchor Ranch, Azalea, Oregon http://www.anchorranch.com
Smooth Moves Equine Retirement and
Rehabilitation Central Oregon http://www.massagemyequine.com/index.html
Texas
Double Bar A Ranch, Texas http://www.camprusk.com
Thank You Farm, Alvin, Texas
http://www.thankyoufarm.com/default.htm
Washington
Nodaway Farm, Sequim, Washington
http://www.nodawayfarm.com
Northeastern States
(Top of Page)
Last Chance Farm, Pine Grove, Pennsylvania
http://www.lastchancefarm.net
Promises Kept Equine Retirement Farm, Summit,
New York http://www.promiseskept.org
Midwestern States
Apple River Ranch, Hanover, Illinois
http://appleriver1.tripod.com
Aledos Riverside Ranch, Random Lake, Wisconsin
http://www.horserentals.com/aledos.html
Moonlight Farms, Homerville, Ohio
http://moonlightfarms.net
Pontotoc Co. Oklahoma Boarding and Tack http://www.windwalkerstable.com
Over the Hill Farm, LaGrange, Kentucky
http://hometown.aol.com/mark100pe/myhomepage/business.html
Aurora Farms, Shelbyville, Kentucky
http://www.aurorafarms.com/index.html
The Ranger Foundation, Reedysville, Maryland
http://www.rangerhorse.org is a
non-profit retirement home for SERVICE horses from law enforcement, equine
assisted therapy centers, boarding school and college equestrian programs,
etc.
Hart-trot Crossing Farm, Kansas City, Missouri
http://www.hart-trotcrossing.8m.com
New Beginnings Farm Retirement, North Carolina http://newbeginningsfarm.org
Zion Farm, Stony Point, North Carolina http://www.zionfarm.com
Gentry Creek Equine Retirement and
Rehabilitation, Tennessee http://www.gentrycreek.com
 Paradigm Farm, College Grove, Tennessee http://www.retiredhorses.com with online payment, regular photos of residents for owners, a blog, and HAY TESTING.
Blue Ridge Dream Farm, Montvale, Virginia
http://www.blueridgedreamfarm.com/index.htm
General Boarding Website http://www.horseboarding.com
Retirement Boarding Page of the Open Directory
http://www.dmoz.org/Business/Agriculture_and_Forestry/Livestock/Horses_and_Ponies/Boarding_Stables/Retirement
The Del Camino Products and Services catalog offers some horse
products of interest to owners of senior horses.
The AAEP has issued updated
vaccination guidelines as of January 2008.
http://www.aaep.org/vaccination_guidelines.htm
Horse Welfare Statistics - http://www.horsewelfare.net/statistics.htm
Equinezone Horse Supply - http://www.equinezone.com
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