Retirement?

In brief (really brief), I've been seriously considering moving to either Hawaii or Europe. I would be able to take with one horse, maybe two depending on how things are at the time.

The only problem is, which horse to take?



Me and Loki used to have a huge bond. Now, nothing. I broke my back and it seemed like he just didn't care anymore. I mean literally. Before it was amazing, after, poof.

Still, I loved my dear horse and we where reunited. There is a glimmer of a bond, but nothing like what it used to be.

Then, theres Divo. With Divo it's like he's saying "If I could climb into your backpack and never leave your side, that's exactly what I would do. Better yet, if we could somehow be attached at the hip, I'd be even happier".

It's like what I could have had with Loki, if fate hadn't slipped me a banana peel at exactly the wrong moment and betrayed me.


So it comes down hard...would I take Loki, or would I take Divo? I swore I'd never, ever, ever, EVER sell Loki. Ever. He's a special needs horse, you can't just throw someone up on him and expect him to listen. Or expect someone to be able to safely handle him.
You need to be able to understand and tune in with him, which is what I can do. His breeder who used to ride him refused to after I broke my back. Why? Because she wasn't tuned in, and Loki just about exploded.


I could give Loki back to his breeders, but the issue there is that the woman is too damned greedy. I originally had started doing payments on Loki for $1500, broke and riding well. When my dad bought him back because we couldn't make payments after the accident, Loki was all of a sudden $3,500, practicality unbroke, and not rode for over a year. She originally 'didn't want to sell him, because he's too much' but my dad was stubborn and said 'Name your price.'


She would seriously sell you her heart horse if you quoted the right price. The husband is better, he would never sell his heart horse. Ever. He had a filly out of her who looked EXACTLY like her mother that he did sell, but only because he knew they had to cut back. But her mother? Never. Ever. Neverever. That horse is going to die and be buried on that farm, even if all she does is eat, poop, and require vet and farrier care.

Still...I worry. I don't want Loki to be shuffled around from place to place or hurt because of someone who doesn't click in with him. If I have to leave him behind, he's going into retirement. Period. I could give him to the husband, but he's getting up in age at 75 and I fear wifely influence. There great people, but everyone has their faults.


What do you think?

Take Divo with you, and send Loki to a retirement facility.

That way, you'll know he's being taken care of and he's in no danger of being sold.

Thats what I was thinking, theres definitely some nice reputable facilities in the US. Some place where he can park his lazy butt out in a great big green pasture and just snooze.

I'm hoping that I won't be moving somewhere 'serious' for another few years. I figure if he's 11 now, and I don't move until he's say, 20-25 (and knowing Loki, he'll STILL be acting like a two year old) that's plenty of time to find a good place for him.

He is a tough little horse, I imagine he'll be trekking along well into his 30's unless something serious occurs. Maybe he'll even settle down a little when he gets to be a little older and stop untying everything and trying to sabotage gates. I have one in particular that's chained, padlocked, tied with a rope, and ziptied shut because of Loki.
He, of course, leaves the other gate alone.

If he gets seriously arthritic or develops a condition that requires specialized care, I may even put him to sleep at that point if his quality of living is deteriorating. I hope to have him until the day he dies, but I also wanted to clarify with myself the 'What if' scenario instead of it popping up out of the bushes and yelling "SURPRISE! Time to make a hard decision RIGHT NOW!"