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When do you decide to stop riding a horse?
When the horse tells you!

I know, it's not that simple.

We assess older horses frequently as well as those with "issues".
But hopefully, all riders assess their horse every time they're worked.

Floyd is 30 now and his owner, Sandy watches him closely. I stopped by today to check on Floyd, and he is making "different" choices; he's choosing the lope over the trot when he typically prefers the trot. Something to keep an eye on.

Mostly, Sandy just works Floyd in a walk now anyway. AND WOW, HE LOOKS AMAZING!

I think Romeo would do just about anything for Marcie!
Today's liberty work 🥰

Today's ride at a very dry Nambe' Badlands.

A great opportunity to talk about soundness and what a horse can do, regardless of a diagnosis of some types of problems.

We all know that Nickle has bad hocks. He still does this work...loves it, not showing any resistance to going out or being ridden.

Krishna was diagnosed with arthritic hocks years ago as part of a PPE. Molly still bought him, he still does this work....loves it, not showing any signs of resistance to going out or being worked.

Neither take pain meds, both are on Adequan and good supplements. I consider both horses "serviceably sound" for walking trail rides.

I would personally not pass a PPE, but I work like a dog and can outwork most people I know! No pain meds for me either, but I do eat the right foods and take supplements. Would you refuse to hire me?

So, what helps you decide if the horse CAN do the work? THAT is the million-dollar question! Don't be afraid of some maintenance but also make sure you have a horse that is comfortable in the work that you plan to do. Get expert advice too. It's helpful to find a horse that is already doing the work that you plan to do, and doing it without relying on pharmaceuticals! Other times, slowing things down a notch from something like competitive ranch work, to trail riding is just the ticket for a horse that has minor issues.

There is no easy answer to the "soundness" question, and I have seen horses who look great on paper, and look not-so-great when performing. Buying a horse is a risk and these fragile 1000lb animals seem to have a propensity for damaging themselves despite even the best care!

Our boys were great today....although Nickle was pretty sure he heard horses above us. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was just his own echo!