retirement

Retirement

Your horse has given you so much over the years, isn't it time to give something back? 

We love being part of a horse's "golden years". Your horse will quite literally be going to greener pastures.

The retirement program here at Wishful Thinking Farm is very special for many reasons. Our program is a boarding option. A rate of $550 per month is payable monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly, or in a yearly lump sum. All ownership of your horse is retained, as opposed to some facilities who require that the horse gets signed over to the farm.     Wishful Thinking Farm is nestled on over 100 acres of grass fields in New Haven, VT. We are an active show barn with lots of activity, the very thing that most show horses miss when retired to a quiet retirement facility. With over 40 acres of turnout, the horses spend their days grazing and relaxing in individual or group pastures. Each horse has a matted box stall with large windows. We feed top quality hay and grains, catering to every need.     Retirees are groomed 2-3 times a week by the working student assigned to them. We have found the grooming sessions to be monumental in the adjustment process and create to a long-lasting bond between horse and groom. We treat minor first aid ourselves and there are no holding fees for vet and farrier visits. The horses are handled many times every day, whether its bringing them in and out of turnout, grooming, changing blankets, wrapping legs, feeding treats, or just a hug and kiss.     The horses in our care become part of our family. We love what we do and pride ourselves on the knowledge we have and the attention we give each horse in our care. We treat the retirees with the same respect as their younger/more able bodied barn mates, if not more. We understand what their life has been like over the years, rigorous training schedules that lead into strenuous show seasons; chasing points, late night finals, long hauls to Florida, etc etc. They deserve to live out their lives at a farm that understands show horses AND the aging process.

   The farm has multiple references available upon request from current retirement boarders, previous boarders, clients, friends, our veterinarians, and our farriers. We are 5 hours from Boston, 4 hours from Springfield, 2 hours from Saratoga, and an hour and a half north of the Manchester Vermont Summer Festival.

They are part of the family.