Festina Lente strives to have the highest equine welfare standards possible for our hard-working horses and ponies, and these standards don't slip once our equine colleagues reach retirement age! Once our horses and ponies have reached the stage in their lives when full time work is no longer appropriate, they live out their days in our retirement field. Here they get the same amount of care and attention as our working equines do, but without the workload. One of our retired horses holds a particularly special place in the hearts of both our staff and our students and clients - the wonderful Ranger. Ranger came to Festina Lente in 1996. He's a dark bay cob and stands at 14.2 hands high, and has a truly incredible nature. He is absolutely bombproof (meaning he is totally calm and unlikely to take fright) and was brilliant across all our equestrian activities, from lessons to vaulting! Ranger was one of our first therapeutic riding ponies, as he was amazing working with all manner of people and didn't get distracted by bright colours, sounds or sudden movements - essential for providing a calm and secure experience for our riders with additional needs. He also worked in both group and private lessons. Whenever there were photo shoots at Festina Lente, Ranger was always the first to be called up for his handsome looks and lovely nature. Ranger worked at Festina Lente for 20 years, and was loved by many of our staff and students. One morning, he walked into the yard as usual but, unlike usual, he wouldn't move any further. We took this as a clear signal that he was ready for a well-deserved break. He was retired that week at the age of 24, and he's now 28 years old, enjoying the sunshine and fresh grass as well as plenty of attention from our students when they take care of the retired horses and ponies. We can't thank Ranger enough for the amazing work he's done for us over his lifetime at Festina Lente.
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