The franchise yesterday confirmed All Black hooker Hore, the captain of its disastrous campaign last season, will not be with it next season, and also confirmed All Black prop Tony Woodcock is looking to return north.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said it was time to move in a new direction and it has hookers Liam Coltman and Brayden Mitchell on its books for next year.
Hore, who turned 35 last week, will not be offered a contract for next season.
''These guys [Mitchell and Coltman] have been with the team for what will be their fourth season coming up. We always had a succession plan in place to take over from Jason Rutledge and Andrew Hore,'' Joseph said.
''We have got two young hookers here who are ready to go. We were always prepared for something like this to happen.''
Hore could not be contacted yesterday but Joseph said the the 79-test All Black wanted to continue playing.
''He still feels he has got some yards left in his legs ... but we have got these two young blokes here, ready to go, and we have shifted our energy to them.''
Joseph said Mitchell (24) and Coltman (23) had been playing well in the ITM Cup and have shown they could play at the next level.
Hore is believed to be considering retirement, after All Black coach Steve Hansen signalled he did not think Hore would be able to play through to the next World Cup.
He would be unlikely to want to move to another franchise, and a stint overseas appears a long shot.
Woodcock, who moved to the Highlanders last season after a long career at the Blues, is close friends with Hore.
He signed a two-year deal with the Highlanders last year but Joseph acknowledged yesterday that with Hore gone, Woodcock (32) is looking to go back to Auckland.
Complicating matters is that Woodcock's father has a bad back and needs a hand on the family farm. Although the 102-test prop has not yet officially split with the Highlanders, the writing appears to be on the wall.
''I think he will head back north. And that is my gut feeling. At the end of the day we want a player who is committed to playing for us,'' Joseph said.
With Woodcock (32) and Hore leaving it will mean seven past or present All Blacks have left the franchise from last season.
But Joseph said he learned from the disappointment of last season - when the side finished 14th - that getting the correct blend of players was vitally important.
''It is vital to have that experience but you also have to balance that with enthusiasm and energy. We did not get that balance right last season. We have to make sure we get enough young players who are hungry to play at the next level.''
Hore played 29 games for the Highlanders in two seasons and captained the side last season. Woodcock started 11 games for the Highlanders last season.
Joseph said the side still had a core of experience, and there were plenty of options for the captain's armband. Veteran lock Brad Thorn appears the obvious candidate.
With the departure of both loosehead props in Woodcock and Jamie Mackintosh, Joseph said the franchise was in the market for props.
Chris King has signed on for another year. There was a possibility of shipping in a prop from Argentina but nothing had been signed. Canterbury prop Paea Fa'anunu was another possibility.
The squad had signed 26 players for next season and had a few irons in the fire, Joseph said.
There had been speculation Otago loose forward Gareth Evans had signed for the Chiefs but that could not be confirmed yesterday.
Joseph said if Evans continued to play well for Otago he would come into consideration for the Highlanders.
All Blacks
Gone from the Highlanders of 2013
Tamati Ellison, Hosea Gear, Andrew Hore, Jamie Mackintosh, Ma'a Nonu, Colin Slade, Tony Woodcock
