When would you kill your horse?

Yes selling on an older sound horse still good for a few years with a new owner is one thing (but if it was one of mine I dont think I could even do that now to be honest) - selling on an older horse who already has health issues is a non starter for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
When he cannot just be a horse.

One of the instructors at my yard is about to make a decision with her mare. They’ve had her for 5 years and 3.5 of those she’s been lame. There’s nothing insurable left on her, she was box rested for a year, so terribly sad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cortrasna
I haven't posted on here for a while due to a number of reasons, but this thread struck a chord with me as I've very recently made this decision. For me it's about quality of life for the horse just being a horse. It will always be a hard decision to make and heart breaking but better to do it than keep holding off. A horse does not think of tomorrow, or have future plans, they live life day to day, it's us that feel the pain of making the decision and knowing what is coming. A horse doesn't think I'm in pain today but will feel better once it's warmer/grounds less hard/more to eat they simply aren't happy in that moment and if those moments are becoming quite regular then I think it's something to start thinking about pts.

I like to give my horses a retirement if possible, I feel I owe them that and if that meant only having one horse I wouldn't have a horse of my own to ride. But I do not think people are cruel who pts their horses once they cannot be ridden anymore as I already mentioned, horses don't want a retirement, they don't consider things how we do and I'd much rather someone have their horse humanly pts that try to sell it on as a companion or light hack. Some people are on livery where retirement isn't possible (turnout in a herd ideal) the nearest suitable yard might be much more expensive or much further away, we're not talking about people who understand the concept of death and what tomorrow holds. There are a lot of things to take into consideration. There is only one way to secure a horses future and sadly that's pts. It's us that feel the heartbreak though, and I'm glad of that. If paying for the happiness a horse has given me with a few years of emptiness and sadness then I'll pay that fee happily. As horrible as it seems we are lucky to have to make the decision, without we would never of had the enjoyment they gave us.

So, yes I made the decision, I don't really want to go into all the reason why, it's too raw. But I am 100% it was the right thing for the horse and that's all that matters.
 
I’ve had/have three horses who are in this area. Two had colic and went through surgery, the first, Sidney (a few names might remember him, it was a long time ago) well he wasn’t brought round as it was too bad.
The second was Dylan - I’d had home ten years and he also had colic. He spent a week in Leahurst and underwent two surgeries. The second being due to internal bleeding - that surgery failed too. I wish that I’d had hindsight and hadn’t waited that week for the second surgery as seeing him so subdued made my heart break. But I went with the advise, and what else can you do?

I now have Otto who is 22, has arthritis and is pretty much retired asides from the odd hack. He gets Bute when he needs it, has plenty of weight and is happy bossing Brianne around, he’s been with us since a 5 year old and I know him inside out. He won’t be going for surgery, he is a sensitive guy, gets very nervous and stressed and likes his routine. He also becomes unmanageable with box rest so I think when the time comes I will know.
 
I have seen an ad for an old horse with mild arthritis bring sold because the owner wants to do more.
This I don't see a problem, they have been honest about why, the health and light hack.
I think some of us get confused about what light work is. Hacking for an hour is still considered light work. If you mostly walk it.

The sad advert is the one that's being given away and the owner before that wants to stay in touch. It sort of tags that the person now was meant to be the forever home and the horse is 21.

Then the weird one saying comes with all with full wardrobe. This will be chucked if you don't want it. :eek: Actually both adverts look strange!
 
I have seen an ad for an old horse with mild arthritis bring sold because the owner wants to do more.
This I don't see a problem, they have been honest about why, the health and light hack.

You see, this would be a problem for me, because I'd never trust that the new owner really understood the issue, nor that they wouldn't be trying to buy a cheap horse that they could bute up and sell on for a profit. I'd possibly consider loaning to someone if I knew and trusted them, and the horse could stay on the same yard - but hoping to find a solution like that seems like living in cloud cuckoo land really.
 
You see, this would be a problem for me, because I'd never trust that the new owner really understood the issue, nor that they wouldn't be trying to buy a cheap horse that they could bute up and sell on for a profit. I'd possibly consider loaning to someone if I knew and trusted them, and the horse could stay on the same yard - but hoping to find a solution like that seems like living in cloud cuckoo land really.

Yes. It really is hard isn't it. I hope I have the cob for years to come. But my health at some stage will mean I need to be doing less.
So the older type that does less would suit me.
I would consider a loan however I think insurance becomes harder for the loaned out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
have had to do it several times due to fractures, internal bleeding, twisted gut, after colic surgery,after cancer surgery, foundering after being diagnosed with cushings. Most have been emergencies with no alterative as not fixable. The foundering could have been fixed by walking her over stones, travelling her 2 hours, having a hoof resection, and then box resting for months, which I refused to do. I thought we would have to lose Aimee this autumn as she came out of winter so poor that I didn't think she would make another winter, but we have got her a lot better so age 30 we are giving it a go. She is bright enough, argumentative, bolshy, so that's good enough for me. The filly has recovered from EMS and has had a month out on restricted grazing after 10 months of being yarded. She has lost weight and has been sound for 5 months so we are trying her out during the day in winter and hoping for the best. I had hoped to rehome her but when she was sound got no serious interest, and with her current issues, she is pretty much unhomeable. If at any time in the future I have to give them all up, I can rehome the donkeys, Buddy will probably be gone and if I could not find a suitable outlet for the three comtois I would have them pts at home. I once put Molly on loan and got her back a wreck, with a broken splint bone - not seen by a vet - covered in lice, and thin as a rake. She was on loan to a veterinary nurse who failed to insure her or keep to the terms of the loan agreement, so it's difficult to find the right homes even for a sound horse who wsa ridden and in good nick.
 
That is one of the reasons I have Scully out in Italy - if anything happens to me I know they will look after her - once their horses get too old to work they retire with their mates in the same place and go on as long as they can in comfort - their oldest died last year at the age of 37, she had no teeth left but still took herself in from the field at feed times to suck up a bucket of mash :)
 
That is one of the reasons I have Scully out in Italy - if anything happens to me I know they will look after her - once their horses get too old to work they retire with their mates in the same place and go on as long as they can in comfort - their oldest died last year at the age of 37, she had no teeth left but still took herself in from the field at feed times to suck up a bucket of mash :)

so lucky, it is almost impossible around here to get help, I just hope I can leave enough money/property behind to provide for them.
 
newrider.com