Advice please on what you would do with this horse PTS?

[Imogen Rose]

Hello,

I have posted only occasionaly, but lurk here daily

I am having a massive struggle with my horse atm, and am looking for advice as its a head and heart situation, and im just not sure what to do anymore.

Horse: 16.1 OTTB 17yrs, only raced as 3/4yr old. Sound. Purchased in Nov 2015.


November 2015
December 2015 Underweight
January 2016 Underweight
February 2016 Underweight
March 2016 Underweight
April 2016 Broken pelvis due to trailer accident.
May 2016 minor tendon damage near hind
June 2016 lame off fore sholder
July 2016
August 2016
September2016
October 2016
November 2016 started to look sound, but short strides, uneven pelvis
December 2016
January 2017
February 2017
March 2017
April 2017 Sound and good weight
May 2017 Walking in hand, inc. hill work.
June 2017 Struggled and got tired easily
July 2017
August 2017
September 2017 Abcess near fore
October 2017 Abcess off hind
November 2017 Underweight
December 2017
January 2018
February 2018 Still underweight
March 2018 Two large cracks top to bottom near front hoof
April 2018 Lame off hind


If anyone can understand the above, she has been sound and a healthy weight for about 5 months since Nov. 2015.

She is stressed and doesnt eat when stabled, so lives out in 10 acres with 2 others. She wont eat enough hay to maintain appropriate gut mobility, so has large amounts of sugarbeet, soaked grass nuts, and readigrass. In addition to high calorie feed.

Teeth done regularly and are ok, throughout all her various vet visits and issues she has had bloods taken and nothing has ever been flagged. She is on a forage plus vit and min balancer tailored to my grazing after i had it analysed.

Basically, I cant maintain her weight, and she is constantly lame. She has come up lame again on sunday on off hind, i'm hoping its an abcess. Polticed and painkillers administered. Hopping lame, non weight baring.
She also has two very large cracks from top to bottom on her near fore, from the abcess in August last year. The abcess resulted in entire sole coming off, and a 3 fingered size hole up into the foot from the sole.

Do i just give up on her and put her to sleep?? she has only known 5 sound and healthy months in the last 2.5 years. She is a nightmare for the vet, and my very experienced, highly qualified remedial farrier has refused to work with her due to her behaviour. He will only do her feet when under vetinary sedation. Which is completely understandable due to her behaviour.

I would never sell her or pass her on, im happy for her to be a field ornament but i dont know if this an option for her anymore??

Sorry for the essay! Any advice, comments or questions gratefully received, as i have nobody in person to talk this through with.

 

[Chinchilla]

First of all, I'm Sorry you're going through this with her.
Personally I would euthanise. Give her a day or so naked in the sun then pts quietly and peacefully at home.
It must not be nice for her, as a prey animal, to be lame and in pain for so long.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

When considering PTS, I always make a judgement about quality of life. Tbh ,5 sound months in 2.5 years isn't a very good qol. You would be quite justified,imo, in deciding that PTS is best for the horse. But if you want to explore every avenue, you could ask for Cushing's test. Cushing's could explain the poor weight and the abscesses but Prascend isn't magic and it only bought me an extra 12 months for my mare.
It is never an easy decision but you are obviously the kind of responsible owner who will do what is best for your horse.

 

[Mari]

I agree with above. Pick a warm sunny day, give horse a pamper session with favourite treats & a nice fresh patch of grass to munch while the deed is done. This is what I did. Thinking of you.

 

[honetpot]

We bought an older TB who was a super first horse for my daughter. He confounded all my expectations and apart from the odd bruised sole and the dram queen acting afterwards and a hoof abscess was never sick or sorry.
When we got him he was used to being stabled, and would stay in for days if the weather was wet, but after a summer out in herd he decided he would rather be out in the wind, rain and mud with his mates. It was always getting enough calories into him, the best effect was Coolstance copra, a lot of.
I think TB's are like very expensive car's , when they run well they are a joy, but they have a huge maintenance bill and when they start going wrong they are hard to fix, and expensive.
We kept our old TB in luxurious expensive retirement of about two years, but eventually despite all the feed, it was a losing battle, so I had him PTS, in the field with his mates, some would have kept him longer. I have no shame or regrets about calling it a day, as I have said in another thread, its part of life the new replacing the old/infirm, we are just very lucky that we can make the end a swift one.

 

[JillA]

It's really hard to tell on a forum - you can see whether she is happy and relaxed or stressed and in pain. We can't.

 

[JJS]

In your shoes, I think a cushings test would be my first port of call. It would explain both the weight loss and abscesses and is relatively easily managed - in my experience - with Prascend.
If that didn't show anything up and further investigations were a no go, then you have to do what you feel is best for her. I'm not saying that's PTS necessarily, as none of us can see her in the flesh to make that call, but if that's the course of action that you, as her owner and the person who loves her most, believes to be the right one, it probably is.

 

[Antw23uk]

OP have you had any other horses with all these issues? Forgive me (Im sure I will get shot down in flames for this) but could it be you and/ or how you keep the horse thats the issue and actually a new home, be that retirement or something else, might be worth a try?

I dont think anyone could criticise you for choosing PTS as an option but thinking outside the box maybe a different environment is all that's needed for this mare and this summer (if we ever bloody get it!!) might be a good time to explore a different avenue with her in a new home with a different owner? (perhaps a loan home or retirement home) and if its really not working you can then PTS.

 

[Nari]

A lot of this could go back to the broken pelvis & her body adjusting to it's new balance, The pain from so many abscesses could explain the weight loss. On 10 acres with 2 others how much hay does she need? If it's halfway decent then she should be getting enough fibre for her gut, so I'd feed more for weight.

What would I do? I can't say without knowing the horse.

 

[be positive]

I don't think passing her on is an option and one that the OP does not want to consider, to me it sounds as if she has the ideal life, living out 24/7 with company in a decent sized field so I cannot see how a loan home, if one could even be found, is likely to be any better, retirement livery could be an option but it is likely to cost more than the OP is paying now when everything is taken into account and may be no better.

Apart from the possibility of cushings or ulcers it seems that just about every avenue has been looked at and that this is one very unhappy horse, she may have arrived with an underlying issue and the ongoing accidents/ injuries/ abscesses are pulling her down beyond what she can cope with physically or mentally, her quality or life cannot be great, you are constantly stressed by the whole scenario and at the end of theday she is unlikely to do a "job" for you so pts seems a sensible option and one that I would rather do than pass her on.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

She sounds like she has some sort of autoimmune disease, all her problems with abcesses, cracked feet, lethargy and being underweight would account for this but like you say you have given her blood tests which haven't thrown up anything dramatic. I really don't know the answer, guess this is something that is between you and your vet to discuss and decide. We don't know her or see her so its hard to comment. It does look like you have explored all options though.

If she's hopping lame and non weight bearing I assume you got the vet out - so what did she say?

 

[PapaverFollis]

I think I'd PTS at this point. Especially considering that any interventions are causing her and you and the vet and farrier stress and risk. I'm sorry you're going through this.

 

[Nudibranch]

Not entirely the same but my last TB had regular abscesses and also recurring mud fever and leucocytoclastic vasculitis. I needed him to live out as my other horse has DJD, but his various conditions would have responded better to part stabling (ie out of the light and in the dry for half the time). Anyway just as I was putting out feelers to sell or loan him he developed a deep abscess which started to affect the pedal bone. I had him pts. Yes, it could have been treated further as could all the other conditions but at what cost and under whose care? Sometimes there's a line which is crossed. I'd pts in your shoes I think. Don't feel bad. They never know.

 

[SEL]

Ever had a scope for ulcers? Completely understand if you don't want to spend any more money, but compromised guts can lead to weight loss.

 

[Beausmate]

The lousy feet and weight problems, sound like my old ex-racehorse. He had five abscesses in a year, went onto half a Prascend tablet per day and no more abscesses or skin issues. Eventually went up to one per day and he was a sound-ish (old age related jont probs), cheerful old horse until I had him put down in Feb, just a week shy of his 25th birthday.

But - it didn't do much for his weight loss, he was very thin. Perky, shiny and cheerful, but nothing to him. He went downhill very quickly in the end, lost even more weight in the space of a fortnight and started getting very tired (he wasn't in any work - had been retired for a few years) just mooching around, so he went peacefully on a sunny day.

The chap who sent him off, thinks that his heart was failing. I think that he was probably right.

So, if your horse is currently comfortable, then I would ask for a Prascend trial (rather than having a stressful time taking blood) and give it a few weeks. If not, then I would pts.

 

[SpringArising]

PTS. Sounds like a money-pit of a horse who is only going to deteriorate with age.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

It doesn’t sound like the horse is having a nice time, so I think I’d pts. 5 months of decent quality of life out of over 2 years? Just no.

 

[Imogen Rose]

Thankyou everyone for your replies.
I hadn't ridden her since the pelvis break in April 2yrs ago, just walked in hand when sound. She also had very good quality lovely smelling hay ad-lib in the field, in a feeder under shelter and I never let it run out. She just didn't really want to eat hay. So she was effectively retired, I don't think managing her differently would have changed much.
I made the decision to PTS today, and she passed away this afternoon and her friends said goodbye.
Yes the vet saw her, it was an abscess of sorts. The sole came away at both sides of the heel. One side to open bleeding soft tissue, the other side the sole could flex, but no new sole could be seen underneath, just tissue.
Only option was 8wks minimum box rest. I decided I didn't want to do that to her again, and let her pass peacefully in the sunshine. I loved her dearly and have sobbed all evening. Thankyou all for your kind words x

 

[Spottyappy]

So sorry for your loss,you did the kindest thing for her.
Thinking of you at this sad time.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm so sorry for your loss but you have done the right thing by your mare. Take good care of yourself.

 

[dozzie]

Hugs (((())))).

 

[honetpot]

It will be hard now, but looking back you will know you have done the right thing. Hugs

 

[mytwofriends]

Lovely kind and selfless owner. You absolutely did the right thing and now your horse is resting in peace, pain free. Hope you’re ok, OP. Look after yourself.

 

[JillA]

Sounds as though you didn't really have a choice in the end, you did what was right for her rather than you. The last act of love. Be nice to yourself

 

[meleeka]

Thankyou everyone for your replies.
I hadn't ridden her since the pelvis break in April 2yrs ago, just walked in hand when sound. She also had very good quality lovely smelling hay ad-lib in the field, in a feeder under shelter and I never let it run out. She just didn't really want to eat hay. So she was effectively retired, I don't think managing her differently would have changed much.
I made the decision to PTS today, and she passed away this afternoon and her friends said goodbye.
Yes the vet saw her, it was an abscess of sorts. The sole came away at both sides of the heel. One side to open bleeding soft tissue, the other side the sole could flex, but no new sole could be seen underneath, just tissue.
Only option was 8wks minimum box rest. I decided I didn't want to do that to her again, and let her pass peacefully in the sunshine. I loved her dearly and have sobbed all evening. Thankyou all for your kind words x

I’m please she made it easier for you to decide. It was similar with my mare, i dithered for a while as always rallied but then something happened that made me sure I was doing the right thing and made the whole thing much easier.

Be proud of yourself knowing you did your best for her and saved her a lot of suffering x

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Thankyou everyone for your replies.
I hadn't ridden her since the pelvis break in April 2yrs ago, just walked in hand when sound. She also had very good quality lovely smelling hay ad-lib in the field, in a feeder under shelter and I never let it run out. She just didn't really want to eat hay. So she was effectively retired, I don't think managing her differently would have changed much.
I made the decision to PTS today, and she passed away this afternoon and her friends said goodbye.
Yes the vet saw her, it was an abscess of sorts. The sole came away at both sides of the heel. One side to open bleeding soft tissue, the other side the sole could flex, but no new sole could be seen underneath, just tissue.
Only option was 8wks minimum box rest. I decided I didn't want to do that to her again, and let her pass peacefully in the sunshine. I loved her dearly and have sobbed all evening. Thankyou all for your kind words x

So sorry, you clearly did all you could and should not feel guilty. You gave her the best life and it sounds like the time was right. Thinking of you x

 

[MissGee]

Big hugs - you did the right and best thing you could for her.

Now take care of yourself x

 

[Cortez]

Oh you poor thing, it's heartbreaking but you did the right thing by your much-loved mare. I am so sorry.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I am sorry to hear this but she certainly made it clear that she was ready and you listened to her.

 

[Chinchilla]

I am so, so sorry for your loss, it is the worst part of an owning any animal but you have been wonderfully selfless and done what it sounds like is best for the horse xx