Advise on Rehoming my two horses

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Lisylou

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Hi, I would be really grateful on any advice on rehoming my 2 horses.
The Oldest is 25, 15h a strong fit and healthy Irish Draught Gelding, who is ridable in company only.
The other is a lovely Connemara xTB flea bitten grey, 15,1 who is 21 yrs, now a companion horse due to neuro messages not travelling through to her left back leg, she is on no medication and doesn't have any problems, other than picking up that leg, and gets confused... They are both happy horses, and since I have stopped riding 5 years ago, due to her problem, I have just been keeping them on a budget.
Unfortunately the land is being sold to a housing development , and I now need to find a nice home for them by the end of April.
I care about them very much and what happens to them. How can I tell the difference between a dealer, who might sell them to the the glue factory to an honest person, who is looking for companion horses...the other option I have been advised about is to have them put down, which is hard to swallow, when they are happy and still full of life. Any advise and tips, would be welcome :o)
 
I'm really sorry to say this but, imo, the kindest thing you could do for both of them is to have them quietly PTS at home.
The reason is that you just cannot trust people and what can seem a perfect home very often turns out not to be. They sound like wonderful horses who do not deserve to be passed around and asked to do things they're not physically capable of doing
 
A real tough one and I am in the same boat with my non-rideable/retired chap. Atm I keep him at home but due to a change in circumstances and having to sell the property, I can't afford livery for him, as have two other rideable horses to support.

If I can't find him a companion home with someone I know, then I will pts - you hear too many horror stories and he has had a super life, and don't wan't things to go wrong for him in his last few years.
 
I have to agree with TheMule. They don't need to be passed from pillar to post, not at that age. It would be better to let them go with dignity than rehome them out and them end up suffering.
 
I agree with previous 2 posts. If you cannot afford retirement livery then pts is the kindest option. Many young good horses are selling for small money or not at all so you would be lucky to find anyone to take on a 25 yr old, why would they?
 
Oh dear! Don't envy your situation at all but i would definately not sell them to anyone nor pass them on as companions because you cannot trust people these days not to try to make a quick quid out of them or pass them on to a less suitable home if their situation changed. Can you not find another field to rent or grass livery somewhere else close by. I know i could never pass my horses on especially at their stage in life. I would rather pts as a VERY last resort than let them go to someone else. I really hope you find a solution that makes you all happy.
 
Ah, thank you so much for your advise, when I was talking to my friend about it earlier, that was his advise too, to have them put to sleep, . as the thought of them to suffering in the wrong hands is a far worse fate..
Ive had to put my dog put to sleep, that was hard, so I guess this will be just as difficult :o(
 
it is a horrible, hard decision but you have given them a good life, they have been loved and well cared for and happy. as a responsible and loving owner you would be giving them a good end to their life, at home with you. you cannot guarantee them that they would get that with someone else. and it would be a huge upheaval for them to be rehomed anyway as i doubt you would be able to rehome them together. To give an animal a good life also means that you give them a dignified death. I truely feel for you.
 
The gelding I believe would rehome at pittence maybe even free (which is not something I would want for my horse) but the mare I'm afraid really would struggle. If they have both had a good long retirement and happy life I too would look at letting them go to the big field in the sky. Five years off is a great way for any horse to spend it last years x
 
I think its worth asking around if anyone is looking and someone may well take them on purely as companions and look after them perfectly well. A lot of people on here assume old horses will end up in a horrible home. I've just rehomed one of mine (17.1hh 17yo companion) to a wonderful home locally, on a permanent loan basis so she can't sell him on. If she had any issues, he'd come back to me. There are homes around, you just have to work hard to find them but for me, its worth the effort as I could never put down a happy horse just because of my own situation.
 
TheMule said:
I'm really sorry to say this but, imo, the kindest thing you could do for both of them is to have them quietly PTS at home.
The reason is that you just cannot trust people and what can seem a perfect home very often turns out not to be. They sound like wonderful horses who do not deserve to be passed around and asked to do things they're not physically capable of doing
Click to expand...

This. I'm sorry, I'm sure it's not what you want to hear but it's the truth
 
I don't like to say this, but I do think PTS would be the kindest option. Someone may rehome your gelding, but what happens if they sell him. Sadly I don't think anyone will want your mare.

It's your choice, but as others have said, I think it would be much kinder to PTS.

Have you tried asking the Blue Cross, or other horse societies? Perhaps someone would loan them as field companions for theirs ridden horses?

So sorry that you're in this position, huge strength.
 
Hi, Yes I have enquired with the horse societies a few years ago, and they were all full, and only took on neglect cases, my vet at the time suggested PTS then, which I decided I didn't want to do, so I carried on, now my finances have changed I haven't got the financial option to put them in a livery.
Will try again next week and see if anything has changed with regards to blue cross etc.
The land here is very limited, and the people that have heard about me wanting to find them a new home turned out to be dealers, and was just interested on making money from them, so I turned them away.
 
Putting myself in their position which would I want a peaceful end at home where I have been loved or a long drawn out end in a nursing home?
 
Honestly having been in your situation (although my mare was younger) but not sound due to DJD & Navicular & the treatment been seeming unsucessful. I gave her to what seemed to be a perfect companion home to a lady who needed something to live out with her dressage horse. The place looked perfect all seemed well.
6 months later I get a phone call from someone asking about her as they had just paid 3k for her from a dealer to showjump. Honestly my heart broke at this point, I explained about her truthfully exactly as she was, luckily this lady had her own place & as she was now sound used her for hacking & we recently made the decision to have her pts as she just wasn't a happy horse anymore :(

Honestly having been through all of the stress & pain I would pts whilst you have some control over the situtation. I was 16 & still at college so relied on my parents to fund my horse & they weren't willing to keep her on livery if she was unrideable so my hand was "forced" so to speak although I totally understand their point. At 16 I didn't think putting a 10 year old horse down was right as I loved her so much & wasn't adult enough to make that decision but I truely wish I was & had done it.

She was lucky & ended up in a home where she was understood & treat like a princess but not without the pain of being hammer when she had a lot of problems for however many months the dealer had her :(
 
With their ages and issues you have three realistic options.

1.Find a grass livery and keep them and look after them yourself.
2.Retirement livery, but it can be costly.
3.Have them put down.

You can not justify selling them.
It would be totally irresponsible to do so.
 
Lisylou said:
Hi, Yes I have enquired with the horse societies a few years ago, and they were all full, and only took on neglect cases, my vet at the time suggested PTS then, which I decided I didn't want to do, so I carried on, now my finances have changed I haven't got the financial option to put them in a livery.
Will try again next week and see if anything has changed with regards to blue cross etc.
The land here is very limited, and the people that have heard about me wanting to find them a new home turned out to be dealers, and was just interested on making money from them, so I turned them away.
Click to expand...

I really feel for. Myself and a few others on this forum have an awful lot of experience on the other side of what often happens when horses are rehomed and almost everyone on here will have had to make a similar call at some point or understand the difficulties and heartbreak.

Please have a read of the link in my signature below...it will answer most of your questions and hopefully help you find some peace in making a responsible decision.

There comes a time with our animals where we need to step up to the mark and put what is best for them over and above what we want or need. I'm so sorry you're in this position, but you are and what you choose to do now will be the difference between your horses never suffering or them going on to goodness knows what futures.

Bless you for trying, but I don't think you'll have much luck with rescue centres sadly. Xxx
 
You could see if there was any one interested for permanent loan, then you would still have some control on how they are living and could step in if needed, but knowing if you did as they weren't being cared for as wished you may need to pts
 
Sorry, I agree with others, PTS is the best option unless you find someone you know and can trust to take either on. It's a horrible decision but I recently heard a vet say "euthanasia is not a welfare issue" and it's so true - at least there's no risk of them being ill treated or neglected. Look at the BHS scheme Friends At The End where volunteers are trained to assist and support having their horses PTS, it could help you cope with this heart breaking decision.
 
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