Am I making the right decision?

[Doormouse]

I have a small pony, age unknown but very likely in her 20's who is too sharp for her size and is way too sharp for my 2 year old even on a lead rein.

For the last 6 months she has been a companion to a youngster who weaves and box walks so we split a very big stable in half and she has lived next to the youngster.

I suspect she has cushings, had a couple of very mild cases of lami with me, caught early and sorted in a week, it is manageable but worrying now the spring is coming.

Last night she had an asthma attack, it was awful to watch and because of the lami risk we could only give her IV ventapulmin not steroids. Luckily that stopped the worst of it and we turned her out and she was fine by this morning.

However, the vet has warned she may need ventapulmin all the time if this gets worse, obviously she needs to be out as much as possible and if in on dust free bedding and soaked hay.

She hates being out in bad weather, likes to be in when it's cold or wet and is naturally very greedy! What sort of quality of life am I going to offer her now? I can't let her have much grass, I can't have her in nearly as much as she likes, I can't find a jockey for her to have fun with and it is unlikely that anyone would want to take her on with all the problems. I don't have enough time to give her, time she deserves and so I am coming to the conclusion that the kindest thing would be to have her pts.

It is breaking my heart because she is such a sweet pony, brilliant with kids on the ground and just so kind and easy, I just don't feel it is fair to her to keep her the way her health now dictates she must be kept.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I just don't feel it is fair to her to keep her the way her health now dictates she must be kept.

Then you have answered your own question, OP.

But it is always a difficult decision. You can only weigh up all the 'evidence' and then decide what you think is best for the pony. How long has she been with you?

 

[Doormouse]

Nearly 2 years.

I just feel that she is not a pony who enjoys being out 24/7 or gets much pleasure being a companion. She loves being treated like the big horses in work, 2 feeds a day, in at night in the winter or out of the flies in the summer, being brushed and bathed as required and generally being very much part of the yard. Suddenly this way of life for her is going to be dramatically changed.

I suppose I just wish that there was someone out there who would just be happy to pay for all her meds, had a big barn for her to go in and out of depending on the weather and who could find her a job to do sometimes to keep her occupied.

 

[Equi]

Are you thinking of selling or pts?

 

[Tickles]

So, field shelter (good for box walker too), limited grazing (many ponies don't get what they want to eat...).

And your son grows, fast (and he will because that is what kids do).

If you can manage the change in mgmt no need for the final solution yet.

 

[Shay]

You're doing absolutely the right thing by facing up to this. Not all horses - or ponies - are happy in retirement or as companions. You know your pony and you will know in your heart when it is the right time. Horrible and heart breaking though it is - this is the final thing we can do for our beloved animals.... care enough to let them go.

It doesn't sound to me like you are quite there yet. There are changes you can try to see if they suit. I had a welsh sec A very similar and we managed to keep him happy and still manage his medical condition until the last few weeks. Although he took the decision out of our hands by colicking we were already most of the way to making that decision anyway. Not because we were tired of him, or because he was expensive; but because we loved him. We've been where you are, and probably will again. I so feel for you -but thinking about it and talking about it is the right way to go. Ultimately it is our responsibility.