AmyMay
Situation normal
Obviously you can't compare the two.
Amputation - is this really ethical??
- Thread starter Birker2020
- Start date
Obviously you can't compare the two.
Copperpot
Well-Known Member
It's their choice isn't it. They can make an informed decision. The pain and Physio they will go through can be explained to them and they can rationalise it. Animals can't.
I wouldn't even begin to compare a human with a prosthetic limb to a horse with one.
I wouldn't even begin to compare a human with a prosthetic limb to a horse with one.
Jinx94
Well-Known Member
So people choose to have an amputation?
My Dad is a patron for the National Association for Bikers with a Disability. I have met so many people with prosthetics/missing limbs - and I know a fair few that when they first had the amputation wanted to die. Whether they (animals or humans) can rationalise the pain or not, their response to the treatment depends on the individual.
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
I was responding to the "quality over quantity" of life comment. And yes I think you can compare the two. Does a human have lesser quality of life with an amputated leg and in a wheelchair than a dog on wheels or a horse with a prosthetic limb. Nothing to do with choices we make as consenting human beings, purely as a quality over quantity discussion. In some ways the comparison could be that animals know no different; we put them through things we choose for them and they adapt. Humans on the other hand most likely have emotional scarring on top of any physical disability.
Bobbly
Well-Known Member
How many times do we all say that you shouldn't try to put human emotions into a horse? This is exactly what has happened here. Without human intervention this horse would be dead, that's nature. Wrong on all counts for me.
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
Precisely. That poor horse, can't the owners/vets/everyone see its had enough?
FFS.
Copperpot
Well-Known Member
They choose whether they have a prosthetic limb why on earth would someone choose amputation? Some people I have seen choose not to have them.
When we own animals we have a responsibility to ensure their well being. For me that is not a horse with 3 legs or a dog dragging it back legs along in a cart. You made the comment about humans, not me. For me that is no quality of life for an animal. I didn't believe this discussion was about humans.
When we own animals we have a responsibility to ensure their well being. For me that is not a horse with 3 legs or a dog dragging it back legs along in a cart. You made the comment about humans, not me. For me that is no quality of life for an animal. I didn't believe this discussion was about humans.
WelshD
Well-Known Member
Selfish and wrong IMHO
Apart from anything imagine the damage that would do if it came loose while the horse was moving!
Apart from anything imagine the damage that would do if it came loose while the horse was moving!
Megibo
Well-Known Member
Just wrong.
RutlandH2O
Well-Known Member
Watch it! There are many Americans on this forum. You want to pour blame on someone, try the owner and vet. And, next time, use your spell check...you mangled three words and used was when you should have used were!!
MotherOfChickens
MotherDucker
interesting discussion. I don't think you can compare dogs with horses, or humans with any animal. I remember a client wanting to euth her cat because it needed an amputation and of course, cats do very well with 3 legs, as do dogs. Her argument was that 'she couldn't bear to look at it'. The vets had her sign over the cat (who was a beautiful tabby DLH) and rehomed her. My mother has a similar attitude with disabled people, which is awkward as I have two disabled stepkids. I expect that when they are eventually in wheelchairs, she'll not be able to cope at all.
I heard that the British horse (2001) did pretty poorly afterwards and its not something I would personally entertain. Horses are built to function in such particular ways, it's hard to see how they would cope well (laminitis, colic, hoof health etc).
However, I was nursing through many colic ops in the early 90s-alot was learned by them and although I wouldn't opt to put an animal of mine through it, that decision is mostly financial and pragmatic rather than believing its unethical-and back then, many people thought it was.
I heard that the British horse (2001) did pretty poorly afterwards and its not something I would personally entertain. Horses are built to function in such particular ways, it's hard to see how they would cope well (laminitis, colic, hoof health etc).
However, I was nursing through many colic ops in the early 90s-alot was learned by them and although I wouldn't opt to put an animal of mine through it, that decision is mostly financial and pragmatic rather than believing its unethical-and back then, many people thought it was.
jokadoka
Well-Known Member
I went to evening classes in the late 90's with the lady that had Barnaby.
She hadn't had him long before this whole thing happened with him.
She was absolutely besotted with Barnaby and loved him to bits.
Rightly or wrongly, she was convinced she was doing the right thing by him.
I'm not entirely sure of the time frame but I believe he was put down a few years after.
She hadn't had him long before this whole thing happened with him.
She was absolutely besotted with Barnaby and loved him to bits.
Rightly or wrongly, she was convinced she was doing the right thing by him.
I'm not entirely sure of the time frame but I believe he was put down a few years after.
Ptolemy
Well-Known Member
"With a prosthesis Boitron could gallop in the snow and breed just like any other stallion."
There's your answer. Money. He's obviously making his owners a shed load of cash . I doubt they care too much about him having a "full life" as long as he keeps providing the goods.
carthorse
Well-Known Member
I met one at Avonvale vets once. Poor thing went through alot if pain. Each time they had him in to get over his sores he would go home and he became ill again.
I would not do it
I would not do it
RutlandH2O
Well-Known Member
Full life?! They don't care about him? Shed-load of cash? From where do you people come?
Rightly or wrongly, they spent a shed-load of money on this stallion to keep him alive and productive. He's probably received more attention than the average working stallion!
Do you have any idea of the lives of most physically unchallenged stallions? Most live very lonely lives, separated from their kind, only to be used for live cover or semen collection. Many live their lives stabled with virtually no turn out.
There's an awful lot of judgment in these posts. Does the action of a particular set a circumstances regarding an owner's decision to save his horse have any bearing on your narrow-minded, blinkered lives?
A previous poster made reference to the horse not being able to be ridden. So what? Riding is the be-all and end-all of horse ownership? Open your horizons and your minds, for crying out loud!!!!!!
Pigeon
Well-Known Member
Horrific 
Who would put a flight animal through that!!
Who would put a flight animal through that!!
putasocinit
Well-Known Member
I would if i could afford it and the horse coped with it, you never know unless you try.
maxine1985
Well-Known Member
Completely unethical!! Barnaby was at the yard I kept my horse at when I was younger and he was not a happy horse!! He lived in his stable and went in the school for a hobble around each morning, I couldn't watch him struggling to walk round the school, was awful!! . No doubt his owner loved him and she did spend hours with him every day but she should've been cruel to be kind long before she had him put down!
abracadabra
Well-Known Member
RutlandH2O
Well-Known Member
Yes, you better believe it!
jokadoka
Well-Known Member
I don't think the "they can't be ridden so what's the point" argument is a valid one.
There are a lot of people on this forum whom are totally dedicated to their 'field ornaments' who can't be ridden for one reason or another...
There are a lot of people on this forum whom are totally dedicated to their 'field ornaments' who can't be ridden for one reason or another...
ozpoz
Well-Known Member
I think it is very unethical in every way. Forced to live in pain, and unable to live like a horse should live, hideous.
abracadabra
Well-Known Member
If you are going to have a rant about other people being judgemental, try not to be hypocritical by being judgemental yourself, otherwise it just looks silly, tbh.
Ptolemy
Well-Known Member
Sorry my opinion offended you Rutland, but I am 99% sure they would not have done this to a gelding/mare.
HashRouge
Well-Known Member
What do people think about this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vx6gSkdox0
She does look to have a pretty good quality of life and according to the video she's had her prosthesis for four years!
She does look to have a pretty good quality of life and according to the video she's had her prosthesis for four years!
RutlandH2O
Well-Known Member
Why should you care if I look silly? There have been some very narrow-minded, unenlightened remarks throughout this thread. A little bit of live and let live could go a long way in approaching this subject. I'm not suggesting the correct answer to this situation...there is no right answer. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But they should be based on fact, not on 'oh, they're making shed-loads of money' from this horse.
cptrayes
Well-Known Member
They still are.
The only horses that are still alive today with a broken and mended leg that could not be saved twenty years ago are those worth an obscene amount of money for breeding, often at horrific expense physically for the poor horse
Completely unethical, as is this.
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cptrayes
Well-Known Member
Have any of you people who agree with this being done read the article and realised that the horse has to be held up by a sling to sleep? And I think the article means always, not just during recovery, because the prosthesis can't stay on 24/7, it would cause terrible pressure sores.
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Jinx94
Well-Known Member
If you look at other articles regarding equine amputation you'll find that amputated horses still live as horses - just not during the recovery process. It wouldn't surprise me if it were different in some cases, but one article doesn't give you the whole picture.
MiniMilton
Well-Known Member
I have a field ornament that I have spent bucket loads of time and money on over the years. Amputation would be a step too far for me.
I watched a video about a horse being rehabbed after a severe founder, pedal bones exposed. The owners and trimmer were so pleased about managing to keep the horse alive for 1 year plus and to see a very slight improvement. The sole grew back over the pedal bones but the horse still could barely walk and he was in extreme pain. I have to say if I had watched a video about 50 horses getting slaughtered I would have found it less upsetting. It's so true, just because you can it doesn't mean you should!
I watched a video about a horse being rehabbed after a severe founder, pedal bones exposed. The owners and trimmer were so pleased about managing to keep the horse alive for 1 year plus and to see a very slight improvement. The sole grew back over the pedal bones but the horse still could barely walk and he was in extreme pain. I have to say if I had watched a video about 50 horses getting slaughtered I would have found it less upsetting. It's so true, just because you can it doesn't mean you should!