Any suggestions as to what I can do with my "retired" 4yr old?

I would like ot add that I would definitely NOT put him out on loan. As someone else has said, a lot of people tend to think the know best!! I dont really know anything about Osteoporosis, but if he is in pain then I would PTS :(
Like I have said my mare has a condition which will mean she will deteriorate and does cause lameness on and off BUT I know I can keep her out of pain and I can still hack her for a good few years yet, fiongers crossed!!

If she was in a poisition of being a field ornament (she doesn't do well doing nothing and is like a coiled spring) and was in pain then I persoinally think the kindest thing to do is PTS.

As others have said, the vets dont tend to hand out that kind of opinion lightly....

Good luck in whatever you decide! :)
 
I'm afraid I would PTS too.


If you give him away you do not know where he will end up. In the current climate there are plenty of perfectly healthy horses being PTS because people can't afford to keep them - how many people will want to take on a horse that is only going to cost them money especially if they can't ride it? People after a companion can easily pick up a healthy section A for around £50 that won't cost much to keep. The chances of a genuine person taking on your horse are slim.

It's a shame because it's not the horse's fault. I have no faith whatsoever in human nature.

But, think of it this way, if you do PTS he will be none the wiser. He won't know what's happening. It's not pleasant but he won't suffer in any way, and it's him that you need to think about.
 
A couple of years ago I probably would have said to look for a nice companion home for him, that it may take a long time, a year or more, but to find him a home where he can retire. Now however, I would not advocate anyone giving their horse away or even loaning to someone that they did not know. Too many horses have been buted up and sold on as riding horses or even sent straight to the slaughter house. This practice is becoming more and more common.

But now, as others have said, TB types are very hard to rehome as companions. If anyone is really looking for a companion, there are thousands of small hardy ponies to choose from that are far easier to deal with and cheaper to keep. My advice to you is to keep him yourself until he becomes too uncomfortable and then PTS, which is what I would do. I already have two unridable horses! But if you cannot afford to do that, then PTS now would be kinder to the horse unless you can be 100% sure of his future.
 
You find yourself where i was 9 yrs ago, for different reasons,my lad has djd i had to retire him as a 6yo, he was/is lame and is maintained on danilon sachet daily, he has a good quality of life as does my other retired aged horse.
He has been a field ornament along with my retired 26 yo also maintained on danilon for years.
If you want to keep him, do so yourself, please dont pass him on, if you want to keep as a companion discuss with your vet and assess his level of pain, can he be kept comfortable ?
My monthly Danilon bill is around £70 to keep both horses comfortable.
They still need feet done, teeth done and innoculations, and i get liver function tests done yearly on top of their analgesia bill
Keeping a field ornament isnt cheap, think long and hard, if i couldnt keep them myself id have pts because i could not pass them on knowing their needs
 
I am in a similar position with my 10 year old mare, although she is not in as much pain as yours and has a lovely life. She is not on any medication and unfortunately it's due to a few illneses/injuries altogether which make mine unrideable - possibly permanently.

If I were you, I would keep as long as possible, if you can afford to as a field ornament, then bute as long as the bute works, and then when that stops working you will be left with no other option than PTS. You will know yourself when your horse is ready - I did with my last one and the decision is sort of made for you. Good luck with whatever decision you make.
 
We're going through a similar situation at moment with our boy. He's 10 and had hock problems about 4 years ago, he had steriod injection and then he had tildren at year later, however recently although not lame his behaviour is becoming more irratic and he just doesn't want to work.

We can't afford to keep him as a lawn mower and to be honest I dont think that would suit him, he's defo not the hacking type. Its a very hard difficult decision to make but for me personally I know that if we have him PTS I know he's no longer in pain and he's not being passed on from pillar to post.

Our boy will cross Rainbow Bridge next week. I'll be devastated but I think for him its the right thing to do.

Thinking of you at this very difficult time!
 
Mum has osteoporosis and although she's not a horse I should imagine symptoms are similar.
Also know as brittle none disease, mum has fractured her wrists ,ankle and collar bone within on the last 12 months and thongs will only get worse as its a degenerate disease.
Humans have to suffer...horses don't.
 
I'm another person who would agree that being put to sleep, if advised, would be the better option... A second opinion would perhaps help you to make your decision??
We had a horse pts several years ago, the guilt at the time was overwhelming, but I am sure the decision I made (vets advise) was the right one.
The horse I recently purchased was a perfect example of an unsound horse getting into the wrong hands... you wouldn't want this for your boy.
Good luck in your decision xx
 
You say it it likely to get worse in time - do you mean that it's degenerative disease (sorry, I know very little about Osteoporosis)? I would personally keep him myself, maintained on painkillers, until he got to a point - whether it be next year or in a few years - when it is not possible for him to be kept as a companion without being in pain. Then I would definitely have him put down. This way, you can be more assured that your horse is being looked after and that you really have done everything you could. There is no way I would pass him on as a companion unless ihis condition was at present - not just expected in the future - severe and he was in untreatable pain. Personally I wouldn't be too hasty about putting him down immediately as if he is comfortable now then I think it would be unnecessary. Vets admit themselves that you can't always predict what could happen, and your horse's condition may never degenerate to a severe point - or at least, not for a long time.
 
I was in the same position as you earlier this year and I had my boy PTS on the advice of my vet. It is a very hard decision but one you have to make an don't let other people influence you. Trust you own instinct and stick to your decision. I made the decision before my boy got too bad, trust your vet I am sure if there were other options they would give them to you.

Good luck
 
We have a mare who was retired at 9yrs old as she has kissing spine in two areas. We brought her as a companion and she's lovely. I lunge her and take her for walks, if I get a trailer again il show her in-hand, she's very happy.

If I had a horse that was going to get worse and had to live on pain killers then I would probably pts too, but if your not sure on your vets advice then get another vets opinion, and make sure the vet has good knowledge on Osteoporosis.

Has your vet got experience of Osteoporosis? it may be the first time they have delt with a horse with it at such a young age.

Some vets are a bit quick just to tell you to put horses down, my mums mare had mild colic a couple of years ago and the vet insisted on putting her down and said she'd be back in half an hour to do it, in the mean time I arrived at the yard and the mare was happy and eating hay!
I know its not the same, but I don't trust all vets to actually to be bothered to think about things in a little more depth, instead of just making a quick decision.

Also is your insurance company aware of this as you may have a limited time to claim if you havn't already for loss of use etc.
 
SNORKEY said:
Has your vet got experience of Osteoporosis? it may be the first time they have delt with a horse with it at such a young age.

Some vets are a bit quick just to tell you to put horses down, my mums mare had mild colic a couple of years ago and the vet insisted on putting her down and said she'd be back in half an hour to do it, in the mean time I arrived at the yard and the mare was happy and eating hay!
I know its not the same, but I don't trust all vets to actually to be bothered to think about things in a little more depth, instead of just making a quick decision.
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I'd have to agree with the above - nearly 12 years ago my lad was diagnosed with EMND. The RVC advised I out him to sleep, as I wouldn't be able to ride him etc. I went against their advice, went with my gut feeling and decided that I didnt care if I could never ride him again as I had always promised him a home for life. As it was he got better, and I started re-riding him, we did XC, Showjumping etc etc and the only signs that he has EMND is muscle wastage on his neck and scars from the biopsys. To be honest, most of the vets decision to PTS was based on the fact that I couldn't ride him and I was paying out more for treatment than what he was worth, not based on his quality of life.

The way I see it either keep him and see it how it goes, or PTS if you would rather not. Please do not sell him on, as you cannot guarantee his future :)
 
The-mad-cat-lady said:
mum has fractured her wrists ,ankle and collar bone within on the last 12 months.
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This is what would worry me. My sister-in-law has osteoporosis too, and the slightest knock breaks her bones. She was drinking water from a glass, one of her children brushed past her and the edge of the glass broke a bone in her face. :eek: Agony.

So if it was my horse, I'd be worried whether as a companion/field ornament the normal bumps and scrapes which all horses have would break the poor lad's bones? I'd want to ask my vet this before considering the horse's future.

By the way, have you tried posting this topic in veterinary?
 
He's only four, already sore and going to get worse. Spend a couple of days giving him a bunch of love and have him put down. You will be doing him a favour.

If you have doubts about the advice from your vet, get a second opinion. Do some more investigation.
 
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Its a very hard thing to do but if your horse is in pain and is going to get worse having him pts seems the kind thing to do, not cruel at all. Having recently made this choice for our horse i know how hard it is.
 
russianhorse said:
I'd have to agree with the above - nearly 12 years ago my lad was diagnosed with EMND. The RVC advised I out him to sleep, as I wouldn't be able to ride him etc. I went against their advice, went with my gut feeling and decided that I didnt care if I could never ride him again as I had always promised him a home for life. As it was he got better, and I started re-riding him, we did XC, Showjumping etc etc and the only signs that he has EMND is muscle wastage on his neck and scars from the biopsys. To be honest, most of the vets decision to PTS was based on the fact that I couldn't ride him and I was paying out more for treatment than what he was worth, not based on his quality of life.
I am all for PTS when it is the right thing to do and I am not for a minute suggestion the OP is or isnt at that point as I have no Knowledge of the condition but I would echo the above.

My boy did his SDFT one year on the near and the next on the off side. the first time the vet advised PTS literally based on the calculation of the treatment vs his worth....he actually stated that as a reason saying my boy had no monetary value so pts would be an option. :( I turned him away and a year later I got back my sound horse. He now lives an easier life and is pretty much retired but that is my choice not due to his soundness.....before I retired him but after he came sound we where hacking out and doing canter work and the odd pootle in the school. He would happily do a walk trot test etc.

So whilst I am all for pts because the time is right make sure you understnad the reason behind the suggestion of pts. If it is degenerative with no long term solution then I would be inclined to agree with their suggestion
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Really sorry to hear that but unless you can give him a forever home until it becomes too painful for him I would pts. With loaning or giving away as companion you have no idea where he could end up and even if the people that buy him are lovely, they may have to give him up for whatever reason and he could end up in the wrong hands. Especially would consider having him pts as he has a deginerative (sorry i cant spell!) condition he needs to be in the hands of someone knowledgable and practical who can make the decision to have him pts when he becomes in too much pain. I had to retire my horse at 5 yrs old so understand what you mean about having to pts at such a young age. Luckily for me some people in my village loan him , hes right outside my house (i live next to a very basic livery yard), i legally still own him and the women have free livery on him so he costs pretty much nothing to keep. Situations like I have do not come around very often and hes a very VERY lucky boy , if they hadnt stepped in and offered to loan him then he would of definitely been pts. Would be interested to hear about the blood bank though as this is something I was going to consider.

I know you probably feel like the worst person in the world for having to make that decision but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
 
If you dont want to PTS then the only non cruel option is for you to look after him yourself, full stop.

If you want to continue to ride then you either need to put him to sleep, which wouldnt be at all cruel, he doesnt know he's being PTS, it's just another jab! Or keep him until he needs medication and then PTS and in the meantime have a part loan of another horse to get your riding fix.

The only cruel option in all of this is to let this horse leave your hands. He is relying on you to do the right thing, and both of the options above are the right thing.

To pass him on elsewhere would be very cruel in my opinion.
 
marblelou said:
If I am to pursue my riding ambitions I am faced with inevitably getting another horse and I haven't got the environment where I can keep him myself as a companion unfortunately.
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I think you have only two options... PTS so you can get another horse, or keep him for as long as he's comfortable and share/loan one suited to your riding...

My 16mth filly took a terrible stifle injury and it was touch and go for a while... Her recovery was amazing but my only concern at the time was whether she could have a decent quality of life pootling around a field even if totally unrideable... Had our circumstances ever changed, she would have been PTS immediately rather than moved on... As it was, she had a gut torsion a few months later and that was that for the poor babe...

Age is irrelevant... Quality of life is always the primary consideration IMO... If you can't guarantee such a lifestyle for him yourself - PTS is your only fair option...

A difficult time...
 
amymay said:
Which is the worst thing you can do, OP.
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I think you will find I did say that it wouldn't be the best option!

Having said that - not necessarily ALWAYS a bad option! If I had the money I would buy a companion horse for my mare who has separation anxiety - and I would make sure that it got all the care it needed - not everyone out there looking for companion horses are automatically going to neglect them! If OP knew of someone who was responsible and looking for a companion then I don't see there would be an issue providing the new owner knew exactly what the situation is regarding pts in the future. Yes, there is always the risk they do not follow that advice, but then there is always that risk with any horse that gets sold! My mare has sweet itch, but it didn't stop her old owner selling her - how was she to know that I would fulfill my duty of care to my horse and treat her accordingly?
 
Yes, there is always the risk they do not follow that advice, but then there is always that risk with any horse that gets sold!
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But at least selling a sound horse gives it the best opportunity of a good life when sold.

Why anyone would sell or pass on their lame horse is beyond me - unless they can 100% guarantee that where they have gone is a home for life as a companion.
 
amymay said:
But at least selling a sound horse gives it the best opportunity of a good life when sold.

Why anyone would sell or pass on their lame horse is beyond me - unless they can 100% guarantee that where they have gone is a home for life as a companion.
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But then we could argue what a sound or healthy horse is. People often sell horses who have suffered lami/sweet itch/navicular etc - which if not controlled or managed could cause untold suffering and pain. Nobody can 100% guarantee that anyone will do as they originally say when they buy a horse. Agreed, it could be argued that this horse is permanently and consistently lame, but it really isn't much different to someone selling, for example, a horse which can only be ridden lightly due to arthritis, or a horse who is known to have bad sweet itch if not controlled.

I suppose it does make you think more deeply about how ethical it is to sell any horse who has health problems though.
 
But then we could argue what a sound or healthy horse is
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In this particular case the horse has no future. It's not debatable whether it's sound or healthy.

As for the rest of your post, I can't be bothered.
 
amymay said:
In this particular case the horse has no future. It's not debatable whether it's sound or healthy.

As for the rest of your post, I can't be bothered.
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Nice...there was nothing nasty about my post at all it was just a 'thinking out aloud' post.

Are you one of those who can't tolerate other people's opinions by any chance?!! :rolleyes:
 
Moomin1 said:
Nice...there was nothing nasty about my post at all it was just a 'thinking out aloud' post.
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No there wasn't.

Are you one of those who can't tolerate other people's opinions by any chance?!! :rolleyes:
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No not at all, but I can't be bothered to get in to the "But then we could argue what a sound or healthy horse is" discussion - because it's pretty irrelevant to this particular post.:rolleyes:
 
amymay said:
No there wasn't.



No not at all, but I can't be bothered to get in to the "But then we could argue what a sound or healthy horse is" discussion - because it's pretty irrelevant to this particular post.:rolleyes:
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Ah ok, I see!

You're just rude in your manner then!

Actually it isn't irrelevant to this post because the post is asking what is best to do with this horse. I am putting a spin on the option of rehoming as a companion.

Oh well, now I can't be bothered so am off to ride the gee gee!
 
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