Dilemma? Or not? Very sick horse, absent owner.

[Enfys]

What would you do?

A horse in your care is very seriously injured but Vet not advising euthanasia right now.
Owner is out of the country until the next morning.

So, do you?

Contact her and keep her informed?
Or,
wait until she gets back home?

Would you want to know?

 

[mystiandsunny]

I would want to know.

 

[reddie]

I also would want to know

 

[Dancing Queen]

i would want to know asap xx

 

[Jesstickle]

when is the vet back out? If she will be back before the next vet visit I would say no, leave it.

If you're going to have to tell her whilst she is away either way then now.

 

[scally]

Totally depends on the livery. If they are level headed and will trust you in the situaiton and your good judgement, and mentally stable contact them. As an owner I would want to know.

However, when I was on a DIY yard years and years ago, one of the other liveries horses broke its leg in the field, kicked by her other horse, her son had recently recovered from leaukimia, she was an alcoholic and mentally unstable, it was the worst phone call, (vet would not come on my say so YO was out) trying to get her get the vet out as though it was a routine call, so she didnt panic and kill herself or others driving to the yard, but trying to stress the urgency enough so she called the vet before coming as her horse was fatally injured.

Very very hard call to make.

 

[noodle_]

i would want to know.

because then i could myself make an informed decision.... unless it was 100% needed to be pts at that time - i would be very angry and upset if i wasnt informed.

however, in an emergancy i 100% trust my YO and vet to advise euthanasia...

 

[Rose Folly]

I have three liveries at a time. I have just said to one owner, departing for a month's holiday to India, what I've always said to all the others over the years: "If X is badly injured or seriously ill during your absence I will do my very best to contact you; but if I can't then I will be guided by what your vet advises, including euthanasia". It's not a particularly cheerful valedictory to someone heading off to the sun, but I think it needs to be said. And everyone has always said "Let me know if you can".

The only thing that is different in your case is that the owner is coming back tomorrow, and as the post about the alcoholic owner + the leukaemic son said, you have to consider the effect your news may have on the driving skills or dicision-making processes of that owner. But I would still tell him/her, and hopefully you can pass on an assurance from the vet that the horse will be kept as comfortable and pain-free as may be until the owner's return.

It's a horrible situation, and I wish you and the horse well.

 

[FanyDuChamp]

I would want to know, might be able to get home quicker.

FDC

 

[mytwofriends]

Think I'd rather be told. I understand the dilemma about causing the owner undue stress, but at least she would have been kept in the picture. Imagine if the horse did have to be pts before she arrived? It would leave all sorts of unanswered questions and what-ifs. It's a horrible situation however you slice it, and I hope it has a happy ending. Good luck to you, the owner and especially the horse ...

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Well I would want to know personally but, if you are certain that owner is coming back tomorrow and won't detour somewhere unexpected and vet is sure horse will make it through the night, in your position I'd wait until tomorrow. There is nothing the owner can do except worry and, as some-one else said, have an accident through rushing on the way back.
Not a nice situation for you to be in.
Good luck!

 

[Natch]

I would tell them. It might just take a turn for the worse, and I'd rather be prepared by the call at this stage, forewarning of the possibility of things getting worse, than a call saying "Your horse has got to be PTS."

It also means they have the option of coming straight from the airport, rather than wasting time going home first.

 

[Sashathebash]

I have an emergancy declaration form that all liveries sign. It takes the greyness out of the situation. Might be worth a consideration for the future.
In answer to your question, I would let them know as there is nothing in place to cover you!

 

[maletto]

I would also want to know.

difficult situation

 

[Oldenburg]

I would want to know!!

Very difficult situation..

 

[Squeak]

I would also definatley want to be contacted.

 

[Zebedee]

My policy has always been NOT to advise absentee owners of any adverse situations unless abolutely necessary.
If the owner is travelling by plane / train there is unlikely to be anything they can do to speed up the process. If they are driving they will be distracted & possibly speeding as well -lethal combination.

 

[Eriskayowner]

I think it depends. Is the horse's welfare going to be compromised by delaying for the return of an owner? Can the owner realistically do anything? Would informing the owner cause them to act in a reckless way to reach the yard?

Tough one. I think I would trust the actions of the YO and be informed when I got back. It is unlikely that I would be able to do anything to help and if it is that urgent I would want my horse to be out of pain as soon as possible.

 

[Luci07]

The vet is not advising that the horse be PTS - yet -. If the owner was abroad and couldn't get home any quicker, then I would wait till they got back, otherwise they would be putting themselves through all the additionial worry when they can do nothing. If the owner is in the country, and can get home then yes I would want to know.

However, I should say that when I am away, even abroad, the agreement is that I am called, regardless.

 

[jaypeebee]

However, I should say that when I am away, even abroad, the agreement is that I am called, regardless.

As with me. Vet is first call and I second. I would not be happy if I was not kept up dated on situation.

 

[mystiandsunny]

Hope all went as well as it could regarding informing the owner etc.

 

[fidleyspromise]

i would want to know.

because then i could myself make an informed decision.... unless it was 100% needed to be pts at that time - i would be very angry and upset if i wasnt informed.

however, in an emergancy i 100% trust my YO and vet to advise euthanasia...

This. If anything happens to my horse, I want to know. Most important to get vet, but I would want to be kept informed, regardless of where I am.

 

[Lynnie1]

As with me. Vet is first call and I second. I would not be happy if I was not kept up dated on situation.

Totally agree!

 

[corrie153]

i would want to inform the owner, or at least attempt to contact them.

We had an agreement at my old yard that we had to sign that if anything should happen to one of the horses, vet to be called, then they were to try and contact owner, if they cant reach owner then it was to be the vet and YO decision on my behalf as in the end, we all want the best interest/well-being for the horse to be taken into account over any1 elses feelings. can deal with owners once horse is not in any pain

 

[Groom42]

I am afraid I have always gone against the majority opinion here! Could either be seen as selfish in the extreme, or prosaic.
Whenever I went away on holiday it was usually very long haul. I left my friend/housesitter with full authorisation to contact vets/farriers etc, plus details of Insurance policy, and kennels, should, God forbid, they be needed. The reason I left my horses with her was because I trusted her implicitly. I always said, if anything happened, I didn't want to know until I got home. I would be far too far away to do anything, and saw no reason to wreck everyone's long awaited holiday. This applied to fires/burglaries and other domestic disasters as well. Fortunately, it never happened. If, however, I was in the country, and could get home PDQ, then, yes, I would want to know. I also remember reading an article in H&H once about a poor lady who left her serious competition pony on very expensive, reliable livery while they were away. The pony had a dreadful accident, and YM, vets etc pulled out all the stops to save it's life rather than put it down. Unfortunately, although the pony recovered, it developed a serious loose screw, rendering it unsafe, so was eventually put down. Because it wasn't done at the time, the insurers wouldn't pay, and it was subject to huge debate. I don't know if they ever settled, but we are talking five figures. That's why I always left Insurance details as well, so my friend could contact them directly if needed.

 

[kerilli]

I agree with Groom42.
One of my horses was injured (kicked by an unshod horse) while I was abroad years ago. I ended up having to cope with multiple calls while at an airport between flights, stressed to the max. My instructions were exactly as I'd said before leaving... "you're in charge, get the vet, or get the horse to the vet. Cost immaterial, but do what's best for the horse." Nothing changed other than my stress levels, and I couldn't do a thing to help anyway, just felt frustrated and totally powerless.
Hope this has a happy outcome.

 

[maletto]

Hope this has a happy outcome.

do you have an update OP?

 

[Carefreegirl]

I had a call a few years ago when I was abroad saying my horse was hopping lame but the vet was on the way (I leave instructions saying get the vet even if not sure and if worse case scenario then they have my permission to do the deed) I spent an anxious 2hrs at the airport, an anxious hours flight and a speeding ticket from the airport to the yard to find it was an abcess in the foot !!! In light of that I don't think I'd want to know in future. It's out of my control no matter how serious.

 

[Maesfen]

Baa! I'm another that agrees totally with Groom 42 and K. If I didn't trust whoever was looking after my horses to do their best for them (my feelings don't come into it, horse first, me last), they wouldn't be looking after them in the first place but I'm very lucky as it's usually my vet who does them if I'm away and we have very similar views about what is viable or not; I return the favour for him when he's away.
When I had liveries, it was always totally understood by all that I would contact them if possible but if not, the vet would decide any action needed. I always had their insurance details too if necessary but back then, many weren't insured anyway.

 

[PrettyLittleFreak]

I'm in mixed opinions on this.

Without a doubt, it would be vet first and horse made comfortable/whatever needed doing. But at the first calm moment, I am pretty certain I would want to be contacted. And I would definitely want to be part of the conversation about PTS, if necessary.

But I would never want to be a priority - always, ALWAYS horse first.

If the situation WASN'T life threatening, i.e. just a bad cut....no, actually, I'd still want to be rung. xxx