Do old horses die in their sleep then??

Elsbells

Elsbells

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Going by one or two of the "ponies being dispatched and how" threads on here becoming quite heated, I'm left wondering just what does happen to the oldies in the end? I for one have never known of a horse or pony just drifting away peacefully in it's stable neck deep in clean straw, there always seems to be an illness or a drama.

So, does it make sense to keep them going, or as in days gone by, is it kinder to give them an honerable hunters last glorious Summer before, saying goodbye?

Opinions and experiences please.
 
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We've had a few just drop dead in the field, but sadly most old horses seem to require the final push to go. I actually think it's worse sometimes when you find them dead in the field, as often you wonder and think too hard if they suffered or why they actually died (normally heart attack)
 
Actually my limited experience of oldies and final dramas leading to You Know What, now includes one little chap who actually did just lie down in his field, fall asleep and stop breathing towards the end of August. very peaceful indeed apparently, although still sad of course. He always was a clever fellow...

His former fieldmate (the one we had) wasn't quite so obliging and needed an emergency despatch one April evening. All very traumatic and the rush to get it done before it was completely dark... We had already decided that he would not be having to go through another winter, but apparently he didn't want to do the spring, summer or Autumn either it would seem... :(
 
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I have heard of a few that have been found dead in the stable or field. But as no one saw them die, who knows whether it was peaceful. Most will develop some sort of problem or mishap that warrants swift euthanasia.

I have, however, dealt with a fair few professionally who should have been kindly sent on their way some time previously. Not many have a pain and/or stress free end.

As someone who has had to despatch a very elderly pony, stuck in a ditch in full view of a primary school, believe me sooner is better than later for oldies.
 
I have ever known of one horse in my 25 years of being with them, drop down dead in her stable, but she wasn't old, she was 12. As for all the golden oldies, sadly we have had to help them on their way so to speak.
 
Out of having had probably 80 horses on the yard in my life, I have had two found dead in the morning (clearly having fitted / not died peacefully), and two lie down and refuse point blank to get up again.
I do think that a lot of horse owners expect them to curl up in a ball and close their eyes, a bit like a cat!
 
My friend's horse died in his stable, she found him in the morning. He was relatively young (less than 10), and had been off colour for quite a while (at least a year or so). She'd had so many tests done, tried resting him, working him, feed supplements, everything really and was completely at a loss as to what to do. He wasn't really suffering as in ill, just very below par and flat. I'm not sure she ever found out what was wrong with him. She was devasted, but in the circumstances it was probably the best thing. From a practical point of view it was horrendous as he was 17'2" and had been dead a few hours when she found him. The pure logistics of getting him out of the stable were very difficult.

I would love for my old girl (34 - to the right in my sig) to slip away in her sleep but know that is fairly unlikely. She is still in gentle work, and enjoys that, and I have said that the minute she starts to go downhill on a permanent basis then the vet will be called out. I have already seen her near death (lipoma related colic when she was 25) and I never want to see that again. She pulled through it then, and it was worth it, but she's too old now to have to suffer.

All the other horses I know that have died have been PTS one way or another, some of them a little later than I would do, but that is up to the owner not me to decide.
 
If you really think about it take the horse back to it's original wild situation, they would never just linger around long enough to die a natural death!! Any sign of weakness they would be picked off by predators - now in our country and the fact that we have domesticated the horse and we look after them on the whole pretty darn well, then I think it's the honourable thing to do to PTS if quality of life is gone or cannot be maintained in the way to which the animal is accustomed.
I have known horses to just drop down in the paddock or even during work, but generally the norm is for the owner to make the decision for it, unfortunatley there is a fluffy bunny contingent out there that believe this final act of kindness is cruel....
 
I used to help look after an elderly pony who had various health issues and his quality of life was deteriorating. The suggestion was made several times to his owner that the time had come to make the kindest decision for him but she refused, saying she wanted him to die peacefully in his sleep. We all replied that that just didn't happen to horses and guess what, went to feed one morning and there he was dead in his stable. Judging by the neat state of his bed it had been peaceful too.
 
fleabittengrey said:
Out of having had probably 80 horses on the yard in my life, I have had two found dead in the morning (clearly having fitted / not died peacefully), and two lie down and refuse point blank to get up again.
I do think that a lot of horse owners expect them to curl up in a ball and close their eyes, a bit like a cat!
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Nice thought though isn't it, all curled up and comfy!
 
when worked for HAPPA a couple died in sleep or in field ( one in particular died by gate when a party of school kids coming round ) but generally its down to us o say ok its time for you t have peace. just our responsibility :)
 
Unfortunately alot of older horses have to be pts due to illness.

I remember being around ten and myself and my grandad heard one of the horses shouting for his older companion, so I went to find him in the barn, thinking he was asleep, sadly he'd died. But I think its the nicest way for them to go.
 
I think most owners try to make the decision before its forced upon them, normally at the horses 'high point' i.e. the end of the summer. However obviously this isnt always the way the world works.
 
Even though I'm a realist, and take livestock to slaughter on regular basis, deal with the casualties etc, I still secretly hope that Gracie will do me the one last favour and pop her clogs all by herself conveniently by the field gate:o
I know she probably won't, she wouldn't do me a favour if she could help it lol, but I still do hope.
It doesn't mean that I'm not prepared to help her on her way, when the time comes, though.
 
My old boy dropped dead just inside the field gate aged 27. He was out in 50 acres along with the rest of my "herd". I was amazed he had come as close to home to die as he did. Never sick or sorry his whole life.
 
frozzy said:
My old boy dropped dead just inside the field gate aged 27. He was out in 50 acres along with the rest of my "herd". I was amazed he had come as close to home to die as he did. Never sick or sorry his whole life.
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I really hope that happens with my old girl. She's one of those horses that has to have the last say on everything (not nastily, but e.g. will be caught when she wants to, not when you want to!), so I'd like to think she could make her own mind up on this one.
 
We have had two which just died in the field overnight. They were both ponies we had taken on as nobody else wanted them (but there was nothing obviously wrong with them, one had been overjumped but wasn't field lame and the other was one we just felt sorry for). One was dead in the field on one Christmas Eve and the other at another time. Presumably it was a heart attack which did them both in as they had been fine on the previous evenings.

Although we'll never know exactly what happened to them, I felt quite OK about them dying that way as it was natural and they had had nice retirements with us. I would rather that than have them be really ill beforehand or for me to have to plan a day for them to be PTS (as I recently had to do). That is of course presuming that their deaths were quick.
 
My 23yr old horse was found dead in the field by me.
His rug has been ripped off at the breast straps in an adjoining field quite a way from where he was found, a leg strap in another adjoining field and a trail of bits of his rug that he had destroyed and he had collapsed hidden away in a woodland area that they never normally go in.
I took me ages to find him.
He never rug trashed before so I can only assume some sort of suffering was had, overheating? fitting?
Apparently, I was too upset to look, he had a mouthful of grass in his mouth.
When I looked for him his friends were hidden away and didn't come to see me like normal. They normally all followed me round as they knew me but they wouldn't, they were all just stood in a strange woodland area far away from where my horse was laying.
I had ridden him 2 days before and he was lovely, no signs of pain etc etc
He was my childhood pony and best friend, I hope he had a happy ending :(
 
Its just like what happens with humans really. We tend to say elderly people pass away due to natural causes (old age) when really its because they have had a heart attack or cancer
 
Over the years we have 'lost' 7 horses. All, including a sick BOGOF foal, have had to be pts. 3 were emergencies, one of these a field accident, one a rapid deterioration of an illness in an 11 yr old horse and the other a 24 yr old who suffered a stroke late at night, she at first appeared quite well, she had just forgotten that she should stand up but by morning we needed the hunt in a hurry. 2 others were as a result of illness which did not improve and the other 2 were planned early Autumn 'events'. Most have been shot by either the hunt or the local 'Equine Crematorium.
The pony who was injected put us off that idea completely, the others have all had instantaneous deaths with a mouthful of food. On the last emergency occasion, the attending vet actually rang the EC rather than do the job herself.
We were expecting to have to have another planned 'event' this year but the vet has given her a clean bill of health fortunately. We have, however, just moved her into a stable which is more accessible to a lorry, just in case.
IMO, it is important for the horse's welfare for the owner to be realistic and to be prepared, so that if an emergency situation should arise, there is no dithering to be done but plans can be put into place smoothly.
 
My friend's 30+ pony was found dead in his field one morning and it was generally thought he had a heart attack. Unfortunately I would say "natural, painless" deaths are rare. It is up to us to make the decision unfortunately but I think absolutely it is the right thing to do. Watching my father dying of a terminal disease was horrible and no vet would have allowed a dog to go on like that.
 
Someone told me it was very low odds sadly. I lost my mare, she died in her sleep at the grand old age of 17... devestating to find her, but she's literally gone in her sleep after finishing her dinner off for an early breakfast, poo-ing in her feed bowl, and water (as she did EVERY early morning) :rolleyes:, so I can nearly pinpoint her time of dying. Doesn't make it any easier though... it was also new years eve :-( People who came to take her for cremation were fantastic, and the farmers who owned the stable appeared ready to dismantle the walls to get her out decently... but in the end didn't need to as was pretty recent. RIP Kelts x
 
I think unless it's by heart attack then any horse which dies 'naturally' will have suffered beforehand. I guess death is always going to involve some discomfort though, as anyone who has ever seen a human heart attack/ after effects would know. It's never going to be all fluffy and warm and like floating off on a cloud of candy floss. But as long as we do the best we can to make it quick then that's better than most humans get at the end.
 
I don't know the answer to the question, but I really hope that my 2 retired veteran ponies do just go in their sleep one day. The thought of having to make "that" decision feels me with dread :(

People often die in their sleep so I don't see why horses can't.
 
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