Equine ethics - bit sensitive, do you think this horse should be pts

R2R

R2R

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Sorry to post about this but I need to make sure I am not going mad.

My cousin has a 14 month old wb that she bread He is gelded. He is out of a badly put together untalented mare and an OK wb stallion (nothing special, it belongs to someone at her yard)

He has recently been diagnosed with OCD. He has fragments of bone floating in both hocks and is lame. His hocks look shot to bits to me, they are not even the right shape and have random lumps everywhere.

I advised her to call the vet who told her the horse will need surgery, and is very unlikely to be sound…ever, owing to the severity of the OCD.

She is going ahead with the surgery and also has enlisted the help of a ‘natural healer’ who is telling her that the horse wants to ‘fight this’ and ‘isnt worried about being ridden’

Basically, as far as I can see, the poor horse is knackered, going to go to sit in a field for the rest of its life and undergo major surgery which will not guarantee soundness but will guarantee a very long recovery period and box rest for a 14 month old. If he is lucky, she might even do some NH/Parelli training and teach him to play football. Not exactly quality of life (in my opinion)

I think it is really unethical. The horse is in pain, will not have a quality of life and basically will be kept alive for no reason.

They do not have land nor money to keep the horse as a pet. They are also incredibly novicey when it comes to horses (she thinks she has a clue, but doesn’t, she still cant see his lameness behind)

I know I cant say anything to her and it is her choice, but am I alone in thinking she is making entirely the wrong decision?
 
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On that evidence, you're not alone; incredibly unfair to the poor thing IMHO and very selfish of her, sorry.

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^^^^

What she said.

IMO the owner wants shooting, too.
 
If the horse was mine I would PTS. Yesterday I had a pony shot who had a badly injured leg,to spare him extensive lenghty veterinary treatment with an uncertain outcome. I did this in the interests of the pony,much as I loved him,I decided it was best for him to go to horse-heaven.
 
Not only this yongster but any other animal she owns, should be put out of its misery IMO......... anyone who believes this sort of nonsense

"has enlisted the help of a ‘natural healer’ who is telling her that the horse wants to ‘fight this’ and ‘isnt worried about being ridden" shouldnt be allowed animals.........
 
sounds unfair to him. tbh i think it's a shame the vet suggested surgery.
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On that evidence, you're not alone; incredibly unfair to the poor thing IMHO and very selfish of her, sorry.

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What do I say to her? Other than she is barking?
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I'd want to hear the owner's side of the story as will before answering that. Maybe your cousin loves her horse and is blindly trying every possible option rather than giving in? Tp have a horse PTS, is not a nice prospect to face up to
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Pretty much.....

Or, if you wish to play it senstive just run her through what you have put in your post...thats all there in a logical fashion. I cant see what the poor thing is going get out of surgery TBH....bless him.

Its hard, but that horses I'm afraid.
 
BHPride, we treat our horses very differently. Mine are shod, ridden in proper bridles with bits etc...whilst she is barefoot, does NH and Parelli, rides in bitless bridles, has 'healers' and 'horse whisperers'

I have never really had an opinion on how she keeps her horses until now.... I am open minded enough to realise that everyone does things differently I just think it is shockingly selfish.
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Can you say to her basically what you have written down here, without getting too emotional about it, that it would be the kindest thing to do? Remind her that 30 years is a very long time to keep a horse that will most likely never have a use and be in pain. I don't see why the vet has suggested surgery, unless the horse is insured and theres money in it for them somewhere.

The natural healer sounds like she saw your cousin coming. What concept does a horse, of that age especially, have of being ridden and fighting OCD? !
 
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Its odd that the vet has offered to refer for surgery if the prognosis is so poor

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She is very pushy...
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I am also only going on what I have been told
 
If horse is going to a live a life of pain even after sugery and the owner clearly doesnt have a home for life if the horse can lead a 'pet life' then I agree end it now before it gets harder to do.

Any vet will offer to operate at the end of the day, its if the vet feels it worth while and worth the money in doing so, by the sounds of things in this case, it doesnt.

Thats what you get from breeding from badly put together animals.
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Definitely end the horse's suffering - but then lots of people keep their horses/dogs/cats going way too long because they can't bear to lose them. We should ALWAYS think of the animal first, ourselves last.
 
If the prognosis is as poor as you are saying and the horse's hocks are as deformed as you are saying, and if the horse is likely to be in pain even after arthroscopy (which is presumably what the surgery the horse is having is), then yes, it should be put to sleep.

A girl called CarmaandFlinn had arthroscopy done on her horse for OCD, and the horse is now working and sound; however, I don't think the OCD was this severe on xrays, and when they went into the horse on arthroscopy there was no OCD at all. I am not telling the story how it really is, as I don't know the horse etc, but that's the jist. My horse is having arthroscopy in a couple of weeks; the prognosis is 'don't get your hopes up but he could be used as a light hack or he might return to full work', so they basically do not know whether he will be unrideable or be able to work hard again. He is 8 and I am going ahead with the surgery on the basis that there is a chance it could help him, and if it doesn't and he has to be a field ornament then I am afraid to say, much as I sound like a selfish bitch for saying it, he will be PTS. I can neither afford nor justify having a 17.3hh field ornament that costs me 4k a year to maintain, and, if he's a field ornament is likely to be so because he is in pain, which does not sit well with me. If the vets had said to me 'no way, this horse will never be sound and only ever make your field look pretty' then I'd shoot it now.

By the way, while OCD is hereditary in some cases, it isn't always the poorly bred creatures that get it.
 
IMO the vet wants to come to his senses for suggesting this op!
i think you are right to think that this youngster's time has come

i really think vets have a lot to answer for when they suggest expensive treatments that wont cure the horse and i think they ought to start dealing in the truth a bit more!

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http://www.equineortho.colostate.edu/questions/ocd.htm

I read this when I was researching my horse's problems and deciding how to proceed.

Lanky has the stifle OCD, which looks to have less favourable outcomes after surgery than those operated on for hock OCD; however, given the guarded prognosis your cousin has been given regarding this horse, and the fact OCD is likely to be worse than is evident from radiographs due to their nature, I'd certainly be considering having this horse PTS.
 
Ive just joined these forums so forgive me if what im about to say should in any way offend anyone. None of us are perfect and neither do any of us own a perfect horse. Most horses in their teens and even earlier could be showing or feeling the same amount of supposed pain this young horse might feel after surgery but most owners dont even notce AND THE HORSES WORK ON REGARDLESS. Im 44 and feel pain in joints most days but still have an incredable life and certainly wish to go on. So what im trying to say is dont judge this lady and foals have a zest for life if she decides to give it a chance provided its not in pain then good on her.
 
If he were mine he would def be PTS. Already crippled at 14 months and needing surgery isnt a good indication to his future well being and quality of life. As she was responsible for his entering life, she should also be responsible for his exit from life. It will be an incredibly hard thing to do but will save him so much suffering and will in the end save her heartbreak and money. I know its horrible to say, but, it costs as much to keep a bad horse than a good horse
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. She is being very selfish although she wont see it that way. Such a sad story
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. M.
 
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