For those who PTS on behavioural grounds

[DJ]

What was the final straw that helped you make the decision, was it one single "big" issue, or a number of small ones along the way? How did you know you had tried everything? Or did you feel there was more you could have possibly done but due to lack of trust/unpredictability/time/effort/finances you just decided enough was enough?

How do you/did you actually make the phone call and do it? (did you do it, or get someone else to do it)? and how do you/did you deal with everyone who has an opinion on it, thinks they know better etc.

I think due to the nature of the equine market right now, passing on a horse with issues is just a recipe for disaster. I keep seeing horses that had gone on to "forever" homes with knowledge of all their issues, still being sold on and passed about and people frantically trying to track them down etc. For me I`d rather see them end their life with me knowing exactly where they ended up. But the "actual" act of putting them down when there is no obvious sign of illness, seems such a large step.

Sorry if this seems a random post. It`s relevant to me right now, and a couple of friends who are contemplating similar. Retirement is wonderful if you can afford it, and if the horse wants to take that option and can be happy with it, but sadly that isn`t always the case.

 

[Shay]

PTS is the responsible and mature decision. I've not had to face it myself but I sincerely hope that should I do so I would have the bravery that you have to face it squarely. You are absolutely right that in this market passing on a horse with issues is not responsible. Its a hard decision - and I would think some on here will criticize you for thinking about it. But IMO it is part and parcel of being a responsible horse owner.

As to the details and technicalities - it isn't any different from having a horse PTS for any other reason I should think. Your vet can do it. So can your local hunt if that is what you prefer. Some areas have a knacker man who can euthanize. Your vet will be your first port of call I should think.

Good luck - and all power to you for having the bravery and maturity to face up to such a difficult issue. <<<Hugs>>>>

 

[digitalangel]

i had one put down for behavioural reasons - if you use the search on here for Corae Damien - and it was the second time be bolted from his field.I put down as the risk to the public outweighed keeping him alive. very sad. i called the hunt. almost everyone was supportive except one person.

 

[webble]

What was the final straw that helped you make the decision, was it one single "big" issue, or a number of small ones along the way? How did you know you had tried everything? Or did you feel there was more you could have possibly done but due to lack of trust/unpredictability/time/effort/finances you just decided enough was enough?

How do you/did you actually make the phone call and do it? (did you do it, or get someone else to do it)? and how do you/did you deal with everyone who has an opinion on it, thinks they know better etc.

I think due to the nature of the equine market right now, passing on a horse with issues is just a recipe for disaster. I keep seeing horses that had gone on to "forever" homes with knowledge of all their issues, still being sold on and passed about and people frantically trying to track them down etc. For me I`d rather see them end their life with me knowing exactly where they ended up. But the "actual" act of putting them down when there is no obvious sign of illness, seems such a large step.

Sorry if this seems a random post. It`s relevant to me right now, and a couple of friends who are contemplating similar. Retirement is wonderful if you can afford it, and if the horse wants to take that option and can be happy with it, but sadly that isn`t always the case.

Final straw to make the decision for me was bolting down the road and nearly falling over in front of a car but this was after a lot of other issues over a couple of years and extensive vet visits/tests/ops

I called the vets and discussed it with them and they think it is the right thing, I also discussed with a few knowledgeable and experienced friends. It's not an easy decision its actually horrible and a very kind friend has offered to come and hold my hand on the day.

I had a read of GGs blog in her siggy yesterday and to be honest that kind of confirmed for me that it is the right thing

 

[Wagtail]

Op, what are your horse's issues? You never know there might be someone on here that could really help you. You never know. If it turns out there is no hope for your horse, then it may help you find peace with your decision.

 

[Baileybones]

So nearly did.

Mare was very unpredictable and volatile and had dangerous outbursts. My trainer refused to come in the school with her and the yard was on the verge of asking me to leave.
Vet could find nothing physical and numerous people told me to pts.

I was prepared to do it as I'd never pass her on and I was running out of options. In the end i was advised to try Michael Peace and although not cheap I couldn't bring myself to let her go without trying everything.

That was 4yrs ago and she is now the horse of my lifetime - I adore her!

We've had issues along the way but it's almost impossible to remember how bad she used to be.

This isn't intended to belittle anyone who has decided to pts as I still believe that is better than passing on problem horses.
Just wanted to share that sometimes it is possible to turn things around.

 

[FairyLights]

I had a horse shot when she reared and my friend an experienced BHSAI fell and sustained serious head injuries. I had the horse shot as 1. I didnt want to look after it for the rest of its life, and 2. I couldnt have sold it or given it away as I would never have slept for worrying in-case it did the same thing with someone else and they got injured or killed. Therefore the only option was to shoot the horse.
ETA I break in and school horses and have taken on "problem" animals for others , this wasnt a case of ignorance not knowing how to assess a horse.

 

[DJ]

Thank you for your comments so far. This isn`t a thread for debating whether or not anyone else can help with his issues, but thank you I do appreciate what you are saying and that you are trying to help xx

I am currently typing this with a broken spine in 2 places and damaged pelvis, after 5 years of trying, various trainers help over that time, all of whom I hold in high regard. I have also spoken with my vet about him (indepth), who knows him well, who has said PTS is the right decision. When he came to be at a young age he`d already bounced around numerous homes, the sales ring and a dealers ... so the issues he had are deep seated. Combined with a serious accident he had a couple of years ago, I think there is a lot more going on with him than anyone could ever sort out, and sadly even if I had the funds for someone amazing to work with him, I could not truly hand on heart trust him again, as he`s unpredictable, and when he blows up, he blows up big. Sadly he`s too highly strung just to retire him. So I know what needs to be done, i`m just trying to get my head around it all.

 

[bakewell]

If the horses needs can't be met in a reasonable environment... eg it's stressed, scared, depressed, unhappy.
(for example I had an ex-competition horse that was to be turned away with injury to see if it would resolve, he just lathered himself up in the field, screamed at anyone passing and ended up making his injury worse, even with an amount of sedation I was becoming unhappy with)

If the horse is a danger within normal handling situations; some behaviors are so dangerous or unpredictable that resolving them poses a huge risk to handlers/ the horse itself. Remember if you were incapacitated and had to ask someone else to handle your horse, would that be fair on them.

I always try to book a date a little in advance and then take the time to focus on the best aspects of that horse. A lot of people suggest getting photos which is a great way to remember.

A short(er) life can be a good life.

I've always had the hunt, they are not alarming in the way that a vet is. If the horse is moveable you can even take it to the kennels and drop it off and they'll take it from there.

Opinions: I've seen some awful abuse of animals, and some things I wish I'd never seen at sales etc. And I have barely scratched the surface of horror in this country (never mind others; I have some familiarity with slaughter in southern europe). And my horses that are old, or unsuitable to pass on will never see that, I have guaranteed it. There are too many horses and not enough beautiful fantasy meadows for them to frolic in forever after. It's your decision. It's ok to have a blub about it but it doesn't mean it's the wrong one. Anyone who has a problem, send them to the sales to watch the poor frightened horses that slipped through loaded onto meat wagons. And those are the lucky ones.

To call the hunt, you find out who covers your area (if you don't know already) and call them up. They will be compassionate but professional. It's something they've always done.

To call the vet to do it (which may need you to make additional arrangements for the body so be aware of this)... well you know how to call the vet.

You could also use a knackerman from a local abbotoir and they are very professional but I like the horses final memory to be of a man who smells of horses and dogs. That's my silliness.

Best of luck whichever route you take. Your horse will never know pain and terror.

 

[Bede]

If the horses needs can't be met in a reasonable environment... eg it's stressed, scared, depressed, unhappy.
(for example I had an ex-competition horse that was to be turned away with injury to see if it would resolve, he just lathered himself up in the field, screamed at anyone passing and ended up making his injury worse, even with an amount of sedation I was becoming unhappy with)

If the horse is a danger within normal handling situations; some behaviors are so dangerous or unpredictable that resolving them poses a huge risk to handlers/ the horse itself. Remember if you were incapacitated and had to ask someone else to handle your horse, would that be fair on them.

I always try to book a date a little in advance and then take the time to focus on the best aspects of that horse. A lot of people suggest getting photos which is a great way to remember.

A short(er) life can be a good life.

I've always had the hunt, they are not alarming in the way that a vet is. If the horse is moveable you can even take it to the kennels and drop it off and they'll take it from there.

Opinions: I've seen some awful abuse of animals, and some things I wish I'd never seen at sales etc. And I have barely scratched the surface of horror in this country (never mind others; I have some familiarity with slaughter in southern europe). And my horses that are old, or unsuitable to pass on will never see that, I have guaranteed it. There are too many horses and not enough beautiful fantasy meadows for them to frolic in forever after. It's your decision. It's ok to have a blub about it but it doesn't mean it's the wrong one. Anyone who has a problem, send them to the sales to watch the poor frightened horses that slipped through loaded onto meat wagons. And those are the lucky ones.

To call the hunt, you find out who covers your area (if you don't know already) and call them up. They will be compassionate but professional. It's something they've always done.

To call the vet to do it (which may need you to make additional arrangements for the body so be aware of this)... well you know how to call the vet.

You could also use a knackerman from a local abbotoir and they are very professional but I like the horses final memory to be of a man who smells of horses and dogs. That's my silliness.

Best of luck whichever route you take. Your horse will never know pain and terror.

This made me cry bakewell. Wise and compassionate words

 

[Dolcé]

It is very hard decision to make, one that I almost made some years ago and then found a way around it, the pony is no longer a danger and I feel blessed that he is still living happily in his herd. If you know it is the right decision, even if you are a little unsure because of the enormity of the decision but think it is the only way, then I would say do the right thing for the horse. I had one PTS very recently for different reasons, used the knacker man because they know exactly what they are doing with the pistol and I didn't want injection , the old boy happily had his head in a bucket and knew nothing of what was coming. He had been spoiled rotten for the two days leading up to it, constant feed buckets and attention and was incredibly happy when he went. The people who came out to do it were incredibly supportive and respectful, it was a woman who held the rope, she had her own horses and she made a fuss of him and gave him treats prior to giving him the bucket of feed, they made it so much easier to cope with. I have a strong belief that there are worse things than death, when they have gone they can no longer be hurt in any way and you know they are 'safe'. If you have done everything you can then you have your answer really, it is very sad but far better than passing problems on to people who say they will deal with them and then can't. Good luck with your decision, I know just how hard it is.

 

[DJ]

Thank you so much Bakewell .... what a well written kind post that made me well up.

We have used the Hunt before, and they were so kind and professional to the end. I just don`t know if I could be there, I`ve always been with any of my animals PTS in the past, and I`ve been there for many friends too who felt that they couldn`t. But every single animal I have lost has been through old age or illness, I`ve never been in the position of putting down an "ok" animal (I say "ok" but I truly think there is a mental issue going on).

The thought of him ending up scared, truly frightened, god knows where and not knowing what the hell is going on is what makes me feel I`m doing the right thing. I`ve only ever lost track of one horse that I sold on, who was brilliant (no issues at all) and even now I think about him and where he may have ended up.

I suppose ultimately we have to feel at peace with the decision x

 

[webble]

This made me cry bakewell. Wise and compassionate words

Me too fantastic post bakewell

 

[Orangehorse]

Lady down the road had a horrendous fall from her top class dressage horse, so it was potentially valuable, although I don't think it was ever easy and she had struggled with it for years. She was so badly hurt she has never ridden again. From her hospital bed she arranged for it to be PTS as she didn't want anyone else to try to ride it and be injured as she was injured. This was the final straw as far as she was concerned.

 

[bakewell]

Thank you so much Bakewell .... what a well written kind post that made me well up.

We have used the Hunt before, and they were so kind and professional to the end. I just don`t know if I could be there, I`ve always been with any of my animals PTS in the past, and I`ve been there for many friends too who felt that they couldn`t. But every single animal I have lost has been through old age or illness, I`ve never been in the position of putting down an "ok" animal (I say "ok" but I truly think there is a mental issue going on).

The thought of him ending up scared, truly frightened, god knows where and not knowing what the hell is going on is what makes me feel I`m doing the right thing. I`ve only ever lost track of one horse that I sold on, who was brilliant (no issues at all) and even now I think about him and where he may have ended up.

I suppose ultimately we have to feel at peace with the decision x

A lot of cruelty is the result of people looking the other way, concealment of not coping (suddenly I have 14 cats in my bedsit etc), missed opportunities to say stop. I don't think the majority of people set out to be cruel to animals. However it is *so* easy for a horses life to take a couple of wrong turns if you're not there to guarantee.

And no-one has their own horse put down for any reason other than the deepest care and respect for their friend and a desire to ensure they never suffer. It is shameful for anyone to suggest otherwise. Very few horses die "naturally' outside of accidents, it's just a question of when time is called.

You don't have to be there, especially if your distress could be sensed by the horse. It's ok to give him a good groom etc (more than one of mine has gone out plaited as they associated that with jollies) and then walk away. You don't have to make yourself feel any worse.
He'll never know, but you will be doing him the greatest kindness at your emotional expense.

Take care and have some good times with him until then.x

 

[turkana]

This is something I am having to do soon, one of my horses has been getting stressed & upset, the vet has diagnosed a physical problem (she is going blind) some horses cope well being blind, she is not one of them, she lost a lot of weight by fretting it off. She is calm right now but I'm not going to wait for her to go blind & get upset again.
I know I'm going to told stories of horses who have lived long & happy lives when blind, she is very highly strung so will not be a happy horse if I keep her alive, although I could probably keep her alive for years I won't do it.
It's not something a loving owner does lightly but mental health is just as improtant as physcal health.

 

[fatpiggy]

To save an animal from abuse, cruelty, ignorance and neglect is never the wrong decision. Someone I knew spent a bomb buying a new dressage horse. She was 4 years old so certainly shouldn't have had any issues. But she would bolt, either with a rider or without and on the final occasion, fortunately witnessed by the vet who had come out to see if he could find a reason for the behaviour, out of her field via several hedges which just just ploughed through, until she came to a halt almost at the busy main road. The vet, having said she could be sorted out, changed his mind on the spot and agreed to PTS immediately. She was found to have a brain tumour.

To save a fellow rider from likely injury, incapacitation, possible death, and all the knock-on effects to a family is never the wrong decision either. Thumbs up from me OP, you are wiser than many.

 

[_GG_]

Great post bakewell.

OP - if you have the time, have a read of my blog, the link is below in my signature. I wrote it to hopefully help people like you and also to be given to those who may not understand. It's been given to a fair few husbands, parents, friends, YO's and other liveries now and the feedback has been that it has helped them understand that ending a life is better than subjecting a life to such an uncertain future.

Better a good, short life than a long and troubled one IMO.

It sounds like you have explored all avenues for this horse and so you have my absolute, unflinching support in your decision. Huge hugs to you and please, please be kind to yourself xx

 

[Little-miss-perfect]

This made me cry bakewell. Wise and compassionate words

Me too x

 

[Cgd]

I had my old horse put down a few years ago. It wasn't behavioural issues but it was decision i made over the summer of that year. He was 34 and i had had him for 22 years. He was my horse of a lifetime. He was happily retired but v arthritic. We had had terrible snow for the previous few years and i constantly worried about him slipping over and not being able to get up. I didn't want his last days to be unhappy ones it for it to a rush decision. So i booked the hunt in about 6 weeks in advance. He had had a glorious summer out with his friend. He lived at home with me so i saw him all the time. As autumn arrived he had started coming in. I had the hunt come at 6am. I fed him, cuddled him and said my thank you's for being there thru thick and thin ( i was 12 when i got him!) and then led him outside. He was happy thinking it was turnout time. He wasn't scared of worried and he had a good life right until then end. I cried a lot trying to deal with my emotions the 6 weeks before. Planning to do it was the worst part for me. Once it was over i obv was v v v v upset but i could then deal with my grief properly. I still miss him today but I think I did what was best for HIM in the end. As GG says .... better s slightly shorter life than a longer troubled one. Miss you Sunny. God it making me upset all over again!

 

[ridefast]

This is something I am having to do soon, one of my horses has been getting stressed & upset, the vet has diagnosed a physical problem (she is going blind) some horses cope well being blind, she is not one of them, she lost a lot of weight by fretting it off. She is calm right now but I'm not going to wait for her to go blind & get upset again.
I know I'm going to told stories of horses who have lived long & happy lives when blind, she is very highly strung so will not be a happy horse if I keep her alive, although I could probably keep her alive for years I won't do it.
It's not something a loving owner does lightly but mental health is just as improtant as physcal health.

I'm going to tell you a story of a horse that was not happy going blind, he stressed and screamed and got lost in the field he'd lived in for years, was a danger to himself and humans, so the kindest thing was to have him PTS. Don't let anyone tell you you are doing the wrong thing for your horse that you love and know well enough to know if she is happy or not.

As for OP, I haven't made the decision myself but a previous employer had to make it, she basically had a 3 strikes and you're out policy - it was more complicated than that, something like a certain number of minor issues plus 3 major problems. The horse was unpredictably dangerous - one minute sweet as pie then attacking anything that was in his way. He had no clue how to interact with a herd and injured me and my boss (minor injuries luckily). My boss had worked with a lot of top trainers and was very very experienced herself, this was the horses last chance and she made sure he didn't go on to an uncertain future.

 

[cptrayes]

Last year I had one shot. The last straw was seeing him on his back upside down in a lorry with all four feet pointing at the ceiling. He had gone crazy in the hunting field and jumped a fence that wasn't there (something he had also done out on a hack at home), landing in wire and dropping me onto a tarmac road (Thank god for air jackets). Back on the lorry he went crazier still, and back at home he was having panic attacks in the field the weeks later.

He was a foot rehab horse who I had only had a few months, and he clearly wasn't going to make a back up hunter ever, so I offered to keep him until the person who gave him to me could rehome him. But they chose for me to go ahead and have him put down, which I did with a completely clear conscience.

I wouldn't ever pass on a horse who was dangerous to ride, I would always have it put down if I could not figure out what was wrong with it. If you have done the obvious and lower cost things of ulcers, back and hock x rays and psd scans, I would not hesitate if I was you, OP, to have your horse put down.

 

[ghostie]

I went through this recently with a very good friend of mine. She had an OTTB. He was lovely 95% of the time, but could randomly flip and be very nasty, even in the field or stable for no apparent reason. Lots of investigations, and no apparent cause.

The final straw was when he was being hacked out - just walking along in company - happy and chilled out. Then out of the blue he blind bolted for over a mile before flinging himself over a metal gate on to a major road. Fortunately the rider bailed out when she realised he was going to try and jump the gate, because despite somersaulting when he caught himself on the gate and being quite seriously injured he then bolted down said major road and nearly caused a major pile up before pulling up several miles down the road.

The vet was called to assess the injuries, which she was advised may well have been fixable, but it was decided that there was clearly something fundamentally wrong with the horse and is was a danger to itself and those around it. The vet suggested it could be some sort of brain tumour, although this wasn't confirmed. The hunt was called. In the circumstances it was the fairest thing to do. It wasn't felt that the horse could be safely retired as its behaviour was too unpredictable even for that.

Very sad, but I 100% believe she did the right thing and have great respect for her strength in doing it.

 

[fatpiggy]

I had my old horse put down a few years ago. It wasn't behavioural issues but it was decision i made over the summer of that year. He was 34 and i had had him for 22 years. He was my horse of a lifetime. He was happily retired but v arthritic. We had had terrible snow for the previous few years and i constantly worried about him slipping over and not being able to get up. I didn't want his last days to be unhappy ones it for it to a rush decision. So i booked the hunt in about 6 weeks in advance. He had had a glorious summer out with his friend. He lived at home with me so i saw him all the time. As autumn arrived he had started coming in. I had the hunt come at 6am. I fed him, cuddled him and said my thank you's for being there thru thick and thin ( i was 12 when i got him!) and then led him outside. He was happy thinking it was turnout time. He wasn't scared of worried and he had a good life right until then end. I cried a lot trying to deal with my emotions the 6 weeks before. Planning to do it was the worst part for me. Once it was over i obv was v v v v upset but i could then deal with my grief properly. I still miss him today but I think I did what was best for HIM in the end. As GG says .... better s slightly shorter life than a longer troubled one. Miss you Sunny. God it making me upset all over again!

You could have been writing about me and my old girl. Only difference is we had the vet and the needle. I also found actually booking the vet and the crem very hard, but also she was on pots of tablets and I'd told the vet that when the last pot ran out, that would be it, so watching the tablet level get lower every day was a horrible reminder too, like watching the sand going through an egg-timer Its never easy, but it could have been infinitely worse. I too was worried about her going down in the mud and not being able to get back up because of her arthritis. I would never have forgiven myself if I'd had to have her put down in cold, wet mud with everyone and her stressed and distressed.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Op, I will admit to being a fluffy bunny type and quite proud of it!!!!
There does come a time when the horse's welfare and the welfare of the owner becomes more important. Dangerous behavior likely to cause injury to the horse or the owner is as bad as any illness. I would not hesitate to stop my friends from suffering, it is the least I can do for them, but by the time I get to that point, I will have done all that I can do within my power to have helped them. There is no shame in saying enough is enough, I have done all that I can. The horror to me would be passing the buck and someone else being hurt. All these stories show the pain that comes with that decision but also show the peace that it brings. I am lucky I have only lost horses at the end of very long and happy lives and that is hard enough. Do I think that putting to sleep a horse in this situation is wrong, no I do not, far from it. To me it would be the only option as something is wrong.

 

[turkana]

I'm going to tell you a story of a horse that was not happy going blind, he stressed and screamed and got lost in the field he'd lived in for years, was a danger to himself and humans, so the kindest thing was to have him PTS. Don't let anyone tell you you are doing the wrong thing for your horse that you love and know well enough to know if she is happy or not.

As for OP, I haven't made the decision myself but a previous employer had to make it, she basically had a 3 strikes and you're out policy - it was more complicated than that, something like a certain number of minor issues plus 3 major problems. The horse was unpredictably dangerous - one minute sweet as pie then attacking anything that was in his way. He had no clue how to interact with a herd and injured me and my boss (minor injuries luckily). My boss had worked with a lot of top trainers and was very very experienced herself, this was the horses last chance and she made sure he didn't go on to an uncertain future.

Thank you, she is not at the getting lost in the field stage yet but I am going to have her put down before that happens, I'm taking the 2nd week in December off so it will be done that week (as long as she stays calm, if she gets het up again it will be done straight away).
I'm expecting plenty of stick for having her put down whilst she's still happy but I'm not willing to wait for her to become frightened & unhappy.
Had a long chat with the vet yesterday & he agreed it was the sensible choice.
In the mean time she's having all the food she isn't usually allowed (she's shoeless so doesn't get anything with sugar in it, so I'm going to buy Likits & all the molasses based feeds I can find!)

 

[southerncomfort]

If the behavour was only when ridden, then no.....I absolutely would not put to sleep. If the behaviour was on the ground I would get professional help first (and I don't mean the yard expert, I mean a proper paid professional such as Michael Peace/Richard Maxwell/IHRA).

PTS should be an absolute last resort, not the go to method of disposing of a horse that is no longer useful or can't be ridden.

 

[Wagtail]

Agree with southerncomfort. I would not PTS a horse that was dangerous to ride if it was fine in all other respects. I would however PTS a horse that was dangerous to handle but fine to ride as a horse that could not be safely handled could not really be safely retired. I would also PTS a horse whose behaviour was dangerous to itself or other horses as this is usually due to serious mental issues. IME, horses that are simply dangerous to ride almost inevitably have a physical reason for this, even if it is not immediately apparent or missed by vets. Every single time I have come across such a horse, a physical cause has EVENTUALLY come to light. It is not always solvable though.

OP in light of your injuries, I absolutely would not ride this horse again or pass it on unless a solvable cause could be found. If he is otherwise a 'nice person' and safe to handle, I would retire (this is just saying what I would personally do), But if the horse was not nice/safe to deal with, then I would PTS.

 

[sport horse]

Some time ago a young girl and her mother who I know well, had a horse that started head shaking. They had it investigated by the vet and various tests carried out to no avail. They could only afford one horse and hoped to event so they decided that as it was getting worse they would PTS.

On the day in question I received a phone call from the daughter, in tears, because the fluffy bunny brigade at her livery yard had vetoed their decision and she was not allowed to have the horse PTS at the livery yard because the owners and liveries did not think there was anything wrong with it.

I allowed them to bring the horse to my yard and for the deed to be done here. It was carried out by the local knacker man and I asked him to have a look and see if there was anything obvious that could have caused this behaviour.

Yes, there was. A tennis ball tumour on the horses brain. Well done all you know it all fluffy bunnies. In your caring way you caused this poor horse to have to be loaded up, travelled and taken to a strange yard in its final hour and I am sure it had a bit of a headache too.

No, not one of those fluffy bunnies, who actually know me well, were big enough to thank me for stepping and in and accept they were, in this instance incorrect. No they went very quiet!!

Sometimes, and often, actually there are physical reasons why horses behave in strange and dangerous ways. The cost sometimes and reality often, of diagnosing this are beyond the reach of most of us and even if you did find the cause nothing could be done. A large horse weighs in at up to 650kg and there is no way that his or the human's safety should be compromised by dangerous behaviour however hard it is for the human to face unpalatable truth.

 

[Starbucks]

I don&#8217;t want to make anyone feel bad but there do seem to be a hell of a lot of people who seem to have their horse put because of behavioural issues nowadays. Surely they can&#8217;t all have a brain tumour!?

I&#8217;m sure there are many situations where it&#8217;s necessary if they are genuine lunatics but I&#8217;m not sure it&#8217;s always &#8220;a mature and responsible decision&#8221; to have it put down just because you are scared of it / can&#8217;t ride it!

Vets seem pretty quick to jump on the &#8220;PTS&#8221; band wagon if they don&#8217;t know what else to do as well so I wouldn&#8217;t take their word for it.

It&#8217;s funny when there&#8217;s public outcry when there was that picture of a racehorse getting shot because it had broken it&#8217;s leg.. I wonder what they would think if they knew people had them put down all the time because they won&#8217;t behave!?