H&H article I SO agree with

[Tiddlypom]

There are also far too many lame horses limping around fields retired often owned by those who attempt to take the moral high ground in this debate with serious stuff wrong with them many being kept on no medication for pain this is IMO just plain wrong and I find it impossible to understand their reasoning .

This. Keeping your retired oldie on is fine as long as the horse is happy and comfortable, but IME so many are not. Folk declare that they won't give their arthritic old nag bute or Danilon due to the peceived side effects, and instead give some untested herbal fluff and the horse hobbles on. I'm close to making the call for my senior Cushing's mare, tbh she's more useful to me alive than dead as she is a good companion but her needs must come first.

I do agree that to ponies age is more a number than with horses, so they can still be in full work in their 20s. We once took on a 36 year old 12hh from a rescue for light leadrein work and as a companion, and he was grand. We let him go 6 years later, still sound and perky but getting very thin despite getting 5 feeds a day. Swizzle pictured age 40 (it cost a fortune in feed to keep him looking that good!).

 

[meleeka]

I wonder why people won’t pts when needed? Is it because they haven’t seen the process and imagine it to be worse than it is, or perhaps financial? I don’t think there’s anything worse than watching your much loved horse suffer. I just can’t bear it personally and I think that’s worse than having them put to sleep. If you are giving it away then you are still having to say goodbye so I don’t really understand.

 

[Cortez]

The last time I took in an elderly horse to be put down, the girl at the stables asked me what was wrong with her (she looked amazing at 21, had had Cushings (medicated) for several years but wasn't happy "retired"). I said "Nothing, yet...". The stable staff said they wished more people did what I was doing - letting them go when they still felt good. I feel that is the last honour I can give them, the gift of never feeling miserable, sick and in pain, but I know there are many who won't agree with me. Just as I don't agree with having some poor old dear doddering about with few teeth, thin, weak and with shaking limbs, in pain (I am picturing a horse belonging to a friend, who proudly displays her 29 year old "dearly loved" horse. We both think the other is cruel).

 

[Clodagh]

I also fully agree with this article. I find the rehoming of these older horses on par with sending lame/broken/unrideable younger horses to the blood bank. People looking for the easy way out instead of seeing out the responsibility that they take one when they take ownership of a horse.

Unfortunately this message and articles like these never reach the people that need them.

I'm not sure if there is a problem with sending an unrideable but sound young horse to the blood bank?

 

[scats]

The last time I took in an elderly horse to be put down, the girl at the stables asked me what was wrong with her (she looked amazing at 21, had had Cushings (medicated) for several years but wasn't happy "retired"). I said "Nothing, yet...". The stable staff said they wished more people did what I was doing - letting them go when they still felt good. I feel that is the last honour I can give them, the gift of never feeling miserable, sick and in pain, but I know there are many who won't agree with me. Just as I don't agree with having some poor old dear doddering about with few teeth, thin, weak and with shaking limbs, in pain (I am picturing a horse belonging to a friend, who proudly displays her 29 year old "dearly loved" horse. We both think the other is cruel).

I have a very good friend, we get on like a house on fire, but our approach to this sort of thing is at total opposite ends of the spectrum. I have no problem with making the call a day early whereas my friend will leave it until the horse is on its last legs and in my opinion, thoroughly miserable and in pain.
The best way is for us not to engage in conversation about it, as things get rather heated!

 

[Archangel]

There is a 20 year old Welsh D stallion going through Llanybydder this Thursday. Hopefully someone who had him in his younger days will scoop him up.

 

[Annagain]

From the other side we took on a 36 year old Shetland a few years ago when the owner couldn’t care for her anymore... she’s now over 40 still going strong - we stopped the kids riding her 18 months ago because she was getting a big creaky but actually she seems to have come good again ... she’s had loads of happy times with us and bosses the rest of the horses around and neighs to demand going in and out ... re homing older horses can work and although I hate the ads not all new homes for these horses are bad

I totally agree but there's a big difference between rehoming an old but sound, active and useful pony due to the owner's circumstances and passing the buck with an old, unrideable horse simply because the owner's not considerate enough to do the right thing by the horse - either by keeping it and taking good care of it depite missing out on riding opportunities or making *that* decision.

 

[Orangehorse]

I thought it was a good article. However will a vet put down a horse just because it’s old? Some people are saying that they’d put a rideable horse down to avoid the uncertainty that these old horses face. That’s fair enough but will a vet even do that or does a vet simply do as they are told?

Some vets might not like it, others will go along with it.
You don't have to use a vet. There are people around who will come and pts a horse, and take them away if you want, with a choice of disposal so you can have them cremated and the ashes returned if you want, for a price, you just have to ring them up. The one I use wouldn't like to be called a knacker(!) he is actually wonderful and a horse owner himself, but he does use a gun so you have to be prepared for that. It is instant, the animal just drops, with its head in a bucket of feed.

 

[YorksG]

I thought it was a good article. However will a vet put down a horse just because it’s old? Some people are saying that they’d put a rideable horse down to avoid the uncertainty that these old horses face. That’s fair enough but will a vet even do that or does a vet simply do as they are told?

While only a vet can pts with drugs, there are other options, such as a knackerman/woman or local hunt, who will do as you ask. Our local knackerwoman may suggest other options for a truely healthy horse, but will o the job yu ask her to.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I wonder why people won’t pts when needed? Is it because they haven’t seen the process and imagine it to be worse than it is, or perhaps financial? I don’t think there’s anything worse than watching your much loved horse suffer. I just can’t bear it personally and I think that’s worse than having them put to sleep. If you are giving it away then you are still having to say goodbye so I don’t really understand.

I don't think anyone's saying they wouldn't pts when a horse is suffering. I'm saying I wouldn't put to sleep if they were unrideable but otherwise healthy and happy. Putting to sleep because you want another horse in my opinion is unacceptable.

 

[Blurr]

The articles are not HH's position, they are the positions of two separate journalists.

My apologies if I gave the impression I thought anything other or wrote anything to suggest to anyone on this thread that they were written by H&H. It was the irony of the one appearing as an article of potential interest under the other that made me post.

 

[meleeka]

I don't think anyone's saying they wouldn't pts when a horse is suffering. I'm saying I wouldn't put to sleep if they were unrideable but otherwise healthy and happy. Putting to sleep because you want another horse in my opinion is unacceptable.

Sorry I didn’t mean anyone on here, I was referring to the people that give old horses with health complaints away because they can’t face pts. Surely you are saying goodbye with either option?

 

[TPO]

I'm not sure if there is a problem with sending an unrideable but sound young horse to the blood bank?

IMO it is; it's just passing on the problem and washing your hands.

An owner has a horse that you can no longer ride so instead of ensuring it's long term care or making the decision it is passed on and when it is no longer of use to have it's blood taken they PTS. I see no difference between this and the passing on of aged horses free.

 

[Clodagh]

IMO it is; it's just passing on the problem and washing your hands.

An owner has a horse that you can no longer ride so instead of ensuring it's long term care or making the decision it is passed on and when it is no longer of use to have it's blood taken they PTS. I see no difference between this and the passing on of aged horses free.

But of course there is, the blood bank have them pts when they are done, they are not buted up and put through an auction or anything. No one decides they know better and rides them. A horse can have many years living out before the big day. And it helps other horses.

 

[TPO]

But of course there is, the blood bank have them pts when they are done, they are not buted up and put through an auction or anything. No one decides they know better and rides them. A horse can have many years living out before the big day. And it helps other horses.

We'll have to agree to disagree so that this isn't taken off topic from the OP

 

[Smogul]

Yes if I couldn't afford another horse, I'd give up riding my own and find other ways to continue my hobby. I couldn't have them pts if they weren't in pain and they were enjoying life. The article would be better balanced with other opinions. Not just a one sided argument.

What about a young pony that you had only had a few months? It could well have outlived its owner who was in late sixties.

 

[Rowreach]

I don't think anyone's saying they wouldn't pts when a horse is suffering.

Sadly though, there are many people who do let their own feelings ("I can't bear to part with him/her") get in the way - I saw it with my mother when she did her usual head in the sand thing over our old family pony. By the time my then OH and I had persuaded her to have him pts her "much loved horse" was literally skin and bone. It was appalling, but taught me a valuable lesson about making pts decisions.

I've seen it loads of times over the years with clients and their animals.

 

[turkana]

I have a very good friend, we get on like a house on fire, but our approach to this sort of thing is at total opposite ends of the spectrum. I have no problem with making the call a day early whereas my friend will leave it until the horse is on its last legs and in my opinion, thoroughly miserable and in pain.
The best way is for us not to engage in conversation about it, as things get rather heated!

Me too, I had a much loved oldie put down just before last winter, she looked really well & was perfectly happy but she'd gone down hill the previous winter (in Febuary so nearly the end) so I decided she wouldn't have another winter, so I put down a perfecrtly happy, healthy horse but I had no intetion of putting her through a miserable winter where she would go into spring thin & frail.
A fellow livery tried hard to get me to change my mind & used plenty of emotional blackmail to get me to back down, which I had no intention of doing. I the miss old girl like mad but I have no regrets & feel no guilt over my decision.
This livery has an old lame horse who is very thin, some days can hardly walk & often stands holding a front leg off the ground but she's convinced he's happy & that she's doing the right thing; I don't get into any conversations with her about it as I'm just as convinced that what she is doing is very cruel, yet she thinks that what I did for my old was very cruel.

 

[Bellaboo18]

Sadly though, there are many people who do let their own feelings ("I can't bear to part with him/her") get in the way - I saw it with my mother when she did her usual head in the sand thing over our old family pony. By the time my then OH and I had persuaded her to have him pts her "much loved horse" was literally skin and bone. It was appalling, but taught me a valuable lesson about making pts decisions.

I've seen it loads of times over the years with clients and their animals.

Yeah you're right it does happen and is so sad to see. I'd like to think i'd never do that and just wanted to say I don't by any means support keeping our animals alive for our own sake.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I think people massively underestimate how much prey animals suffer when they can't run. I'm pretty sure we got a skating behind our backs when we had the old boy PTS... But he was going into winter with only 1 good leg and it just wasn't worth the risk of him suffering further over the winter. It really was the right decision because that winter was just awful and the next summer wasn't much better!

I assess Granny in February time each year to see if we're going to do another one. She went on bute this year in February so she gets this winter and again we'll see... she was galloping about like a 2 year old all summer though so I'm hopeful. I refuse to have her hobbling around like a walking skeleton at any point. She'll be fat and sound (on drugs) when she goes. And people will no doubt say I did it for convenience. They can go swim.

 

[millikins]

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/retired-horse-free-good-home-hh-asks-tough-question-668348

Having read this article, it voiced all my thoughts on the subject. In fact i had been thinking about posting a thread saying just this after reading an ad on a local site:

"23 years old and is looking for companion or light work home to see out the rest of his life....we would love to stay in contact as he is very much loved by us" (price is listed)

There is another ad where 20 year old horse is being offered free as he has been diagnosed with a heart murmur.

Perhaps they will find good homes and I'm just being a cynic.......

I have seen both those adverts and the 23yr old in particular is so sad, poor thing looks to have cushings, where will he end up? The 20 yr old is a bit different in that the horse is still rideable but would still prefer to see owners looking for a loan home so they retain control.

 

[Berpisc]

One of my old liveries' old horses stayed with use when they retired from keeping horses (they were older and sensible to do this). Their old boy was happy with us, out at grass, but me and the husband had an agreement that when he started to look like he was struggling then it was time for him to go. His wife hated making those sorts of decisions and tended to hang on to her pets. So a couple of springs ago when he was looking a bit sparse coming out of winter and was not gaining weight on good summer gazing I had a discussion with the husband and he got looked after until the weather was turning and I supervised him being PTS before he got dragged down in a winter he wasn't going to enjoy. After he retired he hated being stabled, disliked being rugged, so enjoyed a couple of years being a bit feral and woolly.
I think it is highly depressing if people just want to pass an old horse on; as others said, how about a loan? How about getting help if putting to sleep?

 

[ester]

I have seen both those adverts and the 23yr old in particular is so sad, poor thing looks to have cushings, where will he end up? The 20 yr old is a bit different in that the horse is still rideable but would still prefer to see owners looking for a loan home so they retain control.

It concerns me that the rideable 20yo has a non visible problem, very easy to sell on for a nice bit of profit if you price him low enough that people don't get a vetting (and they've probably got a 'spare' passport to take a few years off too.

 

[F&B]

Yes if I couldn't afford another horse, I'd give up riding my own and find other ways to continue my hobby. I couldn't have them pts if they weren't in pain and they were enjoying life. The article would be better balanced with other opinions. Not just a one sided argument.

Yes I agree completely, it was 2 years between my old boy retiring and getting my other boy - I didn't even consider it an option for him to go anywhere or pts when he didn't need to be. I found a very good riding school that has good horses/instructors and had lessons there.

 

[ycbm]

I don't think anyone's saying they wouldn't pts when a horse is suffering. I'm saying I wouldn't put to sleep if they were unrideable but otherwise healthy and happy. Putting to sleep because you want another horse in my opinion is unacceptable.

Why?

 

[Bellaboo18]

Why?

Because I value their lives. They're not just tools I get rid of when it no longer suits.

 

[ycbm]

Because I value their lives. They're not just tools I get rid of when it no longer suits.

I don't understand what it is you feel that allows you to decide that what other people feel is wrong. If the 'tool' doesn't know and doesn't care that it could live longer, then surely what you call ' value their lives' is your own time with them and care for them?

 

[blitznbobs]

Because I value their lives. They're not just tools I get rid of when it no longer suits.

Are you a vegetarian?

 

[Bellaboo18]

Are you a vegetarian?

Haha yes

 

[Bellaboo18]

I don't understand what it is you feel that allows you to decide that what other people feel is wrong. If the 'tool' doesn't know and doesn't care that it could live longer, then surely what you call ' value their lives' is your own time with them and care for them?

How rude. I've not said anyone is wrong, I've said my opinion which is surely the point of this forum.