Hardest decision of my life to make...

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Scheherezade

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I need to decide whether to have my first horse PTS - the first horse I bought myself, looked after entirely by myself, taught everything etc.

He has OCD in his back legs, which is untreatable, and I'm not willin gand don't have teh funds to spend thousands on surgery. He's been rideable as long as the condition is managed sensitively, but I became pregnant, put him on loan, and now the loanee wants to send him back, claiming he can't even walk (he was not that bad when he went to her, in fact he was jumping cross country and had been cleared by the vet to be a pleasure riding horse). I got her email tonight, but luckily our loan contract states 4 weeks notice, so I have some time to sort things out.

A friend of mine has offered a field for £40per month, grass livery, not sure what that would include (e.g. hay in winter). He's a good doer, so I know he'll keep condition, and I have good rambo rugs. But it'd cost about £150 to transport him there (from derbyshire to manchester).

I can't have him on DIY, and can't afford full livery. I need to decide whether to;

PTS (but he's my first horse, and my only horse. I have friends to ride, but it'd just feel so awful to do it. but then his condition might/probably will deteriorate, although I doubt this will be to the point where he is unhappy in a field)
Grass livery - if he will cope, need to find out what my friends offer includes.
Hacking loan home - not sure I can go through all that again, in fact pretty sure I can't.
Give him away for free, making sure people are aware of his issues.

Hum :(
 
I would find out what your friend's offer involves before you make any decisions. If he's sound as a hack and a good doer he might be perfectly happy on holiday as a field ornament at least for the next few years until you become more sorted and he will be moving around and comfortable.
Also you need to find out exactly what is going on with your horse - whether he is hacking sound and field sound as you say or whether he can hardly even walk as your loaner states. I imagine that will be a large part of your decision.
I wouldn't give him away for free as you never know where he might end up.
 
BrambleandMonty said:
I need to decide whether to have my first horse PTS - the first horse I bought myself, looked after entirely by myself, taught everything etc.

He has OCD in his back legs, which is untreatable, and I'm not willin gand don't have teh funds to spend thousands on surgery. He's been rideable as long as the condition is managed sensitively, but I became pregnant, put him on loan, and now the loanee wants to send him back, claiming he can't even walk (he was not that bad when he went to her, in fact he was jumping cross country and had been cleared by the vet to be a pleasure riding horse). I got her email tonight, but luckily our loan contract states 4 weeks notice, so I have some time to sort things out.

A friend of mine has offered a field for £40per month, grass livery, not sure what that would include (e.g. hay in winter). He's a good doer, so I know he'll keep condition, and I have good rambo rugs. But it'd cost about £150 to transport him there (from derbyshire to manchester).

I can't have him on DIY, and can't afford full livery. I need to decide whether to;

PTS (but he's my first horse, and my only horse. I have friends to ride, but it'd just feel so awful to do it. but then his condition might/probably will deteriorate, although I doubt this will be to the point where he is unhappy in a field)
Grass livery - if he will cope, need to find out what my friends offer includes.
Hacking loan home - not sure I can go through all that again, in fact pretty sure I can't.
Give him away for free, making sure people are aware of his issues.

Hum :(
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definitely dont give him away free, he could be sold as a sound horse anyway etc or even worse horror stories! i'm sure other hho'ers will have advice on the main problem x
 
Yes, friend is a bit of a dodgy dealer but has a lot of horses which winter out. Haven't seen the field, but my horse is used to county durham and wintered out last winter with 1 haynet a day, so he should cope!

He's only 6, so I suppose a few years is nothing wasted.
 
First of all I would get him home so you can assess his condition yourself. With OCD he could have got worse if he has not been managed properly i.e. stabled with no exercise.

He will be fine on grass livery, at least until winter really hits, by which time you will have had time to make realistic decisions. If he's rideable you might find a sharer to help with the costs.

As for the £150, try asking on here, someone might be passing and bring him home for less
 
sorry to hear that :(
i would fetch him home and put him on grass livery to at least give him a chance then if he can't cope wintering out then you may well have to pts

could you go down for a visit to see how he is as it sounds like he has deteriated in the time he has been on loan and then it would be fairer to pts instead of traveling him all the way home if his legs are really that bad he's struggling to walk

please don't give him away free as you will never know where he could end up ,you here such sad stories and you just can't trust anyone

you have a resposibility to make sure he is ok weather that be by traveling to see him and pts were he is if he's not fit to travel or bringing him home and giving him the retirement he deserves until the time doe's come

someone might want him as a companion if he is suitable and you could maybe work something out were he is useful for someone and you could get cheaper livery and visit him regularly .worth a try

good luck what ever you decide its a tough decision to make :(
 
You're right rockysmum - that was my thoughts. Although I have nowhere 'here' to keep him and at 31 weks am not able to ride myself! I could just sort getting him to manchester as soon as possible, wait & leave. He wouldn't be getting exercise, but...

In ideal world I could bring him to a yard NOW for me to deal with before he goes to mancs, but thats a waste of time and money.

I
 
if you do actully care about the horse then its best intrests are what needed. a waste of time and money .. if you feel like that get it shot tomorrow.

sorry to sound harsh but i am personally gettting sick of horse owners that just do not care/will not care/act for the horses best intrests. I am finding them shelfish and tbh really shouldnt own a bloody a horse.
 
Unfortunately I don't know the area we're currently living in, so I would struggle to find a companion home I think. he's a good doer (welsh d x) and can go without shoes, but it's just a big struggle to find a home, and I'm not sure I want that. Again, i could look for a hacking home, but it's a lot to go through again and I don't feel up to it.

I have a number for a local grass livery place and have left a message, so we'll see what they say aswell. My friend has offered to pay for transport, so that rules out that issue.

I've replied to the loanee, thanked her for sticking to the contract and asked if she thinks he's up to the travelling.

Thanks!
 
Shellfish? Sounds like a job for the Bucket of Whelks. Fair warms the cockles of your heart to read a post like that, eh?

Seriously, it sounds like you are looking for any other ideas, and truly I don't have any. FWIW I am not in favour of keeping horses as long-term field ornaments and think that PTS is a perfectly reasonable option.
 
jhoward said:
if you do actully care about the horse then its best intrests are what needed. a waste of time and money .. if you feel like that get it shot tomorrow.

sorry to sound harsh but i am personally gettting sick of horse owners that just do not care/will not care/act for the horses best intrests. I am finding them shelfish and tbh really shouldnt own a bloody a horse.
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That's a little harsh jhoward - it WOULD be a waste of time and money to bring him to a local livery yard before putting him on grass/field livery back home, as i can't ride, so I wouldn't be able to DO anything more than I can do if he went to my friends. I said in an ideal world I could have him back here on DIY so I could assess - but that's just not possible.

How is me being 31 weeks pregnant, as round as a house and unable to ride 'selfish'?! I'm trying to sort out grass/retirement livery, we'll still see him 3x a week, and my friend will be looking after him, plus have family who can keep an eye on him and see him every day - I fail to see how me struggling to manage him o nDIY for 2 weeks before we do that anyway is me being selfish?!

I assume you have simply not read my post thoroughly, so won't be offended.
 
At 6 I'd be looking at putting him on the grass livery as offered unless he is really that bad he is not comfortable at all. £40/mth is not much at all and surely, if you could afford to pay for him before then finding £40/mth can't be that much of a stretch? If you loan a horse out you should always be prepared (seeing as it is normally in the contract) that the horse is going to come back to you so should therefore be prepared with funds etc.

As a last resort then sure, have him PTS, after all he's your horse so it's your decision but, from what the vets diagnosis was it doesn't sound like there's any reason he should be that bad.
 
BrambleandMonty said:
That's a little harsh jhoward - it WOULD be a waste of time and money to bring him to a local livery yard before putting him on grass/field livery back home, as i can't ride, so I wouldn't be able to DO anything more than I can do if he went to my friends. I said in an ideal world I could have him back here on DIY so I could assess - but that's just not possible.

How is me being 31 weeks pregnant, as round as a house and unable to ride 'selfish'?! I'm trying to sort out grass/retirement livery, we'll still see him 3x a week, and my friend will be looking after him, plus have family who can keep an eye on him and see him every day - I fail to see how me struggling to manage him o nDIY for 2 weeks before we do that anyway is me being selfish?!

I assume you have simply not read my post thoroughly, so won't be offended.
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I read it twice. can you not go and see him where he is to assess, so you can then decide? that would save to many move abouts for him?
 
ladyt25 said:
At 6 I'd be looking at putting him on the grass livery as offered unless he is really that bad he is not comfortable at all. £40/mth is not much at all and surely, if you could afford to pay for him before then finding £40/mth can't be that much of a stretch? If you loan a horse out you should always be prepared (seeing as it is normally in the contract) that the horse is going to come back to you so should therefore be prepared with funds etc.

As a last resort then sure, have him PTS, after all he's your horse so it's your decision but, from what the vets diagnosis was it doesn't sound like there's any reason he should be that bad.
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The financial cost isn't an issue (well, it is, but not when it's £40 a month!) it was more deciding if it's the right decision to make, weighing up all the issues and deciding what's best for the young lad.

I have got the funds for it, and we put the 4 weeks clause in the contract in case of this, however I couldn't know all the eventualities, and am trying to work out whats right for him. Mentioning transport costs etc is just me thinking 'out loud'...
 
I think, providing she says she believes him fit to travel, and after we've visited to assess the extent of his 'pain', then I'll move him back home to Manchester. Transport isn't an issue now, and I can see how well he copes before making the PTS decision. It'd be a long term/life long home there, and we go back there every weekend and during the week, as I ride my friends horses, plus we'll have the baby and OH has season ticket for the football..
 
What a bummer. Our horse came baclk from loan when I was nearing the end of my pregnancy. I agree with the idea of going to visit him now to asses before moving him, just in case you think it os better to PTS before a long journey. If he is ok then put him on grass livery. If he is able to hack put the word out and see if you can find a sharer, failing that he could be a companion.
 
QR


Right - seems I misread her email, she's replied to me - apparently he's 'not that bad' and is just stiff in work, and is fine to travel. So that makes it a lot easier!
 
Hi, he isnt going to get better, BUT if you can afford the £40 per month and he is still eating and happy pottering around the field, then I would keep him. But if he is in pain when you get him home then perhaps think about letting him be free of pain. I hope you get it sorted soon before you go into labour!!
 
I am assuming your horse is not insured for vets bills? Becasue if he is then OCD is very curable with an excellent prognosis.

If he is not insured and there is no way you could afford the key hole surgery he would require then I would try to retire him in the field. If he is uncomfortable in the field then sadly, he should be PTS. I am so sorry for your predicament.
 
I don't think you can make any sort of decision until he has been assessed by your vet.

And have you spoken to the loaner's vet?
 
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I have a horse who is 14 now who was diagnosed with ocd as a 5yo it was his inconsistancy in his work and agressive behaviour that prompted investigations. I was devastated as he was so young, sadly was only suitable for very light hack or 16.2 companion ! he wasnt wired to be a light hack anyway so has been the dearest lawnmower ive had.
Although i didnt get much riding time with him, i learned so much about handling and dealing with difficult horses through having him and i now cherish every bone in his body, he is a sweetheart.
I could never have put him on loan as id have worried about how he was handled and cared for, if i hadnt been able to keep him i would have had him pts . You will know whats right for you and your horse
 
martlin said:
OP, that friend that offered to pay his transport... is it the same friend who offered grass livery and is a bit of a dodgy dealer? If so...... I would tread carefully.
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Yes, I would most certainly be paying for the transport myself as the owner. Of course, why would you not???:o
 
Sorry to here this first of all.

I can only comment on what I'd do if it was my horse, which would be to get him home, access the situation, get a vet out to see what they think as well, if he's field sound then I'd only keep him if he was living under my nose (as in me looking after him on a livery yard) sorry but I couldn't trust someone else to look after him or have him miles away palmed off onto someone else, after all he's my horse and I'd feel that I owe him the responsibility of looking after him in be it in good or bad health.

Obviously if he was not field sound and had to be on drugs to keep him comfortable and lead a normal life moving about eating etc, then he would be PTS.

If I could not look after him myself or had the finances to do so (if he was field sound) again he would be PTS.

If the vet said he would deterioate very quickly, he would be PTS.

As much as I love my horses, there expensive creatures to keep, if you don't want a large pet yet you want a horse you can ride but can't afford to get a second riding horse, then you have to be practical, much better this way than risking another unwanted horse being passed about like an unwanted spare part just to make a few notes for a dealers back pocket.

Good Luck, I hope things work out as well as they can for both you and your horse.
 
QR

No - it's a different friend who has offered to pay transport as a 'gift' to help us out. She's mine and OHs best friend, and knows right now is a tricky time financially (I lost my job when pregnant so we lost half our income) is v.wealthy herself and keeps offering things - we're going to help her move her stuff in return as she's moved house :) this is not something I am willing to listen to other people criticise, it is very generous of this girl to offer this, she keeps pestering us to let her pay for things for the horse/baby, she's mine and OHs best friend, our babys only godparent, loves the horse (she's not horsey herself, so sees our horse as a pet) she really wants to help out, and so we are very lucky to have that. So far we have declined all her offers, but if she gets horse transport, we've offered to help her move house, and she's agreed, so thats sorted!
Unfortunately finances do have to play a part in our considerations, whilst I know he's not in pain and suffering now, then we do have to factor in bank account issues!

marydoll - unfortunately I didn't have a choice when it came to putting him on loan, I lost my job at 4 months pregnant, so couldn't get another job, couldn't afford to keep him, and as the vet had passed him as ok for riding it made the most sense at the time. Believe me we were very careful in finding a good home for him, the girl is lovely, cares for him very well, and has said if she wasn't pregnant she would keep him regardless of his issues.

We have used up our insurance with the injections- they won't cover surgery, plus I have already discussed his prospects with surgery with 2 different vet surgeries, and it's not really worth putting him through - he has juvenile arthritis which is more of the issue than the OCD, and surgery would only give him something like 30% chance of becoming less lame temporarily, rather than acting as a cure, either short or long term. We just have to manage his condition and see how he goes, basically. The last time we had the vet see to him she said it was a 'minor' issue, that would deteriorate, but in her words "like you having a bad back or shoulder or dodgy knees - something you know about and have to keep an eye on", hence why he was able to go on loan to a fun RC/hacking home. However it's not worked out, and I'm not going to go through it again.

Have spoken to the vets, horse is sound enough to travel, it seems loanee was 'over egging' it when she first emailed to say he couldn't walk as was worried I wouldn't take him back - apparently horse is just stiff when worked, and needs physio as has a sore back. He's not in pain standing.

For the sake of £40 pw I think I will give him the chance - we will be seeing him 3x a week, we have friends and family who can check on him as it is in their village/area of mancs. And then if it seems he is not coping, or it's not working out we can go from there. I haven't spoken to the guy yet about what happens in winter, as obviously he will need hay, so I need to check that the horses are given hay through winter.

I've also put the word out locally to see if there is anything nearby - we have 4 weeks until he comes back so maybe that will lead to something.
 
Big hugs to you xx

We have just been in a similar predicament in that we have had a young horse PTS due to advanced athritic changes that would have left her, at best, struggling to be paddock sound.

It was an agonising decision and was the worst few weeks Ive ever had but I know for a fact that it was the best thing to do for her. She was so full of life and yet so very uncomfortable. Another person might have patched her up with bute and kept her going just so they didnt have to make "that" decision for a little while longer.


Sending you courage and strength that you can make the right decision by your lad when that moment arrives xx
 
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