Having two older ponies

AngieandBen

AngieandBen

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Sorry to be a bit morbid, but I was wondering those of you that have two horses/ponies of the sameish age, what will you do when the time comes for one of them to be pts or one has an accident and has to be pts?

I have both mine at home, no liveries etc, they are 19 and 21 years old. Both are very healthy atm, but what do I do if one dies? Do most people get another one for company, hope the one still alive is ok living on their own, or do you have both pts at the same time?

I really want to plan for this and let my family know what I want.
 
Personally I would put the unhealthy one to sleep and loan or buy a cheapie companion for the remaining one - I don't see the need to put the healthy one to sleep just because his buddy has died, horses make new friends all the time and as long as he still enjoys life ie grazing etc then I'd keep him going. If after a certain amount of time you can see that the remaining pony is really mourning his buddy (and I don't just mean immediately after) and has lost the will to live then I would PTS at that point, but at least give him the chance.
 
I'm in this situation, have one at 26 and one at 22 and have agonised over the pair of them for the past few years. In my case, they both stick together almost all the time in the field but the older one would be very unhappy if the 22yo wasn't there and I don't think he would get over it, whereas if it was the other way round, the 22yo would miss the other but not to the point of not wanting to carry on. As it is, both of them have gone very "elderly" and creaky recently anyway :(
 
This is one thing I worry about. My two (still in their teens) are very attached and rarely apart. I do wonder if it might be kinder to let them go together when the time comes. They are on paired turnout at livery and, as I approach 60 myself, there is no way that I would (be able to afford to) take on another anyway.

Hopefully, by the time this situation presents, we will all be in our dotage and it will be a straightforward decision.
 
Must admit the thought of having another when I'm getting on too is slightly daunting!

They have been together for years, I know they will both cope though without each other as they are both quite independent and have always gone out alone without the other.

Hopefully, they will both slow down at the same time
 
If I felt one horse was possibly in his / her last summer then I would get a companion or field sharer now so when the time came there would be another horse around. I also think we under estimate how well horses do actually cope when they lose a long time friend.
 
I had three ponies at one point, but it was a financial struggle at the time so my little shettie went off to a friends.

Yes I would probably do that Clava thanks
 
You could offer retirement livery to a horse and use the money to employ a freelance to do a few hours a week to make your life a little bit easier.

Having said that, I don't think anyone would critisise you if you made the decision to let them both go at the same time. My philosophy is look after them beautifully when they are alive and when you are no longer in a position to do that, for whatever reason, make the correct, if painful, decision.

(PS Being 60 is no excuse, there are several top competitive riders still at the top in their 50's and an Olympic Dressage rider competiting this year in their 70's!!!)
 
Great idea canteron, had never thought of that!

(PS I'm only 50 this year but have osteoarthritis in my hands/shoulders and knees, although I just get on with it atm and its not too bad, there will be a time when I physcally will have to stop! )
 
I am aghast at people who believe that the remaining horse should be pts. Another horse as a companion would help the horse come to terms with its loss and there is no reason to think that this story would not have a happy outcome. And in the case of long term bonded horses I strongly believe that you should let the live horse see the dead horse once it is dead (but obviously not to watch it be pts) and distressing as it is at the time, especially for yourself let the horse in with the dead one so he can smell it, paw it with his hoof and understand that the horse is not going to get up and it is in fact dead. This is how it works in the wild, there is no reason to not allow this in 'captivity' so to speak.

This is the kindest thing that you can do for your remaining friend. To just take a horse that has been a companion away from another horse following death without it knowing what has happened to its friend is just way too cruel in my humble opinion and this would cause it so much distress. Imagine if your best friend, partner, brother, mother just disappeared out of your life and you didn't know what had happened to them and never had an answer. How awful. I hope this situation never arises for us but I would certainly let my friends horse (who has a firm bond with my horse as his next door paddock mate) see his friend and let him loose with him (they are pts at our yard in our indoor school). I would hope that she would do the same for my horse should the time arise but would respect her wishes if she decided this was not appropriate.

I guess a lot of people reading this would be aghast at my opinion and I expect to get some bad feedback :( But horses are capable of feeling loss as we are. Star of Bethlehem (available from large chemists or online at Bach Flower Remedies) is the best holistic tonic for bereavement but nothing is as good as letting your friend come to terms in his own time the loss of your other horse. xx
 
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No bad feedback from me :) I think we just have to look at it as an individual choice when the time comes. If I was on a livery yard it wouldn't be so much of a problem as there's always other horses around. There has to come a point when you have to stop having companions ( well for me age and health wise )

I would never take one away from the other in death. I think ii will be going down the "offer retirement livery" when the time comes
 
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