Heart vs Head - Reitiring my young horse options

[pollypock1211]

After alot of sleepless nights and 3 years of torment i have finally decided to reitre my horse at just 9yrs old. Im absolutley gutted and it sunk in this morning when i had his shoes removed for the first time.

He has bone spavin and had OCD in both his stifles if that isen't enough he is now intermitently lame on front! He got re-xrayed a couple of months back after a thrid lot of joint injections and no improvements. His hocks are almost fused (which im told is good) but his stifles have started with OA and have some bone spurs presesnt. In conclusion i was told more work is good for his hocks but less work for his stifles. Im fighting a loseing battle!

At the moment he is field sound and not on any bute etc and is happily cantering, rolling and bucking around but when i see that he looks fine and decide to ride him, he becomes different. Hes stumbling and tripping on front and behind. When i ask for a little trot his tail swishes and his ears are back, hes tense - and hes got a shuffled gait going up and downhills.

Vets are suspisous something seperate is going off on front im personally suspecting navicular but to find out they obviously need to do more xrays, nerve blocks and possible scans. Im having a nightmare with the insurance as ive got so many exclusions on my policy now but even if they do accept liabilty is it worth putting him through the tests again ? whats it going to acheive as hes already riddled behind with OA and as everyone knows this disease only gets worse ? or do i try everything in my power to find out whats going off in front as it may make the OA behind worse ?

In summary, in the 3 years i have owned him he has had 3 lots of joint injections in his hocks, hes had a months course of Adequen, countless xrays, nerve blocks, bone scans and arthroscopy surgery on both stifles and one hock in 2010. At what point do you decide enoughs enough.

My other option is to him retire him and keep him. He is now barefooted and sore but praying he will be ok after a week or so. I see him in the field galloping around and he looks a picture of health! we were only XC last June. I told my vet my thoughts of retiring him this morning and he said he couldnt really argue with me as he probably thought it was the best decision.

In October I wrote off to alot of retirment sancutaries asking if they could help me out with him but had no luck as suspected. I dont want to just palm him off now he cant be ridden but Ive funded alot of his vet bills myself and we just cannot keep up with joint injections which im scared hes going to need. So this is another worry. Alot of the sanctuarys wrote back everyone saying their opinouns would be to PTS before he gets worse. Obviously i cant rehome him in his condition and even as a loan or companioun home i would find it very hard trusting anyone.

Sorry for the long post but what are peoples thoughts? what would you do in my situation being best for my horse.. Thanku..x

 

[Ali2]

Either keep him in retirement if you are able and so long as he is content otherwise PTS to assure his future.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I can't help you to make your decision I'm afraid but I do understand why you have decided to retire him. I had a mare who was retired at a similar age. We kept her as a companion until she died of a stroke aged 24. For the first few years we were at DIY livery, she was one of the reasons we decided to buy our own place. I bought another horse to ride during this time.
My mare developed rheumatism/arthritis in her later years and responded very well to magnet boots, I wonder if these would help your horse?

 

[s4sugar]

Either keep him in retirement if you are able and so long as he is content otherwise PTS to assure his future.

This.^

Never an easy decision but if you can keep him while he is comfortable then do so. If not PTS.

 

[Lulwind]

Firstly, sorry to learn of your troubles. He is your horse, and only you know him well enough to make the correct decisions for him. Other than that, can offer no other advice save to say good luck with whatever route you decide upon

 

[Jazzy B]

This.^

Never an easy decision but if you can keep him while he is comfortable then do so. If not PTS.

^^^
this also - big hugs

 

[pollypock1211]

Thank you..x magnetic boots may be worth a try to keep him comfatable.. Im just worried about his future and wonder if it is kinder to PTS before he is crippled - but then how will i know if i did the right thing - what if its too early for that.. Whats others experience with bone spavie and/or stifle OCD/OA
Thanks

 

[billy2]

Try him in retirement. Mine retired at 5! With one pedal bone almost through his toe. He spent the next 24 years nannying allsorts. He never required medication, constant low-key movement was the best thing. If that's an option, try it.

 

[Echo Bravo]

There is no easy answer to so difficult question, I'm lucky I own my own land,so my lot stay until old age calls,if he's happy and you can afford to keep him,give him a little him time before you decide.

 

[charmeroo]

I think that if you can afford to keep him as a field ornament for now then great. And I think that when you can see that he is not happy or comfortable, even just pottering in the field - them this will be the right time for that hard decision. He will tell you when that time has come.

 

[hudsonw]

I have never replied on these types of posts as at the end of the day only you really know your horse, his capabilitys, quality of life he has or will have but after reading what you and your boy have been through and the prognosis I would be thinking very hard about the PTS route

I'm so sorry, it's heartbreaking and such a terrible thing to happen to the both of you but do you really want him to have months/years of injections and him only getting worse?

Have a serious word with your vet and ask them for their advice and take it from there...good luck and let us know what you decide.

Nobody will judge you or can say you haven't done enough for him

 

[cellie]

I had very similiar probs to yours without the stifle element.I found my then 7 yr old a fab retirement home he was field sound but was getting depressed on small paddock t/o.Lady wanted someone she could play with on ground and keep her ponies company in 10 acre field.He was very lucky boy as after year off is sound enough to be gentle hack.He couldnt manage my workload and kept breaking down.I hope you are lucky enough to find someone who cares enough about his quality of life and wants companion. We had agreement that if he broke down or was in pain we would re evaluate but he was one of lucky ones.

 

[pollypock1211]

I have never replied on these types of posts as at the end of the day only you really know your horse, his capabilitys, quality of life he has or will have but after reading what you and your boy have been through and the prognosis I would be thinking very hard about the PTS route

I'm so sorry, it's heartbreaking and such a terrible thing to happen to the both of you but do you really want him to have months/years of injections and him only getting worse?

Have a serious word with your vet and ask them for their advice and take it from there...good luck and let us know what you decide.

Nobody will judge you or can say you haven't done enough for him

Thanks for your advice.. its diffcult because my heads telling me the most sensible thing is to do is PTS as i am prolonging the disease and why wait for him to deteriorate, and then theres the financial reasons etc I havent got the space or money to keep another horse which i would love to have to carry on and compete but then i feel very selfish for thinking these reasons then my heart is telling me to do everything possible and while he seems happy keep him in retirement stop thinking about money - its not his fault and he owes me nothing x

 

[Tiffany]

If he's happy being a horse in the field then let him do that. When his condition learns and he's even struggling in field

 

[Tiffany]

Silly phone. Should say when his condition worsens & he's not happy then consider pts option.

 

[hudsonw]

Speak to your vet and if you both think you have done everything possible then it will ease the guilt your feeling about him being PTS.
Wanting to enjoy your hobby isn't a bad thing and by reading your opening post you have already done so much for him.
Everyone knows horses are an expensive, time consuming & emotional pastime and of course this will play a part in your overall decision.
No decisions have to be made tonight, tomorrow or even next week so just give yourself a bit of time to really think everything through and once you have decided, stick to that decision either way it's not the wrong one, it's your one.

 

[ausipaliboi]

I had a cat who was only 4 when he was PTS. I had spent a year and thousands of dollars fighting his disease only to have to PTS. Call me cruel but I wish I had a serious discussion with the vet regarding making an early call to PTS rather than force medication and special requirements on him just to keep him with me.

I also had to PTS my old horse 4 years ago but that only happened after his hips gave out on him. I still can't decide if I am angry with myself that his last days were in agony and bute did nothing and wondering if I wished I could have been strong enough to have let him go before he reached that point. A close friend with me when he was injected said my boy fought it so hard, she had never seen anything like it before, neither of us wanted to let go of one another. Hindesight is both a blessing and a curse. The what if's a nightmare at times.

As hudsonw said, no decision has to be made right now and that in itself is a great blessing. Monitor him, enjoy his company, enjoy watching him be a horse. Just keep your eyes peeled and heart open for if / when the time comes to make the decision.

Hugs to you xx

 

[katastrophykat]

Thanks for your advice.. its diffcult because my heads telling me the most sensible thing is to do is PTS as i am prolonging the disease and why wait for him to deteriorate, and then theres the financial reasons etc I havent got the space or money to keep another horse which i would love to have to carry on and compete but then i feel very selfish for thinking these reasons then my heart is telling me to do everything possible and while he seems happy keep him in retirement stop thinking about money - its not his fault and he owes me nothing x

i PTS my mare last year, she was my first horse, owed me nothing at all, i still miss her like mad and would love to have her here again, but dont ever regret my decision. Her loss is mine- the one who misses her is me, she knew nothing about it. all she knew was that the nice vet put a needle in her and she went to sleep. she was out at grass and still munching when she went. I made the decision so as not to put her through any more pain. It was a different situation, in that she had a large hole in her leg, a socking great sarcoid that needed treatment (and due to bad advice from another vet wasnt done as soon as it should have been so it was a sod to treat) and we had just found her on three legs as id taken her off the bute and we discovered a cracked cannon bone. Everything was treatable, she could have been boxed to Liverpool and put through operations, months of treatment- some of it very invasive- and months of box rest. It was in her interests to be PTS, if not mine. IMO if they are in pain and there is not a lot i can do to cure it/make it comfortable for them, it's my job to ensure they have a comfortable end.

Best of luck- it's a horrible horrible decision.

 

[Welly]

So sorry for you we have just gone through the same thing. My boy had been on box rest for 18 months out of the last 3years and in since last May We had xrays, scans, nerveblocks and could find nothing he was getting very sore and 2 months ago he was on 1 Danilon a day and now needed 2. He was quite happy with life but we knew the day would come when he had to be PTS. So this week we said good bye the hardest thing I've done but I know he went a happy horse and not one in pain. You will know when it is time for you and your boy, good luck.

 

[TicTac]

My heart goes out to you. Unfortunately I was in the same position as you a few years ago with a horse I had owned from a foal. I had him from the age of 5 months to 10 when he was sadly PTS. I decided to ' retire ' him at the age of 10 after one thing after another of debilitating problems. This I did, but within a few months he went down with sinusitis again and that was it. Time to say goodbye. I was gutted but felt I had done all I could for him.

You could give your horse a year off in the field and see if 'time off' and free movement helps him and see how it goes after that or in all honestly, say that you have done as much as you can and PTS.

We owe it to our horses to do the best by them and passing him on to somebody else with all his problems is only passing on the problem. Even companions need looking after. However if you can find somebody willing to have him knowing all his problems then good luck.

 

[canteron]

OP, this is heartbreaking and you are probably right in your thoughts - you know him better than anyone.

Could you give you both a breathing space and put him out to grass - with a time limit on it, say 6 months and spoil him totally. Drop all medication apart from any controls pain. If nothing else, then hopefully he would have had a lovely 6 months chill out.

On a practical note, why don't you also look around and see if there is anything else which needs exercising in the meantime. If you are - and in all events it looks as if you are - going to have to look for a new riding horse at some point, then all the experience in riding different horses will come in useful and you never know what/who you will find and what arrangements will materialise!

Good luck.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

Thank you..x magnetic boots may be worth a try to keep him comfatable.. Im just worried about his future and wonder if it is kinder to PTS before he is crippled - but then how will i know if i did the right thing - what if its too early for that.. Whats others experience with bone spavie and/or stifle OCD/OA
Thanks

Any decision you have to make is entirely up to you. In your shoes I would pts whilst he is enjoying life because I know that if he was pts because of pain i had left it too late, and I really would feel guilty at that point. If you do decide to pts then he won't know what's happening; He'll have an injection- as he's had countless times before- and then he'll feel sleepy- he'll lie down, close his eyes, and he'll be at peace.

Why don't you give yourself the summer with him playing ponies and grooming- the weather will be better on his joints, and re-consider your optiobs before the winter next year?

 

[jeeve]

If this was me, i would look at 3-6 months paddock retirement, whatever you feel comfortable with - and what he can cope with then PTS.

 

[Booboos]

I am really sorry to hear about your boy!

I had a very similar experience, young horse, battled with stiffle OCD for two years until eventually retired (went the operation and box rest route, but the problem came back) at the very young age of 8. We have our own land so it was an easier decision in terms of cost, but it was still heart breaking as he was a wonderful horse and loved to work when he was able to. Unfortunately he was extremely unsettled in the field and never took to retirement so we eventually had to PTS. It was a very tough decision but sometimes it's the best you can do for them.

 

[Leg_end]

I will give you my experience with this.. My lad was 10 when he got diagnosed with navicular. He was actually showing lameness behind initially and was only fractionally lame in front on a tight circle. After X-rays and MRI he had severe symptoms plus damage to the DDFT and DJD in his rear fetlock joint. I spoke to rockely farm as they've done some v gd work with navicular horses but they looked at his info and said the only failures they'd had were with horses like mine. So we went the Tilden, cortisone and dr green route. He came sound ish for a week but then went rapidly down hill and was just miserable, he'd lost all his sparkle so I decided to PTS. This all happened in a few months and it was almost like he was relieved we'd found something wrong and went rapidly downhill. I look at pictures now of him the day before he was PTS and I know it was the right choice.

You have to let your gut decide on this one. I'm a firm believer that they let you know when the time is right for them.

If you need to talk, pm me.

 

[Black_Horse_White]

I only had my horse for 11 months when I had to have him PTS at 10. He had ringbone in both fronts. I had joint injections done didn't make any difference. He never felt right in all that time but he did deteriorate quite quickly. In the end he was on 4 Bute to see if he could become field sound, this was only short term of a week, they didn't touch him. He got worse to the point we struggled to get him from the field. Within a short space of time.

The day he was PTS i was gutted, he was my perfect horse and we only had a very short time together and most of that was stressing about his lameness. I guess what I'm trying to say is you will know when your horse has had enough. Sadly my boy couldn't be retired.

 

[NooNoo59]

I was in exactly the same positon although with an older horse, went out on loan as companion and was stolen. Finally found her again, got her back and had her PTS which is what i should have done in the first place. It sounds like your horse has been through enough, if he is field sound and happy and you can afford to keep him as a pet then fine, but as they cant talk you can never be sure if they are pain free, I was jumping my mare up to three months before she was diagnosed. It sounds to me as if you have done everything you can for this horse, and in this situation do not feel guilty about ending his life, in fact it is the kindest thing that you can do, when their quality of life becomes less that what they deserve. Good luck, its not easy

 

[PaddyMonty]

As others have said, only you can make the decision.
I was faced with a similar decision abou 4 years ago with my grade B showjumper. He came to me with shivers. All seemed fine for a couple of years then he started to go downhill. It got to the stage where I couldn't even hack him out safely.
I decided to retire him (on DIY livery). He had 3 months in the field but just wouldn't settle. He'd always been very active comp horse who loved going out to parties. I guess he just could understand why he was now stuck in a field doing nothing.
I made the decision to PTS. Having spent my life (51 years) around horses you could say I've been involved in many horses being PTS, often for owners who just couldn't face being there I thought I was pretty hardened to it.
Wrong! This one really got to me, probably because he was only 10 and looked in peak physical condition.

My only consolation is what the vet said to me afterwards and I quote
"I know it probably doesn't help right now but I wish more owners would make the hard decision you have rather than dragging it out to the horses detriment"

 

[Ibblebibble]

no one wants to be accused of putting a horse to sleep to soon and not giving them chance but i think you can rest assured that you have done what you can for your horse, it's easy for others to say retire him to grass but if that is not a viable option for you then it is better to let them go.

 

[Wagtail]

I would retire him to see how he was, but if he was uncomfortable, then PTS.