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harrie27

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Anyone willing enough to take on a 15.3H gelding, irish sports horse
Has kissing spine - should be fine with successful operation.
got slight attitude (maybe due to being in pain) does hack and loves to jump. Loves sj and shown promise on first xc schooling trip

Need to get a home otherwise going to have to have him put down.
Anyone willing and got the time and money for this deep down lovely horse??

Thanks
 
Do you mean that you want to give him away with his current kissing spine untreated and have his new owner pay for his op and take the risk on him coming right?
Do you have him insured? Do you know how much the kissing spine op costs without insurance? His new owner won't be able to get any you see, so he's not free, he's an expensive horse.
 
he went xc before he was diagnosed, because we dont have money to do operation - run out of insurance money trying to diagnose it!
 
No such thing as a free horse!!! I and perhaps many more will say, do right by this horse to save him being passed from pillar to post, to have him PTS in not a cruel act...
 
Goodness do you really think, in this current climate, anyone has got that kind of money to spend on a horse that may never come right? You can buy a decent sound one for less than that!

If you can't do right by him then I'm afraid the kindest thing to do is pts.
 
You are asking a very hard question, as many people would say yes, till they find out the price for the operation, which from what my vet told me was £5000 upwards and it's only 75% cure.
 
He does deserve a chance Harrie, and for all the wonderful times he's given you, don't you think you should give it to him?
Nobody is going to take him knowing that they have to spend £3,000 and then be uncertain about his future physical capabilities. But you are his owner and supposedly you love him, so why don't you give him the chance?
If not, put him to sleep because there are people out there who will happily take him off your hands, telling you they will have the op done and he will have a home for life. Then they will sell him on without doing anything and make a tidy profit, even if they only get meat money.
I think a reality check is in order.
 
I'll have him. I'm absolutely not a dodgy dealer, and will absolutely not dope him up to the eyeballs and sell him for a vast profit to the first poor unsuspecting lamb to wander across my path. Since I have many posts on this forum I am obviously a totally experienced and great person, and I can send you lots of pictures of an amazing yard that may or may not be mine and even get you references from my vet, who may or may not exist.

Sorry you are in this sad position, but please do the right thing by this horse. He has no monetary value other than his meat price, and no sentimental value to anyone other than you, and if you send him out there you are throwing him to the wolves.
 
Can't you take out a payment plan with your vets? Most practices do them

Is it true you can retire horses with kissing spine? I'm sure I've known a couple of horses be used as very light hacks/field companions with this condition.

Other than that it's PTS I'm afraid :( even if you did find a home for him, how can you be sure this person will put him through the operation?
 
"Is it true you can retire horses with kissing spine? I'm sure I've known a couple of horses be used as very light hacks/field companions with this condition."

Yes, you can retire them, I my much loved mare has been retired in a field since she was just 6 years old. She's quite happy out with her friends. She wasn't a suitable candidate for the operation.
 
For gods sake you lot - it is a hard enough decision to PTS without you lot giving OP a hard time! You are all so bloody perfect aren't you?

OP you need to take a good hard look at this horse and his future - please don't sell him with his condition.
 
I would reply but hes jus got too much attitude to handle (bites kicks, rears on end of leadrope) and would get worse with less work! Doesn't hack on own very well - rears very high, which is partly why we are giving up on him!
Thanks for all your comments, going to pts on friday!
 
Harrie, you say the insurance has run out, but I see you've only had him for 6 months, so how's that? In my experience diagnosis of kissing spine took the vets running through various things including bone scans, and by the time the problem was identified that had us up to about £1500. Most insurances seem to cover up to £5,000 per incident, so surely you've got time and cover to get the op done?
 
BonneMaman said:
For gods sake you lot - it is a hard enough decision to PTS without you lot giving OP a hard time! You are all so bloody perfect aren't you?
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I don't think anyone is claiming to be perfect. Just responsible.

If the OP has reached the end of the road with the horse then the options are

  • retire it
  • PTS
  • Have the operation
This is always an emotive subject :(
 
TheEquineOak said:
BonneMaman said:
For gods sake you lot - it is a hard enough decision to PTS without you lot giving OP a hard time! You are all so bloody perfect aren't you?

I don't think anyone is claiming to be perfect. Just responsible.

If the OP has reached the end of the road with the horse then the options are

  • retire it
  • PTS
  • Have the operation
This is always an emotive subject :(
Click to expand...

^ Spot on!
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BonneMaman said:
For gods sake you lot - it is a hard enough decision to PTS without you lot giving OP a hard time! You are all so bloody perfect aren't you?

OP you need to take a good hard look at this horse and his future - please don't sell him with his condition.
Click to expand...
No, we're not so bloody perfect. However, some of us have been faced with this situation and I think I can safely say would not consider giving the poor horse away for free to an uncertain future. As I said, I have a kissing spine horse retired in a field. I would have shot her myself rather than give her away, because I know what the most likely outcome would be, and it wouldn't be that someone would dip into their pocket for £3k and give her a great home for the rest of her life.
If Op was asking what we thought about getting surgery done, pts or retire I'm sure she would have had a lot of sympathetic responses.
 
FWIW, I think you have made a very tough but correct decision.

Bonnemamman, take a look at some of the Amersham horses when they were cleaned up, there were some nice looking horses there, that someone must have cared for very much at one time, but that had underlying health problems. If someone had made that tough decision a lot sooner, then they might have had the peaceful end they deserved instead of going through hell first. So sorry if it offends you, but I will keep on trying to warn people of the risks they are taking with their non-rideable or old horses if they give them away to strangers.
 
Tinypony said:
Harrie, you say the insurance has run out, but I see you've only had him for 6 months, so how's that? In my experience diagnosis of kissing spine took the vets running through various things including bone scans, and by the time the problem was identified that had us up to about £1500. Most insurances seem to cover up to £5,000 per incident, so surely you've got time and cover to get the op done?
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There are two horses with KS on my yard. Both were diagnosed by xray at our local vets. Total vet bill before treatment was less than £500. Both had cortisone injections. The first has made a complete recovery and is bck to full work and competing. The other (much more severe case) so far appears to have made good progress. I know of other horses with KS that have been helped by 6 weeks of lunging in the pessoa.
 
Tinypony said:
He does deserve a chance Harrie, and for all the wonderful times he's given you, don't you think you should give it to him?
Nobody is going to take him knowing that they have to spend £3,000 and then be uncertain about his future physical capabilities. But you are his owner and supposedly you love him, so why don't you give him the chance?
If not, put him to sleep because there are people out there who will happily take him off your hands, telling you they will have the op done and he will have a home for life. Then they will sell him on without doing anything and make a tidy profit, even if they only get meat money.
I think a reality check is in order.
Click to expand...

HappyHorses:) said:
Take responsability for your own horse!
Jeeze! :mad:
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As above!



BonneMaman said:
For gods sake you lot - it is a hard enough decision to PTS without you lot giving OP a hard time! You are all so bloody perfect aren't you?
Click to expand...


But she's quite happy to give the horse away to any Tom, Dick or Harry!?!
 
The vets were confused about the symptoms with my girl, so my costs are probably the high end of how much it costs to diagnose. We had xrays of the back legs, full body bone scan (which of course found nothing), then another one, then a phone call when she was still under asking if they could xray her spine. (cries)
Op, this may sound harsh, but I am pleased you are having your horse pts rather than pass him on to an uncertain future, as they seem to be the only options available.
 
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