JLH85
Well-Known Member
I feel I have now had to make the decision to have my boy PTS and I suppose I would like some opinions that I am doing the right thing. I have not come to this decision lightly but feel its now time. I will try not to ramble on too much.
I have had my boy eighteen months. He is 13 year old TBX. He is the first horse I have owned but have loaned and shared many horses before. I think I was naïve when I bought him and he was the first horse I had tried. I was told he had been mistreated in the past and has a bitter outlook on life. When I went to try him he kept trying to bite me - should have known then! I was told he will only really bond with one person and he was fine with owners so took this as truth.
He does not like people. He cannot tolerate being touched by anyone (unless tacked up when he is good as gold) and he tolerates me. He will try to kick/bite vet/farrier. Farrier has been patient and can now shoe him providing I hold first foot and pass it to farrier. He can be aggressive in the field with people and can be dominant. He is a dominant horse. When he goes to kick you, he means it, it is not a threat. He kicked me with both back feet on my side/hip (luckily just bruised) then he kicked yard owner in the field (hadn't been there long and soon got asked to move). He had never really settled on these yards but the last six months have been on a lovely quiet yard where he seemed settled - he used to weave and hasn't weaved once here so I was hopeful. I have had vet out who has said he isn't right behind and presumes arthritis in hocks. He has been on danilon and supplements with improvement but vet cannot get near him, will not x-ray at yard and for an x-ray he will have to go to vets and be heavily sedated as vet will not go near him otherwise. I know this will be traumatic as I will be worried he will hurt someone, he will be stressed and not cope well and he could never be put on box rest following any treatment as he would not cope. As he is 13, we only hack out I was going to go down the line of supplements and if needed a danilon a day. Vet agreed with this.
However, I have been ill in hospital for three weeks (back out of hospital and okay now) so YO and her husband have looked after him for me. When I am not there he stays out. YO told me today that when her husband went to get him in on my first day in hospital he has double barrelled husband in arm (black and blue thankfully not broken) and in his ribs (cracked 3 ribs). Thankfully YO is wonderful and supportive and has told no-one else to handle him (we all help each other out) and she alone will deal with him if I am not there. He shares a field though and its not possible for other ppl not to interact with him. Due to this I feel he is a danger to myself and others. I never feel I can trust him and I always have a slight sense of dread in the back of my mind and I just don't feel I can continue to let him be a threat to others. I could never forgive myself if he hurt anyone. I could never sell him on as couldn't bear for him to be passed about and don't know where he would end up.
I feel PTS is my only option as I can never see any resolution to this. He is very set in his ways behaviour wise and now with arthritis I cant bring myself to put him through anything else. Am I doing the right thing? Would you do this or would you do something different? I couldn't live with myself if he hurt anyone else. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I have had my boy eighteen months. He is 13 year old TBX. He is the first horse I have owned but have loaned and shared many horses before. I think I was naïve when I bought him and he was the first horse I had tried. I was told he had been mistreated in the past and has a bitter outlook on life. When I went to try him he kept trying to bite me - should have known then! I was told he will only really bond with one person and he was fine with owners so took this as truth.
He does not like people. He cannot tolerate being touched by anyone (unless tacked up when he is good as gold) and he tolerates me. He will try to kick/bite vet/farrier. Farrier has been patient and can now shoe him providing I hold first foot and pass it to farrier. He can be aggressive in the field with people and can be dominant. He is a dominant horse. When he goes to kick you, he means it, it is not a threat. He kicked me with both back feet on my side/hip (luckily just bruised) then he kicked yard owner in the field (hadn't been there long and soon got asked to move). He had never really settled on these yards but the last six months have been on a lovely quiet yard where he seemed settled - he used to weave and hasn't weaved once here so I was hopeful. I have had vet out who has said he isn't right behind and presumes arthritis in hocks. He has been on danilon and supplements with improvement but vet cannot get near him, will not x-ray at yard and for an x-ray he will have to go to vets and be heavily sedated as vet will not go near him otherwise. I know this will be traumatic as I will be worried he will hurt someone, he will be stressed and not cope well and he could never be put on box rest following any treatment as he would not cope. As he is 13, we only hack out I was going to go down the line of supplements and if needed a danilon a day. Vet agreed with this.
However, I have been ill in hospital for three weeks (back out of hospital and okay now) so YO and her husband have looked after him for me. When I am not there he stays out. YO told me today that when her husband went to get him in on my first day in hospital he has double barrelled husband in arm (black and blue thankfully not broken) and in his ribs (cracked 3 ribs). Thankfully YO is wonderful and supportive and has told no-one else to handle him (we all help each other out) and she alone will deal with him if I am not there. He shares a field though and its not possible for other ppl not to interact with him. Due to this I feel he is a danger to myself and others. I never feel I can trust him and I always have a slight sense of dread in the back of my mind and I just don't feel I can continue to let him be a threat to others. I could never forgive myself if he hurt anyone. I could never sell him on as couldn't bear for him to be passed about and don't know where he would end up.
I feel PTS is my only option as I can never see any resolution to this. He is very set in his ways behaviour wise and now with arthritis I cant bring myself to put him through anything else. Am I doing the right thing? Would you do this or would you do something different? I couldn't live with myself if he hurt anyone else. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
