Horse written off - what do you do?

if you have any opinions on china, ways of life there, morals etc please tell

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good god, im glad not everyone has this attitude
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care to explain??

because you've replied to me...but yet again i'm not the only one who has answered the PTS option....
 
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Gosh! I honestly cant believe how cold hearted people are saying they would have the horse PTS!

I got my first proper horse at 13 and i only got a years riding out of him before he was unable to be ridden but i have had him about 8yrs now as my field ornament at livery yards wether i had time or not he would go on full livery or diy depending on my circumstances at the time we always found the money for him. I then went on to renting my own land and was able to get another horse on full loan it has never bothered me that i could not ride as having my horses happy alive and well was far more important than what i always want and acting like a selfish brat.

You dont have your nan, family, dog, cat whatever pts because they dont what they used to do or because they lost the plot a bit. People for once should be less selfish i just hope they get there come uppence.

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Or maybe people should be a bit less judgemental - otherwise they might get their come uppence too!
Bully for you in being a paragon of virtue - maybe the rest of us just can't live up to your high standards. Or maybe we just live a bit more in the real world where we have to look at a bigger picture when we make these decisions!

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well said.......
 
Thanks everyone once again for you input. Its been very interesting but I for one still think PTS would be the best option. For those that have judged - I hope you will never find yourself in this position. Life in hard in many ways and sometimes we have to make decisions that are best for us.
I'm not going to go into whats wrong with the horse or why loaning is'nt an option as I don't think its necessary. The horse in question will be given and indeed has been given the best that the owner can do.
 
Depends what is wrong with the horse. I have known two horses that have been "signed off" by vets, their owners gave them another chance and turned them away for 18mnths. They came back sound and in both cases had good innings doing their chosen "job", hunting over big country for one of them and DR with the other one. Otherwise I would find somewhere to try and turn him away in a herd situation. If neither was possible it would have to be PTS.
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I said PTS but thats because I would hate to think that several years down the line the horse would be in someone elses hands for whatever reason and was being ridden. There are plenty of companion ponies at charities but this is the other option, hand the horse over to a charity.
 
A horse is a living thing. Kill because you cannot ride it? Don't re-home because no-one else on this earth is a good owner?
I am the wrong side of forty and respect 'LIFE'. This horse has no reason to be killed. There are options other than killing. The owner wants to retire without horses. Is the new horse going to killed whether fit or not when they decide they no-longer want a horse because no-one else is good enough?
If they keep a horse just to ride go to a rideing school.
My mare happily retired 14 years ago. Every day is precious with her. She has not been ridden in all those years but she still has a happy life. She actually works for us keeping youngsters in line and helping the psychologicaly affected ones. There is life for a horse after rideing. No-one is the perfect owner. There are plenty of options other than kill because they don't want it anymore. That is not a good owner in my eyes.
 
I absolutely love Sienna to bits, but if she was unrideable then after a nice holiday (if possible & she was genuinely happy and comfortable) then she'd be PTS and I would buy her replacement,
I might breed from her because she's a good mare - but as far as most mares are concerned if she's not good enough to breed from sound then she certainly isn't good enough to breed from lame.
I wouldn't palm her off to a charity to care for as most of them don't care for the horses as well as I do and I wouldn't want her chucked in a field bored & unkempt.
I wouldn't ever in a million years pass her off to someone as a companion, what a bizarre and worrying thing to do to your horse.
She'd have the huntsman come and shoot her in her field whilst eating a packet of polos, then I'd know she'd had a dignified and relatively painless end.
Then I'd have a nice photo album of her and lots of memories, and go and buy a nice new horse.
 
- A horse is a living thing. Kill because you cannot ride it? Don't re-home because no-one else on this earth is a good owner?
I am the wrong side of forty and respect 'LIFE'. This horse has no reason to be killed. There are options other than killing. The owner wants to retire without horses. Is the new horse going to killed whether fit or not when they decide they no-longer want a horse because no-one else is good enough?
If they keep a horse just to ride go to a rideing school.
My mare happily retired 14 years ago. Every day is precious with her. She has not been ridden in all those years but she still has a happy life. She actually works for us keeping youngsters in line and helping the psychologicaly affected ones. There is life for a horse after rideing. No-one is the perfect owner. There are plenty of options other than kill because they don't want it anymore. That is not a good owner in my eyes.


Exactly, well said. Mine has been retired 9 years and he looks fabulous, his role is to babysit the youngsters and he is very happy. The only time I would ever PTS is if a horse was vicious and likely to endanger someone.
 
I have to say, I would not put a horse to sleep just because I could no longer ride it....only if it was in the horse's best interests to PTS. A horse is a living, sentient being, with the same right to life as humans, in my view. I am not sure I have the moral right, even if I have the legal right to kill something for my pleasure.
And as for wanting to ride - if the friend was keen enough, she'd have no trouble finding free riding - I don't seek it, yet have been offered many horses to ride over the years, the last one being a GP schoolmaster to share. If she's not confident enough, perhaps she should have a few lessons til her riding is a valuable commodity.
If you have the resources to keep a horse at all, then you have the resources to retire it at the end of its working life.
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QR - its hard to say what to do when the full extent of the injury cannot be revealed. I am a sucker and i would keep him as a field companion, unless the injury is so bad he would be suffering and in which case i would PTS. But 8 years old IMO is too young to consider PTS just because its un-ridable.
 
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But 8 years old IMO is too young to consider PTS just because its un-ridable.



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But I think that is exactly why it should be PTS if it is totally unridable and never will be.
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I really don't envy your friend. If the horse will be sound enough to be a field ornament and be happy to do so, then I think the responsible thing to do would be to find a cheaper livery/look at grass livery or gift to a rescue sanctury or the blood bank. With the reduced costs it would be possible for for the owner to share or loan another horse to ride.
 
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hmm if horse is happy and paddock sound then in the paddock at livery he would stay for years if nessesary , as for paying for it , i would find it .

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Yep me too. As I am facing this situation right now where my mare may not come riding sound at age 12, it has never ever even crossed my mind to have her PTS "just" because I can't ride her. Sorry I find that just unacceptable.

I can't afford another horse to replace her, certainly not in the next few years, all my spare money and more is tied up in keeping my mare, but if she does have to be retired, I'll probably find a cheaper livery yard with no schooling facilities to keep her in a herd environment where she is happiest and just enjoy her - we have great fun playing with the clicker on the ground. Then I'll pick up rides as and when I can, or maybe get a share or something.

To me my horses have never been and never will be just for riding, they are part of the family and first and foremost pets. My mare "owes" me nothing and does not have to justify her existence. If its a pain/quality of life issue that is different, but just not being able to ride is NOT in my opinion a reason to have a living breathing creature PTS.

Edited to add : I would NEVER loan or palm off my mare, if retired she will be under my direct care at all times in her life and it will be me that makes the final decision when it is required and I will be there for her right to the end (as I was with my last horse).

Also agree with Shalsidar (sorry sp!?) - I am having to turn down rides at the moment through lack of time!! In fact this Sunday I have four horses to exercise and not a hope in hell of finding enough time to do it!!! Maybe I'm just lucky, but I do think rides find you, if you really need them.
 
Completely agree with you on all counts. My retired horse is 13 and he is paddock sound on medication.

He's on DIY livery along with my other aged but still rideable horse. He's not going anywhere until he is no longer enjoying life.

A retired horse costs about the same amount to keep as a working horse if you balance out shoes/medication/feed etc. If you can afford to keep a riding horse then you can afford to keep a non-riding horse. To have it put down just because it can no longer be ridden is, in my view, entirely selfish.
 
Toughy. At only 8 years old my immediate thoughts would be, another 20 years of paying for a horse who may become paddock-sound ... too long if you ask me. It would be one thing if the horse was over 20, then you could justify keeping it happy till it pops off itself.

Who knows why the lady cannot/will not have horses in her retirement - I think it is totally unacceptable for any of us to judge her when we do not have any idea as to why she will not
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. Perhaps she has a terminal illness or a condition which may worsen over the next few years?

We also have no idea of the physical damage done to the horse, therefore how can we say what is right or wrong? Could the damage need further veterinary care in future years? Will the horse accept or be happy being a lawn ornament? None of us can answer these questions and none of us should say what this lady should do or not do; we can simply offer our opinions on what we would do in this situation (however we imagine it).

I am actually in a similar position Jac - I have a horse who is 9 years old who has broken his leg. Vet believes he will become paddock-sound and possibly go back to being a light riding horse in time. Initially I felt the only option for him was to PTS, frigging hard decision to come to as he is such a sweetheart of a horse, however there is no way I would keep him as a pasture ornament for another 20 years. Just as I was having a time about deciding what to do - an turn of events came my way. A friend of mine wants to buy one of my riding horses and she wants to take a companion for this horse - perfect! My boy will go to her along with the riding horse. If he comes sound enough to ride, then great, she has a free riding horse. If he doesn't, then he will be the companion she wants. I am pleased my boy has been given a stay of execution, because as much as those being holier than thou may think, taking the life of any living being is NOT an easy decision to make. Keeping an animal alive is by far easier than giving a death sentence
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Jac, does she not have someone whom she knows well you would take the horse? That would be the favourite option for me. If she doesn't, then I think PTS would have to be a serious consideration. Poor her, dreadful position to be in and I sympathise.
 
a toughie and one that I am facing myself !

I have a 15 yr old with soundness issues that seem to have caught up with him. I am fortunate enough to have a good friend that is able to have him on grass livery for a few weeks to see if that makes any difference. If he comes back from that sound then great if not then a full investigation takes place. If the diagnosis is what I think it will be then he will be PTS and I will be clear with myself that I have done all I can. (there is more to this than I have stated here) I will not send him on retirement livery as he is complicated to put it simply. I will not send him off as a companion as again the trust and the horror stories of them being sold on and the same for sending them alive to the abbatoir. My boy is a complicated chap and owes me nothing. I will NOT see him in pain or his quality of life diminished I owe him that and I will not send him away from me. He will only leave me as a spirit.....running free and pain free

With my case I know it is right and I look for neither support or condemnation (although possibly sympathy when the day comes)

Tia is right is is not an easy decision to make and you have to be sure that it is the right one. .
 
I've been in this position and I honestly think it's one of the most difficult decisions as the horse isn't always ill or in enough pain to make your decision to PTS a simple one. Obviously the circumstances are always very individual. In my case my mare ruptured her gracilis muscle and was completely unrideable, she was also in her early 20's. I had myself prepared to put her down but the vets felt she would be paddock sound so I decided to give her the chance and play it by ear, she eventually had to be put down 5 years later when arthritis caught up with her, at the same time I still had my first pony who was in her early 30's and my rideable horse who was 9yo. I reached a very difficult situation when 2 months after my mares injury my contract at work was up for renewal with no funding to back it, I had to change jobs and take a lower salary meaning I could not realistically keep 3 horses well, so the young lad went. It was winter so the timing wasn't so bad but as I'd decided to give the mare a chance he was the only one I could rehome. I then lost the old pony a few months later but this then left me able to buy another riding horse 6 months later.
What I'm getting at is you have to consider how your circumstances may change in the future as keeping unrideable horses means you may have to make even more difficult decisions. I wouldn't criticise anyone for putting down a paddock sound horse, it's very much in your own circumstances and financial status. Looking back now I wish I'd let my head overrule my heart as the people who bought my gelding lied hugely to me and he ended up in a unsuitable home no matter how carefully I had screened. I was lucky they sold him on aain and his new home is brilliant for him. Charities just don't take horses easily now as a girl on our yard has found out since she bought a flat and can't keep her elderly pony anymore (don't get me started!)
If this was my decision I'd probably PTS if she feels she really can't afford to keep him and another, but it's a very personal decision.
 
Having ploughed through all the replies, if it was my decision I would explore the blood bank thing in the first instance but if that wasn't possible then, yes, I would have the horse PTS, and, believe me, no-one is soppier about their animals than me!. I agree that it seems tragic to destroy a relatively young animal if here really is no hope that he will ever be rideable again BUT unless you have your own land, keeping a "paddock ornament" is not really a viable option. A horse is not like a dog/cat/rabbit - it's a big animal that requires a lot of care even if just 'walking round a field' and there is quite a hefty financial commitment too in terms of feed, rugs, vaccinations, foot trimming not to mention time, and as the horse in question is a gelding too then totally no point.
 


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A horse is a living thing. Kill because you cannot ride it? Don't re-home because no-one else on this earth is a good owner?
I am the wrong side of forty and respect 'LIFE'. This horse has no reason to be killed. There are options other than killing. The owner wants to retire without horses. Is the new horse going to killed whether fit or not when they decide they no-longer want a horse because no-one else is good enough?
If they keep a horse just to ride go to a rideing school.
My mare happily retired 14 years ago. Every day is precious with her. She has not been ridden in all those years but she still has a happy life. She actually works for us keeping youngsters in line and helping the psychologicaly affected ones. There is life for a horse after rideing. No-one is the perfect owner. There are plenty of options other than kill because they don't want it anymore. That is not a good owner in my eyes.

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It is wonderful that you are in a position to offer your mare a working life with the youngsters. But it does'nt give you the right to say that my friend is not a good owner. Not everyone is in the fortunate position that you clearly are.
Life is for living - and unfortunately sometimes along the way you have to make very difficult decisions. Just because you might do things differently to the next person does not make you right and them wrong.
 
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Gosh! I honestly cant believe how cold hearted people are saying they would have the horse PTS!

iYou dont have your nan, family, dog, cat whatever pts because they dont what they used to do or because they lost the plot a bit. People for once should be less selfish i just hope they get there come uppence.

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Er yeah - but maybe your gran, family, dog or cat cost you £700.00 per month in livery and associated fees!

How dare you judge other people like this??? You have no idea of what kind of difficult circumstances there may be!!

Grow up!
 
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Gosh! I honestly cant believe how cold hearted people are saying they would have the horse PTS!

iYou dont have your nan, family, dog, cat whatever pts because they dont what they used to do or because they lost the plot a bit. People for once should be less selfish i just hope they get there come uppence.

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Er yeah - but maybe your gran, family, dog or cat cost you £700.00 per month in livery and associated fees!

How dare you judge other people like this??? You have no idea of what kind of difficult circumstances there may be!!

Grow up!

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I've no idea were you have the idea that a horse costs £700 a month to keep
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My horses are no different to my family, dog, cat whatever i would do my upmost to keep them all in good health and retirement no matter what the costs are also there all extremely well looked after to they want for nothing.

I do not know there circumstances but just because THEY can not ride doesn't warrent this horses death does it! There EXTREMELY selfish in my opinion there is other options like most people have said some of them for a start but the person who posted this seems intent that the horse is to be pts anyway so it probably hasn't got a hope in hell of staying alive because someone else refuses to pay for it just because they want something to ride i honestly think its disgusting im younger than most and i should probably be the one without retired horses because i've still got another 40yrs of riding left in me yet so i might aswel have mine shot to. Riding isn't the be all and end all. Its a shame some people are so cold hearted.

Although i can understand in certain situations that the horse is better off being Pts if it is not happy not in work or will be in pain i understand these sorts of decisions.
 
I've no idea were you have the idea that a horse costs £700 a month to keep
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My horses are no different to my family, dog, cat whatever i would do my upmost to keep them all in good health and retirement no matter what the costs are also there all extremely well looked after to they want for nothing.

I do not know there circumstances but just because THEY can not ride doesn't warrent this horses death does it! There EXTREMELY selfish in my opinion there is other options like most people have said some of them for a start but the person who posted this seems intent that the horse is to be pts anyway so it probably hasn't got a hope in hell of staying alive because someone else refuses to pay for it just because they want something to ride i honestly think its disgusting im younger than most and i should probably be the one without retired horses because i've still got another 40yrs of riding left in me yet so i might aswel have mine shot to. Riding isn't the be all and end all. Its a shame some people are so cold hearted.

Although i can understand in certain situations that the horse is better off being Pts if it is not happy not in work or will be in pain i understand these sorts of decisions.

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ROFLMAO how uttery silly.

If you insist on passing judgement - get your facts straight. I am not the owner of the horse - what happens to the horse has not been decided and other than offer my full support to my friend in what decision she makes I will have no influence (nor do I want any) over what they will do. You have made yourself clear in what you would do in this situation, which is all I asked for in my original post so please desist with the personal insults.
 
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I think when you are the wrong side of 40 and the prospect of not being able to ride again is an option you are facing then it actually becomes far more important than you ever realised.
There is no point getting second opinions from vets etc etc - its all been done. The horse will never be sound enough to be ridden .

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Take up

Motorcycling?
 
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I think when you are the wrong side of 40 and the prospect of not being able to ride again is an option you are facing then it actually becomes far more important than you ever realised.
There is no point getting second opinions from vets etc etc - its all been done. The horse will never be sound enough to be ridden .

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Take up

Motorcycling?

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And welcome to the forum and congratulations on your first post
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QR as I cannot be arsed to read 6 pages of bunny hugging
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Meat money shouldn't be discounted if the owner can bare to do that - I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, so failing that PTS.

For me it is an easy decision, I understand for others it may not be.
 
Weezy Weezy Weezy!!!! I have a feeling that we may now need our flak jackets!!! lol

Incidentially meat money or insurance payouts are not in the equation. If the horse is PTS it will be done at home in the horses own surroundings regardless of whether the insurance will pay out or not.
 
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As the horse is so young and likely to become field sound i would seriously ask a charity like Redwings to take it on. They may have a long waiting list but probably would be willing to consider taking this horse on, maybe with a view for it to be rehomed as a companion when the time is right.
A friend of mine was in a very similar situation and this was the route that she went down.

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Redwings would be very unlikely to take a horse like this in!

Have never heard of "Blood Banks", but surely that would be an idea.
 
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QR as I cannot be arsed to read 6 pages of bunny hugging
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Meat money shouldn't be discounted if the owner can bare to do that - I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, so failing that PTS.

For me it is an easy decision, I understand for others it may not be.

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Weezy...

i don't do BUNNY HUGGING.............
 
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