Horses PTS After Floods

[Dizzleton]

What are your opinions on this?

I can understand her financial troubles; but the one sentence I can't really get is:

“There were some very kind people. I could have my horses and put them on livery but when they have lived in one place all their lives and they are getting older it isn't easy to move.”

I've never known a horse, no matter it's age to have trouble moving to another yard.

All seems a bit drastic to me.

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/horses-put-down-after-stables-6681545

 

[Goldenstar]

You don't know the full situation here and it's the owners choice .
Sad but horses get pts all the time .
I just hope she does not regret it later and was not just reacting to a very stressful situation on many levels .

 

[ester]

I'm with you, if it was just 'I can't afford it/they aren't sellable' I could get it more than they can't move because at 14 they are getting older and can't move...

 

[undertheweather]

They may have been unridden horses where it was only financially viable to keep them at home.

Paying livery when you already own a facility and are losing money from it is a bad place to put yourself in financially.

I think she did the right thing in terms of her own finances and ensuring her horses' future wellbeing.

 

[ridefast]

Maybe, but there's been no cruelty, and with the amount of unwanted horses around can you blame her for not wanting to have an uncertain future for her horses? If she had been begging for someone to take her horses on you can guarantee people would be saying she should have them PTS

 

[Kenzo]

It may seem drastic to you but imagine how desperate this lady must have been to make the decission, after having her yard and fields flooded not once but twice and the costs involved, the livery costs on top of the debt she already has, the poor lady must be heart broken, please take a limitless time to think vefore judging people on such unfortunate circumstances.

 

[ihatework]

Sounds desperately sad whatever happened.
I'd imagine there is a bigger underlying story so I'd hate to cast judgement

 

[LaMooch]

I think she done what she as the owner thinks is best in the situation. We do not know the whole story or the horse's history. The stress of moving these horse's may be too much for them and could cause more damage then good. Yes it is sad situation but please do not judge people on such unfortunate circumstances

 

[dianchi]

Sad that 14 is viewed as old

What annoys me the most is the fact that she then did this article- what was she looking to prove?

 

[Janah]

it is not to us to have an opinion, her horses, her decision.

They weren't passed on to an uncertain future as many do. I am sure she did what is right for her and hers. We don't know the full circumstances.

I do feel at times others are too quick to judge.

 

[Mithras]

Come on, you are posting on the trigger happy HHO here OP! You will get tons of people congratulating on her on being brave in making the decision not to move her horses, two of which were as old as 14 years, to another place. As it is well known that horses, when asked for their opinion, would invariably rather be dead than alive.

I would respect people more if they admitted to the truth when making decisions like this, rather than making up stuff about horses not being able to move. The truth being that she lost interest, couldn't be bothered any more, lost heart, didn't have enough money for livery, was depressed, whatever.

 

[YorksG]

It may seem drastic to you but imagine how desperate this lady must have been to make the decission, after having her yard and fields flooded not once but twice and the costs involved, the livery costs on top of the debt she already has, the poor lady must be heart broken, please take a limitless time to think vefore judging people on such unfortunate circumstances.

I agree with this, she has just lost her business, has debts and must be at her wits end.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think judging peoples actions by what the press reports about what someone said is means judging people what may be a less than accurate picture .
They where horses and it was her choice .

 

[Dizzleton]

There is most probably more behind the story, and I do feel very sorry for her. I just found it a bit weird that she had to put all of her 4 horses down because there wasn't anything else she could do.

 

[ihatework]

What annoys me the most is the fact that she then did this article- what was she looking to prove?

That was the bit that didn't feel right to me either. There is no way I would want to publicise the fact.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don't think people these situations necessarily think straight .

 

[honetpot]

The first time my stables flooded the roof blew off as well. Got up in the morning, got the kids ready for school and then had to call my only friend ( we were newcomers) and find livery and then wade through water waist deep with ponies and any equipment I could salvage.
The livery cost a fortune but I was grateful but even when the flood water subsides you are left with slime and mud, wet bedding spoiled hay and a bog that was a paddock. How do you muck out when the muck heap is under water, you are floating buckets of clean water to the stables, my wheelie bin was used to transport hay and do you get more hay in or will the flooding come back?
I can understand why the owner would think that this is the best solution to what looks like could be a long term problem. Our house backed on to a flood plain when we bought it no one told us so when it flooded it came as a complete surprise. Flooding is really isolating as unaffected areas are completely unaware even just one street away, my heart goes out to anyone struggling with livestock in this.

 

[Wagtail]

Certainly not what I would have done. I think trying to make out it was for the good of the horses is a bit off. I think she had just got to the end of her tether and couldn't cope. Why not say that? It would be far easier to understand.

 

[Archangel]

Why go to the paper though? Having shot 4 of my horses the last thing I would want to do is have it plastered all over the local paper. Does seem strange to me.

 

[Wagtail]

Why go to the paper though? Having shot 4 of my horses the last thing I would want to do is have it plastered all over the local paper. Does seem strange to me.

Yes, very odd indeed.

 

[julie111]

I too find it strange that you would go public after having your horses pts!
I think maybe she was fed up with everything and wanted closure on it all

 

[Honey08]

Gosh Honetpot, what a nightmare you had.

Our house backed on to a flood plain when we bought it no one told us so when it flooded it came as a complete surprise. Flooding is really isolating as unaffected areas are completely unaware even just one street away, my heart goes out to anyone struggling with livestock in this.

Just a musing, not a judgement, but things like this make me think that if I ever move I would only buy a house in winter in the bad weather, when you get to see how muddy fields get or how difficult life becomes. Where we live is absolutely stunning on a summer's day, its a totally different picture in winter with sideways rain or drifting snow. Some of our more recent neighbours were really shocked at how difficult it gets last winter.

 

[ester]

Certainly not what I would have done. I think trying to make out it was for the good of the horses is a bit off. I think she had just got to the end of her tether and couldn't cope. Why not say that? It would be far easier to understand.

I guess that might not make so good a story?/that's not how you would want it reported.

Why go to the paper though? Having shot 4 of my horses the last thing I would want to do is have it plastered all over the local paper. Does seem strange to me.

Quite

 

[dogatemysalad]

Gosh Honetpot, what a nightmare you had.



Just a musing, not a judgement, but things like this make me think that if I ever move I would only buy a house in winter in the bad weather, when you get to see how muddy fields get or how difficult life becomes. Where we live is absolutely stunning on a summer's day, its a totally different picture in winter with sideways rain or drifting snow. Some of our more recent neighbours were really shocked at how difficult it gets last winter.

Agree with this.

When looking at livery or equestrian property, if possible I view in winter or after heavy rain, or try to find documentary/anecdotal evidence of the land in winter. No point in investing a large sum of money in somewhere that is miserable to live on.

I can't say what is going on in the womans life that made her decide to have her horses PTS, although the reason she gave seemed a little puzzling.
The reaction of the Oklahoma horse ranchers after losing 100 horses during the tornado was the complete opposite:- Heartbroken but determined to rebuild - and thankful for the horses that did survive.

 

[Ibblebibble]

Come on, you are posting on the trigger happy HHO here OP! You will get tons of people congratulating on her on being brave in making the decision not to move her horses, two of which were as old as 14 years, to another place. As it is well known that horses, when asked for their opinion, would invariably rather be dead than alive.

I would respect people more if they admitted to the truth when making decisions like this, rather than making up stuff about horses not being able to move. The truth being that she lost interest, couldn't be bothered any more, lost heart, didn't have enough money for livery, was depressed, whatever.

she actually gave a few reasons, money being one of them, it's everyone else who has taken the age thing and decided that was her only reason, the other 2 horses were 17 and 20 btw, still not aged but perhaps it was them she was more concerned about.
Without knowing the character of the horses or the state of their health I can't judge whether it was the right decision or not, but what i do know is , her horses, her decision .

 

[FionaM12]

I would respect people more if they admitted to the truth when making decisions like this, rather than making up stuff about horses not being able to move. The truth being that she lost interest, couldn't be bothered any more, lost heart, didn't have enough money for livery, was depressed, whatever.

That's very harsh Mithras. Your dismissive "whatever" shows a callous disregard for how serious debt problems are for some and how debilitating and tragic depression can be.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It sounds like she was in much debt and with the constant flooding just couldnt cope, not cheap 4 horses on livery when your already in debt, I wouldnt have wanted to do a story on it though but each to there own I suppose.

 

[Maesfen]

It may seem drastic to you but imagine how desperate this lady must have been to make the decission, after having her yard and fields flooded not once but twice and the costs involved, the livery costs on top of the debt she already has, the poor lady must be heart broken, please take a limitless time to think vefore judging people on such unfortunate circumstances.

Well said. Walk a mile in her shoes. FWIW I think she made the right call.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Would she have been paid for doing the article? If so, knowing that she is in debt, it might explain why she did the article.

 

[Arizahn]

I suspect the story would have been shared with the media by someone else eventually. At least this way she is able to put her side across. And as pointed out, none of us know these horses. Maybe they weren't the sort to do well at livery, maybe there were other negatives that outweighed doing so. Maybe it just came down to simple finances.

At least by PTS the owner ensured they didn't suffer.