how did you deal with pts your horse?

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hellywelly1

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hi all

im new to this forum but well kinda needed to let go of my feelings with out seeing people face to face
(please excuse spelling im dyslexic)

i'll start at the beginning of a very sad story'

after a ten year gap from ridding and after having a few refresher lessons i bought my first horse with was a dream come true after having loaned as a child.
we went to see many horses but decided i have fallen in love with a 6yr old tb exracer and decided to buy her.
after 2 months her behaviour changed she started to bite and kick when handled and buck when ridden.
we put this down to her being a young moody mare after having her saddle checked but still this continued.
then my health took a change for the worst and wasnt able to ride but decided as i would be out of the saddle for atleast 6wk i would send her for reschooling at a very good but expensive yard near my home.
after four days they suggested something may be wrong with her health wise and believed she may need a dentist which we got who removed a wolf tooth so we thought problem solved but this wasnt the case.
she started bucking and refusng to go forward so we decide to get a vet out.
the vet said she was sore on her back and i asked for xrays after research i was convinced it was kissing spine and was right which broke my heart.
we treated her with injections but the vet said she also has a very low grade lameness on her left hind but told me not to worry.
during the treatment my mare also got ulcers which we were due to have a scope for then she seemed to get worse.
she seemed really sad in her eyes and my partner mentioned she had tripped and fallen to her knees at the weekend while he was looking after her due to me being unwell. i thought nothing of this as my partner is non horsey and can often make things sound worse than they are please dont shout at me for this.
the vet was due on tue to look in to the ulcers but called monday to say we had to starve her which would be impossible as she would destoy her stable so decided to ring the yard owner looking for support and i must say she is the best thing to come in to mine and my horses lifes.
during that call the yard owner told me that my horse had started to throw her self on the floor and appeared to be in pain which really upset me.
after thinking through all my horses problems which i was aware of but also the problems she wasnt displaying yet i asked my yard owner what she would do and she said what i had been dreeding which was to pts. i spoke to the vet who believes she has several trapped nerves due to the movement of her spine and could finish up in a real mess so it was agreed to have her put to sleep but due to several reasons we cant do this until nxt friday as we will have to shut the yard and also the fishing lake which the yard is on.

i have only owned this mare from oct but she is my life and wondered how do you deal with this loss and the huge gap she will leave and also what happens to the passport? i have never had experience of pts so really dont know what to expect.
i have chosen the injection and asked my y/o to be there as dont know if i can be.

where you there when you have pts your horse/s

sorry to ramble but really taking this hard and it hasnt happen yet just arranged.
 
You are dealing with this very well,don't keep knocking yourself. If I were you,I would say your goodbye's before vet is due to arrive and leave your YO (who,incidentally,sounds fantastic) to it.

It really is the kindest thing to do,if horse is in pain.

I know this sounds shallow now,but I hope you are insured. This will help you when,in a few weeks/months time you are ready to look for another horse. Unbearable to think about now,but it will probably happen.

Thinking of you.

Caroline
 
Such a sad and difficult time for you. If I were you I would let your yard owner actually be there and say your goodbyes before. It is not a nice thing to have to have done but a vet once told me it was the last act of love you could show your horse. Big hugs.
 
So sorry to hear this - what a terrible experience for you as a new owner.

Her passport will need to go back to the organisation that issued it, they may let you have it back if you wish, but you will need to ask and it is at their discretion.

I have never had to have a horse (or any other pet) pts, but firmly believe it is the final act of kindness we can do our 4 legged friends, whether they have reached old age or they are still young but in terrible pain/discomfort. I wish you the strength to deal with this and hope that in time you will come through it and offer a lovely home to another horse.

Thinking of you.
 
I'm really feeling for you. Big hugs.
I had my mare put down a year ago but feels like it was yeserday. This was after a awful accident in the field, I knew it was time to say good bye. I also went for injection and wanted to hold my mare so she felt safe cause her mum was with her. It was all very quite and she just lied down and fell asleep with her head in my arms. I cried and cried and had a few days off work as it was like losing a family member but I'm glade I did hold her and stay with her. It's not easy but I didn't want her to not have me there for her last moments. The vet was great and gave me a huge hug.
Stay strong and say good bye in whatever way you feel you can cope with. It's not easy but you will feel better for it.
And we are always here for a chat xxx
 
My horse was pts last month. I had owned her for 10 years. She very suddenly became unstable in her back legs and I had to rush her to Liphook. After a day of tests they said there was nothing they could do for her and that she had a cyst and arthritic narrowing of the 6th cervical vertebrae which was causing pressure on the spinal cord. I had her pts at Liphook. I went and said goodbye to her and gave her a cuddle. She looked magnificent, her coat was shining, she was muscular and fit and her usual delightful easy going self. I can only say that the whole thing has broken my heart. She was only 16.

You are not a bad person for leaving this in the hands of professionals and third parties who are not emotionally involved.

I had my horse pts because I wanted it to happen in a controlled environment. I could have taken her home and waited for a few more weeks or months but the danger was that each day she was becoming more uncoordinated and I did not want her to fall and break a leg and then be pts in a horrible stressful way.

If your horse is insured the costs will be covered by the policy. if you want to make a mortality claim your vet must speak to your insurance company before the deed is done. Otherwise you may have problems with your claim.

I am sorry for your heartbreak. I cried buckets.
 
Sorry to hear about you having your mare pts but it sounds like you are doing the right thing for her.

I had my old gelding pts back in january after breaking his back legs in the field there was no time to sob or be selfish i had to be brave for him in such an awful situation i stayed with him until the end but i knew this years ago and there was no other option for me to not stand by my boy but if you are the screaming/crying sort who can't deal with it then its much better to leave it to somebody else. I wouldn't say i am brave but i just did it because i knew it would'nt help the situation and i will be there for any of my other animals to the end because i think i owe it to them.

Good luck its not a nice thing for anyone to deal with.
 
Big hug coming your way. I had my beautiful mare PTS 3 weeks ago. I still can't bring myself to tell many people as I just keep bursting into tears whenever I think about her. She was diagnosed with arthritis 3 years ago and we tried everything, but she just got progressively worse and there was nothing to be done. I decided to have her PTS by my knacker man (it is a horrible title) - I have known him for years through the vet I work for and he has PTS a couple of other horses for me in the past. He is kind and treats the horse with the utmost care and dignity. I said my goodbyes and walked away as he PTS. I have had a pony injected in the past by the vet. It is such a horrible thing having a horse PTS as you have to plan for it - and in your case, it will probably be a relief when it is all over as you will know that your lovely mare is painfree at last. Thinking of you.
 
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It is difficult .I have always stayed with my horses BUT Ihave never stayed for the disposal process.
If you feel you can this is what I do .I always have a good friend present I discuss wth the vet/hunt where it will happen making sure it is a suitable place for collection.
I stand quietly at their head talking quietly (often with my eyes closed! ) as soon as the horse goes down I walk away and the friend takes over .DON,T LOOK BACK Disappear take my dogs for a walk or go indoors and listen to music.
The most upseting part is the collection process and if you can get someone else to dealt with that do so .Your y/o sounds great and will probably deal with hat for you.The horse has gone /is dead so it isn't going to upset them and there is no need to upset yourself by dealing with the collection process yourself.
Be brave it is the hardest decision you will make.
Hugs to you
 
Hugs to you (((())))). I have had 2 horses PTS and though it sounds awful my mare who was PTS roughly 10 years ago I feel sad and still get so upset and miss her like mad:(. My 2nd horse who was PTS when I think of him it makes me smile as I always think of his quirks and also miss him :( I think the reason for that is my boy was really peaceful and though it was a decision I had to make I knew it was the right one for him :( My mare on the other hand had gone through a big op the previous year and came down with colic again the vet cocked up bigstyle and my mare suffered in a big way I was arguing with vet practice on the phone as was my YO thats not something I needed when my horse was slowly dying in front of me. I have some of the tails from both horses :) My mare was not passported or papered but my boys pass port and papers I kept I know I should have sent them back but I could not bare to I keep them at home in a safe place along with the tails :D
 
I didnt deal with it very well :( for 4 weeks afterwards I was curled up in foetal position on my living room floor howling my eyes out.

My horse was PTS last Nov, she was only 9 and had been in and out of hospital for a couple of months. She ended up being PTS on the operating table. I'd had her 4 1/2 years.

I had her cremated and her ashes came back in a beautiful big oak box. It took me 6 months before I was ready to scatter them, I wanted to do it on a warm but windy summers day.

I scattered her ashes at our favourite hacking place, a beautiful ridge where it feels like you are on top of the world. This made me feel tons better as I felt she was free and it sort of felt like closure. Her ashes blew away with the wind and I could imagine her galloping away (she was grey), in the distance my mum saw a stag that turned and ran in the direction of her ashes so it felt really surreal! My OH and my mum came to scatter her ashes too as they both knew her, afterwards we went for a pub lunch and talked about our memories of her. It was nice :)

I still miss her everyday, she was such a character.

It is really hard, I really feel for you. I hope it all goes smoothly on the day, thats all you can ask for. She wont know anything about it and she will be at peace and pain free.
 
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