how do peoples horses cope when their friend is put to sleep

[oliviacharley]

Just wondering as my youngster is really attached to my old mare and Im concerned about how he is going to react after she is gone....
what do people do when their horses companions are put to sleep, is it best to leave them out - what about stabling...?
Any info would be great...
thanks xx

 

[_April_]

Well I have to say that when our really old pony was PTS - the other 2 were stabled overlooking it and they didn't even break stride eating their hay!

They weren't particularly attached but they didn't even show a reaction at all - not even when the poor old soul was moved out afterwards.

If you have more than one horse you should be fine, I would imagine he will just latch onto the closest available.

ETS - I also just remembered when my young horse was very attached to an older horse at a livery yard.
When the old mare was PTS she just moved on to another one - sad but true

 

[mattilda]

We lost hubbys horse 4 years ago and he and my horse were attached at the hip. I'm afraid I couldn't bring myself to let Haddy go to see Hanson which apparetnly is recommended. However, I just kept him to his normal routine and he didn't seem to have a problem. They were stabled next to each other and he checked the empty stable out a couple of times but that was it.

 

[scotsmare]

I have to say that mine hasn't coped that well.

The yearling and the pony don't seem to be caring but the 4 yr old who was Deli's field buddy is v. upset and unsettled.

If your youngster has other company that he's friends with then best leave him out I think.

 

[Thistle]

If the horse is PTS in the field let the others see, afterwards allow them in to see and sniff their friend.

Don't be upset if the are worried or if the paw of kick their friend. They are just checking he is really gone.

Do you have another horse to keep him company. If not try to borrow one so he is not left alone at all.

 

[destiny11]

When my mare lost her foal she was left with it to grieve, she sniffed and pawed it and then finally covered it in straw and stood at stable door ready to go out. Need to let the other horse see the body.

 

[oliviacharley]

thanks everyone - he does have other horses near him which is good....I am letting him sniff her once she is gone so he knows what has happened....
He will be my only horse and does tend to rely on people - so ill just make sure I go and give him lots of hugs...

 

[JenHunt]

if you can i suggest that you let them see her once she's gone. that way they get to say goodbye too.

having said that, they do come to accept it pretty quick if they can't say goodbye. try to stick to your routine, make a little extra fuss and spend time with them, but don't try to make yourself the replacement.

it'll be wierd for a while, but it'll be alright in the end - when my old pony went the other 2 spent a day or two calling for him, before they settled down together. one of them had never been on his own up until Buzz went, and still has separation anxiety, but he's learning to cope now. I do think that if he had a chance to say goodbye then he would have been better.

 

[_daisy_]

my 4 mares were in the field when i had my old gal PTS. i left them with her body for a while before she was taken away.
2 of them sniffed her then wandered away not bothered. my youngster pulled at her twice to get her up then wandered off.
However Ebi, who had been with my old gal for 10years, stayed with her till 5 mins before they took her away. She moped around for a few weeks, took her self off from the other girls (including her year old baby - they all live out 24/7) eventually after about 3 weeks she came round and started socialising with the herd again and shes just got back to normal.

 

[Donkeymad]

Most horses, if allowed access to the dead body, cope well. they may be a little quiet for a few days, but they know and understand death and do not normally fret.

 

[destiny11]

Oh, and meant to say - thoughts with you

 

[stencilface]

I think they are much better if they can see their friend for one last time, otherwise they can stress. When we had our old one (my first pony) put down, his friend who had been with him for 15 years got very stressed as the pony was pts in the stable out of his sight. We led him in for a sniff and he seemed fine after that.

Although we did find him dead in the field 2 weeks later

Animals seem to accept these lots much better than we can I think.

 

[oliviacharley]

thanks everyone for the advice - brill ill make sure he has a sniff to say his goodbyes xx

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Our two mares had been almost inseperable for 20 yrs when the younger one (by approx 4yrs) had a stroke in her stable. They were in adjoining stables and you had to go through one to get to the other. The stroke happened about 10.00p.m. and we persevered trying to persuade her to stand up- there didn't seem to be anything really wrong at first- eventually rang for the hunt who came in the morning. We had to wait for them to shoot and remove her from the front box before we could put the others out. So her best friend could see it all. She went out into the field with 2 other companions whom she had known for years and apart from spending more time with the others at first than she would normally have done, we didn't notice any difference in her behaviour or attitude. She lived for another 2 1/2 yrs, which we thought might not happen. We had thought thought that she would be miserable and pine for her friend.