How do you know its time to say goodbye

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snooples

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My horse is about 20 now, last year he did double clears in all his events and was placed at every hunter trial.
The winter was hard on him and he still hasnt put weight back on properly, he suffers from arthritis which gets bad in winter when he is stuck in.
Two weeks ago he did his first show jumping of the year and did a double clear, a couple of days after that he got eliminated showjumping at a fence that was completey open and was a drunken oxer with zero groundline. I think his eyesight isnt great so without a groundline he didnt know where to take off.
Then on Saturday I was out cantering and he fell over and knocked me unconsicence, my instincts are that he tripped in a rabbit hole but Im also scared that his legs might have gone from under him and what if that happens again :(

He feels great to be ridden and starting to look better now his summer coat is finally come through. Iv had him for 10 years and got him when I was 13 so Im really scared his time might be coming to an end.

So basically how do you make the decision to let go, its unlikely that he will be kept as a companion as there is no room really and I think he would hate it.
 
Have you had the vet to assess his sight and arthritis? They are best advised to tell you what he is/isn't capable of
 
Get a vets assessment and take it from there he may need an easier life and a little less work or different work.
 
The arthritis only happens if he is kept in the stable now he is out in the field and getting a joint supplement its not flaring up anymore. It only started this winter and Im scared about this year if it gets worse.

Havent got anyone out to check sight as its just a theory im coming up with but maybe it was lack of training as he has never jumped anything so big and slightly wonky without a groundline. It was just weird as he never refuses and I was allowed jump another oxer afterwards which was filled in and it was no problem...

tbh I dont know what else he could do if he is falling on hacks then he is no good to anyone, but im still hoping it was a rabbit hole or something but i dunno if il ever find out.
 
Also since hes been back in work since March hes ridden about 4 times a week, mainly hackin and only done 2 showjumping rounds (one double clear, one elim) since then so I dont know how I could take it any easier :o
 
I think they meant retiring jumping possibly to take it easy...

You just know, in answer to the original question.

Get the vet, go from there.
 
theres no chance of him being a happy hacker, all he wants to do is jump he hates hacking!

Here he is 2 weeks ago


[youtube]SW-gzsqFnXk[/youtube]
 
I have watched the video and can reiterate my previous advice get a vet to assess your horse the things you describe are not normal and you have already been knocked out listern to your horse and seek advice.
 
snooples said:
Also since hes been back in work since March hes ridden about 4 times a week, mainly hackin and only done 2 showjumping rounds (one double clear, one elim) since then so I dont know how I could take it any easier :o
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If he has only been in work since March is he fit enough to be jumping, in the video he certainly looks as if he has very little muscle and at his age it takes more time to get them fit after a break, a vet check, plenty of steady work to build him up, possibly physio if he is behaving out of character.

I would not be thinking of saying goodbye after a couple of bad days, without looking to do more to help him first.
 
How old are you op? Sounds like you love him very much but it comes across as you not wanting to slow down not him. I would rather manage pain and be restricted to a few years of hacking in walk! Or not riding at all, than ending my girl's days too early.
 
Where does he have arthritis? Does he normally land disunited?

If he suffers badly from arthritis, I wouldn't be jumping him personally. If companion is out of the question for you [I don't see how no room, as he is there already I'm presuming? Only difference would be you're not riding him...] along with hacking - then you've answered your own question.

If you want to carry on jumping him and jumping only, then I think you need to be realistic. Look down injection route into the joint and give him a summer/year doing what you say loves with no pain at least then let him have his fun and give him his final break. He's old enough to deserve it.

Is he on any glucosamine or supplements to help him?
 
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Billie1007 said:
How old are you op? Sounds like you love him very much but it comes across as you not wanting to slow down not him. I would rather manage pain and be restricted to a few years of hacking in walk! Or not riding at all, than ending my girl's days too early.
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^ This.

I may have it wrong so feel to correct me, but that is what it has come across as.
 
He finds hacking very boring no enthusiasm for it at all, hes a totally different horse if he gets to go galloping or jumping.

He gets stiff in one of his back legs which is where id imagine the arthritis is, no problem with front legs

Hes a big ISH who loses weight easily through winter which would be even worse without work so hes defo not a companion horse anyway unless I could find a field with masses of grass all year round and someone to feed him a couple of times a day!
 
Well he does look very stiff to me over that jump. I think it probably is time to give him an easier life. As for him not being happy just hacking, I'd give it a go first and then make decisions if he definitely wasn't happy; there are other things that you can do that don't involve jumping - showing, trec etc.
 
touchstone said:
Well he does look very stiff to me over that jump. I think it probably is time to give him an easier life. As for him not being happy just hacking, I'd give it a go first and then make decisions if he definitely wasn't happy; there are other things that you can do that don't involve jumping - showing, trec etc.
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Ditto this ^^
 
snooples said:
He finds hacking very boring no enthusiasm for it at all, hes a totally different horse if he gets to go galloping or jumping.

Hes a big ISH who loses weight easily through winter which would be even worse without work so hes defo not a companion horse anyway unless I could find a field with masses of grass all year round and someone to feed him a couple of times a day!
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Nothing here is a reason not to call the vet and seek advice.
Not sure why you can't feed this horse yourself even if he is going to need an easier life why must someone esle care for him ?
 
Hmm, I would say get someone to give him a good physio session to be hones. If he's got arthritis he is likely to be compensatiing and could easily be making himself sore and this may be causing him to refuse. Mine is 22 and to be honest, although his conformation is not the best, I woukd say he moves more fluidly than what I am seeing in that video. It looks a little laboured.

Mine has a Mctimoney guy to him at least twice a year and has done for a few years now as he does/has done silly things in the past (ie crawling under a fence!) and pulled his back. He started refusing at one stage and he'd never refused in the time I'd had him (since he was 4) so something was wrong. Turned out to be his back.

I also got him a new saddle a couple of years back as his old one was just not fitting well. He started jumping better since getting a new saddle so i feel quite bad that maybe that was the niggling issue all the time.

I still compete him in dressage, SJing and ODEs and he loves going to 'parties'. However, I have dropped him down height wise and we will probably stick to nothing bigger than 90cms as that is what he/me on him are comfortable with. Granted mine does not have diagnosed arthirits although I have noticed some stiffness in one stifle. If he did have arthritis I think he would be out 24/7 365 days a year though. Currently during winter he's in at night. 22 isn't old but you have to consider what he is capable of.

As for the tripping, to be honest that could be just bad luck. Mine has done that on occasion but not on a regular basis. I wouldn't read an awful lot in to that unless you feel he's tripping a lot
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
^ This.

I may have it wrong so feel to correct me, but that is what it has come across as.
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I have another horse to compete so I dont mind not riding him at all, its he seems to love it. Like when I was loose schooling him in the arena he kept jumping the jumps himself.

He is more than fit enough to be jumping hes been in full work for over 3 months and he didnt even work up a sweat the night he did a double clear, second round was a jump off and he even came third!

if only I knew what had caused him to fall the other day that would help loads, as if he fell himself then I know its all too much for him but if it was a rabbit hole id say fair enough. As its never happened before, hes not a horse who trips.

The comp he got elimnated at was a gualifer for national champs and to be fair he never does pure showjumping and I hadnt really done much prep either so Id blame that one on me really.
 
It may not be time to say goodbye yet, but I agree you need to give him an easier life- no jumping, he looks dreadful in the video

I also have a 20yr old horse, I've had him for 12 years and he is my baby. I evented him to 2* but last year he got more creaky and so he has been fully retired. At the end of the summer I'll have him PTS because his arthritis is currently manageable but I wont put him through another winter and risk him being in pain. He has had a wonderful year out in the field and will go on a bright sunny day
 
Goldenstar said:
Nothing here is a reason not to call the vet and seek advice.
Not sure why you can't feed this horse yourself even if he is going to need an easier life why must someone esle care for him ?
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I dont have the facilites at home for him, he is kept miles from me and they dont have turnout during winter anyway
 
Horse can trip and fall for any reason so i wouldn't worry about that too much if he's moving ok in general. Mine fell a few years ago on me - he slipped on the road at walk and hit the road with a hell of a thud. I broke my collar bone. He'd never done it before andhe's not done it since - he had lost one road stud in a hind shoe and that's why he fell. Ok, so now i am a bit paranoid checking he always has them in!
 
You need to get vet a vet to look at him and you push me to say if my old horse looked like that video I would be ashamed to have him in public .
There are other livery yards and no ones saying he can't be ridden you need a vet to look at him.
I think You said earlier in the thread he's not long back to work so what was he doing for exercise over the winter if the yard has no turn out .
 
snooples said:
I dont have the facilites at home for him, he is kept miles from me and they dont have turnout during winter anyway
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If he is a good, reliable hack then maybe consider loaning him to someone to do just this. I doubt he "hates" hacking. Maybe you just don't really enjoy it so hence it is 'dull'. Also, maybe because he is in low level discomfort he isn't as perked up as the adrenalin isn't there to take over as it is with competing.

Again though, ine went very lethargic andseemed disinterested in hacking at one point. Turned out he'd hurt his back but, being the good soul he is he just got on with it. The difference when I had him treated was quiet remarkable.
 
ladyt25 said:
Hmm, I would say get someone to give him a good physio session to be hones. If he's got arthritis he is likely to be compensatiing and could easily be making himself sore and this may be causing him to refuse. Mine is 22 and to be honest, although his conformation is not the best, I woukd say he moves more fluidly than what I am seeing in that video. It looks a little laboured.

Mine has a Mctimoney guy to him at least twice a year and has done for a few years now as he does/has done silly things in the past (ie crawling under a fence!) and pulled his back. He started refusing at one stage and he'd never refused in the time I'd had him (since he was 4) so something was wrong. Turned out to be his back.

I also got him a new saddle a couple of years back as his old one was just not fitting well. He started jumping better since getting a new saddle so i feel quite bad that maybe that was the niggling issue all the time.

I still compete him in dressage, SJing and ODEs and he loves going to 'parties'. However, I have dropped him down height wise and we will probably stick to nothing bigger than 90cms as that is what he/me on him are comfortable with. Granted mine does not have diagnosed arthirits although I have noticed some stiffness in one stifle. If he did have arthritis I think he would be out 24/7 365 days a year though. Currently during winter he's in at night. 22 isn't old but you have to consider what he is capable of.

As for the tripping, to be honest that could be just bad luck. Mine has done that on occasion but not on a regular basis. I wouldn't read an awful lot in to that unless you feel he's tripping a lot
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Hi thanks for the reply!
He comeptes at 90s at the moment too, all double clears last year which was good.

Im just assuming its arthritis as I was told a few years ago he might get it and he does get a bit stiff in his back leg after hes been cross country but I dont know if thats arthritis or not.
That fence he got elim at is the only fence hes refused in years, he jumped one right after it with no problems and never refuses at home. So thats why I was thinking he just couldnt judge the take off on it maybe as it had no groundline at all.

The main thing im concerned about is the fall, it was on the flat so nothing to do with jumps and he hadnt been jumping that day at all. As you say horses do trip up randomly but im just going to be extra careful in future!
 
ladyt25 said:
If he is a good, reliable hack then maybe consider loaning him to someone to do just this. I doubt he "hates" hacking. Maybe you just don't really enjoy it so hence it is 'dull'. Also, maybe because he is in low level discomfort he isn't as perked up as the adrenalin isn't there to take over as it is with competing.

Again though, ine went very lethargic andseemed disinterested in hacking at one point. Turned out he'd hurt his back but, being the good soul he is he just got on with it. The difference when I had him treated was quiet remarkable.
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I was actually thnking of doing this, hes quite as a mouse and would give confidence to anyone but its just who would take on an old horse who is hard to keep weight on. If I could find someone this is what Id love to do
 
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