How late is too late to phone the hunt?

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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*Neighbours horse

Local hunt came through this morning, and elderly horse had a gallop about. He is now quite poorly, (owner refusing vets, but has given bute? - he claims) and owner asked me to arrange the hunt for him. Owner knows nothing about how to organise it, but hunt do use his fields too and wants to use them.
I need to phone and arrange, is it too late to ring now to arrange for the next available time??
 
Poor horse. Bit poorly after a bit of excess exercise so - what the hell - let's shoot him! Not your fault, of course, but ....

I think you could ring the hunt up to 9pm (particularly as they inadvertently caused the problem) but they may be on answer phone. Unless they're 'out' tomorrow, they should be able to do it promptly.
 
Err, should owner check what's up with the horse before going down the shooting route?
I can be a bit stiff after a good run but (I hope) there's plenty of life in me yet!
 
The Horse is apparently 40, (it looks older) and seemingly had colic and is lame behind due to stress of the hunt. I have tried with this owner many times since we've been here - the other pony he has is always laminitic, and on this occassion I really do agree to have this horse put down. I suggested my vets, but owner isn't playing with that, and wants the hunt. I just want it done soon as, before owner changes his mind. The owner has learning difficulties, and I'm only helping him in what he asked me to do. He also wants me to look at his model railway, which he always talks about, so I've agreed to do that too - anything to help him at this moment.

I've phoned the hunt and left a message.
 
Slightly Foxed said:
Err, should owner check what's up with the horse before going down the shooting route?
I can be a bit stiff after a good run but (I hope) there's plenty of life in me yet!
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Agree with above

I don't think I would be ringing hunt for owner

But you haven't really said what is wrong with the horse & if it has an on-going illness

It shouldn't be an easy decision to make & yes it's hard but I do not think it is right to ask someone else to make all the arrangements for them
 
So OP you've tried to get owner to have the horse put down before and now he's agreed so you're sorting it all out on his behalf as he has learning difficulties and you want to get it done before he changes his mind?! Your words not mine there, and they don't reflect too well on you.
 
I really urge you to be cautious. If owner is elderly (confused?) and has learning difficulties is it not possible that, when the hunt turn up, he denies all knowledge of needing them. If the horse is that old and the owner in the state he is, then I disagree with some of the others and agree he should be PTS before conditions get worse for him over winter. Just be really careful!
 
tedmunster said:
So OP you've tried to get owner to have the horse put down before and now he's agreed so you're sorting it all out on his behalf as he has learning difficulties and you want to get it done before he changes his mind?! Your words not mine there, and they don't reflect too well on you.
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I'm sure there is a good reason why the OP feels that this very elderly horse should have been PTS, without knowing the full story I don't think we can judge.
 
tedmunster said:
So OP you've tried to get owner to have the horse put down before and now he's agreed so you're sorting it all out on his behalf as he has learning difficulties and you want to get it done before he changes his mind?! Your words not mine there, and they don't reflect too well on you.
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Actually I think it reflects really well on OP.

Would you put a colicky, lame, 40yo horse through another winter?!?! Surely that's just cruel?
 
Pigeon said:
Would you put a colicky, lame, 40yo horse through another winter?!?! Surely that's just cruel?
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According to OP, the horse is colicky and lame as a result of the hunt coming through this morning. Yes I would put my 36 year old through another winter if he was just colicky and lame from something that had happened on one day. I don't give my old horses death sentences just because they have an occasional off day. Your idea of cruel is clearly very different from mine.
 
If the horse has colic, it may well not last until the hunt can come tomorrow morning. Will the owner let you ring the local knackerman who would probably deliver the hrose to the hunt if that's what the owner wants. Ours will come out at any time.
 
Better a day too soon than an hour too late. My pet hate is people who do not put their elderly animals down when they start to go downhill and let them continue down the slippery slope into a pole of bones that can't move.

I have no reason to believe OP would advocate putting down a healthy horse, therefore I am assuming she believes the time has come to ease it on it's way.

Enough people who are fully compos mentis cannot make the decision at the right time. Good on you OP for not just standing by and watching a very elderly pony get even worse.
 
Holidays_are_coming said:
Me too, god some people on here are so judgmental - lets keep every poor suffering horse alive just because we can!
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I know! When it comes to making decisions about the end of a horse's life, surely a day too early is better than a day too late? In this case, elderly colicky horse and no vet treatment, sounds awful.

Spring Feather said:
According to OP, the horse is colicky and lame as a result of the hunt coming through this morning. Yes I would put my 36 year old through another winter if he was just colicky and lame from something that had happened on one day. I don't give my old horses death sentences just because they have an occasional off day. Your idea of cruel is clearly very different from mine.
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You might be right there. But I imagine you would get the vet out and try and at least make your horse comfortable? Which it sounds like this owner can't do. If he's lame he's in pain!!
 
Pigeon said:
You might be right there. But I imagine you would get the vet out and try and at least make your horse comfortable? Which it sounds like this owner can't do. If he's lame he's in pain!!
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Well I probably wouldn't get the vet out as I have a pretty well stocked vet room myself, but yes I get what you are saying, I would tend to the horse obviously. I have quite a few ancient horses here though so I'm quite used to seeing them and dealing with them. Many people don't see horses this old and often aren't best placed to decide what's best to do with them if they happen to have one off day in a blue moon. Obviously if the horse in the OP has been struggling for some time then it could be a blessing that it's come down with colic and is lame after the hunt came through today.
 
Fools Motto said:
The Horse is apparently 40, (it looks older) and seemingly had colic and is lame behind due to stress of the hunt. I have tried with this owner many times since we've been here - the other pony he has is always laminitic, and on this occassion I really do agree to have this horse put down. I suggested my vets, but owner isn't playing with that, and wants the hunt. I just want it done soon as, before owner changes his mind. The owner has learning difficulties, and I'm only helping him in what he asked me to do. He also wants me to look at his model railway, which he always talks about, so I've agreed to do that too - anything to help him at this moment.

Now that you have explained circumstances a bit more it does not sound so harsh as the 1st post

However I would agree ith some of the other posts 'be careful' - the owner could change mind - if owner has learning difficulties is there not someone else you could discuss this with before a final decision is made ??
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I would exercise caution with ringing up the hunt on behalf of this person if they are apt to change their mind. They may blame you for the decision, just try to make it clear with everyone including them, that's it's their decision. Not knowing the full circumstances I wouldn't like to comment whether its necessary or not.
 
In my opinion this pony Is probably lucky to have the op keeping an eye on the poor old thing. She states he's 40+ and suffers laminitis. It has an owner with problems who wont call a vet for an elderly animal in obvious pain.
I think being pts now sounds like the best idea for the poor thing.
I do agree maybe get the owner to sign something just in case but I agree with what your proposing whole heartedly.

Any news op?
 
It may be too late by now but I would imvolve someone from the owner's family first

My husband is a nurse and the things he gets told to do by someone confused that then gets retracted when the family visit is astonishing

The last thing you want is for someone to say you had the mans beloved pet put down without permission!
 
Is this the neglected half starved horse that you ended up looking after last year because the owner would neither get the vet nor PTS, or am I confusing you with someone else? If its the same horse I think PTS would be a blessing under the circumstances.
 
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