I think it's about time...

L

lilym

Guest
That some sort of subsidised scheme was set up to enable those owners in dire straights that have old/infirm/unrideable horses or ponies to be able to have them humanley PTS for free, This would save charities being clogged up, it would also be beneficial to the welfare of alot of horses and ponies as the decent thing would be done preventing these unfortunate animals ending their days dragged from sale to sale. I know you can get paid meat value at Potter's but it's not possible that everyone can get there. I know this may sound totally and utterly callous, but isn't it better than them being starved in a field ending up as welfare cases?? I know in and ideal world we would all have a bit put by for when the time comes, but unfortunatley the world is less than rose tinted, and if someone has lost their job and their home - their old/unrideable horse is not going to be top priority. I am not suggesting for one minute that healthy animals be PTS as they can often be sold on or loaned out.

It is also about time that some of these so called "studs" stopped churning out hundreds of foals that have no future - at the welsh sales this year Hay - on Wye especially, there were little brown colts going for less than a tenner each, some of those that didn't fetch a bid were left tied to railings.....The mares get lammi if they're not in foal is a poor excuse....
 
Lilym, I totally agree with you about too many foals churned out when the market is already over-saturated with them. And I agree too that to ship an old and much loved friend off to market knowing the only buyer will be the meat man is (to my mind) sub-human. But I'm afraid I don't agree that there should be a subsidised scheme to help owners put old and infirm horses to sleep. Where would you draw the line? Would you extend it to all animals including cats and dogs? (I know the PDSA do fabulous work but it's means tested and isn't a subsidised scheme as such). People would complain if you didn't! What if you couldn't afford to have your horse's teeth looked at? Or his annual vaccinations? Or any other of a thousand different things that horse owners have to dig deep to fund. Would that be covered too? I think that anyone going into horse ownership should think all these things through BEFORE they buy a horse or pony. And surely we could all find say £1 a week to put into a savings account to cover the cost of putting a dear friend who has given us all countless hours of pleasure and companionship to sleep?
 
I see where you are coming from - but the line would have to be drawn when a vet agreed that the animal was old and unsellable, teeth, vaccs etc would still be recourse for the owner - what I am suggesting is a last ditch emergency measure if all else fails, means tested - yes, definatley, not everyone has the forsight to put away a few pounds for the ineveitable, so this would be better than being dragged around the sales.
 
You cannot say to someone who has owned their horse or pony for years "you should have thought of that before your bought it"! My aunt owned her pony for 25 years from the age of three to the mare's death at 28. The pony I had on loan as a child has been owned by the same person for 20 years and is now 30. Peoples' situations can change without notice and without any fault of their own.
 
Lilym IMO it is often less to do with money and more to do with a lack of ability to face facts that leads owners to leave oldies to starve in a field ending up as welfare cases. They just don't have the balls to do what is right for their animal. So no I would not support it, I would rather put my money to EMW. The problem with oldies at sales could easily be solved by putting a maximum age and a minimum value for those going through the sales.
 
They are already bringing in a low-cost euthanasia scheme in the US for exactly this reason. I totally agree that the breeding of non-descript pony foals needs to be stopped. Anything under 13.2hh was barely selling 5 years plus ago, and that was quality, papered animals. These poor little wild ones are better off on a butchers hook to be honest.

As for people in the current environment not being able to afford to have their elderly animals put down, so abandoning them/their responsibilities, surely everyone should have a piggy bank to put a few pounds in every month to meet that cost? I want to have my old girl put down by injection so I realise that is going to cost over £100, plus she will have to be cremated, although I don't want her ashes back (can't see the point) so I'm looking at around £500 probably. If you want a cheap deal, have the hunt do it all, but don't complain afterwards. It is all about planning ahead and being realistic. Unfortunatley, the world of buying everything on the never-never for so many years seems to have warped peoples' common sense where paying for things is concerned.
 
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