If your horse could no longer be ridden.....

If you could no longer ride your horse because he had a medical condition, WWYD?

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I have voted. Now I am in a cheaper yard with 247 ayto I would definitely keep him as a field ornament, we have a stable too if he was poorly, but cannot say what I would have done if I was at the more expensive yard where he had to be stabled at night through winter...hmmm. I would like to think I would keep him, for me the riding is not actually the main attraction although I enjoy it, just having him is.
 
AMW said:
the horse we had was on 3 months box rest but we were walking out in hand 3 times a day (on vets advice)
He was an ex racer and an old racing injury was his problem, he lacked social skills with other horses but did not like being on his own in the field. He was turned out in a small paddock but managed to have an accident pulling a front shoe off with a back hoof, the shoe embedded in his pedaL bone & coffin joint and was going to need another few months box rest for him to recover ( if at all), it was the other back leg & I decided enough was enough and called it a day (with 2 vets support)
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Which is why everyone should look at an individual (as you do) not a general idea. As I've said on mine, most I couldn't and wouldn't put through it. If I thought they'd cope with it I'd give it a shot.
All of ours pretty much live a retirement livery already (as youngsters and oldies!). Tens of acres free roam, so field ornament isn't a problem. Box rest/travelling with operations etc would be. I couldn't drive a horse mental for my own purposes. I'd rather pts too early than too late.

Pan
 
AMW said:
the horse we had was on 3 months box rest but we were walking out in hand 3 times a day (on vets advice)
He was an ex racer and an old racing injury was his problem, he lacked social skills with other horses but did not like being on his own in the field. He was turned out in a small paddock but managed to have an accident pulling a front shoe off with a back hoof, the shoe embedded in his pedaL bone & coffin joint and was going to need another few months box rest for him to recover ( if at all), it was the other back leg & I decided enough was enough and called it a day (with 2 vets support)
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You made the right decision to PTS in my opinion. That's what I would have done too.
 
I must say I'm battling this one at the minute :(

My horses only chance of ridden work again is a 2.5k op and a further 1k to investigate a separate issue :( insurance ran out. He's on daily bute and still lame (3/10) the op has. 30-40% success rate- and I'm just not convinced.

He's 11 and a competition horse. I do think its ok to think you will find a horse to have rides on but when your passion is schooling and competing quality horses you can't always find these types to 'borrow'

I really don't know what to do? I can't afford another on Livery - I honestly would have always said I wouldn't mind not riding/competing but now I'm in this position it's not that straight forward x
 
My old girl is 25 and been a field ornament for 5 years. She is riddled with arthritis and on 1 bute a day. She is happy in herself and has a chum. If she gets worse, the bute exceeds 2/3 a day or she has a poor quality of life, I will pts. I love her and she owes me nothing. :)
 
I voted retirement livery - I have 2 retired on grass livery 70+ miles away.
One because he damaged his DDFT and despite a year of treatment didn't stay sound. The xrays also showed the start of navicular and quite bad arthritis so retirement was the answer (BTW I'd only owned him 2 years at that point). The other was retired at 14/15 due to behavioural issues - I've owned him since weaning.

The reason they are so far away is that finding 24/7 turnout is next to impossible in my area - the norm is stable/turnout March or April to October and then in all winter with an hour in the school a day if you're lucky. Obviously that's not going to help an arthritic pony or a very stressy horse. This was after the grass livery I was at for more than 10 years changed hands and 6 acres fenced with barbed wire was deemed sufficient for more than 20 horses in winter...
 
My welsh pony has arthritic hocks and cannot be ridden or lunged. He is WAY too sharp/high maintenance to be a companion or kids pet- he would eat them for breakfast!
I've had him coming up to 6 years, since he was 7 and he is not going anywhere! He is my naughty spoilt pet, keeps my ridden connie company as I am in the happy position to be able to afford him and a ridden pony and he does well county level inhand showing which he loves and is lots of fun for me too!
He is very happy with his life of luxury and means the world to me and would never ever be passed on, it simply wouldn't be fair. And no one else would want him :D
 
My horse fractured his leg 2 years ago. He is 18. After months at the vet and then on box rest he did recover enough to be hacked out, but we're starting to think his riding days might be coming to an end as he's starting to struggle and just doesn't seem to enjoy it anymore. (he is fine in the field and can have a little hooley around when he feels like it!) I might take him for one last little ride round the short block at the weekend :(

I'm lucky as I had a lovely part loaner for him who has now become a great friend who I share a little private yard with. She is is second mum and because we have our own little place i have 2 other ponies and she has one other so we can both still ride, but if I couldn't afford another one I'd just part loan.

Our old boy wants for nothing. He's in at night with as much hay as he wants, has a lovely fresh bed every day (he's a messy old thing so it's the best way) and he'll be pampered for a good few years yet I hope in his happy retirement. Our other 3 could happily live out but he wasn't coping, so we've brought them all at night in to suit him.

I've had such good fun with him over the past 5 years that I owe him a relaxing old age.
 
I have picked option 2. Been in the situation where my old Ted wasn't enjoying 'work' so he retired and became a large, pampered pet (he loved it!). He told me when the time was right for him to go. Markie is 20, he will also retire when the time's right. I can't afford more than 1 horse at a time and their health and well being is more important to me than riding.
However, I fully support anybody who decides to go down the PTS option if they want to ride but can't afford to support a retired and a ridden. Horses don't have the same concept of 'tomorrow' as we do and there can be far worse fates than a calm ending in familiar surroundings
 
I am currently faced with this horrendous situation. My horse is not rideable which is a mixture of behavioural and medical. I have exhausted avenue after avenue trying to get the problem fixed but he is just not coming right, even with meds and therapy.

He's had a pretty rough time since he was young as no one has actually sought veterinary treatment for him. He has been diagnosed kissing spine and is so dangerous and unpredictable to ride he is never having a rider on his back again.

I am seriously considering having him pts. My reasons are being:
- rehoming him as a companion is far too risky, there is always some clever being that will try and re-break him or think they can do it but it will end in tears.
- with the economic climate as it is and has been for few yrs now there are very few people that can afford companions and especially very large ones that need lots of hay and feed.
- it would break my heart to find out a few months/years down the line he has been neglected or abused (if re-homed)
- i can not afford two horses nor can i afford to financially support a companion for a further 20 years.
- he is happy, well and in good condition now and i want him to know no different from now on.

If people can realistically afford to keep a companion for years on end i really am envious of them.

It is not a decision i am taking lightly and i am really struggling with it. However i wish people would be a little more open minded on putting horses to sleep rather than struggling to afford them and not be able to fully provide for them or rehoming them. They are better off in a place of rest than an uncertain future that could lead to misery and neglect.
 
If in discomfort, then PTS otherwise they're mine regardless of whether they're ridden or not.
If I want to be able to ride, and not take responsibility for when it goes wrong, I'd go to a riding school/share.
 
If the horse was still happy and not in pain then I'd keep as a companion/field ornament but I would pts if the horse was in a lot of pain/their quality of life wasn't very good. Better for them to go loved and happy than in pain and not enjoying themselves tbh, even if it's hard for us.
 
I have a home bred 19 year old that was backed as a 4 year old then had a year off due to my pregnancy and was brought back into work and ridden for about 12 months when she went lame and has not been sound since so she has been a field ornament for over 12 years. She occasionaly has to have bute if she becomes uncomfortable but she is a happy healthy horse most off the time so I keep her, spend lots of money and time on her but wouldn't part with her for anything. Of course if things changed and her qaulity of life wasn't good I wouldn't hesitate to PTS.
 
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