letter of the week in this weeks Nag n Dog

not sure if they come on here TBH..

But i hope it makes a few who DO come on here to THINK before they start bleating on about loaning rather than euthanasia....
 
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not sure if they come on here TBH..

But i hope it makes a few who DO come on here to THINK before they start bleating on about loaning rather than euthanasia....

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Ditto.
 
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two word's......


WELL SAID!!!!

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Was going to post about this earlier but forgot - I couldnt agree more, I agreed with everything the letter writer said.
 
I assume article refers to pts if horse is old/unsound rather than passing the buck..? If so quite right too, if horse is that bad..
 
article is to do with people putting horses of a younger age out on loan...in the mindset that they are too young to PTS..so yes, they are passing the buck.


ETS...younger unsound horses and ponies
 
I smiled when I read it and I hope they enjoy their champers - gets me sooo cross
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Agree totally with the letter and all.

However I also know that some people are in need of a companion and dont want something to ride so to completely dismiss the idea is wrong IMO. I guess it is a word of mouth thing really. I wouldnt loan an unsound horse but if someone I knew well asked me and I had one available I would probably risk it. But I would never advertise it.

I suppose my attitude has changed because I may well need a companion to live out with one of mine but dont want something that needs to be ridden. So would be happy to have a paddock sound horse for a few years.

And before i get a million pms I dont need one yet!
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I suppose my attitude has changed because I may well need a companion to live out with one of mine but dont want something that needs to be ridden. So would be happy to have a paddock sound horse for a few years.

And before i get a million pms I dont need one yet!
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Presumably, you would want a low cost, low maintenance companion pony though, right? Would you really want, say, a 16.2 eight year old that needs posh shoes and medication to be field sound for the rest of its life??? If I wanted to get a companion I'd get a newly weaned foal then get it backed at four, sell it and make a bit of money. Anyone who wants to adopt a walking vet bill is either mental or lying through their teeth. Sorry, this just winds me up.
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No I wouldnt want a pony! Too much grass!!!But yep, wouldnt want a walking vet bill either. I actually would be best off with youngsters but then you have to break them and sell them...And I know I wouldnt sell them.........and I would have a collection... when I am supposed to be downsizing...LOL!! And I am not sure my oldies would cope with youngsters. So a short term loan to give a horse quality of life would be a possibility. But I would not take on anything that required huge amounts of money spent on it in terms of drugs and shoeing etc.

Just saying there are people out here who do need a bigger older companion, but they are few and far between which is why I would only go by word of mouth. I have 2 over 30 and would never dream of loaning but i may need an elderly companion due to my circumstances. But I would not take on a walking vet bill. If it is a walking vet bill then the most responsible thing to do is either keep it or PTS.
 
I haven't read it yet but one lady called me when I was loaning Ty out and told me about her old TB mare who she got as an ex racer. She managed to get her riding nicely but she got worse and worse with biteing - to the point where she'd hang on for dear life if you even raised your hand to give her a carrott. She got so dangerous that not many people could handle her. I asked her what she did with her and she replied 'had her shot' and went quiet. I said 'well, at last, someone who's taken responsibility and not passed their nightmare horse on'

She obviously didn't loan Ty but emailed me a few days later to thank me for my reaction and that she'd had so many people have a go about it.

Seems sad when the mare was obviously dangerous....
 
That is exactly it though isnt it? There is a huge difference between a nightmare horse or a horse that needs serious medication to keep it sound in the field, to one who is fine and easy if not ridden.
 
the letter was actually about people loaning out young/old unsound, unrideable animals...and the "passing the buck" of a lifetime of vets bills and medication...

the author said in his opinion, that it shouldnt be done..and neither should charities be asked to take on these animals
he was saying that owners should take responsibility for their own animals NOT fob them off and expect someone else to.
 
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the letter was actually about people loaning out young/old unsound, unrideable animals...and the "passing the buck" of a lifetime of vets bills and medication...

the author said in his opinion, that it shouldnt be done..and neither should charities be asked to take on these animals
he was saying that owners should take responsibility for their own animals NOT fob them off and expect someone else to.

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I absolutely 150% agree.

My uncle made me furious at the time that I had Amy put down last year, contacting his chum at Redwings to see if they would take her. He couldn't understand my position of not wanting to do that, prefering to have her destroyed instead.
 
Had my boy P.T.S over a year ago after a terrible accident.
He wasn't old but there was only a slight possibility of him recovering enough to be a field ornament, something he would have loathed, so felt there was only 1 option.
 
Totally agree with the letter. I know I am lucky that I have my own land and am able to keep my oldies, but my daughter and I are both agree that when Murph retires, he stays with us until the end of his days, and if that means she can't have another horse to compete then so be it.
 
I agree, we had one of our boys PTS many years ago, he was a competition horse, we struggled for years and had to watch as his condition deteriorated. However, he hated being turned out, wasn't suitable as a companion - and by the time we made the decision mobility was not great for him.

I know a friend 'retired' her successful showjumper with some leg issues, to a lady who said he was to be a companion, only to see him out at a show some months later - hobbling lame!

For me, it's about quality of life for the horse, not my emotion, how cruel to take such a risk and further risk the horses suffering.
 
great letter. far,far too many people nowadays avoid responsibility. there have been lots of ads recently on internet sites for very cheap 2companion only" animals. heartbreaking.
 
This goes for unsafe (in the head) animals, too. It is almost worse sending them out there to be subjected to the 'I'll cure it' methods of all and sundry just to get some money back
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Anyway, I don't know why anyone would want an unsound companion - either from a financial or welfare POV. Myself, I think it's issue-dodging and not being able to stand up to the responsiblity for an unsound animal you committed to when it was sound.

I did the right thing by my fellow and will do it for anything I have in my care when necessary. Doesn't mean it won't break my heart, though.
 
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the letter was actually about people loaning out young/old unsound, unrideable animals...and the "passing the buck" of a lifetime of vets bills and medication...

the author said in his opinion, that it shouldnt be done..and neither should charities be asked to take on these animals
he was saying that owners should take responsibility for their own animals NOT fob them off and expect someone else to.

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Which is why I said originally I agreed with the letter!
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And what people were saying!
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I totally agree that if the horse is unsound and needing medication to keep it comfortable then it should not be passed on. They certainly should not be sold or even loaned to an unknown person.
 
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