Miserable Mare!

L

littlemiss1

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 May 2015
Messages
141
Visit site
Now we all know mares can have their good and bad days but the last few weeks i have really noticed a change in my mare. She's an irish cob x who's 35, I've owned her for the last 14 years and she's always been a grumpy mare never wanting too much fuss or attention, pulled faced when doing the girth up or putting rugs on but she would never and has never acted on it just lots of pulling scary faces. Well she's been a lot worse recently she has been pinning her ears back and biting the air when you go anywhere near her stable door, and doing the same when mucking out. The other day a horse was walked past her stable while i was mucking out and she did the same face pulling but swished her tail and stamped her back leg.

She has cushings and a thick dense coat so i thought with the mild weather we've been having recently (we've been very lucky :D) she was getting to warm and maybe this was causing her to be fed up so out come the clippers and she now has a very low trace clip. She was fine whilst clipping her but her attitude has not changed since. She's stabled at the moment and get exercised daily in the school.

Over the last couple of years she has enjoyed being stabled more and more as its her safe zone i like to call it as due to her age she's become very spooky and hates being alone. During the summer months she will only enjoy being turned out for max 4 hours a day with her field partner before wanting to come back in. So her behaviour hasn't come about because she is stabled more, i have had the vet check her over and everything was fine so has anyone else had a similar issue with their horses or could shed any light on it? tia
 
I think if she were my horse, I would ask the vet to check her over. She does sound to be very unhappy and there must be a reason for it, which may be something to do with age-related illness but isn't just becasue she is old. Being old in itself doesn't make a horse miserable.

Of course the vet may say that there is nothing to be done and then you will need to think about her quality of life.
 
When she was checked by the vet a couple of weeks back i did ask about having her PTS as i don't want her to suffer, she's been my horse of a lifetime and i owe it to her to give her the best and most comfortable end, but the vet seemed very happy with her as she's still into her food (too much really!) and is still very bright and sparky. Her eyes are slightly cloudy but thats expected at her age but her sight is fine and so is her hearing.
 
littlemiss1 said:
When she was checked by the vet a couple of weeks back i did ask about having her PTS as i don't want her to suffer, she's been my horse of a lifetime and i owe it to her to give her the best and most comfortable end, but the vet seemed very happy with her as she's still into her food (too much really!) and is still very bright and sparky. Her eyes are slightly cloudy but thats expected at her age but her sight is fine and so is her hearing.
Click to expand...

It's great that she's been given a bill of clean physical health but the vet doesn't know her like you do. Only you know if her mental/ emotional health is failing. Maybe she's just coming to the point that she's had enough? Saying that, my 6 yo cob mare is being a little grumpy. No outward signs as such, I just know. She also waited at the gate until I let her in from turnout today - but her feed is restricted. She seems to see no point in being out if she can't eat! If yours enjoys her exercise, is there anyway to bump it up to twice a day?
 
I did think i wonder if its her way of saying "i've had enough" but she is still really into her food and excitable. She has been on hay replacer for the last few years now due to her teeth just being worn away but this has never effected her mood. Due to her hating being a lone she is turned out in the school for 10 minute intervals 2/3 times a day while i sit and baby sit her. On days when the weather is too bad for her to come out and she's had to stay in her mood is just the same it makes no difference if she has been out or not. My gut would say i think its time for her to go peacefully but my vet seemed like i was overreacting as she couldn't find anything wrong with her.
 
Do you have access to any grass you can give her even in hand. My oldie mare used to get a bit like you have described but 10 mins grazing in hand a few times a day would noticeably brighten her up. I used to take her down the driveway and let her nibble the verges, I think the oldies miss grass a lot more than younger horses. Also is she treated for Cushings, could the medication need adjusting or changing? One pony we had got quite depressed on his cushings medication and we found reducing the dose with agreement of the vet seemed to help pick him up.
 
My gut would say i think its time for her to go peacefully but my vet seemed like i was overreacting as she couldn't find anything wrong with her.


I think in this case the vet needs to remember who owns the horse and that you as the owner know her and her needs best, just because there is nothing medically wrong may mean there is no obvious need to have her pts immediately but if that is what you want they should not be trying to change your mind or make you feel bad once you have made that extremely tough decision, if your gut tells you it is time then you are probably right.

Quality of life is in my view more important than quantity, although at 35 she has exceeded most horses lifespan, her life cannot be great living in, no grazing, being grumpy is a sign of discomfort and maybe she is trying to tell you something and your vet needs to listen to you as you are to her.
 
I think it is very likely that your lovely, and very old, mare has physical pain somewhere that your vet has simply failed to find. That isn't surprising, it's probably internal, but your vet's attitude for a 35 year old horse with no teeth left to eat hay with is very surprising.

You know your mare, listen to your heart. How desperate would you feel if her last day was a bad one, when you have it in your power at the moment to make it a good one? If you feel her time is up, then you aren't likely to be wrong. Good luck with a whatever decision you make.
 
one of the symptoms that let me know that my mares cushings has got worse is that she gets grumpy, and she has never been a grumpy horse. I then get her tested and every time her levels have gone up, once she is on increased prascend I get my happy girl back. cushings is a non curable , progressive disease and it may be that it has now progressed to a point where it is causing her pain so it may be worth getting her tested again and acting on the result.....you know your horse and if she is as unhappy as you think then her quality of life has gone down and I would be thinking it may be time to let her go and don't allow your vet to persuade you not to, the vet doesn't see her every day and doesn't know her like you do. its a horrible thing to do but you will know when its the right time. good luck
 
littlemiss1 said:
I did think i wonder if its her way of saying "i've had enough" but she is still really into her food and excitable. She has been on hay replacer for the last few years now due to her teeth just being worn away but this has never effected her mood. Due to her hating being a lone she is turned out in the school for 10 minute intervals 2/3 times a day while i sit and baby sit her. On days when the weather is too bad for her to come out and she's had to stay in her mood is just the same it makes no difference if she has been out or not. My gut would say i think its time for her to go peacefully but my vet seemed like i was overreacting as she couldn't find anything wrong with her.
Click to expand...

I think that was more than a little unfair of your vet to be honest. I can see why they would try to dissuade euthanasia if they felt someone was throwing the towel in without even trying but that isn't the case here! It sounds like you've gone above and beyond to give her the best possible quality of life and well into old age. She's a lucky lady to have had such a comfortable retirement and you must make whatever decision you feel is best for her. If you do feel that PTS is the right way to go, be firm with your vet. It must be a difficult enough time as it is, without feeling judged for even considering it.
 
Last edited:
From what I have learnt over the years with animals and people for that matter is that when they want to go they stop eating. Even if there is no physical reason for them to die, even if they are healthy if they want to go that's it and they stop eating. They have no will left to live they no longer care and that's it.

I however wouldn't think it's a bad idea if you still wanted to use euthanasia. She must be in pain somewhere have you had a back specialist out or physio rather than vet? They would find pain easier than vets. She may also just be being a little moody I mean she is a mare we all know what they are like.

She has had a long and fulfilling life so there is no need to feel guilty if you do want to go down that road. It's a tough decision to make and I don't envy you at all. I have had to decide for enough pets to know it's not nice or easy.
 
My son's loan pony had cushings. Her mood could be quite miserable towards the end and she wasn't putting on any weight in late spring/early summer. After running at my boys in the field one day which was out of character I decided that she was getting fed up. The spark started to go so once they were back at school she was PTS.

We also lost a 34yo this year who belonged to our YO. She had a funny turn and as she'd been on borrowed time for a while really the decision was made. It's never an easy one but you have to do what's right for the animal.
 
Just a thought about the vet, if you do decide to PTS and your vet isn't in agreement, there's nothing to stop you using a different veterinary practice rather than arguing with your current vet. I think if you phoned any vets saying you have a 35yr old with no teeth for hay, who doesn't like being turned out and is generally looking miserable so you'd like to PTS, that most would just accept it.
 
Thank you for all your messages and help. The vet came yesterday morning to assess her and although she was in a very good body condition for her age, her heart and lungs were in good order she was obviously in pain somewhere which he suggested would probably be her joints in particularly her hocks and I could tell it was her way of saying she had had enough so we had some cuddles and kisses she enjoyed a nice big bowl of carrots as I said goodbye to her peacefully in our ménage yesterday morning. It's comforting to know she is no longer suffering but incredibly hard to deal with that she's not her any more but I know it was the right decision to make for her. She went peacefully and happily x
 
littlemiss1 said:
Thank you for all your messages and help. The vet came yesterday morning to assess her and although she was in a very good body condition for her age, her heart and lungs were in good order she was obviously in pain somewhere which he suggested would probably be her joints in particularly her hocks and I could tell it was her way of saying she had had enough so we had some cuddles and kisses she enjoyed a nice big bowl of carrots as I said goodbye to her peacefully in our ménage yesterday morning. It's comforting to know she is no longer suffering but incredibly hard to deal with that she's not her any more but I know it was the right decision to make for her. She went peacefully and happily x
Click to expand...

You are a wonderful owner, if only all horses were as lucky.
 
I really feel for you but am glad your girl is now out of pain...I know you are sad now but in time you will be able to remember the good times when she made you smile...I wish more people with old horses made the right decision and hope you can take comfort knowing you did your best for her...
 
Oh OP, I'm so sorry. But you did the right thing, it sounded like it was your mare's time to go, and you did the kindest thing by letting her go peacefully. She's no longer in pain now. Remember the good times, and the amazing 14 years you had her. I wish one of our oldies could of gone as 'happily' as your mare - she fractured her leg in the field and had to be PTS there and then. It's just over a month ago, but I'm still getting tearful thinking of it now. It will feel so strange without her for awhile, but try and take comfort in the fact that she's no longer suffering.

Hugs and strength to you in this difficult time. x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top