My loan went home ?

[LittleBlueBird]

I’m so upset, my loan went home today and my friends horse has been left alone ‘to get on with it’ she was heavily sedated earlier but even that wasn’t enough to stop her anxiety.

My ‘friend’ has decided she is done with horses and over the last few years I’ve watched her do the bare minimum with her elderly horse so I’ve picked up the slack.

I’m so worried about her horse, she’s not, says if she gets too anxious she’ll put her down. She’s 23 she’s healthy and despite all options presented to her to keep her horse company she declined them all.

I’m angry and so upset. I cannot understand why anyone who knows their horse has terrible separation anxiety would knowingly and willingly allow their horse to become so distressed she has her pts.

 

[misst]

I hate seeing horses kept alone and if your friend has no easy option to find a companion then there may be no alternative. It is perhaps easy to say she could move yards/get a rescue/get a friend to loan her a horse to keep her company but money and time can be problems. If the mare is 23 and health I understand your distress but perhaps your friend feels that it is better to PTS than to pass from pillar to post with other people or keep her on her own.
I am sorry your horse has gone back, you must feel sad. If you feel you cannot continue to pick up after your friend you need to walk away. Unfortunately it is not your horse and you cannot do anything about the situation sad as it is.

 

[canteron]

If it helps, I don’t like your friend either!

Sounds like she is looking for an excuse to get out of her obligations!

 

[LittleBlueBird]

I hate seeing horses kept alone and if your friend has no easy option to find a companion then there may be no alternative. It is perhaps easy to say she could move yards/get a rescue/get a friend to loan her a horse to keep her company but money and time can be problems. If the mare is 23 and health I understand your distress but perhaps your friend feels that it is better to PTS than to pass from pillar to post with other people or keep her on her own.
I am sorry your horse has gone back, you must feel sad. If you feel you cannot continue to pick up after your friend you need to walk away. Unfortunately it is not your horse and you cannot do anything about the situation sad as it is.

I completely understand if people aren’t in a position to have a companion and it’s awful if that’s the case, she was offered several options such as renting out her other stables, I would’ve got another companion purely for her horse had she been more dedicated to her own, as it is I ended up doing mine and hers.

 

[misst]

Sometimes there's nothing you can do if people won't accept help. A horrible position to be in.

 

[cauda equina]

Could you suggest a companion from a charity?
Then it could be returned if no longer needed

 

[Skib]

I have known horses kept alone both in the UK and in USA. Indeed my old share was turned away one summer and was some months on her own.
In the 19th c. plenty of horses were kept on their own. Both my great grandfathers kept a horse (Doctor and Vicar). My husband's family kept just one horse to take vegetables to Wakefield market.
A single horse might be a prized posession, left in a will, and owning more than one horse would have been more than even a gentleman could afford. Censuses show that riding and carriage horses needed staff to look after them.

 

[redredruby]

I have known horses kept alone both in the UK and in USA. Indeed my old share was turned away one summer and was some months on her own.
In the 19th c. plenty of horses were kept on their own. Both my great grandfathers kept a horse (Doctor and Vicar). My husband's family kept just one horse to take vegetables to Wakefield market.
A single horse might be a prized posession, left in a will, and owning more than one horse would have been more than even a gentleman could afford. Censuses show that riding and carriage horses needed staff to look after them.

Whether horses have previously been kept on their own is pretty irrelevant in this case. OP you are in a very difficult situation - are you in the position to get another to keep her company? If not, and if it looks as though the horse is going to be suffering from separation anxiety in the long term then I would be very blunt with your friend about how awful her behaviour is.

If she is adamant that she won't do anything about the situation then I would suggest strongly encouraging her to get the poor mare PTS.