Need practical advice re pts

[maya2008]

So, after today’s vet visit, I now know my old TB is definitely not going to make another winter. Will keep her as comfy as I can on bute while making arrangements, but she and her best friend will go together (best friend struggled so badly last winter we had already decided this was her last summer). So, now I have to plan to have two horses pts (gun preferred) on the same day, so they don’t have to go through the stress of missing each other.

Has anyone done this? Practical advice? I mean, I can stable both and get the others out of the way, but then ….

 

[twiggy2]

Sorry to hear that your in this position.
Quite a few years back my ex's wife had her 2 ponies shot together.
He held them both and the knackerman dropped one then the other in the field, the other horses were then turned out for a while whilst everyone went in for a cup of tea, the other horses investigated and wandered off on their way to graze before they were buried.
I remember her saying she had been worried but it was all very calm.

 

[TPO]

I've had 2 pts on the same day.

The one that was better on his own stayed in the stable with my mum and I led mine out to the field to be done. He was then covered in a tarp before I went back to get mums horse.

The vet gave my horse a touch of sedation before I walked him out and the ditto mum's horse.

I can't remember 100% if mums horse got a touch of sedation before I took my horse away. I don't think he needed it up the option was there

Sorry that you're facing this. Two in one day is tough. Mum's horse "needed" to be pts and mine was at the crest of a slippery slope, after 6yrs of vet intervention and countless procedures, so better a day too soon and all that so having them go together made the most sense. In a strange way it was sort of comforting that they went together and neither was left behind to adjust to life without the other

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I would give both a bit of sedation for my own piece of mind.

Practically thinking - do it somewhere that is easy for them to be picked up and easy for clean up. Sometimes they make a fair bit of blood other times they don't. Usually the knackerman will lift them as soon as they are confirmed deceased so the whole process will take less than half an hour.

If you do hold them do not stay for them to be picked up. It's hard enough saying goodbye without having to watch how they get them in the truck. If you do not want to hold them then there are always people around who will do it for you. I think the BHS have a thing called Friends At The End? Or something similar which is a great service for both before, during and after.

 

[Polos Mum]

Great advice above - most of all give yourself time to grieve - at a livery yard it's usually done first thing in the morning so less other people around and even at home they seem to prefer to come early.
Don't plan to do anything else the rest of the day, especially don't take a couple of hours off work and expect to be back in for the afternoon.

It's tough

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Our last two to go were done at the same time. My sister held hers just out of sight of what was happening while I handed mine over to the knackerman. He didn't need anyone to hold the horse, think he prefers to do it himself. Mine was shot then winched into the lorry after which my sister handed hers over. Distressing but went very smoothly for both us and our boys. I would recommend him to anyone.

 

[splashgirl45]

my friend had two put down on the same day, both were sedated and one taken round the corner and was walked towards the field and vet did the deed and then the other was led round and done just on the corner but as his sedation had longer to work he was not really awake enough to notice his friend a bit further on. very upsetting for everyone but it went the best it could have so my friend was at peace with it..its not nice but very necessary and the last kindness we can do for them. hope all goes smoothly xx

 

[maya2008]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone, especially regarding sedation. I can definitely ask the vets for dormosedan so they will be drowsy for the moment itself.

 

[HorseMaid]

I'd also go with some sedation, and have a bucket of something really yummy ready for "the moment". Make sure its in an accessible place and don't feel that you are duty bound to hold them or even be in the vicinity. Be kind to yourself afterwards and give yourself the time needed to grieve, it's a really tough thing to go through.

 

[SEL]

I worked at a yard where the owner used the local hunt. We had 4 put down in the run up to winter one morning. Horrible day.

I kept all 4 in stables with huge buckets of feed (more to make me feel better than them). The hunt took one off me at a time and they were done out of sight of all of the horses. Each one winched into the trailer before the next one came out. I'd left buckets of feed round the corner for them to use if they wanted and they did.

We didn't sedate but it was all very calm thankfully

Sorry you're in this position and like others have said give yourself time afterwards because once it's over the grief really hits xx

 

[rextherobber]

Our knackerman won't let you hold them, but you can stand there and talk to them while it's done. He's fantastic with them, and very kind. Don't stay around afterwards, and as previously said, give yourself time to yourself for the rest if the day. So sorry you're facing this., even when it's expected, it's still so hard.

 

[rabatsa]

My knackerman gives them carrots first and makes friends, then changes rubbing their forehead with his hand to the gun. Even spooky ones seem to relax with him.

He is able to do mine around the corner to each other.

 

[sport horse]

I have done two on the same day - they had lived together all their lives and got old together. Sadly I had just lost my husband very suddenly so I left it to the kanckermen to deal with. They made sure they had two people and I was not involved. Sometimes that is the only way to get through things - I would normally stay until the end.

 

[Barlow]

Yes we’ve had two done on the same day - as we wanted simultaneously we had two separate areas prepared where they couldn’t see each other and good access for vehicles.
Two vets and two handlers for each horse, mainly for moral support for each other as the horses were very central linchpins of the yard and had been for many years. A very sad day but I don’t think we could have done one and then the other.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I had my two oldies PTS by lethal injection, same day. They were both suffering from mobility issues which bute wasn't helping, both were ready to go, and both were pairbonded so it wouldn't have been fair to have left one without the other.

It went smoothly. We had a nice bright autumn morning and said goodbye to two fine horses.

So sorry you are in this situation OP. But..... difficult to say this, IF you are going to have them PTS with the gun then I would please strongly encourage you to talk to the Knackerman you are intending to use BEFORE you decide to use any sedation prior to his visit. Sadly we've had the Knackerman at my yard twice in the last year (plus a livery's was PTS by lethal injection) and something that the Knackerman (who is the best at his job in this area) has said is that when "things go wrong" in his job, it is usually because the horse has been sedated prior. Unfortunately owners think they are doing the best and kindest thing, but he explained how it makes his job harder because what can happen is that the horse can suddenly snap-out of the sedation at the precise moment it senses that something might be happening - it only takes a split-second - and then that's where things can go wrong......... without going into the details.

For the latest "job" at my yard, we did it out in the field so everyone knew what was happening. We took the horse needing to be PTS into the central area of our Track and let my pony stand nearby and watch, with me standing near her. We gave the mare a bucket of carrots and then the Knackerman very gently took charge and as she was eating the job was done. She hadn't a clue. There was an old boy in the paddock next door and we just let him be. When the time was right we removed the horse and all was well.

(Edited) sorry meant to add that as a YO I was aware that one livery might struggle with this method of PTS - and had only recently lost one of hers - and we made darn sure that she was out the way at the time in question. Don't know what your yard situation is OP but if you can it would be helpful if those who might find the whole thing difficult are encouraged to be out of the way....... the last thing you want is people who can't deal with what's going on when you're struggling to deal with a situation yourself. Sadly these things have to be done and you are being a kind & considerate owner. I have used both vet and Knackerman in the past and been present for both, and my choice now would be Knackerman. My current pony fights like crazy against sedation (saw this when she was scoped) and my choice for her when that day arrives will be the bullet. They honestly do not know anything about it.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Things can go wrong without sedation and I have been on the receiving end of a horse at work that went wrong. The horse moved at the crucial moment and the bolt took off the front of the eyeball. Something I never wish to have to deal with again in my life.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Things can go wrong without sedation and I have been on the receiving end of a horse at work that went wrong. The horse moved at the crucial moment and the bolt took off the front of the eyeball. Something I never wish to have to deal with again in my life.

How awful poor horse.

 

[daffy44]

I'm so sorry you are in this situation. Sadly I have had two pts together twice, both times the horses were best friends and both times they were done by a single vet with only me helping. We had them in a barn together, a barn with slip rails so access for them to be removed once they were gone. Both times one horse was down, and one on its feet, so we sedated the one on its feet while we gave the horse that down lethal injection, then once that one was gone the standing one was sleepy, so then that one also had lethal injection. The other horses were kept out of the way, but the two together were left to be as close to each other as they wanted, both times it was very peaceful, albeit incredibly sad, but it went without a hitch, and if I were in a similar situation again, I'd do in it exactly the same way again.

 

[maya2008]

Thanks for all the ideas. We didn’t sedate in the end but did have buckets of food available, which were used. They loaded and pulled the trailer round between horses. My husband was there and said it was a good end for them - here one minute having fuss and food, then gone in an instant.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Thanks for all the ideas. We didn’t sedate in the end but did have buckets of food available, which were used. They loaded and pulled the trailer round between horses. My husband was there and said it was a good end for them - here one minute having fuss and food, then gone in an instant.

Thinking of you.

 

[Birker2020]

So sorry but it sounds like it was the right thing to do letting both go at once. x

 

[splashgirl45]

Glad it went ok xx

 

[SEL]

It's always hard at the end but I'm relieved it was peaceful. Take care of yourself xx

 

[babymare]

So glad it was peaceful. Now it’s time to take care of self.Allow your self time to grieve how ever you want. Hugs