No, you do not 'love' your horse if...

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Wagtail

Wagtail

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You say you will PTS as soon as it can no longer be ridden.

We all have different views, and it is true that the horse doesn't know it is going to be PTS because when it's dead, it's dead and so long as it is done well, then it is none the wiser. It does not suffer. If the owner has also taken care of it well throughout ownership, then they are a good owner from the horse's point of view. But please, people who state that they will PTS as soon as the horse cannot do its job, even if it is very happy and comfortable not being ridden, you do not love the horse. You love riding the horse and competing the horse and hunting the horse, or hacking, whatever, and you are probably a kind responsible owner, but you do not love your horse. If you really love your horse for itself, as a living, breathing being, then you would keep the horse in retirement, end of.

Now, I am not for one second condemning people who do this. Not one bit. I am just saying that they do not love their horse and they shouldn't state that they do. They care for it and treat it well but they do not know what it is like to love a horse if that is what they think it is.

Also, not all horses are equal. Some get to you more than others. One day they may meet a horse that they really do love, and then to PTS so they can get a new one would be the last thing they would want to do.

Then they will know what it is like to love a horse.
 
Can of worms I suspect. :|

However I rather agree. I kept my old mare for years and years when I could no longer ride her. I couldn't afford another while I still had her. But she was with me until she died, I loved her dearly and miss her every single day. I now have a new horse I can ride (when she's behaving!) but I would give absolutely anything to have my old girl back just so I could take care of her.
 
No one is condemning anyone for putting a horse to sleep when it can no longer work. I just get irritated when the same people say they love the horse. They do not. That is not to say that they cannot love a horse. They just obviously haven't owned it yet.
 
the way I see it is quality over quantity I would PTS any animal or if allowed human if there quality of life was poor or in consttant pain. If however my ponies couldnt be ridden it wouldnt bother me in the slightest as long as their mental and physical welfare was good.
 
Everyone defines love differently. There was a cruelty case near us recently: the vet told me that the owner "loved" all the horses and couldn't face putting them down but they were not receiving the care they needed. I do agree with the OP though-love is so much more than having a horse to ride and compete with.
 
You've made your opinions clear on this in the past, OP.

I retire my oldies here at home, being blessed with the funds and the space to do so, as long as retirement is in their best interests and not because I'm too gutless to PTS. IMHO too many horses are kept going too long because their owner is too soft to PTS, rather than being disposed of early.

I wouldn't dream of sending a permanently unsound horse off to the blood bank, either.
 
windand rain said:
the way I see it is quality over quantity I would PTS any animal or if allowed human if there quality of life was poor or in consttant pain. If however my ponies couldnt be ridden it wouldnt bother me in the slightest as long as their mental and physical welfare was good.
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Agree. It would be cruel not to PTS a horse that could not be comfortably retired and had a poor quality of life. Sometimes you have to PTS even when you love them. No one should keep a horse alive for their own benefit, which is an all too common thing.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I retire my oldies here at home, being blessed with the funds and the space to do so, as long as retirement is in their best interests and not because I'm too gutless to PTS. IMHO too many horses are kept going too long because their owner is too soft to PTS, rather than being disposed of early.

I wouldn't dream of sending a permanently unsound horse off to the blood bank, either.
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this.
 
Tiddlypom said:
You've made your opinions clear on this in the past, OP.

I retire my oldies here at home, being blessed with the funds and the space to do so, as long as retirement is in their best interests and not because I'm too gutless to PTS. IMHO too many horses are kept going too long because their owner is too soft to PTS, rather than being disposed of early.

I wouldn't dream of sending a permanently unsound horse off to the blood bank, either.
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Agree.
TBH I wouldn't presume to tell anyone how they feel about their horse when they are facing retirement, nor to question their decisions provided the horse wasn't suffering. None of my business.
 
I'm not saying something is not right. We all have different views on that. I am saying that people should not say they love their horses when they don't.
 
horsemadmum1 said:
Everyone defines love differently. There was a cruelty case near us recently: the vet told me that the owner "loved" all the horses and couldn't face putting them down but they were not receiving the care they needed. I do agree with the OP though-love is so much more than having a horse to ride and compete with.
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That's what I am getting at. If you love a horse that much, unless its quality of life is compromised, there is no way you could just kill it. Because there is more to horses than just riding. Ill-health has meant that I have been unable to ride for months, but I love just being with them and caring for them. They are not just riding machines.

However, this thread is not trying to say people who think differently to me are wrong, just that they do not know what it is like to really love a horse if they intend to PTS as soon as it can no longer be ridden.

I agree too, that some people can be cruel keeping horses alive when they should be PTS and they do not love their horses either. They just think they do.
 
Wagtail said:
That's what I am getting at. If you love a horse that much, unless its quality of life is compromised, there is no way you could just kill it. Because there is more to horses than just riding. Ill-health has meant that I have been unable to ride for months, but I love just being with them and caring for them. They are not just riding machines.

However, this thread is not trying to say people who think differently to me are wrong, just that they do not know what it is like to really love a horse if they intend to PTS as soon as it can no longer be ridden.

I agree too, that some people can be cruel keeping horses alive when they should be PTS and they do not love their horses either. They just think they do.
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Agreed. I have a 35 year old gal here with me who served her whole life faithfully at a riding school, only to be discarded at age 33. She was due to go to the meat-man. I offered her a retirement home and she's still here,happy out, munching away on the filed with my 6 others. I LOVE horses. I don't care if they earn their keep or not.They deserve a retirement just like human beings.And would you know it...it is as if she knows.The most loving old gal ever.:-)
 
whilst I think the statement is a bit black and white, I do believe that you don't hurt what you love. being able to put your own horse to sleep just because he or she became to old and too frail to carry you anymore - I don't think you could do that if you really loved your horse. So yes, I would agree guardedly to the statement.Guardedly because we can never truly understand the feelings of another human being and are only ever able to understand them based on our own experiences.
 
How long is a piece of string here?

I have a 25yr old who is rideable for hacking, pleasure rides, light schooling etc but his serious competition days are behind him. Even if he isn't rideable he will be kept as long as he is comfortable UN-medicated. As soon as he gets to a point where he needs daily medication to keep him field sound then I would have to make w decision. Now if anyone were to tell me I didn't love my horse because I don't believe in daily meds to remain field sound it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I've had him 15 years after all through thick and thin. I don't judge anyone who does the opposite of me, it is their choice after all. Trying to measure by PTS triggers how's much someone else Loves their horse says more about the person passing judgement than the owner of the horse.

A few people here have just shown themselves to be judgemental t0$$ers and have went down quite a lot in my estimations. Quite an eye opener really.
 
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ihatework said:
So true. And it's often those owners that 'love their horses so much' who delay the PTS decision too long. I have someone in mind as I type.
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I know a few of those as well. For me, quality of live is the determining factor.Even more than cats, horses are prone to keep up appearances.It is up to us humans to determine if a horse is suffering and when the quality of life has been impacted. I put my old sport horse to sleep a few months back, she had cancer-at 24.I was able to keep her pain free and happy for 3 month after diagnoses, knowing time would be very limited.It is a call you make. But, putting a horse to sleep just because he or she is of no use to the owner anymore doesn't sit well with me.
 
I didn't think this was about horses being kept going too long or being medicated just to stay field sound? Those are separate issues and ones I wouldn't do either. It broke my heart when I had to make the decision for my mare. But I know she was a happy healthy (unmedicated) horse up until that point who'd enjoyed her retirement - at the detriment to my bank balance on many an occasion!
 
This opens a can of worms. Horse folk are the absolute worse for being fixed in their opinions and often take very poorly to different views.

I kept, out of choice, my retired mare of a small yard on sort of part livery because she hated living out. She had her own stable which she could choose to use (and did) and a small herd of close friends (2 others). I really struggled to keep her like this but said mare was sound, happy and loving life. She was PTS about 4 months ago as was starting to show signs of confusion and at 30, I wasn't going to start trying to work her up to get to the source. However, I owed this mare big time and loved her dearly. I have had horses that I would not have carried for so long in retirement, so yes, I do understand what Wagtail is saying,
 
I would rather people put their unrideable horses to sleep instead of giving them away/selling them. This is if they have no job (eg, can't be broodmare because hereditary issue, not good enough breeding/ a hard keeper that couldn't be an easy companion).

I feel like if you really loved a horse, you'd keep it even if it was unrideable, to atleast give it SOME level of retirement. (ETA: By this, I mean atleast a summer or two. Not just instant PTS of field sound and happy horse just because it served its purpose).

Personally, I adore my horse more than anything. He has had various soundness issues that have made me consider if I would PTS if he wouldn't be rideable anymore. The answer is, nope 100%. As long as he's still happy and sound in a field being a horse, he can stay around as long as he fancies! I would miss riding, I couldn't currently afford another, but you know what...I love him that much that sitting on his back and jumping things isn't all that important to me in the grand scheme of things.
 
This is aimed directly at me.

Wagtail, love isn't a fixed, absolute thing, and even in relationships between humans whether love exists or survives depends on so many circumstances - not just the individuals involved. It is possible to genuinely love someone (or something) and for that love to change or fade if circumstances change.

Imagine a scenario where a couple fell in love over a mutual love of cycling, and had years of being in love and cycling together. One day, one of them no longer can, or will, get on a bike. Easy enough to image that the relationship could change - you're a fool if you think otherwise.

I love my horse - but I also love riding. If the latter was removed, I'd still have the horse - but I would lose a very large part of the enjoyment of my life. It would still be costing me a fortune. I am honest enough to admit that I am human. I know that my feelings towards the horse are likely to change as the circumstances change. That doesn't mean a lack of love.

For those who love the horse but send it away to retirement livery or a blood bank - I don't have a problem with that, and it's certainly none of my business. But fundamentally, what's in it for the horse? Why is a longer life better than a short one? And what is the owner getting out of it? If they love the horse (more than those ghastly ones amongst us who would put down instead) how can they bear to be parted from it? I can't see that keeping a horse alive and sending it away shows any more love than having it put down.

I'd love to have my own grounds and keep my happy retired horses forever more. I don't, and I'm honest enough to admit that paying out hundreds of pounds a month, when I can no longer ride, would affect my feelings for my horse. That doesn't mean there's no love there.

You may stick your nose in and judge all you like when the welfare of an animal is compromised. You have no right to pass public judgement on how others must feel, and you certainly cannot know it.
 
I had my horse pts as soon as his ridden career was over. He did one last BE event and was euthanised a week later. The horse had a condition which could no longer be managed to keep him sound. The horse loved his work, would never retire. and I loved the horse.
 
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