OMG. Can't even reply to this.

Is this any different to my friend asking me to take her 12 yr old 30 inch unbroken shetland on?
I will have costs and am looking at long term commitment to him. But I am happy to do this.

My first pony when I was in my 30s and he was 32! I part shared himwith a friend of mine for 6 wonderful years.

The reason behind rehoming in both cases were stories of human tradegy and both previous owners want the best for their horses.

Remeber the saying do not judge another man until you have walked a mile in his shoes or in our cases a set of iron shoes!
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
By doing the right thing I assume you mean shooting it? to be honest if the mare is healthy and they find a super home for it, what's the problem?
Click to expand...

The problem is that they can't know they have found a super home for it. I currently own a horse with long term unsoundness problems which was sold on by an unscrupulous dealer posing as a wonderful caring person looking for a companion/light hack. And I have myself sold a horse with spavins who I could not keep on my hilly ground only to have to go and rescue him because he was being starved. I took references and had a contract and the yard he went to was immaculate.

This is him. I would never risk it again, I would always put to sleep if I could not keep control for several months before handing over ownership.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IaGqwoQlnmA/RdWayC2aqOI/AAAAAAAAAD0/RiKQEUg0q70/s320/DSCN0793WR.jpg


Mind you, I have to say how lucky I am that someone else's bad luck has meant she has to part with my latest addition. He's wonderful :) !!
 
Last edited:
TommisMum said:
Is this any different to my friend asking me to take her 12 yr old 30 inch unbroken shetland on?
Click to expand...

Yes.

A 12 year old mini is unlikely to cost much to keep, almost impossible to starve or overwork, and likely to stay healthy for another 30 years.

A mini is worth almost nothing for meat, so it's unlikely you've taken it on to make a bit of quick cash by taking it to the abattoir.

She's your friend and she knows you.

etc
 
Ditto cptrayes. There are a few people who if financially able I would pass a free horse onto, because I know them very well & trust them. Random strangers, no.
I wouldn't judge someone at all for not being able to keep an aged horse, as said we don't know the circumstances. But I will judge them if they off load the horse to a stranger.
 
I follow and support a small registered equine charity in Herefordshire. The lady who runs it works tirelessly to make ends meet and can only take in the most desperate of cases. It's harrowing for her and the phone never stops ringing with people wanting the charity to take their unwanted horses. Today was a particularly hard day for her. Here is an extract from her facebook blog - posted less than two hours ago:

" If you have a horse over 25 and have had that horse for most of it's life please, have it gently PTS in it's own safe home.
Everywhere is full, there are few safe and caring homes, they just don't exist but there are plenty who would take it then sell it on, in whatever guise they choose to do that selling via.
We are full, that's F.U.L.L. for those who get stroppy and start to argue the toss about charities 'having a duty' to take these horses and ponies in...actually we don't but you - YOU - as an owner have a huge duty of care to ensure YOUR horse or pony is catered for from day 1 to the last day. "
 
We were talking about this at the weekend.

I have a 36 year old, a 23 year old (and a young warmblood which is best not mentioned :D belongs to daughter anyway)

I would never sell the 2 oldies, they will be PTS before they leave my care.

However I'm not young anymore and if anything happened to them I wouldn't want to take on a young horse. I couldn't be sure I could care for it when I get older, assuming I live that long. So if I ever get another one I would look to rehome an oldie.

My oldies have a very good life and so would anything I take on. I cant be the only person who feels like this, so there must be decent homes around.

Not saying I agree with it though.
 
casinosolo said:
I'm sorry but I honestly find the 'pts rather than new home' train of thought rather arrogant. You honestly think it's better to play God with life and death than accept that someone else is capable of looking after a horse as well as you do!?

Yes, I know there are utter bastards out there but if you vet the potential home then what's the problem?

I also don't like the preachy tone of people looking down on those who are struggling to meet the needs of their horses. People lose jobs, people get long term illnesses, people experience family break ups.

You have NO IDEA why the person in that thread needs to re-home their horse. I don't think shooting the poor thing is always the 'only' solution.
Click to expand...

If I could play devil's advocate for one moment, we all play god with our horses. Their euthinasia to prevent suffering is a decision most of us must make, sooner or later, whether it is because a horse is injured or ill beyond recovery, or whether doing something different with them would be unkind. I think most people object to the idea of uprooting an elderly horse or pony who has been in one home for a long time. An elderly horse is very likely to come with health problems, and many of us think it would be incredibly unkind to ask that horse to deal with the physical challenge of being transported elsewhere, the challenge to their immune system, a change of diet even if it is the source of their grazing and hay, and the stress of leaving behind the horses and people they know and having to get used to a new herd, people and routine.

The aforementioned health problems can be incredibly costly, time consuming and come with specific needs, and the fact that they will be either unsuitable to be worked or be approaching the age where working is no longer possible, makes them a wholly unattractive proposition for anybody looking for a companion horse, especially in the current economic climate. Sadly we see all together too many cases of horses sent out on loan with all the necessary checks and paperwork in place, and then they go missing, are found buted up, worked and broken down, or as a welfare case... it happens way too often, and it will be on the increase in times like these where genuine homes for these horses are even fewer and far between. I don't blame anybody for not wanting to risk that with their precious horse who has served them well for a lifetime. We have a huge oversupply of cheap horses in this country, and there simply aren't enough homes for the number of horses there are. If a horse has led a long life in a stable environment, it isn't that unreasonable to PTS.

It isn't a case that nobody thinks anybody else is able to care for the horse as well as them, or preaching to those who have had unfortunate changes of circumstances. It is a case of being realistic about an elderly horse's needs, and his chances of finding a decent home :(

I think the people offering elderly horses for rehoming need support to see the situation in all it's ugly detail. That can be really hard, especially if you've owned the horse for a very long time. :(
 
Last edited:
My old mare, who I had only owned for 6 years, was pts with me. I couldn't bear the thought of not knowing where she might end up. I always said she would spend and end her life with me and she did, I owed it to her.
 
I was an equine welfare officer for a number of years the things I saw shook me to the core now as an owner I implore you all don't let your oldies pass out of your control I don't include in this an oldie going to a friend with an oldie and that sort of thing but that add my heart sinks I know what may happen I would literally cut my own oldies throat than send them out into the world without me.
 
MurphysMinder said:
I'm with littlelegs and pearlsasinger. I have 2 ponies 20 and 24 years old, and a donkey in his 30s, if for any reason I am unable to keep them they would be pts.
Click to expand...

I agree, I have a 19 year old and if I could no longer kep her I would PTS. She does have health problems though and finding her any kind of home would be difficult. We have always kept our horses until the end wether they were still riding or not.
 
If the mare is still sound and a good un under saddle and fine to keep etc why should she get PTS when someone could love and care for her?

I'm all for not letting horse suffer being sold on and due to personal circumstances I had to loan out my veteran, he's still sound, cheeky as hell and loving life so I didn't see the harm in it :)

Poor old girl that she may have to move on if still sound and healthy but I'd say a shame to put a healthy but elderly horse down for no other reason that its age.
 
It's not for no other reason than its age.

It's to safeguard it from the horrible things that happen to old horses, the best of which is often to be left to rot in a field because no-one wants to pay to put it out of its misery, and one of the worst to fall into the hands of an unscrupulous dealer and be repassported as much younger and worked to death.

The horse is not being loaned to still be watched over by its owner, it is being given away.

There are ten year olds desperate for new homes in charity care. It would be better to put down the 30 year old and let the 10 year old move on so another young horse can go to the charity and live instead of being put to sleep too young.
 
BeanyG said:
i was offered a 28year old mare as she was only good for hacking, worse thing was she had been owned since she was 8!! so much for been a faithful friend....
N&F
Click to expand...

I sold my boy that I had owned since he was 3 at age 16 to a forever home and he stayed with them until the end of his days. Obviously not the same numbers involved but it doesn't make it any easier if it is 13 years or 20 years really. Very hard decision to make but my circumstances made it a necessity.
 
littlelegs said:
When people say 'why pts, find a good home' etc I assume they just have little experience of how horrid the real world can be.
Click to expand...

On the contrary, I have much experience of how 'horrid' the world can be.

I just disagree with castigating someone as 'disgusting' for attempting to re-home a healthy horse when we know nothing of the circumstances.

Fair enough, an appropriate home may not be found and I do not disagree with 'PTS' in general (although you do realise that 'put to sleep' is highly euphemistic don't you!?). I have had many animals 'PTS' where there is no other option.

Here, there is at least a possibility of another option. It is a FACT that there are good homes possible for older horses, as verified by people's testimony on here.

Let's just stop with the 'holier than thou' tone of these threads. You don't know the circumstances, you don't know the person and therefore you shouldn't judge.
 
littlelegs said:
Tbh, whatever the circumstances as to why you can't keep yourself, if you can't rehome with someone you know then do the decent thing & pts at home. Rather than putting yourself first because you don't want to pts. Beyond disgusting imo.
Click to expand...

Indeed.

At least you know the horse was looked after until the end, not passed around and possibly neglected.

True....a decent home could possibly be found...but at that age? I'd PTS with a clear concience.
 
littlelegs said:
Yes, cos there's dozens of people crying out to give ancient horses a lovely home.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised! Over the years I've taken on horses in their 30s and quite a few in their late teens/early 20s and I am not alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with finding a home for an older horse if it's healthy and the new home is genuine. If you do plenty of research on the person offering the home and find all is good then why wouldn't you offer extra years to a horse? (Ok so on saying that I might be a little hypocritical as I couldn't sell on my oldies lol!) :)
 
Everyone has their own opinion. A lady i know bought her wb x arab at 20 years old. He is still going strong at 36 and loves nothing more than a good hack with a few canters and bucks thrown in for good measure BUT i do not think she would let him go to another home. Definately not if she had to advertise for a home for him anyway. Its not just about their physical health. My boy I have owned since he was a baby. If he got to even 25 I would have to think very carefully about what to do if i absolutely needed to give him up. Otherwise he would live his life out with me.
 
Whatever the circumstances, giving up control of, and your responsibility to, your old horse by giving it away is a massive gamble I don't approve of. Trying to find a local loan home with references through word of mouth isn't a bad thing, neither is putting a horse down. Hoping that a stranger you meet through an advert is a good guy who'll do right by your horse when you don't, just because they say that's what they are, and handing over your horse's last years to them is optimistic, naive and irresponsible in the extreme.

My mind's well and truly made up on this one and I will judge people who do it.
 
Flame has pretty much summed it up for me. Like I say I'm not judging the fact someone can't keep an old horse. But I'm afraid I will be 'holier than tho' when it comes to judging those who hand over old horses to strangers. Nobodys saying everyone who takes them isn't genuine. But its too big a gamble. And I don't take massive gambles when it comes to old horses.
Casino solo- I'm aware put to sleep is a euphamism. I generally prefer shooting so I'm fully aware of what I'm saying. And I'd shoot my oldie myself before I put her at the mercy of a stranger.
 
Spring Feather said:
You'd be surprised! Over the years I've taken on horses in their 30s and quite a few in their late teens/early 20s and I am not alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with finding a home for an older horse if it's healthy and the new home is genuine. If you do plenty of research on the person offering the home and find all is good then why wouldn't you offer extra years to a horse? (Ok so on saying that I might be a little hypocritical as I couldn't sell on my oldies lol!) :)
Click to expand...

Have to agree with the above. I know people who are well into their retirement that have gone back to riding and horse ownership and choose to take on older horses, they buy one to ride that is still in good health and another oldie in need of a good home as a companion. Its a lovely way to do it. The oldie gets a home and hopefully won't outlive their owners or be wasted which a youngster would be and they are given a nice retirement.
 
Flame_ said:
Whatever the circumstances, giving up control of, and your responsibility to, your old horse by giving it away is a massive gamble I don't approve of. Trying to find a local loan home with references through word of mouth isn't a bad thing, neither is putting a horse down. Hoping that a stranger you meet through an advert is a good guy who'll do right by your horse when you don't, just because they say that's what they are, and handing over your horse's last years to them is optimistic, naive and irresponsible in the extreme.

My mind's well and truly made up on this one and I will judge people who do it.
Click to expand...

spot on!
 
rockysmum said:
However I'm not young anymore and if anything happened to them I wouldn't want to take on a young horse. I couldn't be sure I could care for it when I get older, assuming I live that long. So if I ever get another one I would look to rehome an oldie.

My oldies have a very good life and so would anything I take on. I cant be the only person who feels like this, so there must be decent homes around.

Not saying I agree with it though.
Click to expand...

There are 'oldies' and 'oldies' though. When I decided that my falling off days were over, I bought an 18 yr old. I'm hoping that she will still be going strong in at least 10 yrs time. If she's not, when she retires, I shall invest in another patent safety horse of some kind or another. She, however, although much bigger, costs far less to keep than our 31 yr old. The 31 yr old was a good doer until about 5 yrs ago but now we have to feed her more, different, more expensive feed and supplements. She had a very expensive protracted colic episode 6 yrs ago. I cannot imagine that there are many people with a great deal of spare cash who really want to take on a potentially very expensive horse for what may realistically only be a few months.
I would be very suspicious of any-one who was prepared to take on a horse of over 30 unless they had known it for a long time and there were particular circumstances which explained why they were prepared to do so. i also know that it has taken many of our mares at least 12 months to settle properly into their new home and some longer than that. Would any-one really think it fair to move an oldie, knowing that it may never settle properly into its new home? I would worry, amongst other things, that the stress would be too much.
And just ftr, when it does become necesssary our oldies have all been shot at home.
 
Spring Feather said:
If you do plenty of research on the person offering the home and find all is good then why wouldn't you offer extra years to a horse?
Click to expand...

I did do plenty of research. I googled her. I took references. She brought one of her own liveries with her to vouch for her. I made her sign a contract full of terms and conditions as to what she could do with him. Her yard was absolutely stunning, 2 arenas, great stables and she owned it, she wasn't a livery. When the RSPCA rep here told the RSPCA rep down there that she planned a prosecution, they were absolutely gobsmacked, she had such a reputation for running a good yard.

She still starved him.
 
I personally would have an old friend killed humanely than sold (to an uncertain future). But you never know what the circumstances are, and what heartbreak and problems may lie behind that advert....
 
For all those who keep saying we shouldn't judge as we don't know the situation etc etc- I'm stuck, I can't think of a single situation where you would be forced to give away to a stranger over pts. Name me one.
 
littlelegs said:
For all those who keep saying we shouldn't judge as we don't know the situation etc etc- I'm stuck, I can't think of a single situation where you would be forced to give away to a stranger over pts. Name me one.
Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe having a horse put down is free of charge is it? Perhaps they have absolutely no money.
 
Knackerman or hunt are affordable even on the dole. Even if that means you live on value bread for the rest of the fortnight till you get your next lot. Plus you get access to hardship loans on benefit, payable at a few pounds a week. So that's not a good reason either.
 
littlelegs said:
Knackerman or hunt are affordable even on the dole. Even if that means you live on value bread for the rest of the fortnight till you get your next lot. Plus you get access to hardship loans on benefit, payable at a few pounds a week. So that's not a good reason either.
Click to expand...


I very much doubt you would be granted a hardship loan to have your horse shot when there are people who can't feed their kids who don't get them.

I don't want to argue with you, I'm not going to change my mind and neither are you.

I admire your determination to stick to your guns (no pun intended) but I do not and will not agree with you.

And I've lived on the dole in the past and at no point did I have enough spare money to have a horse shot. Or perhaps people should not feed their children so that they can shoot a horse?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top