one for those of you with older horses

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LadyRascasse

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do you mentally prepare yourself for the fact your ned isn't going to live forever? my lad is 18 and has suddenly aged over the last year or so, i have found i look at him and think i am going to have to make that decision at some point in the not to far future, does anyone else do that or am i just weird?

i want my lad to live forever and i am going to be absolutely devastated when the time comes but i suppose i have sort of prepared myself.
 
Yes it is a sensitive subject for me whenever he comes in stiff or looks a bit miserable. I can't bear the thought of life without my boy but at the same time when the time comes we must act selflessly as the last act of kindness.
 
Hey 18's young yet, fingers crossed you'll have him for a good while longer.

And, yes, I do try to prepare myself. I've had Gaz for 27 years now, she's 31. Every winter when she's not looking her best I go through a few weeks of being tearful every day at the thought of "Oh God, am I being a blinkered owner and letting her live when she's tired of life and in pain!". But each winter my farrier tells me to stop being an idiot and yes she's fine, the vet asks me why I'm so upset when she is clearly happy and healthy!!! I just hate seeing her looking so old, and I constantly need the vet/farrier/my friends' reassurance that I'm not keeping her going when she has no quality of life and I'm not being so blinkered that I don't see it!

I've had her since I was 12 and she was rising 4. TBH I can't really remember NOT having her. She's been part of my life all that time and I can't BEAR the thought of not having her, but I love her so much I really want to make sure I let her go when the time is right, and no later.

God sorry, have rambled on, but in answer to your question, yes I do try to prepare myself.
 
I try to..

Pretty certain I'll have failed dismally when the time comes though. We've been together more than 20 years and I can't imagine not seeing him...

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What I am sure of though is that no matter how hard it is for me I'll make sure he goes when the time is right.
 
18 is nothing. I bought my dressage schoolmaster at 18 and still got him. He is in his mid twenties now - can't remember exactly when I bought him, so he could be 24 or 26. Whichever, he is still going strong. I also have one who's 30, one who's 26, the baby of the group at 19 in March and a 16 year old brood mare. They are all healthy and well and can be ridden to varying degrees and still act like spring chickens at times. And naughty two year olds! Anyone who thinks older horses equals steadier - think again!

So yours could be with you for some time yet. I do know mine will go and you always get that heart stopping moment when you go out first thing on a summer morning and one or more of them is flat out on the grass, or you don't see their head over the stable door and think the worst. But any horse can go at any time through an accident or illness, so the thing to do is enjoy them while they're there.
 
My sisters pony is 35 and she is a rude now as she was 15 years ago!! But are family try not to think about it we are just greatfull for every day we have with her!! And my lad has just turned 14i dont want to think about it!!! I sometimes think about it sometimes but i lost my old girl candy 5 years ago on the 12th feb but it was her time and she wanted to go she gave me a look when she was down in her stable and i will never forget it she was 32 years old!!! But we all have to go a one time or another
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he maybe 18 in years but his body is knacked he has had a very hard life, he only gets lightly ridden twice a week to keep him ticking over but would never stand up to hard work anymore. he still has spark at the moment but when the day come he has to retire he will lose that as we have retired him before due to problems with keeping him sound (now sorted thankfully) and he was miserable, he was so happy to be ridden again. i have had him 5 yrs and i just have noticed a big difference in him generally. i hope he lives for another 10 yrs but realistically i would be surprised if he makes 5 more.

i intend to enjoy him right until the time comes but its good to know i'm not alone in trying to prepare yourself
 
We had the old Appy until she was 32/33, she was with us for well over 20 years. We planned for her end for about two years before she went, checking that she was ok to carry on, not too stiff etc etc. We knew that she had reached the end as she slowed down a lot. We have my Dads elderly cob with us now and at the beginning of winter warned my dad that this might be her last winter (she was not holding weight well) She has blossomed again and is looking very well, so it looks as if she may carry on through next winter as well
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I would love them all to live for ever, but sadly they don't. I do think it is wise to be ready to call it a day when it becomes necessary and I do think that as the owner you are the best placed person to make the decision.
 
My horse was 15 when I bought him and is now 31. Every winter I think will be bis last.

He wears magnets to help his slight arthritis and I do vary his diet according to how he looks. It is much better to keep an old horse in light work.

This is not the best time of year for old horses but I give my old man extra tlc. Your horse might surprise you.
 
My horse has had a seriously long life- he was broken to race, failed so was passed around and ended up eventing, team chasing and hunting pretty hard until I got him age 21. He's now just turned 26 and he looks fab and feels very well, but I know he won't be around forever. I know that realistically this is our last season together competing as I'm off to uni, and he probably won't be around when I graduate. However, he has had an amazing life, he has been loved and adored and spoilt and kept in the manner he likes. He is a happy, healthy horse who could drop dead tonight but if he does then he'll go happy (and very very muddy). If I remember he's a horse who is now truly content with what life's handed him and who has lived an amazingly varied and happy life then I can cope with him not being around. Doesn't mean just thinking about it upsetsd me though.
 
Whilst there are a lot of horses that go on, past there twenties there are an awful lot that dont. My 20 yo totally healthy dropped dead from a heart attack I had owned him for 17 years and felt so angry our time had been cut short and how unfair it was when other people have horses into their late 20s. However, the more I speak to people the more I realise this is the exception for big horses rather than the rule.

We are having to face this decision on Monday with a 17 yo. He has aged very badly in the last year. He has ongoing health issues from eventing to hard to young, and we are struggling to keep him field sound and happy. The last 6 months he is not the horse he once was. The vet is coming Monday, to assess him again, but I am 99.9% certain he will not be here Monday evening.

We could try and struggle to get him through to summer, when he will feel better, but in all honesty we are only delaying the inevitable and keeping him going for our benefit of "giving him a nice summer".

I know exactly how you are feeling.
 
My mare is 21 and looks younger than when i bought her, she as no signs of stiffness and when she's ridden as a real competitive streak and always keeps up.
I know she cannot go on forever and she is on a joint supplement to keep her supple, horses like humans age differently.
One day she will retire so i just enjoy what we have together now, she will also spend the rest of her days with me in a hopefully long retirement.
When it's her time to die i shall know that she as had a good life and hopefully a peacefull death.
 
TBH it doesn't matter how much you prepare yourself, you'll feel totally inadequate when the time comes. BUT that day could well be years away so enjoy every moment. Had one of mine PTS today after 29 years together and I've burst into tears so many times I've lost count, but he went when his time was right, without too much suffering. You'll know, just be true to him.
 
I worry about it all the time.

My arab is 24 this year. It is our 20th anniversary next week.

I cannot comprehend life without him. My (non horsey) hubby is terrified of when the day will come as he will have to pick up the pieces.

That horse is part of me, part of my soul.
 
I feel sick about losing my mare she's 22 next and can come out a bit stiff in the morning..but she really is my once in a lfetime horse she is just so easy...she had a baby for me last year who is a keeper for sure I just hope that he is as super a horse as she has been...jeesh what a legacy but god I love and trust my girl sooo much I couldnt think of my life without her
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I agree I've probably been very lucky with all of mine. But don't be despondent. The 30 year old did his tendon in years ago and he has one front leg about 3 inches wider than the other one from the knee down, but you can still get on him and have a walk round the village for half an hour should you be so inclined. He still thinks he can do it at a canter, or preferably a gallop. He still really enjoys life as far as I can tell and if he drops dead in the field, then he'll have had a good life. I don't know how unsound your horse is, but quite honestly, when they get to a certain age, does is really matter if you plod round amiably on them once a week even if they're a bit uneven as long as they're not actually in severe pain? I have a terrible back, but I plod on dosed up with painkillers and would rather do that than lie in bed all day or be shot!

I maintain that with all animals you just "know" when it's their time to go if it's you that's got to make that decision. If you're not positive, then it's not time and don't do it. Don't beat yourself up over it, it's not happened yet!
 
My lad is 20 this year and I've now owned him 15 years. I try not to think about "the end" too much as it upsets me too much as people above have said I can't imagine my life without him.

Like you sometimes I look at him and think how much he has aged - he is dark bay almost black and his legs and face have grey hairs
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The last few years we have done a lot of sponsored rides and each year I say it will be the last year we do them. However each time I think about retiring him he shows me he is not ready (had a bronc last week when I let him have a canter out hacking!)

18 months ago I bought a project horse to take over from him with the ridden work. I haven't really gelled with her and her re-schooling has been very slow as I have tended to stick to having fun with my gelding but hope when the time comes having her around will help make things a little easier.
 
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