PTS for agression

[Nonjumper]

Do you know if the horse is okay now But it does sound really frightening for the person that got lunged at was the person getting the horse ready for a riding lesson or was the person taking the horse to the field to see a horse friend when it happened

She was PTS the day of the attack. She went for her owner, and she meant it too. After her owner managed to escape by diving over a wall, the mare turned and galloped head long into the yard gate, hitting it with such force it bent. She was calm by the time the vet arrived, but it was clear what had to be done.

This came after months of random unprovoked lunging and biting. A brain tumour was suspected and confirmed following a PM.

 

[dominobrown]

My only experience with this sort of behaviour revealed a brain tumour on post mortem. This was a 2 year old appaloosa colt that started randomly attacking anyone who tried to enter his paddock or stable.

Same but it was a pony.

 

[catembi]

Mine had a brain tumour. He galloped straight through a (closed) gate and flipped himself into a ditch with the gate on top of him. I very sadly PTS. He was okay with me but getting increasingly aggressive with my other horses.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

It is also worth bearing in mind that brain tumours and / or fits or severe neurological episodes cause pain, confusion and panic. So it’s not only about the human being at risk, the animal isn’t behaving like that without it being distressed itself.

I think sometimes people feel like they are solely putting the animal down to protect themselves from dangerous behavior and then feel awfully guilty, but it’s just as much about preventing their suffering. A happy, healthy animal doesn’t behave like that.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I have video of the seizure that my homebred mare had on her final day before she was PTS. Whilst she was not aggressive with it, it was not pretty to watch. Even the vet found it distressing viewing. It alarmed one of my other horses who went to attack her during it.

It was the second seizure she had that we were aware of, although the start of the first one a few weeks beforehand was not observed, so she was given the benefit of the doubt in case it was some sort of shock reaction to a trauma.

Believed from the symptoms to be a frontal lobe tumour.

 

[Fjord]

I'm so sorry your friend had to make the decision, and sorry that people tried to make her feel bad for it. She definitely did the right thing. If it had been a dog rather than a horse, then no one would suggest breeding puppies, the sensible ones would say to PTS. A horrible decision to have to make but absolutely the right one.

 

[Melody Grey]

Totally the right decision.

Rather than question why you would PTS for aggression, I think we should more be questioning why you wouldn’t.

The brood mare suggestion is off the scale on my WTF radar!

 

[cornbrodolly]

You friend is not alone - I had a horse put down many years ago who had progressively become worse in behaviour. She booted someone in the stomach, tried similar with me more than once , picked up a child by the hair, and the final straw was an episode when she let fly and kicked me in the head. As I write this, I think she was given too many chances! As mentioned above , when a horse behaves like this they are themselves confused and unhappy in life. Didnt do a postmortem , but was sure a brain tumour was involved. Your friend did absolutely the correct thing.

 

[Snowfilly]

If it convinces anyone, I lost a loved human friend to a brain tumour. He described sudden flares of incredible pain, waves of fear and dread like a panic attack but even more intense and a general low level feeling of confusion and fogginess where he didn’t recognise people, places and things.


By his accounts, it involved a huge amount of suffering. He would lash out and break things trying to get away and it’s a blessing he never caught a human in the crossfire as he genuinely lost contact with reality for short periods and didn’t know what was happening.

The terror a horse would go though, not able to rationalise it, doesn’t bear thinking about.

 

[Jenko109]

A friend had a gelding who she had had since he was about 2. Seemingly fine to handle the vast majority of the time, but he could also flip a switch. She had to carefully manage him and not allow anyone else anywhere near him.

He kicked her head in one day and put her in hospital. Eye socket all caved. Made a right mess of her.

She had him shot and I quite agree with the decision.

 

[Esmae]

I had one with a tumour. He wasn't aggressive but had seizures. We had him pts. It was the kindest thing we could do. He was a lovely horse. A friend had his mare turn on him twice and mean it. He had hand reared her and she was 15 when this happened. Apparently she had a tumour on her ovaries and it just turned her. She was pts. Your friend has done the right thing.

 

[maisie06]

So last night my friend came over and I showed her this thread, she said to say "Thankyou" to allwho have replied and although still devastated the mare is gone she's feeling now that she definately made the right decision both for the mare and for those who would have had to come in contact with her, Even basic things like the farrier or getting holiday or sickness cover were making her feel sick with worry.

The vet has said possibly a brain tumour/neuro issue given the violence of the outbursts, she's not going down the PM route as it's throwing good money away which will be spent on another horse.

YO has been incredibly supportive and has sent some lovely flowers and a card, the tittle tattlers have also been told in no uncertain terms that any gossip or nastyness about the situation will be resulting in a month's notice - tbh I think she want rid of these particular beings anyway.

We had a big G&T and a good natter about the horses we have lost along the way, and although I will never have another I'm quite looking forward to a mooch through the for sale ads when she's ready to look for another.