PTS- only option?

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toulouse1

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I am considering PTS for my gelding as I cannot see another way out, although I feel extremely guilty/torn as he has given me so much pleasure over the years and loves his job as a riding horse, however he is extremely stressy and has major separation anxiety, having being injured for a time and turned away he is now basically wild again and being a 15.2 cob this is not pretty or fun to deal with and unfortunately I do not have the time, money or will to start again- I have tried to find him a suitable home for months but have not found anywhere suitable as and I do not want him going somewhere that either he or people will be at risk of harm.
He would not suit a companion home as needs constant company and is so terrible on the ground, he needs constant up keep of his ground work to keep him in check. I feel really guilty as when in a routine and with company he is a little donkey and has taken me all over competing, but I can’t provide this situation any more

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
Only you know what's right for you and your horse. I don't envy your situation, but if it was me, I would be considering the same option. If you can't guarantee quality of life, then sometimes it's the best thing to do. There are worse options.
 
Obviously I'm not in your shoes OP so it's difficult to make a definitive decision, but I'd say no to PTS. There will be a suitable home out there for him. Have you considered rehoming him, rather than selling? There are a few reputable charities you could rehome him through, the charity gets the benefit of a donation by the new home, and you have the added benefit of support from the charity when finding him a new home.
It seems a shame to me to PTS when he is a happy horse when his needs are met.
 
It's not a great place to be .
I PTS a lovely horse would had the odd 'lets get out of here 'turns he burst out of stables , went through a stable wall ( leaving a cartoon horse shaped hole ) destroyed a the portable stable attached to my carriage trailer ( had just paid £3500) for it did thousands of pounds of damage to my lorry .
The final straw was a terrifying tantrum in the trailer I called the vet drove him home he came out the trailer and was put down .
I was very shocked but the relief was huge I was lucky to escape injury in the last episode and realised it just was not safe to continue with him .
 
LHIS - I am not selling I am re homing, people seem to be put off by that - but I just want him to be happy

I'm not on the mainland so no available charities :(. he would suit some one with own land that maybe has a retired horse and just wants some fun, but can't seem to find that and winter is now well and truly here I am running out of options.....
 
To be honest I would think he is probably larger than most people are looking for in a companion and his going 'native' and with separation anxiety certainly won't help. The charities are full to bursting point.

If you could not find someone competent locally to you to bring him back into work and then keep him in work that would be the ideal solution but it doesn't sound as though you will be able to do this. My only other thought is that your vet may know of someone suitable but that is a long shot.

In my opinion there are a lot worse things that can be done to a horse than pts. You are in a horrible position and I wish you all the best in whatever your decision is.
 
To be honest I would think he is probably larger than most people are looking for in a companion and his going 'native' and with separation anxiety certainly won't help. The charities are full to bursting point.

If you could not find someone competent locally to you to bring him back into work and then keep him in work that would be the ideal solution but it doesn't sound as though you will be able to do this. My only other thought is that your vet may know of someone suitable but that is a long shot.

In my opinion there are a lot worse things that can be done to a horse than pts. You are in a horrible position and I wish you all the best in whatever your decision is.
 
You say he is a donkey when in routine.. would he be suitable for riding school riding wise? That way he will be in a strict routine and always with company :)

I know he doesn't seem the candidate at the moment but I worked in a riding school and I was suprised how many of them were equine misfits that couldnt cope in the real world but were worth their weight in gold in the RS. Obviously they all start on trial and are dealt with by staff before being used in lessons for clients.

Alternatively you could put him on a schooling/ sales livery..
 
When I was looking for a companion horse I wanted one 16hh plus. Ideally 17hh as the horse he was to keep company is big and can be bossy. Was hard to find. All the small ponies were no good as I have too much grass. I found a large TB at WHW and applied for him. Unfortunately he was pts before I could adopt him as he couldn't stay sound. They found me another one though. So don't think he's too big as a companion. Not everyone wants ponies. Plus my retired ones are semi feral now, as long as they will stand for their feet trimmed I don't mind what else they get up to. There may be a good home out there for him. Fingers crossed. But if not pts is an option.
 
Merlod said:
You say he is a donkey when in routine.. would he be suitable for riding school riding wise? That way he will be in a strict routine and always with company :)

I know he doesn't seem the candidate at the moment but I worked in a riding school and I was suprised how many of them were equine misfits that couldnt cope in the real world but were worth their weight in gold in the RS. Obviously they all start on trial and are dealt with by staff before being used in lessons for clients.

Alternatively you could put him on a schooling/ sales livery..
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no not suitable, v forward going and has ants in his pants! plus due to remote location not any options for this
 
Obviously not for a novice normal type RS :) You said he's taken you out competing so if he is established on the flat or jumps well he may well be more suitable than you think for the experienced riders who come to train for competitions or as a BHS SG4 horse. I did see an advert on horsequest for schoolmasters wanted
 
I'm being quick and blunt but...

If you want to know what has happened to him (in that he doesn't get passed on or find himself with someone less understanding) then PTS is not a bad thing.

I know of course it's not what you would 'want', but I completely understand that is a perfectly sensible option for all concerned.
 
toulouse1 said:
merlod - main problem is my location, I'm not on mainland uk and could not face travelling him there for the unknown.....
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I don't mean to cause offence or upset, but OP you seem to have made your mind up. Some have agreed with you, others like Merlod and I have suggested other ideas. Yes your geographical location obviously is restrictive, and I don't think anyone expects you to take your boy to mainland blind, obviously a lot of research and back and forth contacting people would be needed, and yes this will take up time and you probably will meet some dead ends.
As I said before only you can decide what's best for him and we're not in your shoes, but you seem resigned to PTS as the only option available to you.
 
I think if you can explore all the options, and if they aren't possible then you can rest easy in the knowledge you have done all you can for him, and your decision (whatever that may be) will be well thought out and fair. Good luck with whatever you decide. x
 
toulouse1 said:
LHIS - I know....head says PTS , heart says don't, I won't give up easily
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Please don't think of PTS as "giving up". it isn't. It is a vet treatment which is a guaranteed cure for all his problems. If he has gone feral, no-one is going to be able to deal with his hooves for a start. Don't be ashamed of having him PTS, 99% of horses go that way however much we might hope that they will just die in their sleep.
 
Of course it's not the only option; if someone was minded to take him on and put the time in then he would revert to his former donkey-like state. However, he sounds like a lot of work and not something that would be, if you like, worth the effort required. If he was mine I think I would have him put down; too many unwanted horses as it is.
 
equi said:
Have you just lost the will with him or horses in general?
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just with him, I've had him for four years, he is only 11 but I worked really hard over those years, often having sleepless nights with worry - I didn't think the time off would set him back this much but he is back to square one and in the middle of winter and with another to do and working full time I can't start over or afford to be injured
 
I think there are people who would take him on, I would try hard, but I would not sell untill he is doing OK, would he hunt?
I am thinking a hunt would take him, get him in to work and sort him out. Not all hunts are needing 16.2 types.
Phone up the BHS welfare, that is how I found a place for my boy, 4 days before he was due to be terminated.
 
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Bonkers2 said:
I think there are people who would take him on, I would try hard, but I would not sell untill he is doing OK, would he hunt?
I am thinking a hunt would take him, get him in to work and sort him out. Not all hunts are needing 16.2 types.
Phone up the BHS welfare, that is how I found a place for my boy, 4 days before he was due to be terminated.
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I agree with this. If your horse has taken you out competing before it sounds like he is quite a useful chap when he is in work - you'll just need to disclose his issues to potential buyers and do a lot of research into suitable homes.

I'm not against PTS but it sounds like he has potential.
 
toulouse1 said:
just with him, I've had him for four years, he is only 11 but I worked really hard over those years, often having sleepless nights with worry - I didn't think the time off would set him back this much but he is back to square one and in the middle of winter and with another to do and working full time I can't start over or afford to be injured
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Aw what a shame. Horse owning should be fun not stress. Is there no chance of sending him away to be worked with and see if he settles into the routine a bit and make him more sellable? A friend had a cob who sounds a bit like this and she too thought he would never be a rs horse but apparently he's now one of the favorites cause he is a bit bolder than normal plods so the more advanced riders love him. I just think your chap would get a home if he was in the right situation. Sometimes when you are at your tethers end you can tend to over hate them (if I look back on my tb I spoke about him like he was a demented beast who wanted to kill everyone but in reality I just had no confidence anymore and was scared of him) but to someone else he will be a different story. Does that make sense? X
 
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