PTS threads

Wagtail

Wagtail

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Some people post on here wanting to know whether they should have their horse PTS. It's the last thing I would do on here for the following reasons:

Other forum users know nothing about your horse or how comfortable/happy it is and so to wrecklessly say yes PTS when they haven't even seen the animal could risk someone making the wrong decision. Conversely, other users may urge/guilt trip the OP to keep the animal alive when it should be PTS for humane reasons.

But that is fair enough, if it helps the OP, good on them. However, what irks me is when the OP posts asking for advice and then gets all shirty when people don't give the answer they wanted. :confused:

At the end of the day, only you, your vet and your wallet can make that difficult decision.
 
Personally i wouldnt need to ask a forum if i needed Dee put to sleep. I have owned her for a long time and i will continue to own her for the rest of her years. Because of this i have a duty to make sure she is safe and comfortable and free from pain. if she was mortally injured, ill or in a lot of pain that cannot be controlled, fixed or treated successfully then i would do what if right for my horse and PTS.

I can understand why people post on here. it is so hard when you own and love the animal to think objectively. Selfishly i would never, ever want to be responsible for signing the death papers of my own horse. But as they say in farming "if you ant to deal with livestock, you have to be prepared to deal with deadstock."
 
i can understand why people do this for the moral support when having to make the descision but i couldn't expect forum users to make the decision for me, just support me!
 
I can understand that the poster may wish to get reassurance they are doing the right thing, but this hardly ever happens as it is very rarely a cut and dried decision. What usually happens is you get a split between people who virtually always say PTS and others who tend to try to prolong life as long as possible. I doubt that reassurance is the result that most posters get.
 
Exactly. I had my boy PTS last October, and deliberately avoided all mention of it on here. I posted about it on FB as the HHO people on there would have been more aware of the situation, and I received 100% support. If I'd posted on here, I know I would have received varying views, and that would have made a hard decision even harder - it was the result of over a year of dithering, and three months of denying the blatant truth that I made the decision (no, he wasn't suffering during that time before anyone asks).

Though I can't read any RIP posts on here anymore, as it still hurts.
 
i compleetly agree, its the head an heart situation, you have groups of people using their heads and those using their hearts, if i were in the position of posting about PTS on the forum a situation like that would make it worse for me! i couldn't sign someone elses horses death list as i personally dont know the horse and the owners circumstances so therefore my opinion is in valid anyway i just wouldnt comment
 
I also think it is a decision to be made by someone who actually knows the horse and can view the situation objectively.

People are offering their opinions based on what they would do in such circumstances, and opinions can be extreme and polarised.

I think it is probably wise to consult somewhere like whw or veteran horse society for an unbiased view.

There are always going to be people who need confirmation that they are doing the right thing, in which case a differing view might cause distress, albeit unintentional.
 
I think most probably know the answer and would make their decision anyway buy writing it is a way of expressing what your going through and helping yourself through it and ensuring in your own mind you are making the right decision. I'm not sure if I would or wouldn't post about it but I certainly wouldn't rely on a persons advice who is a stranger to such a serious situation!
 
I just despair of the amount of people that don't know what the right decision is when it needs to be done. If your horse is suffering just get on and do something about it instead of belly aching that you can't bare it, you are so upset. Get a grip, don't be selfish and do the best you can, that's all your horse asks of you.
 
Maesfen said:
I just despair of the amount of people that don't know what the right decision is when it needs to be done. If your horse is suffering just get on and do something about it instead of belly aching that you can't bare it, you are so upset. Get a grip, don't be selfish and do the best you can, that's all your horse asks of you.
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Absolutely agree with this, and I have to admit that the consquences of keeping a horse too long are far worse for the horse than pts too soon.

I was also quite surprised at the horror shown on a recent thread that showed a horse's body which looked as if it was waiting for disposal. I think that the realities of disposing of a large animal are often overlooked and comes as a shock to those who've never dealt with it before. Personally I find what happens to the body as unimportant, it is the life before it that matters.
 
Maesfen said:
I just despair of the amount of people that don't know what the right decision is when it needs to be done. If your horse is suffering just get on and do something about it instead of belly aching that you can't bare it, you are so upset. Get a grip, don't be selfish and do the best you can, that's all your horse asks of you.
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Not always as straightforward as that though. I do have a friend who is coming to the end of the road with her horse after going down all the vet routes. He isn't sound in trot but walks everywhere very happily. He is well and the happiest I have seen in himself for a very long time. He has been operated on and box rest and been a perfect gentleman. He is also only 11. He will not live out. She is looking at every option but in this case, while her horses interests and well being is the primary concern...in this instance it is hard to know what is best. At this point she is still trying to give him every chance without reducing his actual quality of life.
 
touchstone said:
Absolutely agree with this, and I have to admit that the consquences of keeping a horse too long are far worse for the horse than pts too soon.

I was also quite surprised at the horror shown on a recent thread that showed a horse's body which looked as if it was waiting for disposal. I think that the realities of disposing of a large animal are often overlooked and comes as a shock to those who've never dealt with it before. Personally I find what happens to the body as unimportant, it is the life before it that matters.
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Totally agree with this.

Making the decision to have a horse euthanased (sorry I cannot stand the PTS euphemism) is all part of responsible horse ownership - most of the time the decision is not made for you, so you have to make it yourself.

I would never post on here (and have never posted on here) about having a horse euthanased. Personally, and I'm only speaking for myself here, I don't need the moral or emotional support from random forum users, nor do I need the disparate views of people who don't know my horses or their individual situations. I think it would upset me far more to post on here about it than it does making the decision privately.
 
Rowreach said:
Totally agree with this.

Making the decision to have a horse euthanased (sorry I cannot stand the PTS euphemism) is all part of responsible horse ownership - most of the time the decision is not made for you, so you have to make it yourself.

I would never post on here (and have never posted on here) about having a horse euthanased. Personally, and I'm only speaking for myself here, I don't need the moral or emotional support from random forum users, nor do I need the disparate views of people who don't know my horses or their individual situations. I think it would upset me far more to post on here about it than it does making the decision privately.
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I agree with this. Whatever you do regarding euthanising your horse, someone will always disagree. Why put yourself through the possible pain this might cause? Only the owner and the attending vet can give considered advice. Taking advice from remote strangers (as on a forum) can be detrimental.

I view RIP threads totally differently. They are a tribute to the departed horse, and the deed is already done. Having said that, personally, I don't think I would post one myself as I would get no comfort from it.
 
Maesfen said:
I just despair of the amount of people that don't know what the right decision is when it needs to be done. If your horse is suffering just get on and do something about it instead of belly aching that you can't bare it, you are so upset. Get a grip, don't be selfish and do the best you can, that's all your horse asks of you.
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This! ^

Having just had to do that, I had to get on with it & sort out things for Little Fuzzy, didn't need to involve anyone else except OH & the usual necessaries.
Yes, posted after to remember her by, but would never ask random strangers- internet people (however nice they may seem on-line) for their input regarding an animal they had never met, at a place they had never seen, nor qualified to give medical opinion.

A responsible owner knows what to do, if not, they will ask their vet (surely???)
 
whilst it is not something i would do myself i can understand why people may do it. Possibly they are hoping that someone will tell them of some miracle cure that they didn't know about, yes it's clutching at straws but for some they feel they need to ask just in case.
Others want validation that they are doing the right thing, while some of us may have had to make the decision before, there are plenty of people who haven't. They may have already had varying opinions given to them on the yard and feel they need to clarify things by asking a wider audience. Is it really wrong of someone who is unsure of their decision to ask others opinion?, lets face it a lot of questions asked on forums are ones which can't really be answered without knowing the horse involved, or the rider involved but it doesn't stop us giving our opinion and passing judgement;)
As always in the horse world just because it's not something we personally agree with doesn't mean it isn't right;)
 
LeannePip said:
i can understand why people do this for the moral support when having to make the descision but i couldn't expect forum users to make the decision for me, just support me!
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I always work on the assumption that this is the case. I don't think it's fair to try to tell the person what they should do as only they know the situation really.

I do try to say that if they do decide to pts they shouldn't feel guilty. The horse knows nothing of any of it, and if you really believe it's the right decision, it probably is.

Not everyone has the time, money or facilities to retire a horse forever, especially if it needs special veterinary care. They shouldn't feel bad about deciding to pts. It may not make any difference to them what we say, but it can't do any harm to reassure them.
 
Maesfen said:
I just despair of the amount of people that don't know what the right decision is when it needs to be done. If your horse is suffering just get on and do something about it instead of belly aching that you can't bare it, you are so upset. Get a grip, don't be selfish and do the best you can, that's all your horse asks of you.
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Totally agree with this ^^^^
Surely you know your horse better than anyone and are the only one who can judge whether it is right or whether there is another option.
I wouldn't post on here asking whether to PTS or not - to me it would be a very deep personal decision.
Saying that, when Rebel was PTS in October, and I posted a thread on here, I got a lot of comfort from the replies at a very difficult time.
 
I would post to say that a horse is going to be pts and that I'm upset about it, but I wouldn't ask if it was the right thing to do.
I know my dog and my cat are nearing the end of their lives and I'm dreading the day that I'll have to make that choice, but I think they'll let us know.
 
I personally wouldn't post on here about euthanasia (my Henesy was euthanised in August 2011) - but I understand why others may want to.
Sometimes as with all things in life (and death) we need reassurance and don't always know how to do the right thing. Or perhaps deep down the poster knows that euthanasia is the right path but just needs some virtual hugs and support.
We are not all blessed with hugely supportive friends in real life. (Although I am and I sought comfort from them when I lost him)

I would like to think that I am a caring and compassionate soul - and even if I don't know any of you - I would never turn my back if I thought I could help.
I don't object to the "PTS" threads any more than someone wanting advice on bitting. If I can offer support or something constructive I will.

Some people keep things very private - others like to shout about it. We all cope with life differently and I personally will not judge.
 
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