Really need some advie

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Help4Horses

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I have a 20yr old mare. She's not ridden anymore due to having really bad arthritis in her back legs. We've tried different supplements but none make any real difference. She has bute when its really bad. Apart from this she's quite happy. Enjoys my attention and a nice groom.

However, I've been quite ill for a few months now and have been diagnosed with something that means I can't ride any more but also it's difficult for me to walk and stand for long periods making the day to day tasks of looking after her quite hard.

Really what I'm asking is what would you do in this situation? I can't really expect any one else to have her due to her health problems but I can't give her what she needs.

A few people have suggested I have her PTS but I've never had to do this before and I'm worried that I would be doing it prematurely as she is otherwise healthy.

Thanks for any advice.
 
Is she capable of living out? If she can wander around a field without pain and without losing condition I would perhaps think about that. Another alternative is retirement livery, so she is looked after but you can still go and see her sometimes. Its not a bad decision to PTS f not.
 
Poor you, what a very sad situation.

I think you have answered your own question really. Its not premature if she has really bad arthritis as she is probably very sore and coming into winter too now. If you cant provide the care she needs anymore it could deteriorate her condition further. Maybe the right time but only you can decide. I personally think it better the go when they are happy and things haven't got overly un-bareable, enjoy her life to the end :)

Good luck, its a very tough decision.
xx
 
Healthy?? I wouldn't exactly say that if she needs bute everyday just to keep her going. You do say "really bad arthritis" If she was a dog and its back end was going to this extent what would you do? I think if your illness means you wont be able to give her the time she needs maybe the kindest thing would be to pts. I dont agree with keeping any animal if its in pain. They need quality of life not quantity. Also if you do keep her alive what will happen to her, who will look after her? It shows in your dedication to her how much you love her, sometimes the kindest and best option is also the hardest. x
 
ThoroughbredStar said:
Poor you, what a very sad situation.

I think you have answered your own question really. Its not premature if she has really bad arthritis as she is probably very sore and coming into winter too now. If you cant provide the care she needs anymore it could deteriorate her condition further. Maybe the right time but only you can decide. I personally think it better the go when they are happy and things haven't got overly un-bareable, enjoy her life to the end :)

Good luck, its a very tough decision.
xx
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Echo this. I sadly too had to come to this decision, I'd had to put my lovely TB out on permanent loan as I could no longer provide the care and attention he so richly deserved, only a couple of weeks after he'd gone I had a phone call to say he was having problems, turned out it was his sacroiliac joint, loan home understandably didn't want to keep him on, treatment was not an option as he was coming up to 20 and I couldn't afford it - insurance wouldn't cover it. I wasn't in a position to have him back so I knew I was doing the right thing in having him PTS. When I went to see him on that fateful day, he was a shadow of his former self, the sparkle had gone from his eyes, he'd lost a fair bit of condition he whickered and nuzzled me as if to say it's time to let me go, it broke me completely. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through but at the end of the day I know he is no longer suffering. xx
 
Sorry to hear about your own illness. With regard to the horse, been there, done that. Living with arthritis isn't fun and even if you could attend to her everyday if supplements aren't working then the future is bleak. PTS is probably a kindness before it gets worse and definitely before the winter, they can become really miserable in the bad weather even if they're rugged and fed. Sometimes doing the right thing is the toughest decision
 
If she's happy and largely pain free pottering about the field in a herd then a £30 a week retirement livery could be an option - they do everything for them and send you photos/ updates etc - just be very very picky about where she goes and get plenty of references.

If she's not pain free then my view is strongly better a month too soon than a day too late - in some ways you're just waiting for her to collapes/ be really lame before making that choice in an emergancy. There is nothing wrong with a planned dignified end to ensure she isn't passed around or left struggling
 
Thank you all for your kind responses. It's so hard because I love her so much but I can't stand the thought of her being uncomfortable or even in pain every day. Some days she seems fine and she potters around as normal but then again some days she's not. She's out 24/7 because she's really stiff if she's stabled.

I think I seriously need to consider her future :(

Thank you all. I'll call the vet out and see what she says.
 
I would suggest for your own health you need to try and walk as much as you can otherwise you will become worse due to lack of movement.
 
nix123 said:
Healthy?? I wouldn't exactly say that if she needs bute everyday just to keep her going. You do say "really bad arthritis" If she was a dog and its back end was going to this extent what would you do? I think if your illness means you wont be able to give her the time she needs maybe the kindest thing would be to pts. I dont agree with keeping any animal if its in pain. They need quality of life not quantity. Also if you do keep her alive what will happen to her, who will look after her? It shows in your dedication to her how much you love her, sometimes the kindest and best option is also the hardest. x
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I agree with this. If walking her out in hand is what keeps her moving, then she is going to stiffen up when those walks stop. I think you would also have to find an angel to look after her as well as you have. Not many people would be willing to look after an old, lame horse as well as the owner who loves it to pieces. I'm also not particularly convinced by retirement liveries. I just don't think they'd get the same level of care and attention as they would with a one-to-one owner. They seem a way of getting rid of the encumbrance of an old horse without having to make the decision to PTS (obviously, in your case, you aren't getting rid of her just so you can free her space up for a new horse).

I think if you know her quality of life is going to slip with your health, then I would probably PTS. She might be otherwise healthy, but she's a stiff old gal, and that's only going to get worse. Knowing that, I would rather PTS whilst she still has a better quality of life, than look out the window one day and wish I'd done it a month ago.

Sorry to hear about your health problems.
 
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