Rehoming an old boy (yes they shoot horses, but I'd rather not)

scarymare said:
I'm not going to pretend to have any sympathy for your depression (or anyone else's for that matter)
Click to expand...

Just had to pick up on this, sorry!
I have lost an Uncle to depression, nearly lost my sister-in-law and almost lost myself as well (Please don't ask). It's not just someone being a little bit sad, it's much much worse than that! It kills like any other serious illness.

Anyway, OP, I really hope you find the best option :) I really feel for you, I'll be thinking of you *hugs*
 
Annielusian said:
Just had to pick up on this, sorry!
I have lost an Uncle to depression, nearly lost my sister-in-law and almost lost myself as well (Please don't ask). It's not just someone being a little bit sad, it's much much worse than that! It kills like any other serious illness.
Click to expand...

Well said! :)
 
scarymare said:
I'm not going to pretend to have any sympathy for your depression (or anyone else's for that matter)
Click to expand...

Why? D'you think depression's faked? Or self-inflicted? Or Karmic?

Whatever the reason, it's one of the most ignorant and distasteful things I've read for a long time - and you may find that it comes back to bite you on the arse one day.

OP, you've had some good advice on here which I can't really add to, but I hope things work out for you and your old horse and the light comes back in your life :)
 
I really do hope you find a solution OP that hopefully does not end up in your horse being PTS if he is still healthy and happy. I think about our older 3 - 27, 25 and 20 and there is no way they are ready to 'go' yet at all and I know I would do all I could to make sure this didn't happen - there are a heck of a lot of other things I'd sell first and I 'd look at getting additional jobs etc if needs be. I cannot pretent to understand depression really but I know it is more than just someone feeling a bit down and I can sympathise (I have one of my team off with depression at the moment). I do home you ind a nice home for him, I am sure there are some even in this 'recession'. Those who really value their horses do do all they can for them. i believe there are FAR more decent people out there than the horrors that many people on here seem to assume p as if noone else could or would possibly care for an older horse the way they could.
 
of course there are definately lovely homes out there.... but it is finding them and sometimes that is just luck , asking at the right time in the right place.It might not be a case of not thinking there are people that can care as much as current owners can .... it's just having confidence that the person you do trust the horse to is really the good one. B has been to one loanee that was "not good" and I ended the loan..........she is now with one who loves her and cares for her prob even better than me :rolleyes:

I dont think anyone will say PTS lightly at all, I certainly would not, but tbh if my back was against a wall with no sign of a charity /offer of home to take on aged horse then I would not dismiss it totally for my oldie. I have seen for myself far too often ( I did voluntary work with well known charity) the older horse that has reached the bottom after say being passed on from competiton home to schooling / teaching rider home to companion home and then for whatever reason ending up neglected in field or stood in the sales ring for the meat man with the "lights out" and suffering. I would not see that end for my beloved horses ever !!!!!



I can empathise OP as I had severe clinical depression some years ago and tbh if I had not had Taz things prob not be as they are today. Having to get out the house and tend to her (and having her to literally cry on and cuddle into) made such a huge difference. I do so hope there is some way you can keep your horse and not have to make the hardest decision of all while ill ..... I wish you all the luck in the world.

Whatever happens though ...... be KIND to yourself and remind yourself that you tried the best you could in the situation you have found yourself , whatever feelings surface please do not berate yourself !!!!!!
 
Thanks people. I am not really too depressed at the moment. I had to defer some training which impacted upon starting the next stage of my career. Now it's just all turned a mess. Competing against others for same next stage of training who haven't deferred things. I wonder if the job I was aiming for is for me (don't need more disasters). It's left me in limbo. Life isn't too bad. Definitely looking up.

My horse is such a super little man. He was ridden by an elite show jumper as a youngster. Not that it should make a difference. He has served a lot of people well. All the same, I wouldn't want someone finding out he was 'quite' elite, or at least very capable of jumping, then hammering him and forcing him to jump hard. I am sure he'd still oblige. He is past it really...
 
Last edited:
Spudlet said:
I don't think people say PTS for the sake of it, or because they like to think of horses being killed, or because they don't believe in retiring horses or anything like that - well, I don't anyway. It's because they are aware of what can happen when more vulnerable horses are passed on.

Let's face it - why are horses kept well? Two reasons - they're financially valuable, or because someone loves them.

An older horse than can no longer be ridden has little financial value, so if it's well cared for it's because someone loves it. If you then pass that horse on to strangers, it loses that protection too.

How many horses that end up being sold at the low-end sales were loved by someone once? How many of them are loved at the sales? How many end up in a bad state? Horses that end up neglected don't just spring from the ground - they all come from somewhere. So often, someone loved them too once.

OP, I feel terrible for you and I really hope you can find someone to take your old boy - I would say, someone you know, someone local, and you have got to make the commitment to keep checking him regularly, both announced and unannounced.

But if you can't find anyone, then please don't send him out into the world alone without you to watch his back.
Click to expand...


All the above, but mostly, this ^^^

I wish you well with your horse and the awfulness which is depression x
 
I've read all of this post and commented and just want to wish you luck again OP and hope that things start to look up. Also wanted to say please let us know how you get on and what you decide. :)
 
I looked after a 30 year old horse who was wasnt ridden. Granted owners paid the bills but i did the looking after, i loved it and learned so much :)
 
cobmum said:
I looked after a 30 year old horse who was wasnt ridden. Granted owners paid the bills but i did the looking after, i loved it and learned so much :)
Click to expand...

I haven't read all the posts, but I am afraid that if you want to secure a good home for your horse you probably have to be prepared to foot some of the costs (say teeth and farrier).

If you can't afford that you could always try offering to look after your and new home's horses say for holidays and maybe one day a week, in return for his keep - I just think that whatever happens you need to stay very close to him to protect his future.
 
As somebody who would like a horse like this, and would give it a home for life I'm just pointing out that there are homes available-we have not yet found one in our area suitable so they're not overflowing with us (and that includes supposedly full charities who won't get back to us)
 
I havent read all the thread but I found a Companion home for my horse 3 and a half years ago on here that is so good he is now permanently hers. Its tough trying to trust as there are horror stories but my guy (well he is hers now) is 20 and now living the life of Riley. And me I am looking and having the exact same trust issues with buying because every time I see an ad someone says ooh noooo dont buy from them have you heard......
 
You can "gift" him the WHW and they will find somewhere for him I know ive got 2 of theirs already my 2 bigs lads and I wouldnt go any where else if I was looking for a companion. Give them a ring and ask them they can inly say no and I would be against pts myself aslong as they have a quality of life then they should be given that opportunity to live it out until nature tells you otherwise. Now i'll get shot down in flames sorry
 
Heya, :) how about sending your horse to a retirement livery? That's what I did with mine and I am safe in the knowledge that she is well looked after. Livery yard owner posts pictures and videos of her and the other retirement liveries on facebook. It is very reasonable as well (me being a student it needs to be!) And you can battle through your depression without having to lose your horse.

PM me if you would like details of where I keep Rosie.

I love the phrase: 'depression is not a sign of a weakness, its a sign that you've been strong for far too long.' and I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be for the better :)
 
Hi there

Im going to hold my hands up here - ive only read approx half of the posts...:( But what I just wanted to say was I have just come back from Melton Horse Sales today where I met a very distraught lady who had recently let her horse go to a "Good Home" as a companion, only to find out 2 days later the person was a dealer and that her horse could well be in danger of ending up on the hook! Although her horse wasnt present at Melton today - she was concerned as to what this dealer had done with her.

She admits she didnt vet the home - but she explained this woman was so plausable and nice and because of the distance she relied on photographs (which never arrived)

Anyway I just wanted to stress that there are alot of crooks out there (which im sure u no anyway) and I myself have struggled with depression and my heart goes out to you ((((hugs)))) just be very careful if you let him go cheaper then meat money as hes an easy target to make a few pounds, maybe ask for a reference or visit the new home before you agree to let him go.

Hope your feeling better soon xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top