Retired horse - Help???

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clairel if she doesn't want to pay for the horse while she is away IMO she is palming him off. as old horse are not cheap to keep and IMO someone is not going to pay out alot of money on someone else's old horse. as i know myself that my old boy was costing £30 plus a week last winter just in hard feed.

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I too have a couple of retired horses so know the costs involved. I just feel maybe everyone could have been more supportive. There are a lot worse things she could have done rather than asking for help! I don't pretend to know everything but if anyone accused me of being irresponsible (i know this wasn't you but you get the idea) or palming my horse off I would be greatly offended!
Sometimes things said on here have a greater effect than you might think!
 
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What a rude reply !!

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the hardest decision im guessing most of you have to decide is whether to get a pimms and lemonade or gin and tonic when you send your -paying for your lifestyle- OH's to the bar.


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I'm sure nearly everyone on this forum has had to make that hard decision or been close to someone that has ...
So what do you suggest ? As all I can see is your personal attack on everyone not a suggestion of a suitable option for OP

so i'm sorry but I suggest you STFU and get back under your bridge !
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what a snappy comeback. I think i may loose sleep over that one. oooo
 
I assume you are Mr annelin?

The short and simple answer is this, no matter how well meaning people are there are real costs to keeping a veteran horse, especially through winters. What the OP is asking for is somebody who is prepared to pay these costs for no return, no rideable horse, and potentially some steep vets bills in the future too, and make the hard decision in 1 , 5 or 10 years to have this horse put to sleep when there really is no healthy future.

Why would anybody do that?

In reality they wouldn't.

Horses are a commitment for all of their lives and when they reach a great age, if you cannot look after them yourself, and cannot afford a suitable retirement home the sad reality is that the kindest thing may be to have the horse put to sleep, rather than consign it to a miserable future of illness, or abandonment.
 
I know I'm trying to reason with a f**kwit here, but what the hell....

Toffinosegit, when the OP purchased this horse she chose to let it live past a useful age when it could have been sold on. Therefore its care, or at least the cost of it is her responsibility. She has three responsible options

1. Look after the horse herself and let husband do his thing
2. Pay someone else to take care of the horse
3. Have the horse destroyed

You actually can't just set them free in the wild you know, they need food, foot care, vets attention etc...
Perhaps she could take it to a sales, get a few quid for it as a riding horse.
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also if you you are paying for him now, why can you put him in a retirement home and carry on paying for him
 
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I assume you are Mr annelin?

The short and simple answer is this, no matter how well meaning people are there are real costs to keeping a veteran horse, especially through winters. What the OP is asking for is somebody who is prepared to pay these costs for no return, no rideable horse, and potentially some steep vets bills in the future too, and make the hard decision in 1 , 5 or 10 years to have this horse put to sleep when there really is no healthy future.

Why would anybody do that?

In reality they wouldn't.

Horses are a commitment for all of their lives and when they reach a great age, if you cannot look after them yourself, and cannot afford a suitable retirement home the sad reality is that the kindest thing may be to have the horse put to sleep, rather than consign it to a miserable future of illness, or abandonment.

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actually what i thought she was asking for was someone to take the horse off her hands that would like an companion as not everyone has horses just to ride. I thought that horses made good friends and that she was asking if someone would like a friend for free cos she will no longer be able to look after him and that maybe that sorta person would be reading this forum.

ps when you assume you make and an a$$ of u and me, so try not to hurt either of us by thinking too hard again.

if you didnt get it from that response, no, I'm not mr annalin. If i was i be pretty peeved that i was defending the country for the likes of some of you.
 
Option 2 is the most reasonable one in this case, if option 3 is seen as being so awful.
Please tell annelin to put aside £50 a week for retirement keep for the forseeable future in order to be able to sleep at night instead of worrying about her poor old lad. Easy solution.
 
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actually what i thought she was asking for was someone to take the horse off her hands that would like an companion

and that she was asking if someone would like a friend for free cos she will no longer be able to look after him


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That's the whole point..................Horses aren't FREE they are bloody expensive to keep!!! Obvious really otherwise she wouldn't be trying to 'give' him away!!!!!
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I was trying to explain quite gently to you why it is unlikely anybody would want to take this horse on - clearly you manners have deserted you.

Even standing in a field every day as a companion a horse costs money - and that is no way to keep an elderly horse that does require rugs/feed/bedding/vets/farriers/dentist/supplements -the list is endless.

You need to think a little harder before firing off at people, many of whom do welfare work, some of whom are actually quite expert in the field, and have years of experience. Some of us may be a little brutally honest, but that is for the welfare of the horses, not because we enjoy it.
 
toffinosegit, her original post wasn't worded like that, it was a request for advice/information, and did not read "do any of you want an aged companion for your horse?"
most people looking for a companion want a younger one that they can hack around on, in my experience. aged horses need a lot of food, care and attention. there's no way around it, unfortunately.
 
How dare you judge and criticise those forum members who have suggested PTS as a reasonable solution? Have you got your head buried in the sand as far as what fate normally befalls elderly horses in this country or do you think there are hundreds of philanthropic land-owners who dedicate vast acres and provide luxury accomodation and devoted care for free?

A horse has no concept of tomorrow and a gentle goodbye with their trusted keeper beside them and a capable vet/knackerman in charge is a far better end than many horses could hope for and indeed receive.

I have to add that some horses, in spite of having dedicated care and responsible owners, manage to injure themselves or develop life-ending colic in the few moments their carer is not in attendance and this doesn't count - before anyone gets upset, here!

This is not to say that the decision is an easy one to make and simple to carry out. I am teetering on the brink of such a thing myself and know only too well how easy it would be to palm the responsibilty off on someone else. Yes it is palming off. You have a horse, you take the rough as your dues against all the fun and happiness you have had in the company of him or her.

So butt out.
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Every body is entitled to their opinions and just because you don't happen to agree with it there is no need to get abusive.

So what is your suggestion then you toffinosegit?

I personally agree with most of the replies and would say that at a grand old age of 30 the horse should go to a retirement home where he can have the very best of care or to the great pasture in the sky. What is fair about puttng a 30 year old horse on loan with all it's associated problems? I would never forgive myself if something happened to the horse that could have been prevented. Anyway, like I said, this is just my opinion.
 
I certaintly didn't get the impression that the original enquirer was trying to 'palm off' her responsibility to her horse. I felt she was desperate to find a way to deal with a very difficult situation. Life throws up these dilemmas and sometimes there are not easy solutions and hard decisions have to be made. It may be that having the horse pts will be the only possible way forward if she just can't afford a retirement home but surely she is right to explore every other possility. Asking for help on this forum was a way of doing that.
 
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actually what i thought she was asking for was someone to take the horse off her hands that would like an companion

and that she was asking if someone would like a friend for free cos she will no longer be able to look after him


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That's the whole point..................Horses aren't FREE they are bloody expensive to keep!!! Obvious really otherwise she wouldn't be trying to 'give' him away!!!!!
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agreed they are, but if you wanted a friend just for grooming and company and can afford to keep a horse in the first place then you prob wouldn't want to buy a horse surely if someone was willing to give one away?

Lord knows if i had the space to take another horse rather than see him 'PTS' (a much more amenable way of putting it btw, like ethnic cleansing - doesn't sound as awful as it actually is!) then I would take and old horse (or dog or cat etc).

But then i guess im just not that cold and don't see horses one reason for existence to win shows, ride while they are useful and then dispose of when they become difficult.

Hope annalin finds someone out there with the same view and some spare space for another old horse. They do make great friends....
 
Annil I know you only want the best for him and PTS must seem like the impossible option for you. But Please, Please, do what is best for this horse. The others are quite right in saying that anyone other than a charity or retirement home, will not have the gratitude for a old friend which is what keeps us working like slaves and paying through the nose for a retired horse, which cannot give much back. I have heard too many horror stories to let a needy horse of mine go as a "companion" to anyone I didn't know and trust.
 
Annalin
The reason people are saying pts is because there have been a lot of incidences where horses are loaned as companions and then disappear. Some are sold on either privately or at markets and some pts for the meat money. They disappear within days.The loaner then disappears too. It is heartbreaking for the original owner as they have no idea what has happened to the horse, how it has been treated, whether it is being pased from dealer to dealer or through the markets, whether it is on a lorry to Italy...That is why with such an elderly chap it is a risk to loan to just anybody. Unless you can maintain control over the horses welfare it is very risky and as soon as you advertise him for loan, at his age it is more likely that you will get an unscrupulous conman or woman contacting you. You should only consider loaning him to someone you have known for a long time and who you trust to give him the best care. If you dont have anyone like this the you should be very wary of loaning. Even with a loan agreement, if you cant find the horse or the person you loaned him to it is not really of much use. You have to be extremely careful.

I agree with the suggestions of retirement livery but it comes at a cost. This is your best and safest option but if you go that route make sure you check out the yard etc and find somewhere that is recommended.

Depending on where you are posted, it may be a possibility to take him with you.

If none of these is an option then unfortunately, and sadly, the best thing you can do is pts. At least then you have guaranteed that he was cared for properly throughout his life.
 
"Some of us may be a little brutally honest, but that is for the welfare of the horses, not because we enjoy it. "

I smell something, maybe this field needs poo-picking....
 
If everyone went on forums asking, does anyone want to pay for and care for my old useless horse, there'd be no room for any other discussions!!!

Many people on here are already taking care of our own aging horses and have had to have much loved horses PTS. The world would be swamped with companion horses if we all tried to dump them on someone else. That is why the topic is met with much hostility.

To the OP, I've got two old age ponies, and one un-rideable, un-sound seven year old - I don't fancy paying for them anymore and would like to bu**er off round the world. Can I drop them off at your house?
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toffinosegit, have you ever actually had a horse destroyed? i have, quite a few of my own beloved horses unfortunately, either because they were too old to have a good quality of life any more (on vet's recommendation, not a callous cash-saving route), or because they were young and had major problems (serious colic, cripplingly lame from pedal bone fracture which was not cured by operation, etc etc.)
it is not that "awful" for the horse... yes, for the owner it is, but for the horse it is a blessed release, if done properly. i don't think it's possible to convince you of this, but it isn't the worst thing that can happen to a horse. compared to years of neglect, it is instant heaven, i firmly believe.
it takes a horse a long time to starve to death, judging by some of the terrible stories i've heard and pictures i've seen.
 
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agreed they are, but if you wanted a friend just for grooming and company and can afford to keep a horse in the first place then you prob wouldn't want to buy a horse surely if someone was willing to give one away?

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Actually I would approach a charity and take on one of the horses someone else had palmed off on them.

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But then i guess im just not that cold and don't see horses one reason for existence to win shows, ride while they are useful and then dispose of when they become difficult.

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Nor do I, but that's why mine will be kept BY ME until she is no longer comfortable. I definately won't be trying to loan her out (if I'm lucky enough that she stays healthy) age 30+.
 

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"Many people on here are already taking care of our own aging horses and have had to have much loved horses PTS. The world would be swamped with companion horses if we all tried to dump them on someone else. That is why the topic is met with much hostility"

Well said KVS
 
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"Some of us may be a little brutally honest, but that is for the welfare of the horses, not because we enjoy it. "

I smell something, maybe this field needs poo-picking....

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The only field I have that needs poo picking is the only that has been occupied by my own 'rescue' horse, who I have looked after at my own expense for the best part of 5 years with no recourse to charities - and his wellbeing is my responsibility until the day he dies. Sadly I don't have the means to take on any more.
 
I have two retired animals, one pony who went lame with ringbone as a beautiful and very successful 7yo. He was never able to be ridden again and he is now 18 and will be with me until he has to be put down. He is a brilliant compaion for the other horses, teaches the young ones to come when they are called etc etc The other will also have a home for life, we owe them both the best as they gave their best to us and we are responsible for their welfare. That's what being an owner is about. I'm lucky though - we have our own fields and I have a job which allows me to be able to afford to look after them. If I lost my job and couldn't afford to look after them, I would definately look for someone who wanted a companion - I wouldn't feel I had done my best for them otherwise. Just to have them put down would not be the first thing I would think of - it is a life we are talking about. It would be the last possible option. Congratualations to the OP for trying to find a way forward for her horse.
 
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G&T if you're asking!!!
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For you info I work full time and pay for MY horse MYSELF, and guess what??...........I will NEVER expect someone else to pay for MY horse. I definately won't be trying to "PALM MY HORSE" off on anybody else, however old she gets!!!!
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i'm with Piebald sparkle on this. apart from the G & T, i'm a strictly non alcoholic beverage person
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unless you can guarantee that this horse is going to have the best of care for the rest of it's life, which loaning out and leaving the country isn't going to, then why not pay for retirement, or PTS.
 
My horses are both now into their teens and I worry what will happen in the future. Unfortunately I do not have my own land, I am not rich enough to afford a retirement home. (mine are both at DIY livery, paid for between 3 of us) and as I am now approaching 50, they could well outlive me. I hope when the time comes, that I am no longer able to take care of them, either physically or financially, and in the absence of finding a companion home with a horsey friend, that I can find the courage to do the right thing and have them peacefully PTS in their own home. It is the most difficult decision you will ever have to make, but the horses best interest is paramount and you owe it to a much loved friend not to abandon him to what could be a fate worse than death, if you make the wrong decision.
 
popsicle - I agree totally - but I do think it's important to try the companion route first. I think that is what OP was trying to do.
 
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