Senior horse no longer lying down

[ester]

Also, summer isn’t great for horses anyway the ground is often rock hard and the flies are a pita.
my oldie did end up going the end of last summer but it wasn’t because of that per se, more that his eating issues werent an issue during the summer but had been the last month or so of winter before. He went happy as Larry, looking amazing and still pratting about in the field which realistically is the best I could have asked for him. Hard absolutely but best for him

 

[Birker2020]

Birker, I have been avoiding responding to your posts for a long time now, as I am sick of being told how awful I am. However - in this instance - this post comes across so unkindly. Please think about how you phrase your responses on sensitive topics. I've edited it for you - it would have been a nice post if you'd avoided the "If you're not prepared" nonsense

The OP understood precisely what I meant. The 'if your not prepared' was referring to ' if she wasn't prepared to put him through any stress' not because she chose not to. I actually said it was a hard decisiin for her and said in a later post said only she knew the horse and it wasn't up to anyone on the forum to sway her either way.

I also wrote fair enough if you are not prepared to because of cost of money and sympathised by saying it was understabje from memory . I then ended the post ' thinking of you'. its also why I wrore what i did in reply 16 and reply 19.

Do do stop trying to cause trouble. The OP didn't take offence because she understood my reply. You just choose not to so you can cause a scene and make me out to be the bad guy.

 

[ester]

Any suggestion it was about money was insensitive IMO

 

[Birker2020]

Any suggestion it was about money was insensitive IMO

No its not insensitive. Of course money is a factor, a huge factor in most peoples decisions. To pretend otherwise is silly. I said i understood fully about the cost implications!

Its personally more insensitive looking for an opportunity to have another go at me through someones elses misfortune.

 

[Gallop_Away]

OP I'm so sorry. These decisions are never easy. It is not for anyone else to tell you what you and your husband should do, but for what it is worth if it were one of mine I think I would let them go. Better now than god forbid finding them down and unable to stand.
Also it sounds like you have given this boy the best life and you and your husband sound like such caring owners to now be thinking about making this decision, despite how hard it is for you both. He is lucky to have you as his owners.

 

[Birker2020]

Yes that's what I put also in 16 and 32.

 

[BBP]

I have no idea if what im about to write is appropriate or not, as your horse is not my horse, but I’ll give my account anyway. My horse has had a number of occasions where he has had real issues getting up. He would take ages deciding to go down to roll and then He would sit like a dog and rock back and forth trying to pull himself up with his front end instead of using his neck and back end to lever himself up. He fell a couple of times and I knew it was time to have him put to sleep. But for one reason and another I didn’t. A bute trial made no difference. What I did do was put him on a high dose of vitamin E. It turns out we think he has vitamin E deficiency myopathy which led to pretty extreme muscle weakness. Each time he has been on the high dose of vitamin E the issue has resolved and each time I have got complacent and stopped feeding it the difficulties rising have returned.

Your boy is older and it is likely to be a completely different issue, but I’m sharing the info as it is something that even the top vets hadn’t identified as being the likely cause. He’s likely to be PTS soon for different reasons but is still getting up well. A blood test would tell you if your horse is deficient. But I will say it took weeks for my horse to improve and that is a real gamble if they hurt themselves trying to get up.

Big hugs to you, it’s an awful thing to have to decide.

 

[Auslander]

The OP understood precisely what I meant. The 'if your not prepared' was referring to ' if she wasn't prepared to put him through any stress' not because she chose not to. I actually said it was a hard decisiin for her and said in a later post said only she knew the horse and it wasn't up to anyone on the forum to sway her either way.

I also wrote fair enough if you are not prepared to because of cost of money and sympathised by saying it was understabje from memory . I then ended the post ' thinking of you'. its also why I wrore what i did in reply 16 and reply 19.

Do do stop trying to cause trouble. The OP didn't take offence because she understood my reply. You just choose not to so you can cause a scene and make me out to be the bad guy.

As expected...

 

[MuddyMonster]

I think it's his time from what you've written.

IME joint injections can help some horses, some of the time but they can't stop the eventual ageing process

Saying goodbye for the final time to a much loved friend is incredibly hard so you are all in my thoughts. X

 

[Supertrooper]

We have a 23 year horse, he’s been with us for ever. He’s my husbands but a real family favourite. He’s huge - 17.2 an Irish draft. A massive, massive horse, big feet and big limbs. My husband retired him early last year as he felt he’d become weak and stumbled a few times. He was only ever used for hacking, he’s had a lovely, easy life just ambling around the lanes so never any hard work or jumping bar the odd log. But even light hacking became hard as he was much weaker and then his shoes were removed as he could no longer stand on 3 legs to be shod (even with bute) he has arthritis in his hocks. last year in the summer he got stuck (sort of cast but managed to get himself up on his own) on the hard ground and seemed to become frightened to lie down, although he does still roll, not as often as he did though.
His rolling is a slow process, he goes down shoulder first and his back legs shake a lot. He seems to only roll if really desperate. You could set your watch by his nap in the past, he loved a long flat out, snoring sleep of a morning and it became noticeable that he wasn’t doing that. He had a bute trial that didn’t make any difference although he does have bute just to take the edge off things, he does much better turned out 24/7 with shelter but despite a huge amount of hard feed and being well rugged up has lost lots of weight and muscle very noticeable on his large frame, especially as in all the years we’ve had him he’s come out of winter ‘well’. he was cushings tested but it was in the grey area but we put him on pracsend on the vets advice. Last weekend he went to roll and it took him 4 attempts to get up and my husband was very distressed and cried (he really loves his horse, we all do) and said it’s time but I wonder if we should give him the summer but my husband says he thinks he’s lost his sparkle and is exhausted not being able to lie down. He is very slow and takes his time turning around and sometimes rests his head on his haynet. We keep him at home so I do see him a lot and unless he’s lying down at night (no evidence) he hadn’t lay down for months, however he’s still fairly bright eyed, often trots in for tea, mutual grooming his buddy etc. I think my husband is probably right - he knows him best. But someone we know made a passing comment about spring grass and sunshine and they would give him one last summer (but he doesn’t like hard ground) and now I’m in pieces wondering if he’s called it too early and feeling judged but equally with children who also love the horse we have to be united when we tell them, it’s hanging over our heads and just feels awful. And I don’t want it to become an issue or there to be any resentment on either side my husband said he had mentally given him winter and he didn’t come out at all well so he’s absolutely not giving him summer. Also he said if he had to get his jcb out to get him up if couldn’t he’d never forgive himself, I KNOW he’s right but why am I still questioning it

I think it’s time from what you’ve written here, it’s such a hard decision but you and your family will do the right thing for him

I think summer can be as hard as winter for a lot of horses, with the heat and flies etc and in truth I think a lot of the one more summer is to give the owner time to come to terms with things

I really feel for you. In my experience The blue cross bereavement helpline is a good resource to speak to someone not emotionally involved who can sound concerns over with xx

 

[daffy44]

OP I'm so sorry, its a horrible, heartbreaking decision to have to make. But from what you have said I'm afraid I think your husband is right, its his time. So much better to do it before he really gets stuck and it all has to be done in a distressing, stressful situation, better to make a huge fuss of him and let him go quietly with dignity.

But I've had to do it myself and I dont underestimate how horrible it is, but its the last great kindness we can give to our beloved horses.

 

[Orangehorse]

It is frightening for them when they can't get up and down easily, very stressful as they know that they couldn't get away from a predator easily - even if we know there aren't any, it makes them feel vulnerable.

Spoil him for the last few days and then let him go while he is still happy and don't wait until he is stuck on the ground and can't get up.

I am going to have to face this soon too, it is so hard when you look at them out in the field having a wander round.

 

[Above the snowline]

The price of love is grief. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

 

[doodle]

Sadly I also think your husband is right. My horse is not as big as yours but he is still a big warmblood. He was diagnosed with hock arthritis at 14.(thankfully doing very well now) My vet has been brilliant but he has also said that it is just fact that his legs won’t last as long as a smaller horse. 23 is a great age for a big horse. Thinking of you.

 

[Birker2020]

As expected...

.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I am so sorry that you have to make this decision on a much over family member. My retired by is 27, 17.1 warmblood. He is unflooming his age at the moment. He goes through phases where he can't lay down then he is fine again. He definitely has an issue with his hocks so I wonder if , during the bones fusing, he cannot lay down then once fused he is ok. He is ok at the moment but as soon as he is struggling I will have to rethink. I'm sure you will make the right decision.

 

[Peglo]

Such a tough decision OP. I wanted to give my old TB one last summer last year. We live up north of the UK so don’t get the heat, flies and dry ground as other places south and she loved a summer. But it wasn’t to be and she only made it half way through summer before I made the decision. It doesn’t always work out to leave them for the better weather.

although you weren’t sure before, having your husband thinking it’s time will be a huge help emotionally. Your big horse is very lucky to have had many happy years with you.

 

[PeterNatt]

Your husbanh has got it right as otherwise one day his horse will go down and be unable to get up again, which may make it very much more distressing. It is always very sad to say goodbye but he has had a lovely life with you and is far better to go now than later in a distressing situation. I do sympathise for both of you but you will be doing the best by your lovely horse.

 

[Birker2020]

Its heartbreakimg, i lost my horse in 2021 after 17 years, most people on the forum were really kind. Its hard but sometimes its the best thing for them, it was why my Wobbler horse was pts because although i was prepared to retire him the thought he'd not be able to get up was the determining factor.

Look after yourself. I'm sure you know i wasnt trying to cause offence but in case you believe what these people who are trying to cause dissent are saying I can assure you I wasn't. Its much too close to home, I'd never do that.

 

[Britestar]

This is the factor for my 31yr old.
She rarely lies down in the stable but often see her snoozing outside , and happy to roll.
If I think she's struggling then I'll call it.

 

[hairycob]

If it helps, several years ago I went to a talk on looking after elderly horses run by my vet and a director of one of the big rescue charities talked about when to make the final decision. One of their red lines was struggling to roll or get up.

 

[Barton Bounty]

What a horrible decision to make but as other have said better at the right time than too late. He sounds like he has had the best life and been a spoiled big dude thinking of you

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

It's such a difficult decision, but I dislike the whole 'give him one last summer' trope and as you say, hard ground will be awful for him. Stuff his face with carrots and think of all the lovely ambles round the lanes.

My farrier once told me it's the legs that'll do for all big horses, once mine started, it was a pretty straightforward decision, couldn't get up in the field one day, then his stifle locked.

I'm sorry you're going through this, it's just heartbreaking.

 

[sakura]

I just wanted to say what lovely owners you and your husband sound like. I'm thinking of you both ❤

 

[MrFoxtrot]

Thank you for all your replies. I don’t know how to quote multi posts but thank you also to those who have shared their experiences however heartbreaking. I do know it’s right, what’s been hard is one half of us (husband) being so sure and then the other (me) being swayed by the whole ‘last summer’ comment and then it causing upset. The thing is however much I love the horse I don’t have the bond he and my husband have. He said he would know when it was time to retire him and he would know when it was time to say goodbye. They went for a little hack last year, he came home, hung up his tack and said that’s the last time I’ll do that. I said how did he know (he’d been lightly hacking him to keep him moving) and he said ‘the turbos gone. I’m used to my big, powerful horse and he’s not there now, he’s trying so so hard not to stumble with me. He’s only going forward because I’m asking him too and he’s to good a boy to say no’

however writing it all down has really helped and helped me see what is right in front of me. He’s the most gorgeous horse, so kind and gentle, and he has had the most lovely lovely life.

 

[Snow Falcon]

When oldies struggle to get up its either time to up the meds to see if that helps or make the hardest but kindest decision to let them go.

A friend of mine kept one of hers going too long in my opinion. Mare couldn't get up in the slippy conditions and had obviously been trying. She was exhausted poor thing. Don't let life become a struggle for them.

 

[Hollylee1989]

This post must hard enough on the original poster as it is, they don't need to see other members trying to poke others to cause a scene. Isn't that what kids do? Thoughts are with you mrfoxtrot

 

[ester]

I think it’s trickier when there’s more than one person involved OP too And it’s natural to worry what is the wrong/right decision. Mum had sole care of my boy in his retirement as I had to move and I knew she would worry about being the one to bring up so the whole decision making process started with a very long email (that’s how we roll) from me to her hoping she agreed with my feelings (in the end she was grateful I brought it up)

 

[Auslander]

This post must hard enough on the original poster as it is, they don't need to see other members trying to poke others to cause a scene. Isn't that what kids do? Thoughts are with you mrfoxtrot

I guess that was a dig at me. I was annoyed on the OP's behalf, rather than trying to cause a scene, and I snapped at someone I have been actively avoiding for some time. If you want to tell me off, please PM me, so as not to derail the thread again. Thanks

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

It sounds like it's time, it's better to be a month too early than a minute too late. Giving them the summer is a bit of a "glittery" notion - it may be he struggles in the summer and the heat affects him and if he's struggling with his mobility the flies and hard ground may irritate him more

Also if it's planned, you can completely spoil him in the lead up, the worst thing would be to find him unable to get up one morning, when he could have been like it for hours and you have to make an emergency decision. As you said, having to get the JCB out to get him up would be an awful last memory of him rather than him having time being spoilt and receiving all his forbidden goodies - mine had a bag of pears the morning of his, and a likit!

Mine was due to finances after the cost of living announcement, but he'd also started to show signs of age, wasn't really eating his hay so his poor hips were really prominent. I couldn't afford to have these properly investigated. He also had Cushing's. I got a lot of flack for not giving him the chance to "have the sun on his back", but the thing is the horse doesn't know what's coming, and you also won't have such a long drawn out build up. He will just spend the next few weeks, as someone on here said to me, getting utterly spoilt thinking "oh this is nice" he won't be thinking "oh they're doing this because I'm about to be PTS".