Sleep well Blueberry & Uti

pistolpete said:
I don’t really get the ‘going’ together thing. Am I the only one that thinks it’s not quite right? Life is precious. I’d have given anything to have kept my old boy retired a day or week or month longer. My current ponies best friend has just died and he pined for a day or two but is fine now. Maybe I’m wrong.
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I’m the same. I always thought my two would end up going together but my gelding has thrived for a further 3.5 years so far, and I think it’s good he gets to be my no 1 after a life of being slightly second to my mare.
And I always worried if it would be awful for the one who went second.
But we all know Carl does everything perfect for the horses and there will have been a reason. I’d not have kept my gelding going if he’d had something going wrong with him and wasn’t looking like he’d thrive.
 
I think the question is, what are you buying them by not letting them go together?

If it's months to years of good quality life, with horses that aren't that attached and are generally resilient, that's one thing.

If you're already considering quality of life issues and asking yourself the question about both of them, and you're only really buying a short period of less than ideal quality of life, with a horse that will be distressed at the loss of its friend and may find it difficult or not be well enough to integrate with new company... different story.

In my experience, decisions to let horses both go together are often precipitated by the more well horse going downhill quickly or having an acute issue. If you're facing leaving the fragile one on its own, then it seems a natural course of action.
 
bonny said:
I agree with this, all the talk about going together as if they understood what was happening. I find it hard to believe they had both reached the end of the road at the same time.
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Why don't you and others doubting the decision, just respect the owners and stop questioning their decisions, which are private and of no one else's business. What you find hard to believe is your problem, maybe give the devastated Hester Team a call and question his decision making process, I am sure he would be delighted to justify himself and his veterinary team to you.

Those pair of horses were very high mileage in both physical and mental work, the type/breed unlikely to make extremely old bones. They are not ponies or spent a life time of idleness. Their care in retirement would have wanted for nothing, exceeding by far, what many older horses receive.

Let us all remember the horses in their prime, their national and international successes. Allow them to rest at peace and be respectful to their connections.
 
Honey08 said:
I’m the same. I always thought my two would end up going together but my gelding has thrived for a further 3.5 years so far, and I think it’s good he gets to be my no 1 after a life of being slightly second to my mare.
And I always worried if it would be awful for the one who went second.
But we all know Carl does everything perfect for the horses and there will have been a reason. I’d not have kept my gelding going if he’d had something going wrong with him and wasn’t looking like he’d thrive.
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Exactly this! Surely they couldn’t both have been ill? Very odd. Charlotte’s statement implied it happened a little while ago.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Why don't you and others doubting the decision, just respect the owners and stop questioning their decisions, which are private and of no one else's business. What you find hard to believe is your problem, maybe give the devastated Hester Team a call and question his decision making process, I am sure he would be delighted to justify himself and his veterinary team to you.

Those pair of horses were very high mileage in both physical and mental work, the type/breed unlikely to make extremely old bones. They are not ponies or spent a life time of idleness. Their care in retirement would have wanted for nothing, exceeding by far, what many older horses receive.

Let us all remember the horses in their prime, their national and international successes. Allow them to rest at peace and be respectful to their connections.
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Im entitled to my view as you are. It has been put in the public domain and therefore up for peoples opinions. I’m just surprised so many people think it’s right. Just my thoughts and I’m sure they are very sad and would certainly not impose on anyone’s grief.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Why don't you and others doubting the decision, just respect the owners and stop questioning their decisions, which are private and of no one else's business. What you find hard to believe is your problem, maybe give the devastated Hester Team a call and question his decision making process, I am sure he would be delighted to justify himself and his veterinary team to you.

Those pair of horses were very high mileage in both physical and mental work, the type/breed unlikely to make extremely old bones. They are not ponies or spent a life time of idleness. Their care in retirement would have wanted for nothing, exceeding by far, what many older horses receive.

Let us all remember the horses in their prime, their national and international successes. Allow them to rest at peace and be respectful to their connections.
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I cant say it better than this, so "this". ⬆️
 
bonny said:
I agree with this, all the talk about going together as if they understood what was happening. I find it hard to believe they had both reached the end of the road at the same time.
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Im guessing one of them had got to the point where it was the kindest thing to do and the other was on borrowed time anyway. A friend did the same for her pair bonded horses. When she had to make the decision for one of them, she decided it was kinder to let the older one go too. He had health issues which meant his time would have come sooner rather than later and she thought kinder to give him a peaceful end, not one where he'd had to suffer the loss of his BFF. She was only ever shortening his life by months, but of course there were people that called her cruel.
It's really not true to say horses never miss their companions. Some of mine really have and some of them not so much.
 
pistolpete said:
It has been put in the public domain and therefore up for peoples opinions.
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No, the fact that they chose to share the passing of two horses that were loved by a nation and followed by an adoring fanbase, because they felt it was the right thing to do and wanted to pay tribute to them, does not make their decision fair game for public dissection and criticism.
 
It’s not about them knowing what’s happening when they go together, it’s about one not being left behind and stressing out about their friend suddenly not being there.
I’d far rather have 2 bonded horses of a similar old age be put to sleep on the same day than keep one alive for the sake of a few more weeks/months, knowing they would spend at least a portion of that time stressed that their long term friend has disappeared.
 
pistolpete said:
I don’t really get the ‘going’ together thing. Am I the only one that thinks it’s not quite right? Life is precious. I’d have given anything to have kept my old boy retired a day or week or month longer. My current ponies best friend has just died and he pined for a day or two but is fine now. Maybe I’m wrong.
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It very much depends on the health of the horses and how well bonded they are. It would be extremely unfair to take an elderly, possibly frail horse's soul mate away if they are very close with each other.

Andrew Goatman put a post on facebook recently about how horses process the loss of a friend. How much grief they feel can be down to the breed too.
 
scats said:
It’s not about them knowing what’s happening when they go together, it’s about one not being left behind and stressing out about their friend suddenly not being there.
I’d far rather have 2 bonded horses of a similar old age be put to sleep on the same day then keep one alive for the sake of a few more weeks/months, knowing they would spend at least a portion of that time stressed that their long term friend has disappeared.
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I suppose the fact I’ve just seen mine grieving recently hit a nerve. I know he’s sad he’s lost his friend of course and he’s retired and late teens but it never occurred to me to let him go. Maybe I should have! I guess it’s very different when you have time to plan. Apparently Uti had no teeth so was probably struggling with condition. I’m just shocked. Saw them both on Carl’s Facebook page in August they looked fab!
 
Twice I've let strongly pair bonded older horses go together, and both times I've felt absolutely sure that I was doing the right thing for the individual horses, horses I knew so, so well, and even with hindsight I dont regret it for a second. Carl didnt do this on a whim, he did what he felt was right for these two amazing horses that he knew inside out, it was the last kindness he could give them.
 
pistolpete said:
I suppose the fact I’ve just seen mine grieving recently hit a nerve. I know he’s sad he’s lost his friend of course and he’s retired and late teens but it never occurred to me to let him go. Maybe I should have! I guess it’s very different when you have time to plan. Apparently Uti had no teeth so was probably struggling with condition. I’m just shocked. Saw them both on Carl’s Facebook page in August they looked fab!
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If I had 2 old, retired horses who had lived their whole lives together and been basically side by side for their golden years, I would actually consider it a pretty heartless act to put one to sleep and leave the other behind.
 
To directly quote Carl
“So allowing them to leave this world together was the final act of loyalty and dignity I felt I could give them, honouring a partnership that had never been separated in life,” he said”
I don’t actually understand how people can question this.
 
paisley said:
To directly quote Carl
“So allowing them to leave this world together was the final act of loyalty and dignity I felt I could give them, honouring a partnership that had never been separated in life,” he said”
I don’t actually understand how people can question this.
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Because some people on the forum think they are more knowledgeable than one of the best horsemen in the world perhaps. The thread needs closure to enable respect for Team Hester.
 
eggs said:
Having recently had my two oldest (24 and 21) warmbloods pts who had lived their entire lives together (I had both since foals) who were very pair bonded I fully understand Carl’s decision.

Like many others, I have fabulous memories of seeing UTI and Blueberry competing.
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Sorry for your loss ❤️
 
So sad, but letting them go together was the kindest thing. I had pair bonded horses, when circumstances changed and I had to let one go (rehomed the one who was less difficult to someone who loved and adored her) my mare (who I still own today) stressed herself out that much she got an impaction colic and ended up in the vets, questioning if surgery was on the cards.
Thank god she recovered, and the time away from the yard seemed to snap her out of pining. She's been fine ever since and was young at the time (around 10) but had she been older, health issues etc, probably would have been kinder to let her go than stress her to the extent she nearly died!
 
Sad for those left behind and grieving.

My 31 year old went as an emergency pts at 1am a couple of years ago. His companion, also 31 was pts the following afternoon. There were no other horses here, he would have had to be moved by trailer into a new herd situation. The owner took the kindest decision.
 
End of an era, and thoughts are with the connections. Hardest, but kindest, decision any horse owner has to make. They were both truly special horses.

I had my old boy put to sleep with his pair bond. Both had suffered when their other friend got colic (horrid for all concerned). On the face of it, my horse ‘could’ have kept going, as it was his pair bond who was struggling, but I felt it was fairest to let them go together. It was definitely the right decision, and I’m grateful that we could let them go in a calm and controlled manner, without undue suffering. He happened to be a horse known to others (had been on working livery pre-retirement) - people sharing fond memories helped, but those questioning my decision (thankfully a tiny minority) made a tough situation harder. Surely this is a situation where all of us should stand together and support, not challenge, question or snipe.
 
Very sad to hear RIP Blueberry and Uti. 💔
I'm in the process of having to debate if when the time comes having my two go together. They are 19 and 21 at the moment, but it is the younger one who has more of the issues. I'm not planning on having anymore after these two so definitely don't want one left on their own and being unhappy 😢
 
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