Sleep well Blueberry & Uti

pistolpete said:
I had no idea this was so common. I’ve learned something. I never thought they weren’t treated like kings I just couldn’t get my head around it.
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Seeing two horses lying dead outside their stables absolutely ripped me apart, but I still know it was the right decision.
 
It's wonderful that they went together and very touching. I have no doubt Carl did right by them. I haven't read CDJ tribute and shan't. I'm sure she is very sad and for that I am sorry but it changes nothing about her and how I feel about her. This should not be about her but about 2 marvelous athletes who gave great pleasure to many having a dignified and caring end. RIP both x
 
pistolpete said:
Exactly this! Surely they couldn’t both have been ill? Very odd. Charlotte’s statement implied it happened a little while ago.
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Carl Hester's post said they competed together, travelled together, stabled next to each other and turned out together. I don't know CH's set up but if it meant leaving an elderly horse trying to find its place in a new herd then it was right that they went together.
 
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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In August it was gloriously warm, and their old muscles and joints would be enjoying the sun.

We have had a month of cold and wet, and winter has only just started. I'm not surprised that two old athletes, of similar age, breeding and with active careers, both started feeling the effects at the same time.

Having had number of horses into their late 20's, there is a huge difference between a horse in it's late teens and one in its mid 20's. Not to say I wouldn't still PTS a pair bonded mid teens if it also had health issues, but it wouldn't be as straightforward a descision.

We had my old mare PTS at 29. She was part of a closed 4 horse herd. The other older mare (early 20's) was still fit and well, still competing. She grieved, but appeared to recover. 6 months later we had to have her PTS due to colic. Possibly a coincdence, possibly not. The second mare had joined the herd as a 2 y/o, so had been with the first mare most of her life.
 
A sad day for team Hester, losing 2 absolute legends. Whilst not a fan of CDJ anymore, I found her tribute very touching, Blueberry was on another level!

What I’m finding strange is people commenting on FB going on about how they were not old and how they have horses much older that are fine etc etc. People are so strange…
 
AandK said:
A sad day for team Hester, losing 2 absolute legends. Whilst not a fan of CDJ anymore, I found her tribute very touching, Blueberry was on another level!

What I’m finding strange is people commenting on FB going on about how they were not old and how they have horses much older that are fine etc etc. People are so strange…
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I know I think that, ill educated and clueless! Any warmblood that makes it to that age is very good in my book! And considering their careers and the impact that must have had on their joints etc I think they are good ages to get to indeed!
 
I think people forget just like in humans horses age differently. We lost a pony to cancer at 21 and a large sport horse type at 29 both the right decision for them.

Having seen the 29 year olds much loved but much younger companion go through grieving his friend I can absolutely see the kindness in letting two very close in age horses go together. As it is our younger horse has so far had another happy two years and I expect him to have many more. Right decision for him but awful to have to watch him struggle missing his friend at the time.
 
I had one PTS at 35, she was just 15 hands and quite pony like, my others were 22, 24 & 25, 16.1, 16 and 15.2, and it was really difficult for me to lose them but quality of life was my reason for each of them. Valegro and Uti were big horses so they were good ages. I don’t see why it’s anything to do with the general public exactly why they were put down.
 
When it comes to saying goodbye

It's what is in the heart of the one who makes the decision, that makes it the right time

Only they know the gut feeling that comes and says now is the time

And even those around them who are sure they care will have bewildered questions because they did not have to pass through making the decision
 
It was always our plan for Archie and Monty to go together. They had been together for 18 years since they were both 9 and as other horses went around them or moved on, they got closer and closer. Monty had always done less well over the winter than Archie so when his owner decided not to put him through another one it was totally understandable but despite our plan, I just couldn't make that decision at that point for Archie. He had been retired longer than M but was doing really well and although they were bonded, A did have other friends (M less so, A spent more time in the field with others when M was being ridden but, as A was always in the field, M stuck with him). Arch had another 2 years and other than a rough couple of weeks towards the end of his last winter (which he bounced back from over the summer but played its part in the decision not to put him through another one) was still bright and happy. I don't regret my decision not to let them go together but there were times when I questioned it and had I gone through with the plan, I don't think that would have been wrong either. In some ways it would have been easier for me to deal with had they gone together as worry about whether A would be ok compounded my grief about M (he was my share horse for years, not just my friend's horse) and there would have been a comfort in knowing they went together.

It's clear that both Blueberry and Uti were nearing the end. PTS is as much about preventing suffering as it is about ending suffering so if it was a bit sooner for one of them than it might have been if they were on their own to prevent the remaining one from pining and it brings their families comfort knowing they've gone together, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
 
DressageCob said:
I feel so sorry for Carl (and indeed anyone else in his position) not only losing loved horses, but having the decision scrutinised, criticised and even condemned by strangers who have probably never met the horses, never mind known them well enough to assess their quality of life or to make decisions for their welfare.
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Totally agree. I've been appalled at some of the comments I've seen over the socials, I completely understand why he turned the comments off on his original post. Carl has known those horses for over twenty years, he's ridden them, trained them, been with at all stages of their lives, they were the first horses he saw when he walked out of his door in the morning, he knew every inch of them physically and mentally. He then had to make the most horribly painful decision we ever had to make, and to then be questioned and critised by people who at best might have patted them over the door on a yard tour, but probably never even saw them in real life, is just so awful, its bad enough at the best of times, but while you're grieving, it must feel intolerable.
 
I can’t believe some of the comments on line, I feel sorry for Carl that such unfeeling comments have been posted. Most on here know how hard it is to make that decision, and when I made my decisions I only told the people who needed to know what was happening … i was keeping an eye on mine well before the decisions were made and had many sleepless nights about quality of life and the right time to do it… it’s never easy and I think I left my last one a month too long and beat myself up about that…
 
I saw a video Carl did with them not so long ago and remember thinking they looked old bless them. In fantastic condition but old. Uthopia had lost all his teeth bless him and Valegro suffered with arthritis. I know my oldie does really well on summer grass and then every winter is more of a struggle than the last once the grass goes. I imagine keeping condition on a horse that can no longer eat hay, along with one that is struggling with arthritis in the depths of winter is a different ball game entirely to the horses seen out grazing in summer pastures a few months ago. They may have looked 'well' but anyone with an ageing horse knows just how quickly that can change with the seasons alone.
 
DressageCob said:
I feel so sorry for Carl (and indeed anyone else in his position) not only losing loved horses, but having the decision scrutinised, criticised and even condemned by strangers who have probably never met the horses, never mind known them well enough to assess their quality of life or to make decisions for their welfare.
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And he was kind and concerned enough to make a public announcement as he knows thousands of us were in awe of these two horses and their team, who we loved watching throughout their competition lives and their retirement…
I, personally would not blame him, if he said enough is enough….which would be so so sad, as the dressage world needs him and his team more, much more than he needs us…
 
Not read all this but does anyone know why?
I’m not against by any means and know there must be a very good reason behind such a difficult decision but someone just commented to me how bad it was putting both to sleep so young.
Part of me wants to reply what must you think of me, I had mine pts at 15 a few weeks ago to prevent suffering… however rather than start a fight it would be best if I just replied politely “sadly they were arthritic”
Or something.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Not read all this but does anyone know why?
I’m not against by any means and know there must be a very good reason behind such a difficult decision but someone just commented to me how bad it was putting both to sleep so young.
Part of me wants to reply what must you think of me, I had mine pts at 15 a few weeks ago to prevent suffering… however rather than start a fight it would be best if I just replied politely “sadly they were arthritic”
Or something.
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Why do you have to reply to idiots?
 
Amy May In A Manger said:
Why do you have to reply to idiots?
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I work for her. This was one of many many messages that really makes me die inside. I see her name come up on my phone and dread opening them! She must think I'm thick. my replies are generally "I don't know"

I'd hoped there was a definite reason I could blast back at her with a screw you on the end but it seems not and I'd have only added the last bit in my head ayway
 
Also how must Alan D, that looked after them for all their competing years and afterwards until he retired, feel? Some of the posts on this thread are so unfeeling and I'm not surprised that Carl has switched off comments if some of what is being posted on this thread is a sample of what is on SM.

The grooms are often the unsung heroes that look after these horses, although in the case of grooms they are slowly getting more recognition at the big competitions.

ITV racing are very good at mentioning the grooms of both the winning horses and those that sadly are lost on the track.

For everyone at Carl's stables it will be awful seeing those empty stables. I know when I lost any of mine it was awful on the day, but the distress lasted even longer when walking past the empty stable every day.
 
reynold said:
Also how must Alan D, that looked after them for all their competing years and afterwards until he retired, feel? Some of the posts on this thread are so unfeeling and I'm not surprised that Carl has switched off comments if some of what is being posted on this thread is a sample of what is on SM.

The grooms are often the unsung heroes that look after these horses, although in the case of grooms they are slowly getting more recognition at the big competitions.

ITV racing are very good at mentioning the grooms of both the winning horses and those that sadly are lost on the track.

For everyone at Carl's stables it will be awful seeing those empty stables. I know when I lost any of mine it was awful on the day, but the distress lasted even longer when walking past the empty stable every day.
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When I worked in a racing yard if a horse was lost something moved into its box that day. My boss said the same. He couldn't handle seeing the empty box so the empty one was elsewhere which was fine as that horse had just moved house. That was it never becaome a thing. It actually does help. I do it at home.
 
Really really sad news, I was so lucky to get to see both of them in their peak at London 2012 and I’ll never forget that day. CH has never done anything to make me question whether he would put the horses first, so I won’t speculate. 23 and 25 for horses that competed at that level is probably about expected, the wear and tear on joints even for a ‘normal’ large warmblood horse is significant even without any illnesses we may not know about. My 11hh at 25 looks half the age of the 26 year old warmblood we have on the yard, and has had significantly less wear and tear. It must have been devastating to lose both of them, the yard must feel very empty.
 
I have no doubt in my mind that the right decision was made at the right time for these two fantastic horses.
Charlotte has lost her dream horse the friend that made her dreams come true there will be void in her heart forever you never get fully over losing that horse.
Lucky horses no struggling on in muddy mess with sore joints for them a managed and dignified end .
 
Ifmpw said:
its hard enough loosing a horse, but to be ripped to shreds because of it, it is even worse.

whatever the "back story" is - the boys are running free
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The 'back story' is 2 aged horses in declining health, owned/care for by one of the worlds best horsemen making a heart breaking and correct decision.
 
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