Spin off from Meat Man Thread. Were you/Will you be there when your horse is/was PTS?

No, when we got the call from the vets asking for permission we were about 20mins away and they asked if I wanted to be there and I said no.

I wanted my last memories of him to be happy nice memories not him poorly and dieing. I also didn't want to see him die because it was hard enough coping with it as it and watching would make it worse
 
i've been there in the past for a couple of horses my family owned, each of them were shot. i've held horses to be shot as well but they weren't mine and i didn't look, i just walked away quickly.
i've seen 2 horses pts by injection within the last year and it was a very dignified ending.

for my horse i would choose the injection, i don't think i could be there whilst he was injected but i would hand the lead rope over to my husband and walk away, going back afterwards to say a final farewell.
 
I was with my boy when he was PTS i stayed with him for a bit afterwards just laid over him sobbing my heart out but I owed it to my boy to let him go with some dignity and he had me his mummy as reassurance (god this is making me well up).....I spoke to him gently told him I loved him so many times and thanked him for everything....
he was given the injection.
He went very peacefully and the vets were so sympthetic towards me too.....it was THE hardest decision I have EVER had to make.

I could not be there when he was taken away, no way would I want to see that i'd had my time with my lad in his last moments!!

I would do it all again should the day happen??
 
Arabelle said:
You are right, that certainly puts things in perspective and is one of the hardest things a mother could ever have to go through. :( God knows where we get the strength from when we have to, but we do.

I'm another that will stay till the end as I feel I need to check that my horse is truly gone, otherwise my imagination runs riot thinking that they may not have been dead when taken away (silly I know!)

I also feel that my horse will be more settled with me there as she is wary of strangers, especially men.
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I cant answer until the time comes but it would depend on the circumstanes to why they were being PTS..... I think this would also determine how i`d want the girls PTS..... after having someones pony PTS a few months ago i really dont think i`ll ever let any of them have the injection...its`s not fast enough...
 
For all of mine bar one I have been there and held their rope until they dropped, I have then stood to the side whilst the vets are administering the rest of the drug, whilst talking to the horse and when they have gone I have walked away. I would not leave them - it is the final bit I can do for my horse.

The one I couldn't be there for was in the vets and there was no time for me to be present when the decision was made. I truly regret this but at least I know he was so sedated at the time he wouldn't probably have missed me.

I now go for the injection as I have real problems with blood - I can't even watch them taking blood from my animals - and me I have to be pinned down for a blood test lol.

If however the only option at the time was to have the horse shot, vet held up etc I would without a doubt.

I have had horses pts at the vets and at home - it all depends on the situation.
 
There are alot of knackermen who refuse to shoot horses with the owner's present because of bad experiences with hysterical owners. I think if you can't handle the situation then you shouldn't be there. Not fair for the man doing his job, or for the horse who needs to go thinking it's a normal day, not that something bad is happening.
 
I was there when my horse was PTS by injection and although it was of course horrendously difficult and upsetting I am glad that I was. Our girl knew nothing about it as she was grazing in hand with my OH and I there with her. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done but I have no regrets personally and feel better that I was there for her when the time came.
 
i held 2 of my horse's both pts by L.I they both were sedated first and then the final injection, thankgod it went 'well' they both died peacefully, my 'special' boy, i was living abroad and when i got the phone call he had to be pts the next day, i just couldn't get home in time to say goodbye, or hold him ... and i regret it to this day, (seven years later) i feel like i let him down not being there for him :(
 
I have a wondeful 32yr old, who I owe many fond (horsey) memories to, I plan on being there for him when the time comes, yes I might be a mess, but I'll do my best by him as he always has for me. I want to be with him untill the end, whenever that may be
 
I stayed with my mare until almost the end & then handed over to my OH, I wish I had the strength to hold it together so I could have been there at the end but I simply couldn't.
OH & the man from the Grafton Hunt were both calm, it was better for the horse that I wasn't there.
I wish things had been different & I admire anybody who can keep their emotions under control & stay but some people simply can't do it.
 
I would like to think that I would be. And I most definitely would be if I were the only person who could calm her down. However, I would want someone else who the horse knew and trusted to be there as well, so that if I couldnt cope the horse wouldnt be distressed by me going.

I think it would have to be a decision I made there and then but I would think that I would always want to be there.
 
:( Having watched "Marley and Me" on several occasions I know that I am going to be an emotional wreck when the time comes for my boy to go. I want to be there to say goodbye when the vet does the lethal injection. I will not be there to watch him be dragged into the truck though, that would just be something that I would never be able to get out of my head and I wouldnt want that to be my last memory of him. He will be cremated and the ashes buried when the time happens :( God the thought is making me want to cry!! Hopefully this wont be for a long time yet !
 
With it, preferably at home. Fortunately never had anything but small animals PTS but have always been there with them where possible. I've also been with human relatives and other animals both before and after they passed away naturally. Being there and being calm and comforting when required are the last things you can do for them. Don't see horses as any different.

Appreciate not everyone feels the same though and there certainly wouldn't be any point in a hysterically upset owner being around. Likewise not all small children will be ready to face this kind of thing.

And none of it matters as much as how your horse lived.
 
I have always been there for mine. I couldn't not be. Luckily I am very good in that kind of situation. If someone asked me to be there for a horse that knew me I would do it too.

I don't mind which method is used tbh. I think there is a place for both.

I clear off while they are being loaded, then have a quick peek as they leave. The loading is not something I want in my memory on top of everything else.
 
my first loan pony was kicked in the field and suffered a injury to his windpipe which created a small hole so his neck filled with air bubbles. He was 26yo and the vet said just to rest him however a few weeks later he developed inflammation and choked on his feed and we lost him that night, i watched his tongue go blue and him fall over and it chills me to the bone as it is my last memory of him.

i beat myself up with guilt after my girl had her accident this summer and while i was of course with her at the vets and i was going to go with her while they PTS but she was content standing grazing in a paddock infront of the vets and sun shining on her and i just couldnt do it. I gave her a cuddle and told her how wonderful she was and let her go with the vet. TBH she already knew i was upset and i did not want another horrific memory she looked beautiful in the sunshine. crying writing this :( its still a bit raw for me.
 
Flame_ said:
I never have been, and I doubt I ever will be unless my circumstances change and I gather enough experience watching horses PTS that I'm de-sensitized enough to see my own horses put down.

I've seen dead horses, and horses given general anesthetics but I've never seen a horse put down. TBH I would like to, but its never been my place to deal with anyone else's horses, and I would be a emotional waste of space with my own, which I've always thought meant it made sense to just keep out of the way.

I suppose I would be there with my horse in an emergency situation, but whenever it has been pre-arranged, other people have handled it.

Are you there when your horses are PTS?
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First horse was at hospital and they needed to do it there and then and said there was not enough time for me to drive over to be present which was fair enough. Second horse was in the field and I was asked to walk away by the yard owner which I wanted to do anyway. Third horse died in field of heart attack, fourth horse was put down at hospital, I wanted to be present for him but was told it wasn't a good idea as he was incredibly ataxic at the time (wobblers case) and they couldn't guarantee he wouldn't fall about on top of someone when he went down. My best mate recently held for someone on the yard and she said it went very peacefully and after what she said I wouldn't be scared to be present if it were by injection, defo not hcb though.
 
When the time comes i think i'll have the hunt deal with it at home, i will know it has been done then, but i think i'll have to hand over and leave the yard, i am a very visual person and i think all i'll see for a long time is the process and then him dead. rather not have that image on permanet reply, but i would like to stay but i know how i'll be after so will leave.
He'll be fine with a bucket of feed. I'll take a cut of his tail first.
If I had a really nervous horse then i'd stay for them but Prince won't care if he has food.
The reason for shooting rather then injection is that he'll feel it coming, however quick it is they will feel funny first and have had a vet poke them too, a shot he'll know nothing he doesn't know what a gun is therefore won't know anything.
 
I certainly hope to be although I actually dread the day it will happen and, selfishly I hope the horse dies peacefully in the field and I don't have to make the decision. However, they rarely tend to do this do they! I was there for our old donkey and my sister's old pony when they were PTS, both were old and had health problems and they had had enough (you could just tell).

What i would struggle with is making the decision when the horse was young, or of they'd suffered a sudden injury (ie broken leg) so you weren't prepared at all. I still think I'd have to be there though as they are my/our horses and Imwouldn't like to leave them.

I would NEVER send any horse to an abbatoir though it just isn't something that I would do. No matter how 'nasty' someone may consider a horse, I don't bleive a horse is 'nasty' and, just because it maybe can't be ridden or be 'of use' to us as a riding horse I don't feel that warrants having it PTS/slaughtered for cash. The horse isn't to know what it's 'purpose' in life is after all and more often than not the reason they have issues are either as a resulkt of human treatment or mental/physical and, as long as that horse isn't suffering I feel it has a right to life. I know others don't feel the same and I appreciate a lot of probelms are due to indiscrimate breeding and that should be stopped, but I would want my last moments of my horse's life to be as peaceful and comforting as possible. Much the same as would be the case for my dogs. I would never send them away somewhere to be PTS without me being there.
 
Yes, I had my 24 year old TB put down last week by the huntsman. We walked him out into the back field and my friend held on to him and fed him polos, I walked away and heard the bang when I was around the corner. He knew nothing, he just thought some nice people were making a fuss of him.
 
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I will be there and it will no doubt shatter my heart - but I wouldnt leave him with someone else - unless it was an emergency and I couldnt get there in time, but that cant be helped.
 
Having been with two friends horses during the last year when they had very dignified deaths (both by injection) I would stay with ours. I was "glad" (not the right word) that I saw how dignified the end was as it took away all the terrible visions I had in my head and know now that I could be with mine. I feel I owe it to them. For me the not knowing was the greatest fear.
 
I will definatly be there when my girl is put to sleep, I know it will be upsetting but I know she'd want me there. I was there when my old dog was put to sleep and it was a nice experience to watch the pain drain from her face a she 'went'.
 
I was holding my first pony (10 years ago) when he was put to sleep by injection. It was very peaceful and I'm glad I was there. I wasn't present for the disposal though.

I am having my current horse pts next week. This time I have chosen the hunt. She is a very big girl and scared of vets and needles so I feel this is the right choice for her.

I intend to be with her as I want me to be the last person she sees. I imagine it is going to be very traumatic for me, I am really scared of being there if I'm honest, but I could not ask somebody else to hold her. That is not to judge anyone else, if somebody offered to hold her I would be tempted to accept their offer but I don't think its fair to ask somebody else to go through it.

We will see what happens next week - I am trying to be strong now but I may feel differently on the day when the huntsman (is that the right title?) arrives at the yard.
 
Arabelle said:
I will always stay to the end. I was with my son when they switched his machines off, so I can certainly survive the death of a horse, however loved.
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That is so moving; I'm so very sorry for your loss and as you say, nothing can compare to what you went through. It puts everything into perspective.

FTR, yes, always have, always will.
 
For River I was there and it was done by injection - to be honest the vet and I were in floods of tears (and I am recalling it now), my friend who loved River dearly had offered to hold him if I couldn't bare it but I knew that I needed to stay with him.

A few months later I was faced with the same decision for Luca and I knew I couldn't do it again. We decided to have him done by the hunt, and he was away being rebroken and the wonderful woman who had him there sorted it all for me. I went to see him the day before - gave him cuddles and love.

The decisions were personal and right for the horses - Luca was a sensitive, flighty strong chap and my emotions would've sent him loopy, River was a clingy devoted soul who didn't eat when other people fed him - it would've felt like a betrayal to have not been there.

The decision is very personal, and individual to each situation but I do pray I don't have to go through it again anytime soon.

xx
 
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