THE Big Decision

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MrsART

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My beautiful, mad as a box of frogs mare is 23. After an unexplained laminitis episode in 2008, she was diagnosed with Cushings & has been on pergolide for just over a year. She let me know in no uncertain manner ( as she would!) that she was done with being ridden, and after a few in hand veteran classes I decided to fully retire her last autumn. She also has arthritis & has been on a danilon a day for nearly 3 years.

My logical, 'best thing for the horse' head thought then that I should let her have a happy summer & say goodbye in the autumn. I kept my 1st pony as long as possible, and said since that if I had the strength it would be better to say goodbye before all the suffering.

SO, the last week or so she has been short in front & lame on turning & this week she has had digital pulses on & off. Probably the heat, but the way she acting is a bit odd too, been off her food, refusing her food/meds, being quite soppy. Head is saying you know what you probably should do, heart is saying that she's not that bad yet..... Problem is she still in really good condition, but then again, is that not how it should be & how I should remember her?

I spoke to my vet earlier in the year and his advice was that most people that put it off, wish they had done it sooner.

Its just horrid trying to be responsible isn't it? Thoughts please!
 
Poor you! Always, always a tough decision.

Although you obviously know what that should be, from what you've said. Look at it this way: what happens if you turn up at the yard to find her i the sort of state which means you HAVE no choice of when - it has to be right away. THAT will be the memory that stays with you along with the 'what ifs' which are the killers where guilt is concerned.

Good luck and go with what your mare is telling you.

x
 
A horrid decision at any time but go with your head, not your heart, that way you'll do what's best for your mare and will have no regrets. As Kate said, it would be worse to get there one day and you HAD to do something NOW without the chance of being prepared let alone the pain it would have caused her and you would always remember that day with regret.
Hugs, it's never easy.
 
Better a day too soon than a moment too late is my motto at the moment as going through a similar senario with one of ours... Easier said than done I know. However, like you, I think last time we waited too long...... ((hugs))
 
I am also in a similar situation with our 14hh dun mare. WE've had a few scares over the last 18 months, but after each scare she perks up and looks well. She isn't on any medication and when she has to be will be the day we call it for real.
I would be thinking that after all the meddy your mare is on, and she is telling you she isn't quite right would be a good start to do the arrangements. Its horrid, but its what we have to do.
 
Just made the decision for my cob mare:
She is 21.
She has numerous sarcoids - some very large & fast growing.
She had Liverpool Cream treatment nearly 2 years ago & one has still not healed. Because of that she needs a fly rug all the time & she gets hot & itchy.
She has arthritis & has been on bute for a year. I have recently had to up the dose.

And yet she seems happy & still looks beautiful, but I know her resources are being sapped - her mane & tail are not as long & full as they used to be & her hooves as tough as they were.

So the Vet is booked for the 14th when I have a weeks holiday and I can giver her plenty of treats before then.
 
Sounds as if she could have laminitis which is very common in cushings horses. My friend has a horse who I think is about 22/23 but he might be older and he is on peroglide at a £1 per day for cushings which was diagnosed two years ago. She said if he gets laminitis she won't perservere but will have him put down. She's had him since a four year old and she's had years of fun from him and owes him this much. I have to say I kind of agree with her. Maybe if it is laminitis it would be the kindest thing. Enjoy her last few days and have fun with her and take plenty of photos.
 
I haven't read the other posts but if you are asking this you deep down know what is right. My mare, who was my first horse looked great when I had her PTS. It wasn't till you watched her that you could see she was sore behind. I retired her at 13 with torn ligament in her stifle, she had a foal at 15 then I left it a year then tried to get her in foal again. I'm glad we had problems and she didn't take as the following winter she was sore of her fetlock. It started to collapse so I asked the vet his opinion, if she was his. I didn't want operations nor keep her on bute as she had been on bute and it didn't make any difference. He said the only other option, pts. I did and the relief after was weird, I had been worrying so much about her it was making me ill.
If you think quality of life is important and your girl is starting to suffer maybe best before you have any other problems. Thats how I looked at it.
I knew someone that kept a mare who couldn't get up after lying down, it took 12 men to get her up, she would just collapse after a few weeks and it would be an effort to get her up again. Poor mare. The lady couldn't bare to say goodbye to her. In the end we coulodn't get it up, I think the mare chose not to help herself. She had fell onto concrete and after vet came twice to try she was pts. I'm sure you will do the right thing when the time comes, she may not be there yet.
 
many years ago i had a lovely mare who was looking really well and was 35...she was still eating fine and going in the field every day, the vet was coming for another horse and i thought she looked a little tired and a bit pottery so i asked the vet for his honest opinion on her quality of life. i was very shocked when he said if she was mine i would pts today before the winter starts and the ground gets frozen as she will find the icy ground and/or mud very uncomfortable..........i took his advice and have NEVER regretted it as it started snowing the next day and the ground was rock hard from then on.........it was not an easy decision but was definately the best for her, my vet sedated her, i fed her polos till she was dozy, then he pts,she knew nothing.......hope this helps a bit with a very upsetting time...good luck..
 
An awful decision and one I will be making myself sooner or later. I think you are right to think you'd like to remember her looking good, rather than waiting til she has really gone downhill. I don;t want my horse to start to suffer and hope I'll be big and brvae enough to call it a day before that time.

Three months too early is better than a day too late.

Its hard to give an opinion on other peoples horses but you will know when the time comes. xx
 
Thank you all for your replies.

Abbey was put to sleep today. The sun was shining, she looked brilliant and went down with her head in a bucket of carrots. She has been buried in the corner of the field, where she fell.

I am a mess, but I know I have done the best for her.x
 
Oh, my Dear! *hugs* Sad news but you were brave and did the best thing for her. Free now to gallop forever with the stars... A lucky mare to have had you.

Kate x
 
Well done on doing the right thing for her; I hope you have lots of happy memories of your time together.

"And finally, OH MY MASTER, when my useful strength is gone, do not turn me out to starve or freeze, or sell me to some cruel owner, to be slowly tortured and starved to death; but do thou, My Master, take my life in the kindest way, and your God will reward you here and hereafter." From a horses prayer Author Unknown
 
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