The fate of the Unrideable

[Crugeran Celt]

Ycbm I understand your comment and would far rather see someone PTS an unrideable horse to be able to have another than to pass that animal on to an uncertain future. I think this is the reason so many end up in rescue because the owner doesn't want to be seen to PTS a 'healthy' animal but in reality it is far worse to hand that animal's future to someone else. It is easy for me to keep my old mare, she had to be retired at 7 but I have my own place if at that point I had been I livery I would have PTS without a doubt.

 

[Chinchilla]

Hijacking thread slightly but what do people think of unrideable but otherwise sound young mares going onto be ET recipients instead of PTS? It's a "job" of sorts, I guess, and means that mare can still be useful and well cared for (considering the fact that ET is used implies the embryo is valuable) whilst not clogging up rescue, or passing on any faults of her own. ET recipients can also be loaned out to studs I think so the owner still has control of sorts over what happens to them....
I kinda like it but then not every horse is suitable for that and if wrong mare is used it could endanger mare and valuable baby. But would spare rescue/sanctuary places.
Tbh it's not something I know anything about really lol, being ignorant as anything about breeding.
But would be interested in thoughts as I would say, I am not against pts if it's in the best interests of the animal, but would consider myself someone who wouldn't pts except as a very last resort.

 

[be positive]

Hijacking thread slightly but what do people think of unrideable but otherwise sound young mares going onto be ET recipients instead of PTS? It's a "job" of sorts, I guess, and means that mare can still be useful and well cared for (considering the fact that ET is used implies the embryo is valuable) whilst not clogging up rescue, or passing on any faults of her own. ET recipients can also be loaned out to studs I think so the owner still has control of sorts over what happens to them....
I kinda like it but then not every horse is suitable for that and if wrong mare is used it could endanger mare and valuable baby. But would spare rescue/sanctuary places.
Tbh it's not something I know anything about really lol, being ignorant as anything about breeding.
But would be interested in thoughts as I would say, I am not against pts if it's in the best interests of the animal, but would consider myself someone who wouldn't pts except as a very last resort.

I think most people with the correct type of mare for ET are already aware of it as a possibility, they need to fit into a fairly strict criteria so not an option for many, most of the horses in sanctuaries/ rescues would not fit the requirements for ET, I had a look through the WHW site yesterday and the majority available are companions only, many due to poor conformation, most are relatively small and young and seem to have spent most of their lives there, I guess most will find homes where they are useful as companions eventually.

 

[AmyMay]

I had an 8 year old put down (6 years ago now). I live with the guilt every single day. It wasn't the wrong decision- but if I hadn't been at livery he'd be alive today.

I don't particularly see it as a badge of honour to shoot a broken horse (as some seem to). But it is sadly (and actually devastatingly) the reality of so many people keeping horses at livery and not being able to keep an unrideable horse.

He was my last horse. Won't get another.

 

[Chinchilla]

I had an 8 year old put down (6 years ago now). I live with the guilt every single day. It wasn't the wrong decision- but if I hadn't been at livery he'd be alive today.

I don't particularly see it as a badge of honour to shoot a broken horse (as some seem to). But it is sadly (and actually devastatingly) the reality of so many people keeping horses at livery and not being able to keep an unrideable horse.

He was my last horse. Won't get another.

I'm sorry about your horse... *sends virtual hugs* ... no one is saying it's a badge of honour, though, just sometimes a sad necessity to protect the individual animal's welfare.

 

[milliepops]

Yes, completely agree, and can imagine the frustration of it. I was sort of playing devil's advocate, but what I'm meaning is that, even if society in general becomes more realistic with how they view PTS, it will still be controversial on a case by case basis.

So the old and riddled with arthritis, OK that should be a fairly straightforward call, the 6yo with diagnosed but untreated kissing spine is a bit harder to justify to the public, and then the horse with severe behavioural problems but no diagnosed ailment (who is arguably the most likely to be suffering) is a hard PTS decision to sell for even the pragmatic.

Understand your post
I guess I would look to the best use of funds which are undoubtedly in short supply . To me, the rescues that I think more highly of are the ones that get as many horses as possible to the point where joe public can look after them. It's not pleasant to think in this way but I'd think of them as a production line with the starting material being horses that are essentially likely to be sound in some way - mentally, physically etc and able to be turned into something desirable (whether that be as companion animal or ridden).

If they are going into the rescue and reaching a dead end - too creaky, untreatable medical problem, ancient, mentally unsound - then for me they should (unless exceptional reasons) be pts because they are essentially bedblocking.

Yup totally agree that many people would find that difficult to deal with. But if it was put in such a way to explain that it created resources (space and in terms of time with trainers/vets etc) to help greater numbers of horses, I think it makes the most sense. These organisations shouldn't be keeping pets. That's not what they should be for, IMO.... i keep pets, but I don't receive donations to do good work :wink3:

 

[splashgirl45]

good post milliepops, agree those that cannot be rehomed should be PTS after having some kindness and food and shelter. i had my mare at livery and lost her in sept 2016, my decision had nothing to do with how much money i had, if i had my own place i would have made the same decision. i look at quality of life for the horse .. my girl hadnt been rideable for a while and once she didnt seem to be enjoying life i made that very difficult decision. i wouldnt change what i did but would love to still have her ....

 

[DabDab]

Completely 100% agree with you MP, and I guess your experience in equine rescue must give you an enviable level of clarity in comparison to someone like me - I just really struggle to be that clear on whether a horse is rehabable or not without knowing them for a bit. I guess I'm a bit of an optimist and tend to think I can do something with a lot of horses.... Obviously when you know a horse well then it's fairly straightforward to know when it's the end of the road, but I'd struggle to be so clear with an unknown quantity, and struggle even more justifying a marginal decision to the donating public

 

[Cortez]

It's not even just the unrideable, it's the about the unwanted horse though isn't it? Horses need to be looked after; if no one wants to look after it, if there is nobody there for that horse, then surely the best thing is to PTS? (Well actually the best thing would be to not breed it in the first place, but that doesn't seem to be happening). Rescues are in some ways actually perpetuating the problem.

 

[ycbm]

It's not even just the unrideable, it's the about the unwanted horse though isn't it? Horses need to be looked after; if no one wants to look after it, if there is nobody there for that horse, then surely the best thing is to PTS? (Well actually the best thing would be to not breed it in the first place, but that doesn't seem to be happening). Rescues are in some ways actually perpetuating the problem.

Exactly. And for every horse which is being kept alive when it would be replaced if it was PTS, there is one at a meat market somewhere about to be PTS.

So keeping alive as a matter of principle (as opposed to because you know and love the horse) is self defeating