JinglebellJessi & MistletoeMagic
Well-Known Member
This is a difficult thread for me. But being on a private yard with no one else and non horsey friends just say what they think i want to hear, I need you, people who know horses to help me out with this dilemma in my head.
This is about magic. I'll spare the first twenty years of his life and concentrate on the 2 i had him on loan. His owner had him since 3 and was no travelling the world. He was a fat healthy newforest pony. The live off fresh air type, no rugs, no feed, no shoes type.
Our first year was fine. We hacked, jumped, even went to a show after being warned the last person who had taken him had left in an ambulance! He had hay, lived out 24/7 with a stable. I got him in jan and in november I noticed he was loosing weight, so he was on some honeychop in a feed twice a day.
This did nothing, he continued to loose weight so the vet ultrasounded him and said all the bowel she had seen was black and too thick to be absorbing food. He was put on Predisolone? one sachet a day for a year. Everyone was hopeful he'd pull through.
I think i stopped seeing his weight loss. I told myself he was getting better, swore i could see improvement. By this point, it's september, he's rugged, on 4 small feeds a day. Trailed on expensive weight gain products. A routine vet appointment was made, as he'd been having every month. Bloods taken and very low protein, ultrasounded again and return of thickened gut. Medication has not worked.
Owner and vet have 'that talk' I am not involved. Decision to put him down on the 9th of november is made. I became angry, upset, furious they weren't trying harder. After all they didn't see him everyday like me, I was convinced i saw improvement. He was put down on that date.
This has all come to me after seeing the newforest thread, while i was hunting up pics for him i came across the ones taken for the morning of his passing.
and I was wrong. so wrong. I had gotten so used to seeing a skinny horse, I was blinded. I feel like a fool for my anger at his owner, i didnt say anything to her at the time but it was clear.
Please someone tell me they did the right thing.
If i ask friends they'll just say 'all its about money i bet, couldnt be bothered with him, vet and owner in cahoots' but i know in my heart that isn't true.
This is about magic. I'll spare the first twenty years of his life and concentrate on the 2 i had him on loan. His owner had him since 3 and was no travelling the world. He was a fat healthy newforest pony. The live off fresh air type, no rugs, no feed, no shoes type.
Our first year was fine. We hacked, jumped, even went to a show after being warned the last person who had taken him had left in an ambulance! He had hay, lived out 24/7 with a stable. I got him in jan and in november I noticed he was loosing weight, so he was on some honeychop in a feed twice a day.
This did nothing, he continued to loose weight so the vet ultrasounded him and said all the bowel she had seen was black and too thick to be absorbing food. He was put on Predisolone? one sachet a day for a year. Everyone was hopeful he'd pull through.
I think i stopped seeing his weight loss. I told myself he was getting better, swore i could see improvement. By this point, it's september, he's rugged, on 4 small feeds a day. Trailed on expensive weight gain products. A routine vet appointment was made, as he'd been having every month. Bloods taken and very low protein, ultrasounded again and return of thickened gut. Medication has not worked.
Owner and vet have 'that talk' I am not involved. Decision to put him down on the 9th of november is made. I became angry, upset, furious they weren't trying harder. After all they didn't see him everyday like me, I was convinced i saw improvement. He was put down on that date.
This has all come to me after seeing the newforest thread, while i was hunting up pics for him i came across the ones taken for the morning of his passing.
and I was wrong. so wrong. I had gotten so used to seeing a skinny horse, I was blinded. I feel like a fool for my anger at his owner, i didnt say anything to her at the time but it was clear.
Please someone tell me they did the right thing.
If i ask friends they'll just say 'all its about money i bet, couldnt be bothered with him, vet and owner in cahoots' but i know in my heart that isn't true.
