Thoughts on putting your horse to sleep because of financial reasons

I don't know. Maybe as the majority are saying don't PTS, it is not what they want to hear?

I take issue with those that scaremonger about selling on or loaning older otherwise fit horses. Once you sell a horse at ANY age, you do not know what will befall it. Yet no one scaremongers about that. :confused:

The key is vetting the home they will go to and staying in touch, as Spring Feather has rightly said.

Obviously, I agree with those saying don't pass on unsound, or poorly animals, but a horse like the OP's? Really? Is it fair that this horse, that has so much to offer should lose its life just because some people on here scare the OP into not daring to part with it?
 
TarrSteps said:
Spring Feather has been very fortunate.
Click to expand...
Really? Do you honestly think I've been very fortunate? Perhaps an element of luck that the people I have scrutinised over the years have turned out to be exactly what my gut instincts told me? Hmm ok I cheat :D I research every single buyer (and to a lesser extent, sellers). I make calls, I speak to contacts, I go to town on checking out buyers interested in any of my horses :o plus for a great many of the horses I have seller contracts giving me right of first refusal.
 
Another option OP, since you seem to be struggling a bit with the cost rather than financially unable to keep your horse would be to cut the costs by putting him on working livery somewhere. He is the type of horse that a decent riding school or college would love to have. Working livery would cut your costs significantly and reduce the work required but you would still be the owner and you would still have control.
 
FestiveG said:
What do the people suggesting loaning or sharing suggest that the OP do when the sharer or loaner decides they don't want/ can't afford to continue the arrangement? The OP is then left in the same postion again, possibly at short notice, with no contingency funds available. While I hope never to have to make the decision the OP is contemplating, I would either sell or euthenase (and we have never sold a horse yet!)
Click to expand...

If the horse was on loan, the OP would be saving the costs of care and could put some of that money aside into a contingency fund for just such an occurrence.

And if she wasn't able to find another sharer or loaner within a short space of time, she could PTS at that stage.
 
TarrSteps said:
. It's not fair to judge. I would ask, to all the people who say it's never the right choice to pts, how many older/unsound/unwanted horses do you take in in the average year?;)
Click to expand...

But this isn't an unsound horse, and although past his prime he isn't really "old".

I don't take in any horses in an average year, I'm a one horse owner but I there is a market for older sound well schooled horses. I know someone with a super cob who must by now be around 30 who is doing affiliated dressage, showing, hunting, fun rides etc with him, she bought him as a veteran already but she wanted a safe school master as she was a first time adult owner. I also know of a pony who is 29, and still running rings around riding school clients, over 20 years after he went to HOYS, he is a huge favourite with the kids and gives loads of them their first canter. There are a couple of ladies on my yard who have bought horses in their late teens and those horses are much loved leisure horses who do exactly the job they were bought for - they wouldn't have wanted a young horse as a younger horse would not do the job they require.

Where would we be if people, especially novices, couldn't buy older, more established, sensible horses to learn with?

If one of those horses becomes unsound then it is their current owners responsibility to take the responsible decision, not the person they bought it from. As responsible owners they will I am sure take a responsible decision. It would be a dreadful shame if those horses had been PTS rather than sold depriving both horse and future owner of many happy years.

If horse owners can't bring themselves to sell to a well researched home then I can't see how the horse industry can continue. Everyone would have to breed their own........ any horse can become unsound/unrideable/unsuitable whether 8 or 18 it is for the owner at that time to take the responsible decision based on the circumstances at the time.
 
Hello

Thank you for your thoughts i hope never to PTS and would rather sell my soul than do it was just to see if there are others in financial difficulties who would consider it. Apart from recently diagnosed early stage cushings he is in good form at the moment and hope i have a good few years left being single with no friends he is my lifeline and only ever want the best for him

I love him too much to sell only for him to go from pillar to post or end up in the wrong hands i owe him far more than that. Heard far to many horror stories about loaning and wouldnt consider it unless it was a close friend and he stayed at yard.

I hope this wasnt to much of a controversial thread as am new to the forum and certainly dont want to offend.

Time to ask for a pay rise! :D
 
Frankel13 said:
I love him too much to sell only for him to go from pillar to post or end up in the wrong hands i owe him far more than that.
Click to expand...

This seems a strange rationale. Why would another owner not care for your healthy, working horse ? To prefer convenience euthanasia over finding the right home and maintaining links with the horse (which genuine buyers tend to be happy to do) seems odd.


BTW, many vets find convenience euthanasia unacceptable and can/do refuse.
 
horserider said:
This seems a strange rationale. Why would another owner not care for your healthy, working horse ? To prefer convenience euthanasia over finding the right home and maintaining links with the horse (which genuine buyers tend to be happy to do) seems odd.
Click to expand...

I agree, and can only think about the many caring owners who would not have their special horse right now if everyone thought this way.

Anyway OP there are lots of other options, a loan that is close enough to home to enable you to keep a close eye on the horse or a loan to a riding school or college, working livery, retirement livery, cutting costs, sharers etc.
 
Once again, this 'passed from pillar to post' comment arises. Where are you people finding your buyers? :( None of the horses I've sold have been passed from pillar to post :confused: All of them are either in the original homes I sold them to or they came back to me and I found them new homes, or they came back and they're still here!
 
horserider said:
This seems a strange rationale. Why would another owner not care for your healthy, working horse ?
Click to expand...

We now know that the horse is not healthy............

Would be lovely to have these discussion from a viewpoint of 'full disclosure' as it were.

So many posts only give a portion of the story, they get heavily debated - and then we get the remainder of the story.

What a waste of time.

Shoot it, sell it - do what you like. Just don't ask us to comment with half the information only.
 
amymay said:
We now know that the horse is not healthy............

Would be lovely to have these discussion from a viewpoint of 'full disclosure' as it were.

So many posts only give a portion of the story, they get heavily debated - and then we get the remainder of the story.

What a waste of time.

Shoot it, sell it - do what you like. Just don't ask us to comment with half the information only.
Click to expand...

Yep might have been a slightly different debate if we had known it had cushings at the outset.
 
amymay said:
We now know that the horse is not healthy............

Would be lovely to have these discussion from a viewpoint of 'full disclosure' as it were.

So many posts only give a portion of the story, they get heavily debated - and then we get the remainder of the story.

What a waste of time.
Shoot it, sell it - do what you like. Just don't ask us to comment with half the information only.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree with everything you've said Amymay! Gods sake :rolleyes:
 
Hang on, why the sudden attacks on the OP?

Just because the financial burden is greater because the horse has to have expensive drugs does not invalidate the original post. The horse can be kept fit and well (for the forseeable future) if there is enough money available. So surely the questioner is still asking for your thoughts on PTS for financial reasons, not an analysis of what level of detail should be provided.
 
Sadly i tried to respond and its lost the lot. i had not "disappered" i work long and odd hours. I am sorry i wrote the post now. I am not going to re-type what i had written.

I was just after thoughts not abuse. I thought forums where for general chats but as a novice to this i think i am wrong.

Thank you for your thoughts may not use this again.

And to those people who think i am a wicked person then thats your thoughts. My horse is dearly loved and very much well looked after. The cushings test was slighlty high and he will be re tested in January and untill the second test comes back then he is not a definate case.

I am sorry that i could not get general thoughts. My horse wont be PTS anytime soon.
 
amymay said:
We now know that the horse is not healthy............

Would be lovely to have these discussion from a viewpoint of 'full disclosure' as it were.

So many posts only give a portion of the story, they get heavily debated - and then we get the remainder of the story.

What a waste of time.

Shoot it, sell it - do what you like. Just don't ask us to comment with half the information only.
Click to expand...



You said it all Amymay. I hate these threads where the information you need trickles out bit by bit.

OP on the basis of the information we now have I would have the horse put down if you cannot afford to keep him.
 
Magnetic Sparrow said:
Hang on, why the sudden attacks on the OP?

Just because the financial burden is greater because the horse has to have expensive drugs does not invalidate the original post. The horse can be kept fit and well (for the forseeable future) if there is enough money available. So surely the questioner is still asking for your thoughts on PTS for financial reasons, not an analysis of what level of detail should be provided.
Click to expand...

No one has attacked the OP. But the answer to her question would have been different, and probably more sympathetic had she given us the full picture.

Selling a fit healthy 17 year old schoolmaster with no known health issues need not be a problem, if it has cushings (or might have cushings) and therefore requires ongoing medication then the prospects of it finding a good home are reduced.

Having said that I still think that this horse sounds like he could be desireable and the options might not be as bleak as the OP seems to think.

It sounds as though she is affording him at present but only just so there are options for making it more affordable. Alternatively loaning and/or sharing could still be options especially if the OP is willing to contribute/meet his medication costs. If it was my horse I think I would be willing to loan/share on such a basis rather than PTS if the horse was happy in light - medium work and I could afford to. Working livery could also remain an option although the OP may still have to contribute to his medication. If these options don't work or the financial situation or the health situation deteriorates further the OP can always PTS having exhausted the options and knowing she has done her best rather than taking the easy option.
 
Get a sharer to help with the costs. Let them pay a reasonable amount to help you financially and in return they get to ride however many times a week you decide. Would hate to be in a situation like this but my loan horse is on loan to me because owner cannot afford her otherwise. She is about 16, will never be a grand prix dressage horse but i love her to pieces
 
It's hardly attacking the OP. Mild frustration perhaps. Why say the horse is perfectly fit and in full health when in fact it has a condition which generally worsens as the horse ages? Of course the OP would have had very different comments and suggestions had everyone known.
 
Spring Feather said:
OP your answer is with you. If you feel it's acceptable to kill your horse because you can't afford it and can't be bothered with looking after it then that is your choice.
Click to expand...

Talk about judgemental Spring Feather!

Nowhere is there any evidence that she "can't be bothered with looking after it" only that there is a possibility that she may not be able to afford to do so.

Bit harsh :(
 
cptrayes said:
Talk about judgemental Spring Feather!

Nowhere is there any evidence that she "can't be bothered with looking after it" only that there is a possibility that she may not be able to afford to do so.

Bit harsh :(
Click to expand...
Hmm yes possibly I took her comment about winter blues literally, meaning what everyone means when they say winter blues, in that they're fed up. Maybe she just meant she's fed up with not having enough money to keep the horse.
Frankel13 said:
It's probably just winter blues as don't feel like this in summer
Click to expand...

Edited to add - if people were a bit more clear about what they are actually meaning then these misunderstandings wouldn't be there in the first place though.
 
Last edited:
I would sell the horse for a nominal sum or loan to a good home before you get to the stage where you need to act fast.

17 is not that old really but better not to wait until things are desperate because then there are fewer options.
 
Now that we know the horse has Cushings, it does change things somewhat. My 18 year old mare has cushings and it is very hard work making sure that everything is measured out and her weight monitored so that she does not have another lami attack. She too is trained to advanced medium and has also come back from a massive shoulder injury that took her out of work for three years. So slightly worse than the OP's horse. She will not be going anywhere, but if we faced financial disaster I would have a difficult decision to make. I would hope that my sister would take her, but could not expect someone to take on the financial and logistical burden of caring for her. I guess she would have to be PTS. Sounds like the OPs horse is in better shape as she has not mentioned laminitis or any other injury/illness. So anyone taking him on would have to fund the prascend to control his cushings, and also manage his diet carefully. But having said all that, he may still appeal to someone. I think the OP's best solution would be to find a sharer.
 
Last edited:
Perhaps you could find someone looking for a dressage schoolmaster to loan, who is willing to keep him at your yard or very close by? As you say he is still fit and still competing at AM dressage, I'd imagine you'd be inundated with responses.

One of mine developed cushings in his later years. He undertook training to be a police horse in the early 1980s, and by the time he reached his early 20's he was still suitable as a well mannered, bombproof hack. I advertised him for loan, to stay at my yard, and I had a huge response, easily finding a lovely girl who cared for him well, and paid for his upkeep for a few more years.

Although, I would never question anyone who decided to pts a horse with a long term condition, especially if they were struggling to make ends meet.
 
But he only had a slightly elevated result and needs retesting - its hardly the curly coat and lami stage. He could still be loaned out.
As for the winter blues having mucked out 14 horses today and waded through the mud to hay the outies I say load them all in then lorry and set off for Beachy Head pronto.
 
In your position I don't think you would need to PTS as your horse is fit and well and able to do a job I am sure you would be able to find a sharer or a loan home for him easily, if on the other hand he was unhealthy or difficult for anybody else then I am a firm believer in PTS. I have a home bred 19 year old that if I ever couldn't afford I would PTS without hesitation as she has health problems and that would be kinder for her.
 
MissMincePie&Brandy said:
Yes, of course they would. You are the paying customer and a horse is an animal. Healthy animals of all breeds are PTS every day for all sorts of reasons. Unless it's an endangered species, no vet would refuse to do it.
Click to expand...

My vet said that he would refuse to put a healthy, young horse down because the owner can't afford it now. Only if the animal was suffering/had health issues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top