Unsettled, saw a horse pts for the first time

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Ahrena

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Bit of a pointless post but feeling a bit empty and unsettled.

I work as a freelance groom and on my way home popped to a client's yard to pick up some money earlier. I picked her up on the way as she has a broken wrist and she said the farmer had just called (she keeps him on a farm) and said he had badly cut his hooves.

As she's fairly inexperienced I said I'd have a quick look at him. Got there and he was resting a front foot - not entirely unusual as he had a fracture previously and still occasionally rested it although its healed. Had a quick look and it was obvious it was pretty bad, back of his heels were an absolute mess, a chunk was hanging off the non-resting foot. I tried to get him to walk and he was very very lame. I said to call the vet and tell them it's an emergency - on the surface the resting foot looked less damaged so I was worried he had reinjured the fracture as that leg was v. V. Swollen.

Vet got there and examined him, and was literially able to put his finger at least 2 inches into the wound - under the skin it was very very deep. I left it until the vet got there was it was oozing a lot of fluid and I decided to leave it so he could see it. It was leaking Amber fluid which he said was either joint fluid, tendon sheeth fluid or it had punctured the navicular cavity. Or all three.

It had to be an on the spot decision - take him to the surgery for an operation so thry could see exactly what they dealing with or pts. In the end the owner decided to pts as due to the fracture he was just a companion and not insured. It would cost £4-5k for the surgery and the vet was 98% sure he would need to be put down anyway.

Owner was in floods and I offered to hold him for her whilst he was pts. It was through injection and very peaceful but..

Has left me feeling pretty upset and unsettled. They had the square sheep fencing wire and he must of got his foot stuck. So dangerous :(

After he was put down the vet looked at the wound again and said it had goe straight through the tendon sheath and he could feel bone so the outcome would of been the same regardless of treatment.


It was awful. Sorry very pointless post but despite not really having a lot to do with him, it was very upsetting.

RIP beautiful.
 
So sorry :( I was left in charge of a large livery yard most summers from age 14/15 when everyone decamped to various summer champs and there was one summer that was just one dead horse after another (culminating in my own being lost to EGS :( ). Unfortunately it is part of the job, I have always been quite matter of fact about death and dying but sometimes (most times) it gets to me at a quiet moment later. Take care xx
 
That sounds really terrible, try and take some comfort that you where there for the owner. To be present at end of life for either animal or human is never a pleasant task and takes time to get over. I dont think there is anything anyone can say that will make you feel better OP ((hugs))
 
And Bless you for being there for your friend and her horse, it's the pits when these things happen and most of us wish for the fairy tale ending, but these are so few and far between. But as you have found this is the real world and you did well and you will feel low.
 
How horrible for all involved and especially the poor owner. At least the vet was able to say that the outcome would have been the same even with treatment. The horse has been saved any further pain and suffering. Hope you're okay.
 
What a sad day for you but the good thing is you were there for someone and helped. You will be in a bit of shock now as realisation of what had happened settles in. Take comfort from the fact that the horse is no longer in pain, you were there for the owner who perhaps wouldn't have coped very well had you not been there, and its sadly a case of being there at the right time xx
 
What gingerarab says is very true, and I am sure both the owner and the horse took great comfort from your presence
 
Poor you. What a horribly unexpected end to what was supposed to be a normal day.
To be honest, I still have flashbacks to when my boy was pts at the end of June and that was planned, so I am not surprised you are feeling unsettled. Be kind to yourself and accept that you will remember the experience for a while, but remember that you did a very kind thing for the owner, both in giving her a lift to the field and then supporting her through her trauma and loss.
You sound like a lovely person, so please take some strength from knowing that you helped a novice horse-owner call a vet asap and that the horse's suffering was absolutely minimised by your actions.
Take care.
 
Thank you.

Its just..i don't know, very strange.

I've been very lucky - 17 years of riding, 10 years of owning and a few years now of working with the animals, and although i've known of horses who have died, I've never been there.

I dread the day I have to make that decision for any of mine.

As soon as I realised it was serious I managed to arrange cover for my horses, I couldn't leave her to deal with it on her own not to mention having to walk home afterwards!
 
Its sounds like everything was done for the poor horses welfare. He went to sleep peacefully and ending the pain, its always a hard decision no matter the circumstances.

From your description there was no hope of survival even though a slim chance was mentioned by the vet. This horse is at peace and will leave foot prints in his owners heart to remember him by. Don't feel bad or think your alone when in this situation.

Your braver than me, I have seen - heard many horses PTS, I have held my own before when they have been PTS by injection, its been very peaceful in the situations I have been involved in.

Sheep's wire can be horrid stuff for horses
healing vibes.



RIP Horse xxx :(
 
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You did an amazing thing for a friend in need, and to be there at the end is the last kindness we can offer a horse.

Thinking of you and his owner x
 
What a brave the right decision, I feel so sorry for owner and you. It is horrible to stand with a horse as its PTS.................................................. Huge glass of wine and hug needed xxxxxxxxx
 
Your reaction is understandable and normal. Well done for being there and able to help. Give yourself a hug and be gentle on yourself for a few days.
 
Hugs OP :(

Something similar happened to me at my weekend yard job recently. We had a horse on box rest who was due a walk out so all three of us decided to go for a dander in the sun. As we passed one of the paddocks, a horse was about to roll too close to the fence. I shood her away and said I wouldn't want to see her get her leg caught in the wire fence (not a fencing choice I agree with!) Just as the words were out my mouth our attention was turned to the horse diagonally across from her holding his foot up and waving it at us, whilst blood pumped out the back. I grabbed him and made the split second decision to bring him in so I could monitor the blood loss ad get him on hard steading. Very obvious arterial bleeding from a cut from the top of the bulb of the heel upwards.

I managed to get a toruniquet on it for the majority of the time until the vet came as I was scared he's bleed out on me and he'd started to try and come down and it was the worry- had he damaged the tendons/joints? Luckily the vets (well known one outside of Edinburgh) was literally 2 minutes away in a box so we boxed him up and got him to the vet, were they investigated and found he miraculously managed to miss them. But they whole time I was left with him I was preparing myself to have to do the same when the vet arrived. It wasn't nice :(
 
You wouldn't be normal if you didn't feel anything.
I can tell you from experience that it does help to have friends around while waiting for the vet/knacker, even though sis and I have had most of them pts with just us there. You can actually talk about something else and try to keep things as normal as possible for the horse.
Try to take the positive from the experience, at least now you've got 'the first time' over and know what to expect.
 
Its never nice and the first time is always the worst. How fortunate for your client that you were with her for support. You did a good service to both her and the horse. So sad for every one but you will feel better in a few days. If you didn't feel unsettled watching life ending you wouldn't be human.
 
skint1 said:
What gingerarab says is very true, and I am sure both the owner and the horse took great comfort from your presence
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Agreed. It takes a special person to do such a thing, when it's a very sad event. I know it's not quite the same, but my OH had to help load my shetland when he was taken away for incineration and I know he found it very hard to do. I appreciate it all the more, so believe me, she'll have taken comfort from the fact you were there. x
 
No, its not very pleasant. But you were there for the horse and it's owner, and I'm sure that was greatly appreciated. It's never easy to be present at the end of an animals life, but I'm sure the owner was really grateful for you being there for her, and for being so calm for the poor horse. It counts for a lot to have someone with you. I have always been grateful for the presence of someone. You did a very kind thing, take care, and take comfort from your kindness xx
 
Ahrena - I would just like to echo what other people have said. You were incredible in the way that you acted and supported the horse and owner in this situation. It is never nice to witness any animal being PTS and the reaction you are experiencing now is totally normal for someone who has never seen it before.

As you said in your message, the result would have been the same, even if the owner had gone for the surgical option, so by acting as you did and helping the owner you have saved the poor horse from all the trauma of travel and attempted surgery, which in itself IMHO is a very worthwhile thing to have done. So, from me anyway a pat on the back and big hugs for being so brave as to put yourself in such an uncomfortable position. Keep your chin up and rest assured that you did the best that you could.
 
What a brave and noble person you are. If you didn't feel like this it would mean that you were hard and uncaring. Be proud of the way you coped and remember every experience in life, good or bad, helps us grow.
 
Nothing much to add as those who're better with words have already said it.

As a farmer, I am fairly hard bitten when it comes to death but it is always upsetting and it was very generous and brave of you to step in for the owner.

I think you can rest assured that as it was a recent injury, the horse would still be in shock and would not have felt a thing. The injection is really an over dose of general anaesthetic so the animal just falls asleep. I am sure it was reassured by your presence and you did a great thing for both the horse and the owner.
 
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