Watching my pony getting old 🥺

Poppy+MrDarcy

Poppy+MrDarcy

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My pony Loxley is 24 years old and getting a bit older now, retirement isn't in sight yet but he's getting a lot greyer. He has gone from a bay to a speckled little bay and grey pony. Makes me a bit sad, I always think to the end, when he isn't here anymore, bit I know I shouldn't, because hopefully that's not too soon.

I'm 99% sure most people do this with a horse getting older, am I right?
 
Poppy+MrDarcy said:
My pony Loxley is 24 years old and getting a bit older now, retirement isn't in sight yet but he's getting a lot greyer. He has gone from a bay to a speckled little bay and grey pony. Makes me a bit sad, I always think to the end, when he isn't here anymore, bit I know I shouldn't, because hopefully that's not too soon.

I'm 99% sure most people do this with a horse getting older, am I right?
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Yes you are right. I know I did. Spent many a sleepless night worrying about having to make 'that decision'. Even wrote out a beautiful epitaph for a FB post for 'the time'. Strangely, I was looking through paperwork and found it yesterday. I never did use it either! Brought a tear to.my eye when I read it. And made me smile too. Especially the bit about 'Bailey always wanting to ensure I was up to date with the inner workings of a busy A&E dept". 😉

And finally when I did have to.make that decision it was so obvious to me and so black and white that it wasn't as hard as I had made it out to be in my head all those years before. The loss was, but the decision definetly wasn't.

So I'm going to tell you off now! Stop worrying. And enjoy your horse. X
 
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Birker2020 said:
Yes you are right. I know I did. Spent many a sleepless night worrying about having to make 'that decision'. Even wrote out a beautiful epitaph for a FB post for 'the time'. Strangely, I was looking through paperwork and found it yesterday. I never did use it either! Brought a tear to.my eye when I read it. And made me smile too. Especially the bit about 'Bailey always wanting to ensure I was up to date with the inner workings of a busy A&E dept". 😉

And finally when I did have to.make that decision it was so obvious to me and so black and white that it wasn't as hard as I had made it out to be in my head all those years before. The loss was, but the decision definetly wasn't.

So I'm going to tell you off now! Stop worrying. And enjoy your horse. X
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Thankyou I'm fitting all the pampering sessions while I can!
 
I have caught myself doing this with my old dog recently, it was only yesterday it seems that he was young and relentlessly strong, healthy, energetic… now he is old, stiff and grey, but has tremendous dignity (when not barking at pigeons at 6am) and enthusiasm for life. I adore him. I can’t imagine being without him, but time is inexorable.

I think focussing on the end is part of coming to terms with them leaving us at some point. I’ve recently got past it a bit after dwelling on it really rather too much and making myself teary, and managed to focus on enjoying each moment instead of watching him constantly waiting for him to die! I have also told him everything I ever wanted to say. In fairness he is objectively actually really well and we put him on tramadol recently which has made him incredibly happy 😂, but our last dog was a traumatic loss and it has left a mark.

I nearly posted a thread similar to yours but it was phrased more like ‘how can I stop dwelling on my dog being old and thinking he’s going to die shortly when a) I can’t do anything about it and b) he is fine at the moment’. I couldn’t think of a way to post it. Thank you for sharing.
 
As I sit and read this post my eyes fill with tears.
I also find myself in a similar position. The horse is getting older, I'm over thinking every little thing, having to remind myself he's happy eating with the sun on his back; oblivious to the thoughts consuming my head. I love spending time with him but I'm becoming completely overwhelmed by the thought they aren't eternal.

It's hard 🥹
 
B22 said:
As I sit and read this post my eyes fill with tears.
I also find myself in a similar position. The horse is getting older, I'm over thinking every little thing, having to remind myself he's happy eating with the sun on his back; oblivious to the thoughts consuming my head. I love spending time with him but I'm becoming completely overwhelmed by the thought they aren't eternal.

It's hard 🥹
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I feel almost completely the same 🥺😣
 
B22 said:
As I sit and read this post my eyes fill with tears.
I also find myself in a similar position. The horse is getting older, I'm over thinking every little thing, having to remind myself he's happy eating with the sun on his back; oblivious to the thoughts consuming my head. I love spending time with him but I'm becoming completely overwhelmed by the thought they aren't eternal.

It's hard 🥹
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This!! Mine is only 19 and is going really well but god I worry so much!! Good to know we're not alone with our anxieties x
 
B22 said:
As I sit and read this post my eyes fill with tears.
I also find myself in a similar position. The horse is getting older, I'm over thinking every little thing, having to remind myself he's happy eating with the sun on his back; oblivious to the thoughts consuming my head. I love spending time with him but I'm becoming completely overwhelmed by the thought they aren't eternal.

It's hard 🥹
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Feeling exactly the same! My girls age is unknown but from piecing together her history, she looks fantastic for her age which we’ve put at 23. Yesterday she saw an EDT who has aged her as late twenties, early thirties 😳 😳
 
Indieanna6 said:
Feeling exactly the same! My girls age is unknown but from piecing together her history, she looks fantastic for her age which we’ve put at 23. Yesterday she saw an EDT who has aged her as late twenties, early thirties 😳 😳
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Wow 😳 some horses seem to hide their age very well! I would have thought Loxley was late teens if i didn't have his exact DOB 🙈
 
Mine's only 14 this year but I've had her since she was 4, it's weird to see her be calmer and much more settled than she ever was as a baby.
 
Poppy+MrDarcy said:
Wow 😳 some horses seem to hide their age very well! I would have thought Loxley was late teens if i didn't have his exact DOB 🙈
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I just wish I knew her age for definite - we know she is at least 20 from photographs.
I don't want to believe the EDT, but at the same time he is probably the most experienced person to look at her teeth 🤷‍♀️
We have a new livery on the yard and I just asked her to guess her age, she put her at 12 😁
 
Indieanna6 said:
I just wish I knew her age for definite - we know she is at least 20 from photographs.
I don't want to believe the EDT, but at the same time he is probably the most experienced person to look at her teeth 🤷‍♀️
We have a new livery on the yard and I just asked her to guess her age, she put her at 12 😁
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Haha, we can just pretend she's 12 😉
 
I worry about this with my pony as she is 30 now. everything would change without her, I only have one other horse, I keep just the two together on my own. I've had her since I was at school and im in my thirties now. She is still as crazy as ever out hacking, always fun to ride and puts a smile on my face. Don't know what I'd do without her.
 
I'm afraid I'm in this position with both my horse and my dog. I have a doddery 12 year old GSD who I doubt will be here in a year's time as he has a multitude of health issues and is on lots of meds. My horse is 21 with arthritc hocks (and possibly elsewhere too). He's on Danilon and we are still hacking but he is getting very grey and has slowed down hugely. I'm constantly questioning whether it is time to retire him. I just wish I could turn the clock back 10 years to a young dog and a horse in his prime. I spend alot of time looking at old photos of them on my phone which is very bittersweet. I don't plan on getting another dog or another horse so it feels like I'm coming towards the end of an era. On the positive side we will have alot more freedom to travel and do all the things we haven't done as we've always prioritised the animals.
 
Sealine said:
I'm afraid I'm in this position with both my horse and my dog. I have a doddery 12 year old GSD who I doubt will be here in a year's time as he has a multitude of health issues and is on lots of meds. My horse is 21 with arthritc hocks (and possibly elsewhere too). He's on Danilon and we are still hacking but he is getting very grey and has slowed down hugely. I'm constantly questioning whether it is time to retire him. I just wish I could turn the clock back 10 years to a young dog and a horse in his prime. I spend alot of time looking at old photos of them on my phone which is very bittersweet. I don't plan on getting another dog or another horse so it feels like I'm coming towards the end of an era. On the positive side we will have alot more freedom to travel and do all the things we haven't done as we've always prioritised the animals.
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This almost made me cry 😓, it's incredibly sad having to think about this such as death and retirement ect. But it's always worth preparing yourself. Just cherish the moment you have left, take lots of pictures to remember them!
 
Birker2020 said:
Just found this on Faceache.

I think it describes life with animals pretty well.

RIP Paul, and thank you for all you did for dog rehoming ♥️
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Very well put. And if you ARE worrying about the hangover, it makes for a poor party :/

Having read a few sad threads on here recently, it has made me realise it is HUGE privilege if we can enjoy our companions - dog or horse or otherwise - into their old age. Far too often we don't get that chance :(
 
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