What Are My Options?

[PurpleSpots]

The previous owner had the vet out for her hocks a few years back. Nothing untoward, said she’s just stiff with age.
I’m not blaming anyone. You got that wrong.

DSLD is a degenerative condition, meaning it gets worse with time. A vet assessment from a few years ago will only have taken into account how she was that day.

It tends to affect both hind legs, so any lameness is more difficult to see.

Hind leg lameness is also more difficult to see than front leg lameness.

It is even more difficult because it's not like the lameness comes on suddenly - it happens gradually, and the horse compensates more and more over time, so again this makes it further difficult to see the pain and suffering the horse is experiencing.

From the photo in your advert, there is significant DSLD.

 

[ester]

Poor bloody mare , she didn’t luck out on owners did she

I need some of those ‘perfectly fine’ glasses, must be magic those

 

[Gloi]

The previous owner had the vet out for her hocks a few years back. Nothing untoward, said she’s just stiff with age.
I’m not blaming anyone. You got that wrong.

You just can't see what is clear as day and are making excuses. A few years back is not now. She has a degenerative condition.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Just trying to avoid her being pts. She’s perfectly rideable, behaved beautifully on a ride and lead (she was lead) last weekend, other than being a stroppy mare when we turned for home. I just want another home, someone who can afford her bills.

As someone who's been on the other side of this, the last time recently. I know and understand you dont want to pts what to you appears to be a healthy horse. I think owners genuinly love their horses and are sometimes blinded by whats actually going on.
Its not fair on the horse or the poor person that buys, spends money and heart ache trying to fix and then has to face doing what should in fact have been done by the previous owner.

Its lovely to think you could get her a nice home where everything would be rosey but the reality is it is highly unlikely. The chances of her being returned if on loan or passed on again are huge and that's just not fair. You will also (I'd imagine) be more at peace knowing she is safely gone. I know its hard and I'm sorry you are in this position.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I am wondering why you took her on if you can't afford her. You hadn't owned or seen her, if I remember rightly, for years, so none of this story makes sense

 

[Bellalily]

DSLD is a degenerative condition, meaning it gets worse with time. A vet assessment from a few years ago will only have taken into account how she was that day.

It tends to affect both hind legs, so any lameness is more difficult to see.

Hind leg lameness is also more difficult to see than front leg lameness.

It is even more difficult because it's not like the lameness comes on suddenly - it happens gradually, and the horse compensates more and more over time, so again this makes it further difficult to see the pain and suffering the horse is experiencing.

From the photo in your advert, there is significant DSLD.

I had noticed her odd action and the way she generally is behind. I shall have to get my own vet out and see what she says. If, and it’s a big “if” it’s as some of you have mentioned, then yes, there is only going to be one end to this story as I would never pass her to anyone if she wasn’t right. We shall see what she says.

 

[Bellalily]

I am wondering why you took her on if you can't afford her. You hadn't owned or seen her, if I remember rightly, for years, so none of this story makes sense

Because as I said at the start, I hadn’t a broken horse or a broken car when I agreed or when she arrived. So yes I could have kept her. Now, no.

 

[Peaches24]

OP people are trying to be kind for the sake of your mare, there's absolutely no need to turn thing round on a poster who's kindly said she cannot take her, totally out of order.

When was the last time she saw a vet?

You've also had a VERY generous and kind offer of help which will cost you nothing, please seriously consider this.

 

[ester]

As someone who's been on the other side of this, the last time recently. I know and understand you dont want to pts what to you appears to be a healthy horse. I think owners genuinly love their horses and are sometimes blinded by whats actually going on.
Its not fair on the horse or the poor person that buys, spends money and heart ache trying to fix and then has to face doing what should in fact have been done by the previous owner.

Its lovely to think you could get her a nice home where everything would be rosey but the reality is it is highly unlikely. The chances of her being returned if on loan or passed on again are huge and that's just not fair. You will also (I'd imagine) be more at peace knowing she is safely gone. I know its hard and I'm sorry you are in this position.

Doesn’t even appear to be a healthy horse though.

 

[PurpleSpots]

OP has said she is going to get her vet to assess the mare, that sounds like the best and most appropriate way forwards for now.

 

[ycbm]

I had noticed her odd action and the way she generally is behind. I shall have to get my own vet out and see what she says. If, and it’s a big “if” it’s as some of you have mentioned, then yes, there is only going to be one end to this story as I would never pass her to anyone if she wasn’t right. We shall see what she says.

Good. That's the right approach.
.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Yet even though I am in dire straits, you are finding excuses not to have her. So you are no better.

JFC. My username isn't a joke, I've got three field ornaments with £500 bills every 3 months for them to be comfortable and happy, whilst not working due to severe chronic ill health. My animals are with me till the end.

I'm not paying you £1000 to add to that bill because you won't do what's right.

However, happy to go halves on ycbm or anyone else whose heart is breaking for this poor horse who deserves so, so much better.

 

[nutjob]

Interestingly the OP has changed the picture on the advert to one which doesn't show the dsld quite so clearly. In the earlier picture it's very apparent, not just the dropped fetlocks, broken forward hoof pastern axis but also the swollen fetlock which is only usually seen when the disease is quite advanced. I understand that OP thinks this is normal, it isn't, and this horse is at rest.

I also don't understand this, if OP has got severe financial difficulties, it usually takes a lot of money to buy a flat.

with a flat to buy in 6 months hopefully.

 

[Beausmate]

Interestingly the OP has changed the picture on the advert to one which doesn't show the dsld quite so clearly. In the earlier picture it's very apparent, not just the dropped fetlocks, broken forward hoof pastern axis but also the swollen fetlock which is only usually seen when the disease is quite advanced. I understand that OP thinks this is normal, it isn't, and this horse is at rest.

I also don't understand this, if OP has got severe financial difficulties, it usually takes a lot of money to buy a flat.

Yeah, that's not going to come right.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I pts my nervous 24 year old with cushings who wouldn't have coped with being passed on, when I gave up due to financial reasons

I secured his future, and didn't risk him falling into the hands of someone who wouldn't understand his foibles. There are far worse fates than pts.

There is no harm in needing to do something as you're struggling financially, however please do the responsible thing for her or she could end up another pilgrim.

Or why not sell one of your others if you dont want to pts?

 

[Bellaboo18]

Because as I said at the start, I hadn’t a broken horse or a broken car when I agreed or when she arrived. So yes I could have kept her. Now, no.

You've also said you've struggled financially since covid. You should never have taken the mare back.
You've said the mares hocks give her grief and she's got suspected bog spavin. She screams the place down when your others leave and has wacked you in the head.
People can only go off what you've written.
Hopefully you'll get the vet out.

 

[I'm Dun]

I am wondering why you took her on if you can't afford her. You hadn't owned or seen her, if I remember rightly, for years, so none of this story makes sense

And now shes going to flog her for a few hundred quid to the first idiot that cant see her problems. This post should be a warning for everyone about rehoming old and/or broken horses.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

You know what I'm really quite insulted by the implication that I'm just as bad.

I'd be the first to admit I've waited too long to PTS animals, tried too many interventions when really euthanasia would be best, screwed up and made mistakes in husbandry when I ought to know better and entirely inadvertently caused suffering as a result

But what I have never, never, never done, and never will do, is the pass the buck for my own animals to somebody else. Ever.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I'm sure we've all made mistakes, I definitely have but OP is pretty determined to blame everyone else.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Doesn’t even appear to be a healthy horse though.

No That's what I mean by blinded. I think people so want things to be ok that they don't see what to other people is clear.

 

[JenJ]

You know what I'm really quite insulted by the implication that I'm just as bad.

I'd be the first to admit I've waited too long to PTS animals, tried too many interventions when really euthanasia would be best, screwed up and made mistakes in husbandry when I ought to know better and entirely inadvertently caused suffering as a result

But what I have never, never, never done, and never will do, is the pass the buck for my own animals to somebody else. Ever.

Yes, it was an insult, and you should feel insulted, as it's a ridiculous statement to make, and extremely unfair and uncalled for.

There was no need to turn anything back on you; you hadn't said anything wrong, and even if it was justified to say (which it in no way was), you STILL wouldn't have been as bad, because you are acknowledging that you can't afford to take the horse on BEFORE you take the horse on. OP took the horse on and then realised she couldn't afford it. And yes, I realise that a car breaking and another horse requiring treatment are inconvenient, but horses are horses, unforeseen costs are only ever just around the corner, and if we take them on, we need to factor that into our budgeting.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Can someone pm me the link to the advert? Intrigued to see it...

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Reading OP's previous threads, it sounds like there are now 3 horses in total, including this mare

 

[Amymay Again]

Yet even though I am in dire straits, you are finding excuses not to have her. So you are no better.

You really are a piece of work.

The situation you find yourself in is no one's fault but your own. Granted it was done out of kindness. But come on. Don't have a pop at other posters because of your situation.

Shoot her or re-home her - the decision is yours. But your responses are totally uncalled for.

 

[Peaches24]

I've pmd it to you x