What to do? Need some advice pls

Parker79

Parker79

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I have a 20yo retired mare....love of my life! she has been pretty much lame the whole time I've had her (OCD in both stifles and sacroiliac disease) but I kept her...managed some slow hacking...still had some beautiful rides and I owe her a lot.

So....she is in full livery, she has had to go on box rest due to heat in her feet...vet said bruising and wants shoes back on....she is not currently field sound and had to be on bute for most of winter.

So....now thinking, do I PTS? do I try her in a different surrounding (go back to 24/7 with a shelter)

I have another horse (which shouldn't be a factor but is due to cost).

Options
1. Find a field to rent, move both horses, go back to DIY and upset OH!
(concerned about moving her again)
2. Have her PTS (do not know if I am basing the decision on financial reasons)
3. Carry on plugging away with the livery yard I'm in and I love...put shoes back on....wait and see (fields are hilly which she is struggling with and the YO is having trouble managing her weight).

Arghhhh....I keep thinking the answer is staring me in the face but then I see her have a moment of joy in the field and think...how could I! I think she is happy in her yard (hence my reluctance to move her) but its expensive, the weight problem is a serious concern and the fact that its May and she is still having trouble being sound in a field (I thought the better weather would mean she would have a lovely summer).
 
Pts wouldn't be a wrong choice for a horse with long term lameness in my opinion. Never an easy decision to make though, but even if it was for financial reasons alone, there are worse things that can happen, better to go when there is some quality of life.

When you say weight problem do you mean overweight? If that is the case and horse has heat and lameness I'd be questioning if she was laminitic.
 
If you do decide to have her PTS then you really shouldn't feel guilty about it. You've given her a great time with you, and I think it's better to do it now whilst she is still comfortable enough than to wait and it be even one day too late. It's heartbreaking making the decision when they still look bright, but perhaps in this case it's the most responsible (and bravest) thing to do.
 
Thank you touchstone - had the vet out...yes she is overweight.

Had vet 7 weeks ago - condition score was fine....then she put on weight rapidly and 4 weeks ago YO cut her feed down....got vet out when she went lame as we suspected Lami...but vet thought it wasn't and found bruising in her feet.

Difficulty with weight...we cannot exercise her and we have restricted her haylage to as low as we are happy to as she is in overnight. This was all discussed with vet who agreed its very difficult situation to manage.

YO wants her to go out overnight for longer turnout in a paddock that isn't lush...this may help her joints but who knows...very hard to manage.
 
we suspect she may be pre-cushings...making the weight problem even harder to manage.

Could try her on a supplement...but where do I draw the line!
 
Parker79 said:
we suspect she may be pre-cushings...making the weight problem even harder to manage.

Could try her on a supplement...but where do I draw the line!
Click to expand...

Exactly, to be honest if she's becoming laminitic/cushingoid then the restrictions needed may well affect her quality of life anyway and on top of the OCD in her stifles and sacroiliac problems I think that life may well become quite uncomfortable if the yard doesn't have the facilities that a laminitc/cushingoid needs. :(

To be honest I find that when you are thinking that it may be time to pts it's because it usually is, at the end of the day it should be more about quality than quantity of life. Our natural response is to feel guilt, there'd be something wrong if we didn't to a degree, but providing our horses have been loved and well cared for in life we need have no regrets when the time comes. x
 
Thanks again - i think the problem is that I bought a youngster...and financially that has made things difficult...I worry that I would be doing everything imaginable for my mare if I weren't worried about cash...but then I also always said I would make sure I didn't keep her going for my own sake.

I don't think anyone at the yard thinks its her time...they keep commenting on how lively she is....its bloddy heartbreaking and TBH its driving me a bit round the bend.

I stood quietly with her tonight and tried to make sense of it all.....I just feel so damn lost and standing in her stable she looks the same as she did 10 years ago....horses...why do we put ourselves through this.

Thank you for your kind replies...I do appreciate it
 
Yep, they certainly break our hearts!

If you think that it isn't her time then I'd possibly try using a muzzle overnight and soaked hay when in to get some weight off as well as helping any possible laminitis.

As for shoeing, personally I'd keep her unshod and use hoof boots if she has bruising, then her whole sole is protected far better than with a shoe, you could try keratex to harden the sole.

Magnesium and yea sacc would be worth a try to counteract the grazing.

It sounds as if you feel she isn't quite ready yourself yet and if she's bright and happy then maybe she deserves another chance, but i wouldn't be guided by what other people are saying, you know your horse better than anyone and whether she is not enjoying life any more.
Your vet should also be able to give an honest opinion, it might be worth having a chat with him/her and see what they say.

Whatever you decide I hope all goes well.
 
I can't add much more than the excellent posts by Touchstone but I wanted to say I feel your pain and pts decisions never get any easier. Give yourself deadlines to reassess and criteria to judge by and try to stick to them if you can...it's the only way I find I can be even slightly objective about when it's really the right time :)
 
again, can't add much more than Touchstone but she's your horse so please don't pay any attention to other opinions on the yard and follow your heart.
 
I have imagined myself at this stage with my boy a lot. I really hope that i have the courage to pts at that stage as he would go crazy with anything less than 24 hour turnout.
I don t think theres any shame in allowing your finances to play a role in descision making... Its very sensible.
If money was no object there would be thousands of 30 year old horses filling every field for miles to see!
 
OMG - Thank you so so so much everyone...Touchstone in particular for such a well thought out and kind reply.

Having slept on it I think I need to make a plan...Pookie you are right..I need to put in a deadline and not let this go on too long.

She will change to overnight turnout this week....it should help loosen her up...must keep trying to get this weight off...terrified the poor girl will get lami and it wont be helping her joints.....grazing is not very good but I might still look at a muzzle.

Got vet coming for vacs for my boy next week...will ask them too.

Its all so fllippin sad...I used to lead her out on foot and often with my toddler on board...but we cannot even do that now:(

Thanks again...many more tears ahead me thinks!
 
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