What would you do if your horse became unsound beyond use?

I don't think i could possibly sell her no :/ unless it was someone i really trusted and knew. and local so i could visit her. i just hope by some miracle it will be ok- shes just gone downhill so rapidly this week, i dont think i'll sleep tonight!
 
GinaB said:
If I could afford it and they were field sound, I would let them be a big pet!

Realistically though, if I couldn't afford it, I would have the horse euthanised as I woudn't want to risk it being passed from pillar to post. If the quality of the horses life was poor (eg had to be buted up to the eyeballs to be sound) I would also have it euthanised as it's not fair to dope it up just to make me feel better.
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^^ All of this.

When my big lad was kicked and broke a fore, I planned to retire him (he was 14 and not terribly sound on his hinds sometimes). He sadly didn't make it but if he had, he would have had a fab life if he was pasture sound.
 
Personally, pts.

I have had a mare put down for just that reason recently, prognosis was dismal without drugging her to the eyeballs for the rest of her life, and I refuse to give a horse drugs simply to mask pain enough for it to hobble about a field to make me feel good, which it wouldn't anyway.
That's no life, she went with her mouth full of nice squishy juicy pears, happy as a sandboy.

I have no problem at all with people keeping horses as lawn ornaments, I do have a problem with people giving them away, or knowingly selling a broken horse just because they are passing the buck and don't have the balls to do the responsible thing.
 
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What I would do would depend on the horse. I have 2 geldings who are expensive to keep as not good doers, I would pts. I have one mare who is good enough to breed from (obvs depending on what the problem with her was and if she was healthy enough to carry the foal) and one mare who isn't good enough to breed from and isn't friendly enough to be a nice pet, she would be pts. I have one retired lame gelding who will stay with me until he gets bad enough to be pts. I would not pass the problem on unless someone I knew very well offered a good home as a companion (and even then would just loan). I wish you all the best for your mare xx
 
I have recently had my mare pts. She had been lame on and off for the last year, and was getting worse. She was on pain relief but wasnt happy, she was watching the others go out of the field being ridden and would come to gate wanting to be out and seemed to be getting depressed. I talked it over with the vet and made the decision on what was best for the horse. I hope your vet can fnd what is wrong and is able to treat it
 
enfys said:
Personally, pts.

I have had a mare put down for just that reason recently, prognosis was dismal without drugging her to the eyeballs for the rest of her life, and I refuse to give a horse drugs simply to mask pain enough for it to hobble about a field to make me feel good, which it wouldn't anyway.
That's no life, she went with her mouth full of nice squishy juicy pears, happy as a sandboy.

I have no problem at all with people keeping horses as lawn ornaments, I do have a problem with people giving them away, or knowingly selling a broken horse just because they are passing the buck and don't have the balls to do the responsible thing.
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Very well said, agree with every word.
 
enfys said:
Personally, pts.

I have had a mare put down for just that reason recently, prognosis was dismal without drugging her to the eyeballs for the rest of her life, and I refuse to give a horse drugs simply to mask pain enough for it to hobble about a field to make me feel good, which it wouldn't anyway.
That's no life, she went with her mouth full of nice squishy juicy pears, happy as a sandboy.

I have no problem at all with people keeping horses as lawn ornaments, I do have a problem with people giving them away, or knowingly selling a broken horse just because they are passing the buck and don't have the balls to do the responsible thing.
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**applauds**
 
I have a couple of field ornaments, they are happy to eat sleep and cost me money.
Each of them in heir own way has given me so much in life that the least i can do is let them enjoy their time.
I am lucky to be in the position of being able to keep mine as field ornaments.
But owning a horse is a long term plan to me, so there was always a plan for the what if.
It is very hard decision to make one of my young mares (5 years old) broke her leg badly at the begining of this year and had to be pts.
 
charleysummer said:
I don't think i could possibly sell her no :/ unless it was someone i really trusted and knew. and local so i could visit her. i just hope by some miracle it will be ok- shes just gone downhill so rapidly this week, i dont think i'll sleep tonight!
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I have tried all summer to re-home my horse - with a view to him being a companion. I had many enquiries - none of which I pursued. In my heart I knew that passing him on (to possibly an unknown future) was just not the responsible thing to do.

He was put down yesterday.
 
enfys said:
Personally, pts.

I have had a mare put down for just that reason recently, prognosis was dismal without drugging her to the eyeballs for the rest of her life, and I refuse to give a horse drugs simply to mask pain enough for it to hobble about a field to make me feel good, which it wouldn't anyway.
That's no life, she went with her mouth full of nice squishy juicy pears, happy as a sandboy.

I have no problem at all with people keeping horses as lawn ornaments, I do have a problem with people giving them away, or knowingly selling a broken horse just because they are passing the buck and don't have the balls to do the responsible thing.
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Totally agree
 
enfys said:
Personally, pts.

I have had a mare put down for just that reason recently, prognosis was dismal without drugging her to the eyeballs for the rest of her life, and I refuse to give a horse drugs simply to mask pain enough for it to hobble about a field to make me feel good, which it wouldn't anyway.
That's no life, she went with her mouth full of nice squishy juicy pears, happy as a sandboy.

I have no problem at all with people keeping horses as lawn ornaments, I do have a problem with people giving them away, or knowingly selling a broken horse just because they are passing the buck and don't have the balls to do the responsible thing.
Click to expand...

Another one who agrees with this. I wouldn't sell on any horse purely as a companion, but that's because i'm of the school that you make a lifetime commitment when purchasing a horse, i'd happily give up riding in order to ensure they had a home for as long as I was financially able. Riding is fun, I love it, but there's a lot of potential for things to go wrong when passing on a horse that cannot be ridden/driven/bred from. That's just my mindset, one that'll inevitably cost me money. Otherwise I do, sadly, think the best bet is to euthanise unless you can find them space in either one of the many full to the brim retirement homes or on loan with someone you trust. Which is idealistic, but meh.

Breeding shouldn't even be a factor, in my honest opinion, i'm not keen on the whole breeding from any old mare thing. They may be lovely, you may adore them, that doesn't make them a good foundation for breeding, even if it's only for yourself.
 
amymay said:
In my heart I knew that passing him on (to possibly an unknown future) was just not the responsible thing to do.

He was put down yesterday.
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:( Sorry to read that Amy, knowing it was the right thing to do for him doesn't make it an any easier, or less painful decision.
 
((Hugs)) Amymay

We are facing this with our clydie x as he is only sound in the school in walk and trot.Seems happy in the field but missing "having a job" We had hoped the RDA would take him as he is such an affectionate chap-utterly bombproof and will happily stand for hours without being held by the mounting block and is perfect on the lead but the local group came to try him and said RDA dont want 16.2hh as too big, they must be able to canter/jump in the woods plus when the girl trying him hit him to go faster in the field he shot to the side and she fell off :( :( :(

OH is utterly heartbroken :(
 
I wouldn't sell or loan out an unrideable horse as a companion. If the horse was not going to be field sound then I would PTS.

I have one old outgrown pony and one light hack only because I would rather not ride than pass on an elderly horse or one that was unable to be ridden normally due to injury.
 
Mine, if he god forbid ever was a write off riding-wise, then he'd have a lovely time with me still getting fat in the field :)

Saying that...not a lot different to his normal life haha!

Wouldn't sell on as not fair and he doesn't owe me anything.
 
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