When / how to make THAT decsision.....

Halfpass

Halfpass

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Although it seems mad thinking about this now my gut feeling suggests that it may well happen in the not too distant future.

Alee went for her 2nd lot of shock wave therapy yesterday and I ended up having a very long chat with my vet. I asked him outright what he thought Alee's prognosis was and he very honestly told me he felt she would probably never be rideable again
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This said we have decided to do everything we can in order to get her sound.

She has another shockwave treatment in 2 weeks and then will be reasessed 2 weeks after that. At this reassessment if still not sound she will have both suspensories nerve blocked at the same time in order to mimic what the denerving operation will do. If this she does not come sound it is unlikely that the operation will work.

To be honest if these blocks don't show a very good improvemtn I don't think I could put her through the operation anyway.

So my question is what next....... if this is the case and she is no longer able to have a ridden career is this the point that I say goodbye or do I owe her a very long life as a lawn mower?

She is only 4 and although probably would live out quite happily, she is not a good doer by any means and would need rugging and feed all through winter.

Its just too hard a decision to make on such a young horse......please help me
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Guess it's how you see it....some would say retire her out for her remaining life and others would say have her PTS.....TBH,alot will depend how she copes with all of this,and how it will effect your finanaces on keeping a horse that will be just a 'field ornament' and more important is if she is comfortable with no pain to deal with.
I think you have a little futher to travel until the 'Big Question' as to what to do with her rears it's head!
Good Luck,and keep us posted as to how she fairs and cope's.
 
We are not sure if it is an injury or just the way she was built. To look at confromationally she is fine however she does have counter rotated pedal bones which we are unsure if they are related to the PSD. She is very well bred http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/aleeta+de+frely and I would love to have a foal from her to keep but not sure if is the best thing to do from a horse with her problems.
 
It's really your decision, however I suggest you do weigh everything up. If she could never be ridden again can you afford to keep her as a companion or loan her as a companion. Does she have a good enough confirmation and temperamnet to breed from? Will her injury allow her to take the weight of pregnancy? Will she be classed as a loss of use insurance case giving you some funds to maybe purchase another? All this is very clinical I know but might help you with a decision.

It really depends on what you do with your horses and wether or not you feel she will still have a usefull life. I have unfortunately had to make 'that' decision myself earlier on in the year with my young horse who all things considered is now pain free in that great green pasture. He was my horse of a lifetime and irreplacable.

Good luck but I'm sure things will be ok.
 
I could never make that decision if the horse was sound enough, and would be happy to be turned out. I also never think its a good idea necessarily to breed from something that obviously has soundness issues at such a young age.

I don't know much about genetics, but surely these characteristics are capable of being passed on (maybe have to talk to the vet about that). Especially if the soundness issues are related to confo. I would rather breed from something with nothing breeding that was sound, than the other way round.

Thankfully I have never had to make this decision with a horse as young as this, but we always have geldings, so breeding from them has never been an option. I don't envy you, but there are people out there who just want companions, that aren't dodgy, my family being some of them - although our 1.5 field ornaments are more than enough.
 
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It's really your decision, however I suggest you do weigh everything up. If she could never be ridden again can you afford to keep her as a companion or loan her as a companion. Does she have a good enough confirmation and temperamnet to breed from? Will her injury allow her to take the weight of pregnancy? Will she be classed as a loss of use insurance case giving you some funds to maybe purchase another? All this is very clinical I know but might help you with a decision.

It really depends on what you do with your horses and wether or not you feel she will still have a usefull life. I have unfortunately had to make 'that' decision myself earlier on in the year with my young horse who all things considered is now pain free in that great green pasture. He was my horse of a lifetime and irreplacable.

Good luck but I'm sure things will be ok.

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Thanks, all thses questions will hopefully help me come to a decision.
Financially I could keep her as a companion but I couldn't afford another horse. I don't have LOU on my insurance so will not get any funds to get another unless she is PTS (as I understand it).
The thing is (as you said about your horse) she is / was my horse of a lifetime and I am not sure that breeding from her would be the best thing. I don't want to replace her!!!
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Believe me Stencilface I wish I didn't have to!!!

Its not all about her being sound enough. She wouldn't just be able to be turned out. She would need rugging and lots of feed over the winter and unfortunaty when on livery finances come into it aswell, we don't have the luxury of our own land!!!

If I could secure her a happy home I would consider it but I don't really want / need the hassle of her keep coming back when / if things don't turn out well.

Its just not fair on her or me TBH.
 
That's a very hard question that in the long run only you can answer, if she were mine and she wasn't able to breed I really wouldn’t be able to keep a 4 year old as a companion... I had a 5 year old gelding that had ocd and other things, ok he was a gelding but we had him put to sleep as it wasn't fair to retire a highly breed 5 year old to the field he had no quality of life, he needed a job to do....
 
My views:

The horse is 4, lame and poor prognosis for comming sound - do not breed from her.

She is a poor doer - not companion material.

Not on your own land - financially draining.

If she were mine - I would not do the surgery (probably, even if she came sound with nerve blocks). I would have her put down if there were no likelihood of her comming right.

Really, really tough decision. But I'd have to draw a line under the amount of money being spent vs the probably outcome. So she'd go I'm afraid.

But of course - is time a factor to the healing process??
 
Really sorry you're having to think about these sorts of things at the moment - it's never easy.

I would never keep an unsound horse alive and just dumped in a field - it really is no life. We've domesticated them far too much to expect them to spend their days in a field doing bugger all....

I think if she was 20 then yes but at 4 I really don't think it's fair for her to be in a field for the next 20 years....maybe you should speak to chocolatelog as her situation was quite similar and it's never going to be an easy decision.

Hugs x
 
I'm not sure PR it's about dumping an unsound horse in a field. Plenty of horses (and I've had two of them) have been retired due to soundness issues, but have been very happy mooching in the field - and sound enough to do so.

However, at 4 then I agree that it's a slightly different story....
 
Apologies - maybe dumping was the wrong word....but what I meant is older horses it's a bit different but a 4 year old is a bit young to have a life in a field.

Must be a horrible situation to be in however old your horse is though....know it's a decision I'll have to make with Ty one day.
 
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My views:

The horse is 4, lame and poor prognosis for comming sound - do not breed from her.

She is a poor doer - not companion material.

Not on your own land - financially draining.

If she were mine - I would not do the surgery (probably, even if she came sound with nerve blocks). I would have her put down if there were no likelihood of her comming right.

Really, really tough decision. But I'd have to draw a line under the amount of money being spent vs the probably outcome. So she'd go I'm afraid.

But of course - is time a factor to the healing process??

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I agree with this 100%
Not that it is an easy decision by any means.
 
It is also about how you feel - Some people do enjoy having their pet lawnmower if a field and caring for him/her. So long as they can look over the gate and see a horse grazing, they see a happy picture that makes them feel good. So long as the horse is also sound enough to be comfortable, that is lovely.

The trouble is that, apart from the financial considerations some of us (I'm one of them) would only be made miserable by caring for a horse every day that could never be ridden again. Personally, looking over that gate, I'd not see a happy picture but a sad one.

Your decision depends on your finances and your emotions, but if you would feel sad having a constant reminder of 'what might have been' in your field, then pts is the right decision. When you retire a 4yo what are you actually waiting to have happen?

I'm sorry if that sounds brutal, but if for you the decision is to pts I'd support you, because in my heart I know mine would be the same.
 
I would PTS. We had a decision to make about a fab jumping mare - Dutch bred. She got tendon trouble as a 5 year old - recurred when brought back to work - then navicular. Vet said that whilst no direct proof that either are inherited weaknesses he made it quite clear to us that it was best to PTS. Sorry - but your lady is only 4 - you would have maybe 20 odd years of keeping her as a field ornament - certainly it sounds as though the vet would not recommend breeding from her from what you say - and anyway how many foals will you want??

Take a deep breath and do it. Then take lots of wine - and start looking for another one. Harsh I know - but realistic
 
You say you get paid out if she is PTS. You need to look carefully at this as often insurance won't pay out if the horse could otherwise be kept alive as a companion. They will only pay out if PTS is the only option, like if a leg is broken. I believe PTS for insurance has to be immediate welfare grounds.

You need to talk to your insurers now to see what your options are.
 
Horse do not limp for no reason, if she is lame it is due to discomfort. Dont breed from her, that is how problems like this come about in the first place.
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Really tough decision
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TBH I would throw her out for a year with no shoes, bring her back in and see how she is, if no better, I would be PTS I am afraid
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So sorry to read this though!
 
Poor you having to think about this.

OK so your horse has an option to be a field ornament for the rest of her life.
The problem is you can't financially justify it. Which is nothing to feel guilty about. Livery fees, feeding, etc, etc all add up to a lot of money and as a young horse, she could be around for years.
If you put her on loan as a companion, there is the risk that she will keep coming back to you.
If you sold her as a companion horse? There is a risk that she will go from place to place and end up somewhere pretty awful.

If you make THE decision, do not feel any guilt about it. You would be being a responsible owner. It is very, very hard. I do not envy you.

Do what is right for you. Believe me this will wear you out.

I had an old mare put to sleep a couple of weeks a go. I had been thinking about it for weeks and it was almost a relief when it was all over. I had made the right decision. I hadn't left it till too late. I was exhausted afterwards.

Big hug for you xx
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I haven't read any other posts but I think you will get two thoughts, either the PTS cos she doesn't fulfill your riding aspirations or let her live her life as a field ornament / brood mare if suitable.

Personally I couldn't ever put down a young horse if they were field sound, she shouldn't lose her life because some awful trick of fate rendered her unrideable through no fault of her own.

Just my view. I had my 8 yrs horse a year before he became permanently lame and was retired. He is now 22 and is the grandad to the babies and a real calming influence to my mad second horse, so in his way he fulfills a purpose. Plus he is the most gentle creature ever and deserves a good long life.
 
Ditto Thistle about the insurance. For a vet to declare a horse needing to be PTS and for the insurance to pay out the full value the horse has to be in serious immediate agony. If the horse is vaguely field sound they will not recommend PTS.

I agree with the others who said just PTS, you do not owe this horse a long life at your expense if it can never do some job for you. So sorry to hear the vets can't get her sound.
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Ditto Thistle about the insurance. For a vet to declare a horse needing to be PTS and for the insurance to pay out the full value the horse has to be in serious immediate agony

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Not sure this is entirely true - and much depends on the insurer. Obviously ring the company you are with and discuss it with them.

But I know of two horses whose careers were cut short through injury and lameness for whom the insurance company paid out when they were pts. Both would have been fine as field ornaments.....
 
My friend is having a HUGE problem with her insurance company after having her horse PTS as they said to her it wasnt necessary even though her vet certified he was probably in significant pain and was verging on dangerous.
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My friend is having a HUGE problem with her insurance company after having her horse PTS as they said to her it wasnt necessary even though her vet certified he was probably in significant pain and was verging on dangerous.
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The cases I refer to, yes one did have a battle - the other got paid before the horse was pts.
 
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I don't have LOU on my insurance so will not get any funds to get another unless she is PTS (as I understand it).


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Just be aware that most policies only pay on death on humane gronds only, i.e the horse has to be in considerable and permanent suffering so unlikely to pay out in your case.
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However this shold not effect your decision and if she were mine and could not have any usefullness as a broodmare with someone I knew and trusted she would be PTS.
 
I made that decision for my 12yo Irish TB in April. It has to be the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I'm not sure what is worse, having to make the decision or your horse dying and it being completely taken out of your hands
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You may remember my posts about it, D had arthritis in his coffin joint and arthritic changes in his spine and possibly hocks. I retired him because his behaviour was becoming so unpredictable and I hoped to have him as a field ornament but the way he moved about in the field was telling me otherwise
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I always said I would never keep him in pain and he so obviously was. When my vet ran his hand along D's back I could of cried, I have never seen a horse dip away that much
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He said he would not last another winter so the choice was either to keep him through the summer or let him go before he led down one day and couldn't get back up.
I knew that if I kept him through the summer I wouldn't be able to let him go so he was put on a high dose of Bute and he made me feel really bad as he ran around like a 3yo. Then a week into the Bute he was starting to struggle again so I knew I had made the right decision.
It's not a decision I would like to make again but having animals I know I am going to have to. I think only you can make that decision as you know your horse the best.
Sending lots of get well vibes for your horse
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ETS
I was not able to get back any insurance money for D as it was all secondary problems from the coffin joint which he was already excluded for.
 
We were fortunate that our TBXWelsh D had a job, being best buddy for our old Appy. They were together for 20 years, the TBxWelsh was companion for about 10 years. We had four horses at the time, so her job was always to stay with the one who wasn't ridden that day. We were also 'lucky' that the decision was made for us when she had what appeared to be a stroke in her stable. Her mind and personality were intact, but she couldn't/didn't try to stand up. We gave her 12 hours and then had the hunt out. She was on livery for part of her retirement and then moved with us when we bought this place. She was not in pain, and I think for us that would have been the clincher, if she had been in pain at any time during her retirement we would have had her PTS.
 
I had a similar situation with a show cob that I was given as his owners were planning to PTS. He had had a nasty injury and previous owners felt he would never come right enough to show again. He was 8 and I wanted to give him a chance. He had a year in the field and did come sound but a few weeks later another problem arose (probably related) and vet thought there was little chance he would ever become completely sound again. I could have kept him on bute for years (possibly) but he wasn't really happy as a field ornament and my other worry was what would become of him if anything happened to me and I could no longer look after him. I couldn't take the risk that he would be sold on as apparently sound only to break down again and mainly for that reason I made the decision to PTS.
I do feel for you and know how difficult it is, you obviously have Alee's very best interests at heart, I think you are far from mad from thinking about this now, I once bought a 16 year old and had 'plans' for when his day came almost from day one, it sounds a little macabre but I knew I would never part with him and when the day came it did help that I had already thought it through and knew what I wanted for him.
 
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