When you're done with horses but horse is unsellable?

YorksG said:
The other point, which needs to be given serious consideration, is that people are selling riding horses, because they can't afford to keep them. There will be no market for unridable horses, so pts is going to be the only viable option
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We bought a light hack as more of a pet for my dad who wanted something to potter about on and to provide company for mine... this just isn't true.

Edited to say I wrote this in a rush and so came across ruder than I meant it.
 
ponynutz said:
We bought a light hack as more of a pet for my dad who wanted something to potter about on and to provide company for mine... this just isn't true.

Edited to say I wrote this in a rush and so came across ruder than I meant it.
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That is one example, out of many, and is rideable, so does not fit the situation, at all.
 
ponynutz said:
"She could probably do very light hacking and schooling in walk"

^ OP's original post.
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Thing is that might be a fair assumption and someone buys horse with the idea that they can do light hacking or schooling in walk. After a while that might turn out to be moderate hacking and a bit of trotting in the school. Sooner or later it would turn into more often than not hacking and schooling and why not just pop the odd fence?

You can't 'make' people do what you say just because you tell them not to do something and for me having peace of mind that my horse wasn't being pushed would be more important than trying to find it another home. And I don't mean that to be unkind to the OP because I'm in exactly the same position and I know how very hard such a decision is.
 
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I have retired horses at a young age and let them live a carefree existence with me until their issues became too much, but I had the resources to do so. Those were also horses who were no real bother to have around and fitted in nicely with my daily routine. But I totally understand not everyone has that and also that some horses don’t make it very easy to offer them life at home retired, as in the case of the one I talked about earlier.

A little warning about companion homes. I once sold a section A as a companion. There was nothing wrong with him, but he was 15 and unbroken and we had got him as a companion for a lame horse, but when horse returned to the livery yard, companion was unhappy being stabled. I decided to find him a home where he could be a companion again and live out. Sold him to what seemed like a nice home- lad and his mum wanted a companion for a little mare after she lost her field mate.
About 6 months later I got a phone call from a woman who had found my name in the pony’s passport. She had been sold the pony 2 months after he left mine, as a child’s riding pony. Pony had reared up and over backwards with her toddler. I felt sick. I explained the pony was 15, was unbroken and I sold it as a companion. Lady had been spun a huge web of lies by the people I sold him to. The age in passport had been changed, lads mum told her that the pony was lads childhood pony and done all PC activities with him and was safe as houses. All a complete and utter lie.
Fortunately he landed on his feet as the lady had a smallholding and kept the pony as a pet and we kept in touch all these years. He died earlier this year aged 30. I remain traumatised and wracked with guilt over it and nothing will ever leave my yard as a companion ever again.
 
scats said:
A little warning about companion homes. I once sold a section A as a companion. There was nothing wrong with him, but he was 15 and unbroken and we had got him as a companion for a lame horse, but when horse returned to the livery yard, companion was unhappy being stabled. I decided to find him a home where he could be a companion again and live out. Sold him to what seemed like a nice home- lad and his mum wanted a companion for a little mare after she lost her field mate.
About 6 months later I got a phone call from a woman who had found my name in the pony’s passport. She had been sold the pony 2 months after he left mine, as a child’s riding pony. Pony had reared up and over backwards with her toddler. I felt sick. I explained the pony was 15, was unbroken and I sold it as a companion. Lady had been spun a huge web of lies by the people I sold him to. The age in passport had been changed, lads mum told her that the pony was lads childhood pony and done all PC activities with him and was safe as houses. All a complete and utter lie.
Fortunately he landed on his feet as the lady had a smallholding and kept the pony as a pet and we kept in touch all these years. He died earlier this year aged 30. I remain traumatised and wracked with guilt over it and nothing will ever leave my yard as a companion ever again.
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Whilst I do understand how people arrive at this mindset, companions are sometimes urgently sought after and important, and if everyone were too afraid to let horses be companions a lot of us finding ourselves with lone horses would be in trouble and a lot of potentially good companions would miss out on a happy long life.

I think the type of horse in the situation has to come into it as well, although your post kind of contradicts where I stand on this. Good companions are generally ponies. Low-maintenance, cheap to feed, quick and low-effort to muck out without significant temperament or health issues. One of these has a good chance of being sought after and a safe long term home IMO, and little chance of being sold on again because little money is likely to be made out of a small pony. A big, strapping warmblood is more likely to really be some crook's money making opportunity than anybody's pet companion.
 
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Flame_ said:
a lot of potentially good companions would miss out on a happy long life.
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I think with the number of horses there are around to foster from charities, the only thing that changes if one horse is kept alive is that a different one dies somewhere.

And what does "miss out" mean, in the context of a horse which is not planning to meet the grandchildren or travel to Spain next month? As far as I can see, the only meaningful "missing out" is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse.
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I've read most or all of this thread, apologies if I have missed a post that picked up on this. The title here also mentions 'when you're done with horses' which is an extra dimension over the decision about one horse. Some posts have mentioned the cost of a retired horse plus having one to ride, from the sound of things this OP wants to be done with all horses. I can imagine that this is an even greater incentive to PTS - if the enjoyment of being around horses and general lifestyle has passed then the thought of keeping one long term in this way is unappealing. And it's ok to prioritise the other things you want to focus on.

I am definitely in the 'don't feel guilty about putting one to sleep even if field sound' camp (I've done it too), and would have said that anyway.
 
ycbm said:
And what does "miss out" mean, in the context of a horse which is not planning to meet the grandchildren or travel to Spain next month? As far as I can see, the only meaningful "missing out" is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse.
.
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I get what you say about a horse only lives from day to day it has no concept about future, blah blah blah.

But why would you pts a perfectly good horse if you can try and find another way? I'm not talking about the OP now but saying the only meaningful 'missing out' is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse is the totally wrong way to look at it. The missing out is the horses life ending because you can be arsed to think of a harder solution or because you think that it would prefer to be dead???

It doesn't really make sense to me or a lot of others on here.
 
ycbm said:
And what does "miss out" mean, in the context of a horse which is not planning to meet the grandchildren or travel to Spain next month? As far as I can see, the only meaningful "missing out" is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse.
.
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A horse isn't aware of what it would miss out on but a good, long, happy life has value and I think and hope that when most people breed horses to sell to the likes of me that that is something they'd want us to see. PTS is not cruel and it is a better alternative to a life of neglect, abuse or suffering but AFAIC it's second best to a long comfortable life.
 
Birker2020 said:
I get what you say about a horse only lives from day to day it has no concept about future, blah blah blah.

But why would you pts a perfectly good horse if you can try and find another way? I'm not talking about the OP now but saying the only meaningful 'missing out' is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse is the totally wrong way to look at it. The missing out is the horses life ending because you can be arsed to think of a harder solution or because you think that it would prefer to be dead???

It doesn't really make sense to me or a lot of others on here.
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I thought we'd got away from the nasty name calling and "can't be arsed" comments and accepted that SAFELY rehoming a non ridden horse is a complicated issue?
 
ycbm said:
I thought we'd got away from the nasty name calling and "can't be arsed" comments and accepted that SAFELY rehoming a non ridden horse is a complicated issue?
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Sorry where is the nasty name calling? And stop taking things personally, I'm not on about you this is the second time you've said this and its not aimed at you I am talking in general.

You have stated that you always have yours pts so when you can no longer ride your horse and this is your default? You never answered my question.
 
I took on my mare to give her a nice retirement with possibly being able to do light riding, she can't as it turns out. I had known her for many years and knew her to be a nice uncomplicated sort and that is just what she has turned out to be. Only 15hhs and an easy keeper but not a fatty. Perfect to handle and good with other horses, will stay on her own no problem. She is the type that could be a useful companion for just about anyone but she is with me now for life. My sister's little mare has an easy temperament but is a get fat on fresh air type and prone to laminitis. Not the sort anyone would want, luckily for her she is going nowhere. If catastrophe happened and we lost the grazing all 3 of ours would be put down, end of.
 
OP I feel for you in this. And, as you see from the varied responses, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' here.

PTS would be a perfectly reasonable solution, as would looking for other courses of action. I believe that you are well aware of the risks of selling her on, even as a companion, or as a horse for someone to amble around the lanes on.

A companion home with someone you know would be ideal, but of course these never seem to come up exactly when we need them, and most people look for something easy to manage as a companion.

Ultimately this is your decision, and if you did decide to PTS it does not make you a bad person.
 
Birker2020 said:
I get what you say about a horse only lives from day to day it has no concept about future, blah blah blah.

But why would you pts a perfectly good horse if you can try and find another way? I'm not talking about the OP now but saying the only meaningful 'missing out' is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse is the totally wrong way to look at it. The missing out is the horses life ending because you can be arsed to think of a harder solution or because you think that it would prefer to be dead???

It doesn't really make sense to me or a lot of others on here.
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its not a perfectly good horse though? It’s broken?
 
Birker2020 said:
I get what you say about a horse only lives from day to day it has no concept about future, blah blah blah.

But why would you pts a perfectly good horse if you can try and find another way? I'm not talking about the OP now but saying the only meaningful 'missing out' is the pleasure the owner gets in seeing or thinking about the horse is the totally wrong way to look at it. The missing out is the horses life ending because you can be arsed to think of a harder solution or because you think that it would prefer to be dead???

It doesn't really make sense to me or a lot of others on here.
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But I don't think that the majority of people, and certainly OP, do not go with another solution because it is harder, but because of the risk of the horse suffering. Indeed the very easiest solution for OP would be to sell the horse for a few hundred pounds as suitable for light hacking, but that is very risky for the welfare of the horse.

I like to give mine retirement, but it is a different situation, as it is affordable for me and fits in with having other horses. If it was not affordable for me I would most likely feel that the best solution for a horse with these issues would be not to leave my hands alive, because once they are out of your hands you have no idea what can happen to them. I have only ever once sold an 'oldie', for 1 pound to a close friend of my Mother, who I had known my whole life, she was in her 70s and wanted a reliable plod to walk around their farm and act as a companion to her retired horse. This was on the understanding that if the horse was ever not wanted I would take him back. The problem is that you need to be really sure that they won't be sold on, or used for children to tear around on, and unless you know the home really well and are in a position to keep an eye on things you can never be 100% certain.

I agree with you that PTS should not be a decision taken lightly, but neither should any of the other solutions, and in some cases it simply is the hardest decision for the owner, but at the same time the best for the horse.
 
Everyone has different circumstances and resources so we will all behave differently if faced with a similar situation. What i would say is that to loan a horse even with a specific legally drafted contract has proved in many cases to be a dangerous thing to do because there are sadly so many unscrupulous people out there and despite the contract it is impossible to enforce the contract in many cases or recover the horse.
 
PeterNatt said:
Everyone has different circumstances and resources so we will all behave differently if faced with a similar situation. What i would say is that to loan a horse even with a specific legally drafted contract has proved in many cases to be a dangerous thing to do because there are sadly so many unscrupulous people out there and despite the contract it is impossible to enforce the contract in many cases or recover the horse.
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Well said ???? Hence why I made that hard decision to PTS.
 
PeterNatt said:
Everyone has different circumstances and resources so we will all behave differently if faced with a similar situation. What i would say is that to loan a horse even with a specific legally drafted contract has proved in many cases to be a dangerous thing to do because there are sadly so many unscrupulous people out there and despite the contract it is impossible to enforce the contract in many cases or recover the horse.
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Post of the thread.
 
An HHOer recently sold a confirmed and symptomatic PSSM horse as a field companion only to find that it has apparently been sold on as a riding/competing horse. Who knows how that will pan out.

The only reliable way to secure your horse's future is to keep ownership yourself.

And I do judge owners who allow their old sick horses to continue in untreatable/untreated pain rather than do the right thing and put them down. I have my own collection of field ornaments, but they are watched and maintained carefully with vet and chiro vet input.

Btw I consider that gifting a broken horse to the blood bank is opting out of responsibility.
 
Tiddlypom said:
An HHOer recently sold a confirmed and symptomatic PSSM horse as a field companion only to find that it has apparently been sold on as a riding/competing horse. Who knows how that will pan out.

The only reliable way to secure your horse's future is to keep ownership yourself.

And I do judge owners who allow their old sick horses to continue in untreatable/untreated pain rather than do the right thing and put them down. I have my own collection of field ornaments, but they are watched and maintained carefully with vet and chiro vet input.

Btw I consider that gifting a broken horse to the blood bank is opting out of responsibility.
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I agree with re the blood bank it’s not something I would want for one of my horses .
 
cat lover said:
Horses are really expensive animals, and hard to take care of, i can see why you have a hard time selling it, but my advice its to sell it to a loving person, preferably that you know, maybe try to loan it? Then maybe others would be considering it more ♥️
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For a 1st post, that's not very helpful, not to an owner with a broken horse.
 
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