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

I think we really need to be careful throwing around comments like "cop out" "bad owners" and "can't be arsed" on a thread like this. God forbid someone who is already struggling with such a difficult decision reads this and these callous comments cause them further distress and to second guess themselves.

I will say it again, I don't think anyone has a horse pts on a whim or because they can't be bothered to explore alternatives. Rather, from my own point of view, I would personally find it less traumatic rehoming one of my horses if they could no longer be ridden than having them pts, but that wouldn't necessarily be in their best interest as they will have been with me for most of their lives, and so I would retire and if I could no longer keep them or they became so bad they were not happy and sound enough in the field, I will make that most horrible (for me) decision and let them go.

If a broken horse is able to be rehomed to a suitable trusted home, and it is in the horse's interest to do this, then that is a lovely thing. However finding these amazingly perfect homes is not easy. The fact we have rescues overflowing with these types of horses speaks volumes.
 
Everyone who owns any animal should have immediate access to funds to pay for PTS. The above posters make a good point that some owners cannot access hundreds of pounds immediately.



I had a horse put down last year and it totalled slightly over £500 for the vet to euthanise and the fallen stock contractor to lift the body. People should be aware of the costs in their area and have those funds available at all times.

Goldenstar said:
I agree with re the blood bank it’s not something I would want for one of my horses .
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If it was the great place that people want to kid themselves it is then owners would be sending sending their healthy horses there for retirement instead of actual retirement yards or keeping the horse themselves.

It isn't.

It's where people send their broken horses so that they don't have the financial responsibility of their care nor the responsibility for making the decisions to put them to sleep.

It's what people use when they prioritise their want (to ride, usually) over the broken horses' needs. "Oh the horse is fine and field sound", until the injections wear off that is. But out of sight...
 
Abacus said:
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.
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That's exactly why I did it, I'd been done with horses for a long time but kept plodding on until the news about how the cost of living increase led me to PTS as I was already struggling to afford horses and pouring huge costs into something I no longer enjoyed was no longer financially viable
 
Most people don’t suddenly find themselves with a horse by accident it does happen but not often .
Getting a horse is a choice and whatever we tell ourselves horses are a want not a need .
The first thing you need to do before you get a horse is put away enough money to cover PTS or be sure you can always access that amount of funds .
Not to do so is the height of irresponsibility.
 
Amymay said:
But on the flip side, equally it’s in the BB’s interest to keep horses well and healthy. It’s there for a purpose…..
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They've all got long waiting lists of broken horses waiting to be offloaded. The horse are a resource that are used until they're done then replaced. It's not the holiday camp people want to kid themselves it is.

I used to pass one daily and yes they were herds, herds of lame horses. A fellow livery worked on a different one until it became too much for her.

No horse is sent to the BB for its benefit. Not a single one.

It truly is a cop out by the owner.

Similarly I had an acquaintance with a broken 6 year old. Apparently it was too young for her to consider pts but also too young for her to fund for the rest of its life... she wanted a horse to ride and could only afford one. She dumped the horse at a sanctuary to live out the rest of its life. She didn't pay a bean, didn't donate or fundraise for the charity but had funds to buy another. It disgusts me beyond words people who dump animals to dissolve themselves of their responsibility
 
NR88 said:
They've all got long waiting lists of broken horses waiting to be offloaded. The horse are a resource that are used until they're done then replaced. It's not the holiday camp people want to kid themselves it is.

I used to pass one daily and yes they were herds, herds of lame horses. A fellow livery worked on a different one until it became too much for her.

No horse is sent to the BB for its benefit. Not a single one.

It truly is a cop out by the owner.

Similarly I had an acquaintance with a broken 6 year old. Apparently it was too young for her to consider pts but also too young for her to fund for the rest of its life... she wanted a horse to ride and could only afford one. She dumped the horse at a sanctuary to live out the rest of its life. She didn't pay a bean, didn't donate or fundraise for the charity but had funds to buy another. It disgusts me beyond words people who dump animals to dissolve themselves of their responsibility
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I’m not disagreeing with you, just playing devils advocate.

However, I would suggest that any owner horrified at the idea of the BB would, presumably, never put their own horse through a major surgery. Or treat a trauma that required a transfusion.
 
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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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Still going on. Facebook today ?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/215413165159676/permalink/5907932182574384/
People trying to sell feral pony sold to them as lead rein.
 
The second horse I mention on my post above was rehomed on permanent loan as a light hack by a forum member to a forum member with the forum acting as the communication channel to arrange that. The horse was sold as a show jumper (he was bred for it) within weeks. The recovery was documented on the forum by the original owner, at which point the original loaner posted saying it was entirely the fault of owners if they were stupid enough to give her horses that she could sell and make a profit from. Trading Standards and the Police acted together to try to get her prosecuted. She had done it so often they ran a campaign to find her other victims. But I think setting up a prosecution failed for lack of proof.
 
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A horse that is "field sound" is still a lame horse. Sending horses to the blood bank is not something I would ever countenance doing, the horses are really only there to postpone the inevitable and as a cop out for the owner. I take it as my responsibility to care for the horse properly during it's working life, and after that life is over to give him/her an easeful death BEFORE it becomes painful or burdensome. I am sure that I will have put down horses way before many of you would have done, and I'd never box rest a horse for longer than a few weeks, ever.
 
ycbm said:
That's a horrible expression and doesn't relate in any way to the PTS decisions I make about my horses.
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That’s actually what your applying you can’t ride them they have no use to you . So you pts so they are not costing money that very massed up mindset horses aren’t here for people to ride them and it’s a very lazy way of dealing with them when they can’t be ridden or old.
 
Smoky 2022 said:
That’s actually what your applying you can’t ride them they have no use to you . So you pts so they are not costing money that very massed up mindset horse aren’t here for people to ride them and it’s a very lazy way of dealing with them.
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Horses very much are there for people to ride them; that's why most people want to own them. I keep most of my horses in retirement after they have worked for me because that is something I can afford to do. If I couldn't afford to do it, and if they were unsellable, then they would be put down. BTW, I NEVER keep lame horses; I either fix the lameness or I put them down.
 
Smoky 2022 said:
That’s actually what your applying you can’t ride them they have no use to you . So you pts so they are not costing money that very massed up mindset horses aren’t here for people to ride them and it’s a very lazy way of dealing with them when they can’t be ridden or old.
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Another vile post that bears no relationship to the decisions I take to put down horses rather than retire them.
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Smoky 2022 said:
That’s actually what your applying you can’t ride them they have no use to you . So you pts so they are not costing money that very massed up mindset horse aren’t here for people to ride them and it’s a very lazy way of dealing with them.
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I think I understand what you’re saying - within a very incoherent and misspelled paragraph.

But never judge a person for making such difficult decisions. Because lazy they most certainly aren’t.
 
Amymay said:
I’m not disagreeing with you, just playing devils advocate.

However, I would suggest that any owner horrified at the idea of the BB would, presumably, never put their own horse through a major surgery. Or treat a trauma that required a transfusion.
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No, I'd never send a horse to the blood bank if it was lame either. I think the blood bank should be stocked with big healthy sound horses that would not require medication if they did happen to be in work. On the same basis as I've banged on about all through the thread, that it's really difficult to know if a horse is in pain, and if it went to the blood bank lame then that's far more likely.
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Goldenstar said:
A decade as a welfare officer cured me of Ever considering passing horses with problems on .
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And yet charities still restore damaged horses to health as best as they can, seek homes for them when there is no indication that there is any likelihood of them ever being suitable for ridden work and then sign them over to the loaners for them to make their choices for them in the future. They could just remove the horses from suffering and neglect and destroy them, are they out of order and irresponsible?
 
Flame_ said:
And yet charities still restore damaged horses to health as best as they can, seek homes for them when there is no indication that there is any likelihood of them ever being suitable for ridden work and then sign them over to the loaners for them to make their choices for them in the future. They could just remove the horses from suffering and neglect and destroy them, are they out of order and irresponsible?
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IMO, in some instances yes. Many of the so called "rescues" are simply just dumped, unwanted horses - or more usually ponies, that nobody wants and should never have been bred in the first place. Having rescue organisations choc full of "companion" types that don't get adopted, means that the real rescues, the serious cruelty cases, have nowhere to go.
 
So sorry your in this position OP. It must be hellish. But well done for posting about it. It’s brought up an important discussion.

having put my old TB to sleep earlier in the year I certainly don’t think anyone makes the decision lightly and I don’t believe it’s the easy way out. You know your horse best OP and if that’s the choice your leaning towards I believe that’s the right one for you both.

Take care whatever your decisions are. You’ve definitely got plenty of support here.

also if anyone wants a unridable (because of lameness issues) companion horse I’ve seen one for sale on FB for the very small sum of £3000. She’s very pretty and good breeding.
 
People are going to struggle to keep a roof over their own heads, in the months to come. There have been threads on here about rising livery costs, hay prices have risen and the cost of living crisis has not hit yet. People who make the choice to pts horses which are essentially unsaleable, are making responsible decisions for themselves, their families and their horses imo
 
I also think it's worth remembering that just because someone throws shed loads of money at diagnosis, treatment, intervention and keeping an unsound horse for, potentially, years, does not automatically make them a good owner.

I've pts plenty of horses that I didn't believe were enjoying an acceptably good quality of life, and I currently have a 17 year old pony at livery, who has been retired from riding since he was 6, and will possibly live for another decade, so I do see both sides.

Personally I'd rather be called a murderer for taking responsibility for my horses and pts at the point I deem it best for the horse, than be told on here that I am a wonderful owner for keeping the vet in Range Rovers and prolonging the life of a horse that is completely crocked and will, whatever it may appear on the surface, be in some degree of pain and discomfort.
 
Smoky 2022 said:
Some riding riding school buy horses they are cheap Horses with issues . I have known horses that have felled vetting end up in a certain riding school . The horse’s were lame but they didn’t care unless it became very obvious to non equestrians.
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@Smoky 2022 You posted this in September.

Which is the better for the horse? A ‘lazy‘ owner who puts their lame horse down, or the one who proactively sells it on?
 
Here is a different discussion that may be worth a separate thread, but here we are. The definition of ‘field sound’ and whether it is ethical to keep such a horse in retirement (presuming it is sound enough to be comfortable mooching around a field and feel no worse than a bit twingy if it happens to hoon around a bit). Personally I have pts such horses - sometimes those that may live for many years and probably will have some quality of life in that time. Mainly if I’m honest for my own reasons: the work involved and financial outlay. And because I can’t be sure of how comfortable they are - they can be so stoic.

On the other hand I would call into question the ‘better a month too soon than a day too late’ argument which I tend to disagree with, taken strictly as it is described. For example I know of a sweet horse, unrideable behaviourally and compromised physically, who had a glorious last summer with the sun on his back. His owner called it a day after perhaps three days of greater discomfort. I would argue that those three days were justifiable for the lovely few months he spent living happily.
 
Wow this thread has really taken off!

Its definitely helped reassure me that pts would be the best option given the circumstances.

This type of horse is the perfect candidate to end up being passed on or being pushed to do more than she is capable of. She hides her lameness well - so well that the physio and original vet who assessed her told me I was imagining things and it was only when I pushed for referal and full lameness work up plus xrays and scans that her issues were identified.

Her sweet itch and weight issues are a huge deterrent and I have real concerns about my long term ability to manage her weight and avoid lami since she's retired (she's obese despite being on restricted grazing since last summer).

My current plan is to give her one more summer (assuming no health issues arise) and pts September next year (although the thought of this makes me feel quite ill).

I know some people may think I'm just dragging it out but she is happy now, I can afford her for now and if either of those things change I can bring things forward but it gives me plenty of time to come to terms with it and enjoy some time with her rather than feeling it a chore that I'm permanently tied to - I hope that makes some sense!
 
Daniel_Jack said:
Wow this thread has really taken off!

Its definitely helped reassure me that pts would be the best option given the circumstances.

This type of horse is the perfect candidate to end up being passed on or being pushed to do more than she is capable of. She hides her lameness well - so well that the physio and original vet who assessed her told me I was imagining things and it was only when I pushed for referal and full lameness work up plus xrays and scans that her issues were identified.

Her sweet itch and weight issues are a huge deterrent and I have real concerns about my long term ability to manage her weight and avoid lami since she's retired (she's obese despite being on restricted grazing since last summer).

My current plan is to give her one more summer (assuming no health issues arise) and pts September next year (although the thought of this makes me feel quite ill).

I know some people may think I'm just dragging it out but she is happy now, I can afford her for now and if either of those things change I can bring things forward but it gives me plenty of time to come to terms with it and enjoy some time with her rather than feeling it a chore that I'm permanently tied to - I hope that makes some sense!
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You sound eminently sensible op. And I’m sure we all wish you the best of luck with whatever decision you ultimately come to.
 
Amymay said:
@Smoky 2022 You posted this in September.

Which is the better for the horse? A ‘lazy‘ owner who puts their lame horse down, or the one who proactively sells it on?
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Going though my profile just because you don’t like what your hearing the truth hurts . You wouldn’t put a dog down because it’s old and can’t go on long walks it hypocritical that it different for a horse . When you take on a horse you’re responsibility that you can care for them even you can’t ride them. Horse aren’t robots and people who can’t afford to keep into retirement shouldn’t own a horse regardless. Also slating rescues is completely out of line theses people decide there life to saving horses at least they aren’t irresponsible like some posters on this forum.
 
Smoky 2022 said:
Going though my profile just because you don’t like what your hearing the truth hurts . You wouldn’t put a dog down because it’s old and can’t go on long walks it hypocritical that it different for a horse . When you take on a horse you’re responsibility that you can care for them even you can’t ride them. Horse aren’t robots and people who can’t afford to keep into retirement shouldn’t own a horse regardless. Also slating rescues is completely out of line theses people decide there life to saving horses at least they aren’t irresponsible like some posters on this forum.
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You’re wrong. I was trying to understand your position. And found that you’d contradicted yourself - hence my response.

No, I wouldn’t put an old dog down that can no longer go on long walks. But I would put a dog down that found it painful to walk. I did 10 days ago.

Consider two of the many reasons that horses are retired. Age - how wonderful. They’ve lived a long and useful life with you. They have no ill health. They deserve to enjoy their twilight years in retirement. Lameness - this can fall in to many brackets, and it really is up to the individual owner to decide what is practicable in terms of the condition (ie how sever is that lameness) and finances. Most people have horses to ride. They can afford to finance one horse only. So they have choices to make.

Now, believe it or not, I think that many owners attitudes would be on a par with yours - ie they would keep their (for whatever reason) unrideable horse and either forgo riding or catch the odd ride from a friend. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But of course the reality of owning a field ornament is that it potentially costs you as much to keep as one that can be ridden. So of course there’s an enormous conflict. I think that castigating and calling irresponsible anyone for making such difficult (and heartbreaking decisions) is morally reprehensible. And I sincerely hope that you never find yourself having to make that decision.

I haven’t slated rescues ??‍♀️ But I would point out that even the most high profile rescues put horses down.
 
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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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Sorry to be slightly sarcastic, but if you are somehow able to find genuinely loving homes for horses with issues then let us all know. I believe that there are many here who would gladly pay you a healthy commission to find great homes for their injured or retired horses.
 
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