Doublethyme
Well-Known Member
Absolutely - she owes me nothing and is as much a friend and pet as an animal to compete and pursue my hobby on. Fluffy and emotional yes, but I don't care
Woud you keep your horse if he was no longer fit for purpose?
- Thread starter Blizzard
- Start date
mickey
Well-Known Member
Haven't read all the posts I'm afraid: But my view is as follows; I personally have one horse and as long as he was not in real pain or deterioration (or the vets insisted upon it) I would never consider having him PTS. Actually my horse has had several periods of time off work (one of which was 1 yr) due to injury, the vets wrote him off as potentially being a hack if I was lucky. I hung in there, he is now competing very successfully dr and showing.
My horse comes first, the riding comes second. Even if I couldn't ride him and couldn't afford another I'd keep him in livery. I get far more out of owning him than just the riding alone.
I find the idea that once a horse has a problem/ is not workable it is PTS quite hard to digest.
My horse comes first, the riding comes second. Even if I couldn't ride him and couldn't afford another I'd keep him in livery. I get far more out of owning him than just the riding alone.
I find the idea that once a horse has a problem/ is not workable it is PTS quite hard to digest.
suestowford
Well-Known Member
QR
Yes I would keep him if he couldn't be ridden any more, he is such a character and full of charm. However, if he showed signs of being unhappy as a field ornament he would be PTS, but ONLY if he was unhappy.
Yes I would keep him if he couldn't be ridden any more, he is such a character and full of charm. However, if he showed signs of being unhappy as a field ornament he would be PTS, but ONLY if he was unhappy.
WishfulThinker
Well-Known Member
I am lucky I think in that my parents have 2 acres that he can go in, and he would happily be a companion and be fussed over. If he however had to have a regime that upset him and he was not happy then I would consider it as a last resort.
at work
Well-Known Member
I always thought I would but I've been there recently and the true answer was no.
An older horse I might have retired for a while but found I couldn't do that for a relatively young one that might have many costly years left that I wouldn't be able to ride in. Also realised that 'retirement' meant I would only be waiting for his quality of life to deteriorate to the point where pts became the only option.
An older horse I might have retired for a while but found I couldn't do that for a relatively young one that might have many costly years left that I wouldn't be able to ride in. Also realised that 'retirement' meant I would only be waiting for his quality of life to deteriorate to the point where pts became the only option.
Blizzard
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
I always thought I would but I've been there recently and the true answer was no.
An older horse I might have retired for a while but found I couldn't do that for a relatively young one that might have many costly years left that I wouldn't be able to ride in. Also realised that 'retirement' meant I would only be waiting for his quality of life to deteriorate to the point where pts became the only option.
[/ QUOTE ]
See I do totally understand that, despite the fact that I wouldnt do it.
Im not overly sentimental I think, but Ive had good and bad horses, and beau has given me more in 7 months than any of the others combined.
I always thought I would but I've been there recently and the true answer was no.
An older horse I might have retired for a while but found I couldn't do that for a relatively young one that might have many costly years left that I wouldn't be able to ride in. Also realised that 'retirement' meant I would only be waiting for his quality of life to deteriorate to the point where pts became the only option.
[/ QUOTE ]
See I do totally understand that, despite the fact that I wouldnt do it.
Im not overly sentimental I think, but Ive had good and bad horses, and beau has given me more in 7 months than any of the others combined.
Alibear
Well-Known Member
Mac's got Navicular in front and suspensory problems behind he's now in his second year of retirment and loving it. Am hoping he'll manage to live out this winter.
It's a stretch to keep him and the new boy but I shall do my best. However no more big vets bills for him I'm afraid, if omething serious happends then it will have to be bye bye (well Isay that have yet to be that hard hearted when things actually happen)
It's a stretch to keep him and the new boy but I shall do my best. However no more big vets bills for him I'm afraid, if omething serious happends then it will have to be bye bye (well Isay that have yet to be that hard hearted when things actually happen)
Grumpy Herbert
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, YES!
I kept my old pony in retirement for 5 years until he had to be PTS. I will keep my current two until the end, even if I can't ride them any more. I like to give my horses a home for life, as I can't bear to part with them!
I have said to my hubbie that if anything happens to me, they are to be put down because I wouldn't want them to pass from pillar to post. I think I'd do the same if I couldn't afford to keep them, as they're not entirely straightforward to ride or keep. But everyone has different ideas and opinions, so there's no right or wrong answer to this one. I guess you just have to go with what you think is best for the horse.
I kept my old pony in retirement for 5 years until he had to be PTS. I will keep my current two until the end, even if I can't ride them any more. I like to give my horses a home for life, as I can't bear to part with them!
I have said to my hubbie that if anything happens to me, they are to be put down because I wouldn't want them to pass from pillar to post. I think I'd do the same if I couldn't afford to keep them, as they're not entirely straightforward to ride or keep. But everyone has different ideas and opinions, so there's no right or wrong answer to this one. I guess you just have to go with what you think is best for the horse.
Chex
Well-Known Member
Of course I would - I wouldn't just dump him on someone else or shoot him because he was no longer able to be ridden! He's a pet, and he's mine until the end of his days
tillyd
Well-Known Member
This is something I've been torturing myself with recently.
My 8 yr old mare has been diagnosed with arthritis. She's had 10 months off already (took them that long to to diagnose!) and I have only owned her for 18 months. She can be very difficult - talented and a pleasure when she's on song, but she is very smart and opinionated - not anyone's ride. She is not a good hack.
The harsh reality is that I can't/won't pay to keep a horse for the next 20 years that I can't ride (or specifically can't ride to anywhere near the level I intended). I saved for 7 years to be able to buy her, to compete, and i have shed lots of tears over the inevitable truth that sadly, whether its over weeks, months or years, her arthritis is going to get worse.
Sadly, at some point the fairest thing for both of us will be to have her PTS, but in the meantime I am prepared to spend a fortune and do everything I can to give her the very best chance of staying sound for as long as possible.
My 8 yr old mare has been diagnosed with arthritis. She's had 10 months off already (took them that long to to diagnose!) and I have only owned her for 18 months. She can be very difficult - talented and a pleasure when she's on song, but she is very smart and opinionated - not anyone's ride. She is not a good hack.
The harsh reality is that I can't/won't pay to keep a horse for the next 20 years that I can't ride (or specifically can't ride to anywhere near the level I intended). I saved for 7 years to be able to buy her, to compete, and i have shed lots of tears over the inevitable truth that sadly, whether its over weeks, months or years, her arthritis is going to get worse.
Sadly, at some point the fairest thing for both of us will be to have her PTS, but in the meantime I am prepared to spend a fortune and do everything I can to give her the very best chance of staying sound for as long as possible.
Tinypony
Well-Known Member
I had to retire a horse at the age of 6. To cut a long story short, I searched to find a good place for her, and I pay for her to live there. As long as she is happy with the others in her fields, I feel she is entitled to life. I brought her home at the age of 6 months, backed her myself with no help, and she gave me so much that I just couldn't have her killed for purely economic reasons. When she is no longer bright eyed and happy (which I think will be obvious) I will do the right thing for her.
I respect completely others who have made the opposite decision, which ever route you choose a lot of soul-searching goes into it, and it's not easy. For me though, I had to find a way to let her live.
I respect completely others who have made the opposite decision, which ever route you choose a lot of soul-searching goes into it, and it's not easy. For me though, I had to find a way to let her live.
SpruceRI
Well-Known Member
Keep for life it I could afford it. So far I have and can. Can't bear the thought of having a horse PTS just because it doesn't do the job I want it to.
Fantasy_World
Well-Known Member
Both mine were given homes for life and that means for the term of their natural life.
I would only consider pts IF and only IF they had a serious ailment/condition/injury in which they were in tremendous pain, or unlikely to recover and would not have what is perceived as a natural quality of life for a horse.
The latter term also applies to age as well and their deterioration to the point in which quality of life was being lost. I would never, ever have a horse pts on its last legs due to age. Have seen family pets ( when I used to work at a vets, my job was to aid vet and dispose of body) that were brought in too late on a few occasions and it both saddened and sickened me at the same time. Therefore I would not leave it too late to make that decision if it needed to be made.
I think tbh my own preferred way for them to leave this world would be for them to gently pass away during the night tucked up in the stable or next to a field mate in the paddock. But that is in an ideal world and I think we all know that it would most probably be a rare occurance and that human intervention would be likely at some stage.
I also have provisions in place were I to become too ill to look after them and also one horse ( one we own) is accounted for in a will I had drawn up this year in the event of my death occuring before the horses. The big lad would go back to his owner in that event because I included that in my loan agreement that I drafted.
As for the field ornaments, both mine are not competed at this stage and the big lad is unlikely to be. Whether we will eventually with Mcfly I don't know? Either way both are very content out at grass and don't seem at all bothered by the fact they are not in regular work at the moment. Tbh I cannot see that changing because Mcfly is just so laid back and I think Doug would do anything to get out of work really lol.
Cazx
I would only consider pts IF and only IF they had a serious ailment/condition/injury in which they were in tremendous pain, or unlikely to recover and would not have what is perceived as a natural quality of life for a horse.
The latter term also applies to age as well and their deterioration to the point in which quality of life was being lost. I would never, ever have a horse pts on its last legs due to age. Have seen family pets ( when I used to work at a vets, my job was to aid vet and dispose of body) that were brought in too late on a few occasions and it both saddened and sickened me at the same time. Therefore I would not leave it too late to make that decision if it needed to be made.
I think tbh my own preferred way for them to leave this world would be for them to gently pass away during the night tucked up in the stable or next to a field mate in the paddock. But that is in an ideal world and I think we all know that it would most probably be a rare occurance and that human intervention would be likely at some stage.
I also have provisions in place were I to become too ill to look after them and also one horse ( one we own) is accounted for in a will I had drawn up this year in the event of my death occuring before the horses. The big lad would go back to his owner in that event because I included that in my loan agreement that I drafted.
As for the field ornaments, both mine are not competed at this stage and the big lad is unlikely to be. Whether we will eventually with Mcfly I don't know? Either way both are very content out at grass and don't seem at all bothered by the fact they are not in regular work at the moment. Tbh I cannot see that changing because Mcfly is just so laid back and I think Doug would do anything to get out of work really lol.
Cazx