Would you put this horse to sleep?

How old is your mare? that would be the first consideration after making the decision to do it (sorry if its been mentioned but i cant see it in your original post), from the age of 12 onwards their firtility is on an ever decreasing pane.

I had my old mare pts after a year out - she did her DDFT, but she was 20, so putting in foal wasnt something i would ever have considered at her age (it would have been her first if i had tried!)

It sounds to me like you've made the decision about breeding already, however please please please make sure she is confirmationally correct (perineal confiemation included).
 
you've obviously previously thought about putting her in foal so if you're going to do it now would seem like the right time. If she's eating well and holding weight and not showing obvious signs of stress i would be inclined to think that she's perhaps not as miserable as you think;), rather as wagtail has said it's you putting your feelings of disappointment onto her.
 
I would not put her to sleep, unless a vet could tell me there was a chance she was in physical pain.

She probably does love working, and love working with you, but if she's the willing mare you make out, she'll be glad to work with you in other ways. I don't belive that horses are only good for working. To be blunt, I don't think it's FAIR to assume that she's better off dead because she can't work. Someone somewhere decided to breed her and brought her into the world, there is a responsibility there to keep her content for ALL of her life, through sickness and health. That's the contract you sign when you buy a horse.

I think she could make a lovely brood mare, so long as she's physically able. I'm sure your vet will be able to give you a yes or no answer. Other than that, even if she is unable to work, there are plenty of things you could be doing to keep her happy :)
 
My mare trod on a nail that damaged her DDFT. After almost a yr box rest and bringing back into work it re-tore and vets said she would never be able to be ridden again. She was 5! Blumming good breeding so that is what I did (tried to breed). Spent 2 yrs trying but it didn't work out for us. She did take in the 2nd yr but lost it at some point so I took the decision to retire her "formally" and move on. (Luckily for me a friend owns a farm with retireds living there). I like you was doing it for me (the foal) and it never crossed my mind to have her PTS. She seemed more than happy living out. I saw her everyday to feed and poo pick etc and yes it was gutting to have this fab animal covered in winter coat with a hugely long mane but I don't think she lost any sleep by not being smartly pulled etc....... It' so tough and I really feel for you.... Good Luck and I hope it works out for you...............

ps she also came totally sound living out but I just couldn't have brought myself to try riding her again in case it broke down beyond repair.
 
A couple of posters have questioned whether the mare is really that upset by not being able to work, so I thought I would share my experience. I had a gelding who had a hind leg problem and the vet recommended turning him away for three months to see if he came right. The first two weeks he thought it was marvellous to be on holiday, but after that every time I brought him in to feed and give a proper groom and check-over he would refuse to leave the yard again - and I mean plant - and I discovered that the only alternative to placate him was to slap a saddle on his back and ride him for a few minutes. After that he would cheerfully go back out in the field almost as if honour was satisfied.

For whatever reason horses can get distressed by not working. That needs to be taken into account just as much as their physical welfare.
 
She is that upset not to be working. I wish i were anthropomorphizing. For example i worked a couple of the horses in another field and she stood at the gate and watched the entire time i did it. If i take a horse off the yard she screams until the come back, she gallops around too even though she has company and she is used to horses leaving for hacks etc. I had a friend staying recently and i put my beginner friend on the semi/retired mare and my mare followed us around, the ENTIRE time. i have had to move the retired mare on lead before and my mare has never done this.

I have rethought a late foal. I would prefer a foal to have the best start and i plan instead to bring my mare back into work very VERY slowly over the rest of the year and see how she copes. it will give her something to do and cheer her up. Ill start with some gentle ground work and some riding and leading as well as her hand walks. If she breaks down during this then i guess i have my answer. She just wont be happy long term doing nothing. I know her well enough to know that. She is the kind of mare that will have to only be semi retired when she gets old enough.

She is still young enough that i could put her in foal next year or even the year after if i still feel the same about breeding from her.

Thanks for all the advice, the opinions were as conflicted as my own :)
 
I couldn't personally put such a horse to sleep, no. Neither would I pts a horse which was in no pain but simply getting elderly and could no longer work. Call it sentimental but I think as a horse owner I take on a duty to look after a horse and give it a retirement. I would feel terrible to pts such a young horse.

If not putting her in foal, I would look for turnout for her where she can live in a herd in a natural environment if possible, eg a field with a lot natural features - hill, flat, dry, wet, hedges, trees, etc where she could not see other horses being worked.

I wouldn't rule her out coming sound again for riding either, with a tendon injury. You can do things to promote the blood supply which helps healing and breaks down scar tissue, such as tissue massage, your own mini ultrasound machine, ice, stretching, etc..
 
Alphamare said:
She is that upset not to be working. I wish i were anthropomorphizing. For example i worked a couple of the horses in another field and she stood at the gate and watched the entire time i did it. If i take a horse off the yard she screams until the come back, she gallops around too even though she has company and she is used to horses leaving for hacks etc. I had a friend staying recently and i put my beginner friend on the semi/retired mare and my mare followed us around, the ENTIRE time. i have had to move the retired mare on lead before and my mare has never done this.
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I don't think it is the work that these horses miss but the love and attention. She cannot understand why you are treating her differently. She can come in and do some ground work and she would be satisfied. Do you really think she would prefer to be dead than not worked? Really? I know my own mare missed the work but most of all she missed me and now I have started doing the clicker with her again she is far happier. There is no way on earth she would rather be dead.

I have rethought a late foal. I would prefer a foal to have the best start and i plan instead to bring my mare back into work very VERY slowly over the rest of the year and see how she copes. it will give her something to do and cheer her up. Ill start with some gentle ground work and some riding and leading as well as her hand walks. If she breaks down during this then i guess i have my answer. She just wont be happy long term doing nothing. I know her well enough to know that. She is the kind of mare that will have to only be semi retired when she gets old enough.

She is still young enough that i could put her in foal next year or even the year after if i still feel the same about breeding from her.

Thanks for all the advice, the opinions were as conflicted as my own :)
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If she is anything like my mare then the tendon injury will just keep recurring. Sometimes I look at her hooning round the field and think I could ride her, only to find her slightly lame again the following week. She is amazing though and so full of character. When she is feeling good she does all kinds of stuff on command. Her favourite thing is the rearing to command. She is so well balanced and impressive. She also lies down on command, waits, fetches and chases a football. She's a happy little horse. Yes, she'd be even happier if she could work, but she still enjoys her life since I realised she needed something more than lazing in the field. At 17 she is too old to breed from as a maiden mare, though I would have loved a foal from her. My other mare is in foal and it has really chilled her out and made her soppy. She never wanted a cuddle before. Now you can't get rid of her. I don't think putting your mare in foal in the next 2 months would be too late. I know plenty of August foals.
 
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I wouldn't breed her at this time of the year. Sounds like she just needs something to do. Can you ride and lead or try long lining with her? Do de-spooking stuff?
 
There is no way I would breed from this mare.

Just because she is in foal will not stop her from being stressed by not working if that is the case. She will still be in the field doing nothing - so why would she suddenly realise she is in foal and has a job?

Weird thinking in my book. Doesn't mean she should be shot - I think that all horses can adjust to 24/7 turnout and no work if we do it properly. That is afterall how they are meant to live.
 
Dont bring her back into work yet as she might not cope with the weight. I could NEVER put a horse to sleep because its lame or old.Do we put lame/old people down NO WE DONT.
Every horse who is NOT in pain deserves a right to live its life out.So if you went lame your OH could have you put down then?
 
I definatley would NOT put her to sleep for being 1/10th lame and a bit miserable!!

Yes consider putting her in foal. Thats your choice....


Why dont you spice things up for her?? I find it very hard to believe that a horse is so miserable if you do something with them. Yes if you leave them in a field to rot....but surely if you just do stuff with her shell be ok???

With my mare:-

I "trick trained" her. That was great fun for both of us.
We long rein out on long hacks (great for my fitness too)
Shes got every field toy imaginable
She gets scratches and attention every single day.
I bring her in out the field when ever i can to try and show her different scenery.
I free school (very lightly and usually ends up in us walking over trotting poles or laughing in some way shape or form at something silly my mare does)
She has impeccable manners ;) .

Is your horse not sound enough to be a light hack/ does she have potential to be? Why not try moving yard to a place where they have a huge field and a proper herd??

No animal on this planet should be pts unless theyre in agony. I hate to say it but im quite sure that 9/10 times a horse being "pts because theyre so miserable turned away" is really just an owner saying that they want a horse they can ride. We look at them and are miserable that we cant ride them....and see it reflected back to us.

Im not saying this is the case with you, but if she is your horse of a lifetime, why not try EVERYTHING before even considering pts?????
 
Thanks again for all the thoughts. I am going to try some more ground work and maybe look into this trick training for her and see how she fares. She gets a lot of attention as it is, grooming and handwalking and such. It doesnt seem to be enough for her i think she needs to use her brain.

moving her is not an option nor is putting her in a big herd. She is happy with her field companion and everyone else she has been with bullied her, to the extent that i was worried i would find her with a re torn tendon or a broken leg every time i went back to the field. I wont have that again.

I also dont know of anyone who i would trust (lighter than me) to ride her for me. Ill ride and lead her rather.


Its not that i want to put her down. not at all. I wanted to know if i was being selfish in keeping her alive. I will give her a lot more time and see what happens.
 
sharon1959 said:
Dont bring her back into work yet as she might not cope with the weight. I could NEVER put a horse to sleep because its lame or old.Do we put lame/old people down NO WE DONT.
Every horse who is NOT in pain deserves a right to live its life out.So if you went lame your OH could have you put down then?
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I do agree with you, but to compare this situation to a human one is not fair. No we don't put people down, but we're talking about a horse, not a person. A horse will not understand when you try to explain to her that she's lame and cannot be ridden anymore. But I do totally agree that putting any pain-free animal to sleep because it cannot fulfil the function you want it to, is wrong.
 
you would most likely find that once in foal she will change to relaxed, its the hormonal thing, and horses know when they are preggers and start to feel the foal move, i've found the most stressy hyper mare to settle nicely once in foal, and as she becomes more sedate her lag may very well get the chace to heal permenantly due to the time involved
 
My horse was almost written off and PTS, after suspensory ligament injury. With rest and some treatment, he is now off bute and sound. Time really did help heal him. He still hunts.
There is a chance your mare may also recover, 1/10th lame is not very bad. The more walking out in hand you do (or leading) once she has been rested then the better chance she stands of being able to be ridden. I would not PTS and I would not breed (at that age) but try rest and gently re introduce walk.
If i had followed people's advice with my gelding, he would be dead and I would never have had the extra 4 years we've had since he made a pretty darn good recovery! I'm so glad I listened to my vet, not friends. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
Alphamare said:
She is that upset not to be working. I wish i were anthropomorphizing. For example i worked a couple of the horses in another field and she stood at the gate and watched the entire time i did it. If i take a horse off the yard she screams until the come back, she gallops around too even though she has company and she is used to horses leaving for hacks etc. I had a friend staying recently and i put my beginner friend on the semi/retired mare and my mare followed us around, the ENTIRE time. i have had to move the retired mare on lead before and my mare has never done this.
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i have a gelding who does this and he's spent most of his life as a field ornament!! he's stressed about the others leaving the 'herd' not about not working as he hardly ever has!!;)
 
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