WWYD? Should I PTS?

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Hot_Toddy7

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Hi all, in a bit of a difficult situation at the moment and just want to get some views.

I have a 17.2hh Hanoverian - 20yrs old, rescued him 3 years ago. When I first got him he looked about 30, very underweight and unhappy. I had been told about him by a friend of a friend, and being a muggins, I fell in love and just wanted to take him home and 'make him all better'. It hasn't quite happened that way though. When I first heard about him, the friend of friend had said he was fabulous in all ways, ideal novice hack, a good do-er, some unsoundness issues but full of life, and fine for low-level stuff.

Turned out his unsoundness was worse than I was expecting and he was intermittently very unlevel infront, he has his good and bad days, but on the whole, he's never going to be sound.

Since I've had him, he's put on a little weight, but, he gets fed more than what my other 2 full TB's get combined! Had bloods run - nothing came up. Teeth all fine, up to date with worming etc etc. I am now getting to the point where I realise how stressful the last 3 years have been, I have had no time to enjoy the other 2 and I have a money-pit field ornament.

He can't be left alone and goes mental if he is, I can't loan him as he is too skinny and I would feel like I'm just passing the buck, and I can't continue the way things are. I know it's been a sh**ey winter, but he has never looked 'Ok'. I could continue to struggle financially and also time-wise. But I've pretty much come to the decision to PTS. The thing that's making it so damn difficult is that he is happy, he plays around, bucks & farts like a 2 year old from time to time, but he's not getting any better physically and I can't afford to have investigations done, and at his age, I'm not sure I would want to. Is it wrong to PTS a horse for financial reasons, or for it being the easier options, or have I tried long enough to say that it's not been easy?

Help :confused: :confused:
 
If he was mine, i would consider letting him enjoy the summer (if he was sound enough) and then PTS in the autumn so that he doesn't struggle through another winter.
 
If it was me I would give him the summer with regards to his weight let him have one last summer to enjoy and if he still doesn't fatten up then I would consider PTS , is he at livery or at your own place ? I know I couldn't afford to feed a horse at livery if you where getting nothing in return especially when you have others to care for !
I do always believe if they aren't in pain and not needing lots of vetenary care then its always worth giving them a chance.
Is there any retirement centres for horses near you , you could try contacting one of them see if they could help ?
 
You took on an unhappy horse and made him happy - you should feel good about that. Things could have been 100x worse for him if you hadn't taken him on. As others have said, if you can afford to, give him the summer and then let him go. But if you can't then I don't think you have anything to feel bad about if you decide to let him go sooner.
 
Faracat said:
If he was mine, i would consider letting him enjoy the summer (if he was sound enough) and then PTS in the autumn so that he doesn't struggle through another winter.
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I agree ^^^^^^^

But I would also look at his feed and make sure that he is having ad-lib forage with a high fibre/low sugar/low starch diet. Speedibeet and grassnuts are not as expensive as some of the specialist mixes.
 
Ditto above. Leave aside the financial, he must be in pain if most of the time he is lame. Have you ever considered him being in pain is why he doesn't keep weight on? Are occasional better days worth majority bad days? It is tough having to take on that decision, but if you make it for genuine reasons it isn't wrong. Better that than putting him on loan where he may not be given the care you have.
 
He has had a good 3 yrs with you, probably the best he has had. Looks well as you say but not sound. Horses dont know what tomorrow brings and if pts is the best option for you then go ahead with it. Could he have Summer out in the field then pts in Autumn before Winter sets in?

It is very much your decision and only you knows how your fixed financially. I would rather end a horses life with me knowing what their destiny is rather than risk someone else buting up to sell on etc. I have a Hanoverian x TB and know how lovely looking they are. I am in a similar situation to you, have 3 horses, one given back to me last Autumn, we sold her 4 yrs ago and she has kissing spines. We will see how she goes this summer and whether she can cope with hacking out, shes not the same horse and although happy living out shes bored. I can just tell with her. The other mare, Han x tb, has hada DDFT injury and an SDFT injury in both front legs. Is stiff but better for living out, she likes her hacking out but that is all she will ever do now. Both are aged 16 and 18 respectively so I guess the clock is ticking. This winter has seemed like an endless money pit, my third horse is on DIY livery and he is sound and younger.

I will see how things go but the 2 mares will not have long long retirements, my decision and no-elses's Thats the same for you and you will know.

I do think this hard winter has made us all fed up, feeling like its all work, no play and a lack of cash. You are making the hardest decision ever but you would be doing it for the right reasons for you.x
 
You seem to have answered for yourself, and I'd have to say I agree with you.

From what you've said, I see it as you've given him a good last 3 years, and at 20, he's so spring chicken (says she, who's pony was 35!). He's not going to get any younger, and if he isn't able to get weight on over the summer, he'll end up skinnier every subsequent year. If you think he is un-loanable, then your options are to give him to a charity (already overwhelmed with higher priority welfare cases), keep struggling financially (in which case he's not going to benefit, even if he's not going to suffer from that), let him go down the drain, or have him PTS.

Three years is long enough to try, and I think it's far more responsible to have an un-useable horse PTS then bung it in a field and let its condition get worse and worse. I don't know how severe is lameness is, or how much pain it causes him, but if it's not going to get better, it's likely to deteriorate.

It's a horrible decision to make, but you seem to have his welfare at heart.

If you let him go now, hard as it would be, if he is enjoying life, you will have let him go before he suffers any more. Or, finances depending (I'd say how much he's suffering, but if he's running around bucking then he seems ok!), give him the summer. He'll probably go downhill in the winter. I had a friend with an old pony who they knew would have to be PTS for age related reasons, but like your boy, he was looking happy going into summer. They let him have one last summer, then said goodbye before winter came.
 
I rent my own yard, but I only have about 4 acres, and the land hasn't faired well this winter. He isn't in pain but he is costing an absolute fortune in feed etc. I would love to give him the summer, but it means another year with no time for my other 2, and more money worries.... :(

Did have a look into retirement livery and I just couldn't afford it unfortunately.
 
OP you took him on for all the right reasons and have given him a good quality of life, you should be feel pleased that you were able to make a difference. You have 2 others to consider and the financial implications are worrying you. Yes, the winter has been awful, and he might pick up when we get some spring grass (if we ever get some) I think I would put a timescale on it, say another month, and review the situation then. I would not condemn you for deciding to pts, there are far too many horses in desparate need of being pts, but whose owners are unable to face the decision.
 
Got tied up on the works phone and see there's more replies! Thanks all for your words, I feel like I need to justify it to myself.
At the moment all 3 are on ad-lib haylage, and he gets 1x CC, 1X Speedibeet & 1xHi-fi, 2 times a day, have tried pretty much every other feed I can think of, to no -avail.
 
I would PTS sooner rather then later. Can't see the point in waiting until autumn. All well and good If we have a dry hot summer but what if it tips it down and the weather doesn't really heat up? What if his lameness gets worse or he can't be turned out for some reason.

Horses have no concept of tomorrow, to give him one last summer would be for your benefit more than the horse IMO. He has had a good three years with you, no one can say you haven't tried, so yes PTS does sound the best option.
 
I'd say let him go now, you've done your very best for him but you can't fix him and he is an expensive and time consuming chap with lots of issues. He doesn't know if it's his last winter or summer and most if not all of his problems are still there whatever the time of year.

I know you'll feel awful having him PTS but you've gone a million miles past what a lot would have done and have nothing to beat yourself up about if you let him go.
 
None of us know this horse and whats right or wrong for him you will know yourself what is right for him , you have tried everything you possibly could , sounds like you have made your decision I would go with your gut !
 
I would PTS now, I am not as hardhearted as this will sound, but really, 'giving a horse the summer' is not always as kind as it sounds, merely prolonging the day.

Flies, old, sore bones stomping on hard ground (OK, wet and soggy if this year is like last) still in pain, still struggling to keep weight on.

I wish you well with whatever decision you make, you sound as if you have done your best by him and he's had a good innings.
 
If you decide to pts sooner rather than later you will know that you gave him the three best years that you could and have saved him from being passed around in further pain.
 
Agree with faracat, we recused a little pony last year, we thought he would last good month but he thrived through the summer to the point he was back riding.

Unfortunately he got lami in the autumn and we tried but he got unhappy in his stable and we were running out of money as he was a surprise. We pts one sunny day in oct last year after a morning out with the tb in the lush grass. He had the best summer of his life and we miss him but it was the right think to do. At the end of the day you have to live, the best thing you can do to a horse like yours is pts as it honours them by giving them the end they deserve.

Xxxxxx
 
I was in a very similar situation a couple of years ago and I did have the horse put to sleep. It was horrible, I felt awful, but I don't regret it at all and looking back I wish I had done it sooner.
Don't beat yourself up. It sounds like you have done everything you can for him and there's no shame in wanting to enjoy your other horses.
Good luck and enjoy your horses
 
I would put down. You've done the best by him, and it isn't fair if you end up stressed and broke when - by the sounds of it - it will only ever be a lot of hard work and money just to keep him going, rather than ultimately having him come right. He's happy now. Give yourself a fortnight to spoil him rotten while you make the arrangements, and once the deed is done remember you've done the right thing - and a lot more than many ever would.
 
Faracat said:
If he was mine, i would consider letting him enjoy the summer (if he was sound enough) and then PTS in the autumn so that he doesn't struggle through another winter.
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Sometimes the summers can be just as hard on them as winters especially if they have lameness/foot problems when it gets to stamping the flies away and hard ground.

TBH, I'd do it as soon as you feel able, I wouldn't hang about at all but that's just me; if I've made my mind up I don't want it hanging over me for weeks or months, it just makes me more miserable; others will want to hang on to every last second, I appreciate that; we're all different so you have to do what's best for you.
 
Thank you all for your comments, it really means a lot. I put him on a months 'probation' 3 1/2 weeks ago, and with only 4 days left, he's not looking any different. Think however I do it, I will feel guilty. What if someone else had taken him on, would they have done a better job? I feel like I've failed him and yet I know he could've had it a lot worse.
 
Hot_Toddy7 said:
Thank you all for your comments, it really means a lot. I put him on a months 'probation' 3 1/2 weeks ago, and with only 4 days left, he's not looking any different. Think however I do it, I will feel guilty. What if someone else had taken him on, would they have done a better job? I feel like I've failed him and yet I know he could've had it a lot worse.
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Do you have any pictures of him? I helped rescue an abandoned TB from the brink of starvation a while back. It took me years to get him sound, fit and back to a proper weight. I was told by vets to PTS but I wouldn't give up. He's finally fat after over 4 years and looks great for a 24 year old ex-racer.

If feasible, I would take him on as my WB would like a companion
 
Don't be daft. You've given him three extra peaceful years, he couldn't have asked for more and with a big horse like that you have to be realistic; I wish more owners were like you and did the right thing before it gets too late.
 
I can only echo Maesfen; he's a big unsound horse that is a decent age, you've done the best that you can with him and sometimes we just have to let them go.
I'd also do it sooner rather than later as I find it easier that way. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
I had my old girl pts last week. She carried a good weight but it was only a matter of time before her legs gave out on her (she had arthritis and neuro issues). I loved her to bits and although she coped admirably with the winter I knew that it was time to let her go before it was too late - she had been in retirement for only 18 months. I considered giving her the summer, but that would really have been for my (sentimental) benefit and not hers. So it was done. I never expected to be relieved but I am - I used to dread going to the yard in case I found her down :(

If there is really no hope of his condition improving then it would be unfair to rehome him and financial concerns will only bring more stress. You need not justify it to anyone but yourself, you will know the right decision for you. Best of luck op.
 
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