This is my only experience with an old horse and I am struggling. 32 yr former show hunter that I’ve owned for 26 yrs. Cushings, athritis, slight visual issues (not blind), but now an all around crabby attitude. Lays down lot, takes a few tries to get up but succeeds. A few weeks ago in pasture, he was down for a while, so i ran to him and his legs flailing , eyes rolled back -I thought seizure. Called vet, did blood work and vitals. All good, minor kidney issue. Said no seizure. Getting thin (now that I’m getting hair off i can see) but still eating and drinking. When he trots or can possibly canter, he is very lame. Looks unthrifty ( I know- old phrase)
My barn owner says you’ll know when the time has come because they cant get up.
I go back and forth in my mind about his quality of life - seeing him quietly grazing in pasture, I feel guilty.
Some thoughts and experiences would be really appreciated
Someone shared this article with me when my old dog was declining. It helped to put things in perspective for me. Sharing in case it helps you. Hugs.
For me, quality of life is more than being able to get up.
If he is eating, drinking, urinated, and defacating well and normally, that’s the first check.
If he is getting around pain free, that’s the second check. (Sounds like your boy isn’t)
The crabby attitude also concerns me as does the weight loss as it seems unexpected.
If he were my horse, (and remember, this is easier to say than to actually do), I would consider him a candidate for euthanasia. If he isn’t getting around well, he can’t protect himself. If he takes a couple tries to get up, he won’t be able to get up by himself soon. I’m the type to preserve them from trauma and save their dignity. I’d rather put him down now, while it can be drama/trauma free, and on your terms, instead of waiting for him to give you a huge sign that he’s done here.
hugs to you. This isn’t an easy decision at all. <3
Don’t wait until he’s down and can’t get up. That’s too late.
What I find in a situation like this is: That you are not going to feel any better about it tomorrow versus next week, versus 2 weeks from now, versus next month. YOU are going to feel equally shitty about putting the horse down, no matter what day it is. So pick a day that is suitable, before things get worse for him than they are now. Because you are only putting it off, and it doesn’t matter to him because he doesn’t know. The only thing that matters to him is if he suffers, is in pain, has fear. The worst thing that can happen is if you leave it until there is an emergency, and your vet or whoever is going to put the horse down for you is “unavailable” for some reason. Don’t wait that long. Because it sounds like he is close. Spare him a poor ending to his life. To do so is a kindness.
100% agree
This is such a hard decision but you probably don’t want his last day to be his worst day.
Only you know when but IMO better to stuff him full of goodies, love him up and let him rest with the sun on his back and the wind in his mane rather than the fear he would most likely feel when he knows he can’t get back up.
As others have said, waiting until he can’t get up is too long. Horses don’t care how long they live - we do. They live in the moment and really only care about food/water, shelter, companionship, safety, and the absence of pain. I’ve always subscribed to the idea someone told me long ago (I think it was a vet!) - better a year too soon than a moment too late. Based on personal experience, the decision won’t get easier with time and you will feel a lot more guilty if his last day is his worst because you waited too long.
Hugs to you - no matter what the decision sucks. 
I decided on 11/20/20 that Hail Caesar would not go through the winter. Although still standing, he’d stopped walking to the barn with his mates. He would stand in the pasture where I would bring his hay, grain (softened with warm water) and a bucket of water.
Looking at him while he was enjoying his meal --it occurred to me that tomorrow was going to be like today. Caesar would not be better tomorrow. He was never going to be better. We tried everything and nothing worked any more to mitigate old age and the myriad physical ailments of a horse that spent 20 years as an eventer at the highest levels.
We had discussed different options --more feedings, more blankets, more time in his stall, less out doors in the pastures —but Caesar wasn’t going to be better --no matter what we did. Tomorrow he would be worse than today.
So, I called the excavator and got a range of times, then called the vet and had him out an hour before the excavator --I didn’t want Caesar to be concerned about new equipment suddenly in the pasture.
I spent a lovely sunny morning brushing Caesar and letting him hang out with his buddies. At 11, the vet came, and at 11:10 Caesar leaped into the clouds to race across the sky --pain free for the first time in 10 years --and he could RUN – the last few years a crippled trot was his fast gait.
I miss Caesar --but when I pass the spot where he’s buried, I am so glad he is free of his pain and able to soar once again over cloud jumps. He was a great horse.
The decision to let your horse go is extremely personal and painful. I have had to make that decision for several horses over my lifetime. Each one is different. I had a TB mare with one completely fused knee, who managed well in a pasture for several years. Several people told me they would put her down, but she was not ready to give up. She was in pain until the knee fused, but she was always willing to go on. She adapted to getting up and down without the knee, and my farrier (who was a gem) trimmed her by setting her foot forward onto a block about 3" high, and getting down on his hands and knees to rasp. With her, it was the light in her eyes. As long as she had a spark, and called out to me, she wanted to go on. I value quality of life over just being alive, but it can be difficult to figure out what your horse’s quality of life is. Listen to what your horse tells you.
So, I am one who would worry and go back and forth and forth and back and wait and see, etc. about what horse is telling me. I am fairly sure that my fella will have at least some hours/days when he is bright, snuggly, and engaged, even if he is in pain other times, and therefore he will be no help in making my decision. I have found it helpful to have a hard and fast rule in my mind about when it is time. This was really helpful for my last horse; we all want hope during a crisis, but we may not be thinking clearly. So, write down some rules for “Is it time?” that you feel you can stick to, and hopefully you can take some comfort in knowing that this is part of being a good owner, every bit as much as good hay and a clean bed and comfy tack.
You know your horse and yourself the best, but it sounds to me as though, if it were my horse, it would be time. Many hugs.
I think that is a heartbreaking and unfair standard. Their last moments should not be filled with fear as they cannot get up on their own and do not understand why.
I have and will always default to allowing them to go a day too soon than a moment too late. You’ve known this horse his whole life. If your gut is starting to ask the question, I would start mapping a clear timeline with your vet and set a date.
If they can’t get up, it’s far too late.
You could try this summer to get more weight on him - have his teeth done, change his diet, whatever - and you could try ulcer meds and daily bute, if you’re not already, but the fact is, you’re already questioning his quality of life. So, probably, is he.
To me, he’s absolutely a horse I would consider letting go. From what you’ve told us, he will never be better than he is today. At that point, making them go on is really about what we want, not what they want.
You are doing the right thing by asking yourself these questions about your horse’s quality of life and wondering when it “is time”.
You can take comfort that you had 26 years with your horse and enabled him to live a long life. Not every horse is as lucky to have someone who will care for them in their golden years and wants them to have a peaceful passing.
Good luck with your decision, it is a hard one to make for an animal that is in our care. 
I would rather put them down before things get so bad they can’t get up. At 32 your horse has had a good long life and as you tell us things are going downhill. Animals have the ability to keep how much pain they are feeling hidden from us.
He is hurting and has major issues that are not going to improve and while he enjoys grazing it is not a good enough reason to keep him going if you feel it is time.
You have given him what sounds like the best of care for most of his life . Most horses should be so lucky. He relies on you to know when it is right to end his pain. He certainly can’t do it. I would rather remember my horse grazing happily over down and struggling.
I know how hard it is and nobody will judge your decision.
I think my first discussion would be with my vet. Is there anything more to try to improve his quality of life? (Bute, equiox, something for his tummy?) If he is already on pain medication and the vet has no good plan to make him feel better, I think you need to consider euthanasia sooner than later.
I just wanted to say, it’s so hard with the old ones when they have good days and bad days.
I care for a 35 year old. He is getting harder to keep weight on, but is still in darn good body condition for his age. He has bad days, and I mentally decide it’s time… then I’ll go out the next morning and he’ll be raising hell like he’s 6 years old. He’s so bright and happy on his good days; he does not seem like a horse who is ready to go just yet.
Here’s my experience with a horse with seizures. I just had to put a horse down who developed seizures. The vet “ruled out” seizures because between seizures he showed no neuro signs and nothing came up in blood work. She had nothing else to go on but my description. I posted here about his condition, but pretty much remained in denial, despite the best advice from folks on this forum. In denial until I saw how far they’d progressed. Eyes like you mentioned and fear. I knew then.
This is a common way to approach the issue but, I hate this, so very much.
Not being able to get up is absolutely terrifying for a prey animal. I would never want that to my horse’s last experience in this world.
32 years old, obviously lame, bad attitude, has trouble getting up - IMO, no day is too early at this point to give him a peaceful last day.
I had a gelding with two bad suspensories. He got around quite well in spite of it and seemed to enjoy his retirement.
Finally, a couple of years ago, I decided it was time. It was difficult getting him through each winter because of the bad footing and several times he slipped while acting like a fool and caused himself some painful (though brief) moments. Keeping him in too much wasn’t an option because he’d just be that much more crazy when turned out again. He had a good appetite and was otherwise quite healthy for his age.
So, I chose a beautiful fall day to say goodbye. He was groomed to perfection and ate so many minty muffins his stomach couldn’t handle anymore. We walked around the yard where all the good grass was and he ate his fill (a special treat since he normally wore a muzzle).
It was the right thing to do and I feel no guilt about it and screw anyone that felt differently. It’s so much easier to deal with the whole process on a timetable you choose rather than reacting to an emergency. When he came to live with me, the vet estimated he’d have a good year or two before he would have to be put down. I gave him almost eight years, so I don’t feel he was cheated in any way.
My wonderful mare unfortunately went down unexpectedly. While it wasn’t horrible and she had a peaceful passing, if I could have seen it coming, i would have planned to say goodbye a bit sooner.
I truly do understand how you’re feeling and I wish you the best on your journey. It’s never an easy decision to make, but your heart will tell you what’s right. Quality of life to me means a lot more than just waiting until he/she can’t get up again.
I wrote a blog when I euthanized my second horse. At the time people didn’t talk about it and I hoped my experience would help others. This is the entry about knowing when it’s time. I hope it helps. My horse was 18.
