Arthritis/Quality of Life

[tjwagner4]

Hello all! This is my first post here, as I didn’t want to really post it on Facebook in the known “Horse health discussion” page to try and deter the keyboard warriors that may have a negative opinion on whats been on my mind.
Background info: Five years ago I bought a quirky, ugly duckling paint horse. Even as I tried him out and lifted his back legs and the sellers told me “he has an issue lifting that leg up” I bought the sucker just because.
Our History: I planned on taking this horse to college with me to barrel race, but as I got him to college and started riding more frequently, the issues we faced while riding were the same and never changing. Lack of impulsion, terrible time getting into the opposite lead/holding that lead (and seriously, its not fun to ride either).
Now: Five years later I’ve still got the dang horse, never made progress with him I wanted for fear of making things worse or him getting hurt. I’ve had xrays done to show some pretty good arthritis in just one hind fetlock which is keeping him from being able to fully flex his fetlock/leg and obviously affecting his whole riding career and willingness to please. The vet gave him 5 years for the rest of his riding carreer. $300 shots, all the supplements you can try haven’t and just won’t fix this. I’ll also mention his winters are getting rougher and rougher for what I can offer him (stocking up, very stiff, ect)
The Question: I love this horse, but we also have had a love hate relationship since I’ve owned him and he’s just that kind of horse that has his own way of thinking about life and it’s very annoying. I don’t want to sell him because of his prognosis, but I hate that any time I get on him I’m causing him more discomfort then he’s already dealing with daily.
When do you decide an 11 year old horse is better off being put down? I mean I know he’s not “old” but I don’t have access to acres of land so throwing him out in a pasture isn’t an option for me, and to be honest, I don’t want to give him away because Kill Pens are huge around here and I know he’d end up in one eventually.

Please be kind! While I don’t enjoy his company, I do care that he is uncomfortable and want what’s in his best interest! I’d love to hear your stories!

Thanks guys! I’d appreciate your own stories about this kind of thing!

[candyappy]

It is more ethical in my mind to euthanize an unusable, lame, diagnosed -hurting -forever horse ( no matter the age) than to pass him on to someone else. If you can’t put him out to pasture, then you have no other options.

Horses have no concept of time. They live from meal to meal basically. You took him on and did the best you could with him and his body is just not holding out. No guilt or shame in ending his pain.

[Tyrus_Mom]

Agree with Candyappy. It’s time to let go. You gave him what you could, now it’s time to let him go gently with dignity and love with euth.

[tjwagner4]

@candyappy

It is more ethical in my mind to euthanize an unusable, lame, diagnosed -hurting -forever horse ( no matter the age) than to pass him on to someone else. If you can’t put him out to pasture, then you have no other options.

Horses have no concept of time. They live from meal to meal basically. You took him on and did the best you could with him and his body is just not holding out. No guilt or shame in ending his pain.

Thanks for the words of affirmation! I definitely don’t agree with letting them suffer at all for my own personal well being–but I think that’s apparent with me posting this. I just see so many people keeping them around until they’re on their last leg and I’m not really sure where to draw the line as he’s only 11. But now is better than later on things like this that only get worse.

[KBC]

Do you suffer from arthritis OP?

If you do you would know it’s not a matter of the age of the horse, but the pain he is suffering. They haven’t yet got replacement joints for horses, and if they did the rehab would be a nightmare.

Living with daily ever worsening pain sucks, Arthritis sucks, I would let him go, given the facts you have told us.

[tjwagner4]

@KBC

Do you suffer from arthritis OP?

If you do you would know it’s not a matter of the age of the horse, but the pain he is suffering. They haven’t yet got replacement joints for horses, and if they did the rehab would be a nightmare.

Living with daily ever worsening pain sucks, Arthritis sucks, I would let him go, given the facts you have told us.

No arthritis, but scoliosis myself. Hence his current retirement, I’ve just not been able to bring myself to hop on for a joy ride.

[firefoot]

You say he’s annoying and has his “own way of thinking about life” – it is very likely from pain. Constant pain can really take a toll on personality – human and animal. I know he’s only 11 and it’s hard to put down a not-old horse, but he is not well in his body and he does not have a healthy future. He will never be comfortable just existing. If it were a question of reducing his work load or changing his diet or shoeing to make him pasture sound, that would be different, but there is nothing to change for this horse and he is not happy. It would be the kindest thing to let him go. Let him leave this body and be free. Do what you can to make the rest of his summer as comfortable as possible and put him down before winter comes. It is the most compassionate choice in this circumstance. I’m sorry you both have to deal with it but life with animals can be tough.

[Peggy]

Better a week too early than a moment too late.

If it’s any help, I euthanized a horse shortly after his seventh birthday due to neck arthritis and resulting neurological issues.

[outerbanks77]

I have a 15 year old that had some early onset changes in his hocks, was never sound, then broke a bone in his knee 4 years ago. He is happy enough hanging out with his buddies and eating, so I just leave him be. Sometimes he plays too hard and is pretty lame for a couple days afterwards. This maybe happens 2x a year currently. When it gets to the point that he is not happy with minimal to no maintenance, having more frequent lameness episodes, or having problems in winter like your guy, I will put him down. If he was an older guy retired from an illustrious career, I would probably be willing to do more maintenance, but I feel like my plan is fair for the situation. Sorry you are in a similar boat; I’d say you’re the one seeing the horse day to day, and just need to make the judgement call about his comfort/pain level.

[SMF11]

What does your vet think? I would weigh their opinion pretty heavily as they know your horse in real life.

[4horses]

I would start by talking to your vet. Another option is to rehome through word of mouth in the horse community. For example, my friend wanted to find a home for her old guy. I saw a facebook post of someone looking for a free horse and passed the contact information to my friend. The horse now has a great retirement home with an RV community. He has a ten acre pasture to himself, all the grass he can eat and gets spoiled by all the people who live there. It couldn’t have worked out better. Now he has lost some weight, but his teeth aren’t as they should be. My friend plans on bringing him some peanut hay (nice and leafy) which is easy for him to chew. My friend is welcome to drive by whenever she feels like it.

I have another friend who takes in “free horses” and gives them a retirement. She goes out and brushes them daily. Perfect way to spend her retirement and they benefit as well. When it’s time she has them pts.

So I think I would start by putting up some Facebook posts- Free lease to good home. I will want to see vet references, farrier references, and a property check. Will transfer ownership once I am certain the horse has landed in a safe environment (after a 3 month trial). Limited to within driving distance of zip code xxxx.

There are people who do take these types of horses in. Given your horse is younger his odds of finding a nice place are higher because he isn’t going to have super high medical costs, poor teeth, or the other health issues associated with old age.

Before I would jump on the euthanasia wagon, I would try the above first. If you can’t find a decent home, I would have him pts. My old mare stays with me because she has very high medical needs and would not be suitable to that type of re-homing.

It will be cheaper to rehome then to have him put down. My friend and I were discussing this today about one of my problem horses and she was telling me about friends who have lost horses in the last few months, and might be willing to take one of mine.

It is very much a close community- word of mouth goes along way. I would start with Facebook groups if you decide that is what you want to do. I would also volunteer to cover euthanasia should the horse need it in the future- that way you can be sure he gets pts when he gets too painful.

In my community, many retired people keep horses as pets and turn them out to pasture with their cows. I believe there are more pasture pets, then there are riding horses in my neighborhood. One man had 10 arabians all over age 30. Most have been pts at this point, as they were very old. Another neighbor had 3 pasture pets, and that is just within a block from me. Someone else has a donkey as a pet, no other livestock.

[4horses]

Do you have video of him moving so we can see how lame he is? It’s hard to judge these things without video.

[S1969]

What are you doing for pain management? Joint injections, supplements and/or NSAIDs will not “fix” this but can make an animal much more comfortable. It’s hard to tell from your post if you’ve already done this and the horse is still uncomfortable, or if you have not because it won’t fix the problem.

I was in this situation when I took on a sad cast-off from a neighbor. It was clear that she was in pain but when I worked with my vet I found solutions that extended her life and made her much more comfortable.

If you are not able/willing to consider that, then yes, I would consider euthanasia now. But if you’re not treating for the arthritis pain it may be too early to call it quits.

[AMackechnie]

I have a 10 year old with diagnosed arthritis/lameness here at the farm now. We are able to give him the space and the medication to live comfortably as a non-riding companion, but I understand when that isn’t an option and completely support euthanasia for such a horse.

It is extremely rare to find a permanent retirement home for this type of horse. The only way you know your horse isn’t being passed on to someone else, ridden or sold at auction is to euthanize at home.

I will add that often someone will indicate that vets don’t like to euthanize for these things, but my vet practice takes these issues on a case by case basis and certainly will euthanize what many people call a “healthy, young horse.”