Field board vs euthanasia?

[Mistys_Girl]

I have a 19 y/o tb mare that has a list of problems. She’s not sound to ride, and very slim chance she will be even with extra medical attention. Euthanasia is an option, but so is putting her out in a filed on outdoor board. She has always been inside with me, but outdoor with previous owners apparently.

Her list of ailments:
Sleep deprivation
Melanomas that seem to grow faster by the month
SI that requires injecting regularly
Kissing spine that makes even wearing a saddle uncomfortable
Bladder stone removal requiring bladder flush’s yearly, with possible scopes as needed
Full dose omeprazole needed when on grass

Currently she’s happy enough just existing. I had a nasty fall in August and she has not been ridden since, kissing spine was discovered after this.

Keeping her on indoor board with all the extra vet work required is sadly not an option with the economy the way it is. I’m currently pay to pay and struggling to pay the vet bills.

I’m torn between outdoor board with grain and no extra vet work, and euthanasia. There is no wrong answer here, I know both are very valid choices.

What have people done, and looking back, was it the right decision?

[4horses]

If she is healthy enough for outdoor board I would do so until that is no longer an option. And no extra vet work. Most horses can live outside just fine as long as they have a shelter of some kind. A field shelter or run in is usually sufficient.

[OverandOnward]

It is never easy. This question now coming up in the throes of January weather. You say she’s an inside horse now – is she acclimated to life as an outside horse in January & February?

You say ‘field board’, so I take it that this horse doesn’t live on your property where you can provide care. I’m in the same situation.

If the weather were not what it is right now, I’d suggest trying field board with appropriate outdoor care, blankets, sheds, and so on for a month or two. And see what you think at that point.

The caveat to everything, to me, is that this is an indoor horse going out in January/February – and that might be ok, depending on the total circumstances.

Winter horsekeeping can be a big deal, depending on the winter. Where I am, this winter is a big deal, very cold, windy. Weeks with temps & windchill 20F lower than normal. Horses here are not acclimated to this.

If this indoor horse goes out, who will do the daily blanketing & unblanketing? Supplying free choice hay 24/7? Is there a shelter and windbreak? Other horses to snuggle with?

If I feel certain that she will be comfortable and have the eyes-on and daily attention she needs, I’d opt for field board and let a few months tell the story of how good this is for her.

If I could not make sure that my horse will be comfortable, meaning comfortable for a horse, I might be more inclined to let her cross the bridge now, while she is comfortable. Age is not important. She doesn’t know how old she is or what her lifespan might be.

Just my opinion: Horses don’t treasure life that is a daily struggle, that is a misery for them. They don’t have human-type intellectual & spiritual thoughts about clinging to life. If they have a quick, painless exit that they don’t even know is coming or happening, personally I’m ok with that. I think that is a better alternative than facing harsh conditions where there is little in their daily experience other than discomfort, even suffering. Just my take on it.

[kaya842]

The concern that pops out to me is the sleep deprivation. Some horses (mine included) don’t sleep well outside and if she already has a hard time sleeping when she has a soft, private stall to sleep in, being out full time may mean no sleep at all. I haven’t dealt with sleep deprivation in horses before so I’m not sure what treatment is available or what effects it has on overall health.

Another potential concern is how sound is she outside? With SI issues and KS, she may not be very comfortable outside all the time. Different people have different expectations for how sound a retired horse should be on field board, just wanted to throw it out there.

[SMF11]

Retire her and see how she does. If she’s fine, great, if she continues to have big medical issues then you can revisit euthanasia.

Of course transition her as well as you can (ie don’t throw her outside in -5 temps if she’s not used to it). You may have a place already identified, but if not there’s a fb page just for retirement boarding where you can post and see what’s near you.

[avjudge]

@kaya842

The concern that pops out to me is the sleep deprivation. Some horses (mine included) don’t sleep well outside and if she already has a hard time sleeping when she has a soft, private stall to sleep in, being out full time may mean no sleep at all

This goes both ways, though. My horse, unless colicky, will not lie down in a stall. I had her on stall rest related to a puncture wound in her foot, never ever saw bedding on her, and found her starting to buckle at the knees when falling asleep on her feet. The problem seem to go away when she returned to pasture living.

[Mistys_Girl]

I live where we are having a Polar Vortex right now, she’s blanketed heavy and didn’t want to come in.
I’ve never seen her lay down inside, only outside in the spilled hay, or after a roll. Never inside, that’s where she sleep crash’s most.
The transition to outside wouldn’t happen until May-July, and if she needs to cross the bridge it would be October or so.
Just trying to come up with a solution that best for her, and that I can still afford my bills to live.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

Sounds like a good option OP. Always hard to make changes. If she’s lived out before and you can wait until spring to transition her, that sounds pretty good!

I bet she will tell you if she’s enjoying it, or not. All that extra movement and motion can help with both KS and SI, plus as has been mentioned some prefer to sleep outside over inside. Give it a try and see what she thinks. Just please don’t do this right now during a polar vortex, I don’t think that would be fair!

[mmeqcenter]

Why does she need a full dose of omeprazole when on grass?
Is the field board on a dry lot?
I guess if she seems comfortable outside now while the grass is non-existent, I’d at most give her until spring. But needing a full dose of omeprazole on grass doesn’t seem like an ideal situation to put on grass 24/7. With all her major health issues, I would euthanize sooner rather than later.

[SharonA1]

@Mistys_Girl

Just trying to come up with a solution that best for her, and that I can still afford my bills to live.

I don’t mean to sound harsh or unkind… We all really do know what it is to love a horse and have to grapple with these decisions. I want to reflect that you are stressed about money and it sounds like this is a horse that, while much-loved, is unlikely to have an improvement in her overall quality of life. Of course you could keep going for another five or six or eight months, but, what for? What does your life/stress.financial picture look like if you put her down now, vs in eight months? How does her being alive affect other aspects of your life, good and bad?

There is no shame in releasing a horse from whatever pain/anxiety/discomfort she is in, that we humans don’t even know about because she is being stoic so as to not show weakness to the herd or to any potential predators. To release a sick horse from pain/anxiety/uncertain future is a gift. If this were me, I would euthanize, but I completely respect your thought process and decision, because no one knows this horse better than you. Trust your instincts as much as you can, but know that we all do understand the financial pressures, too.

[fanfayre]

For me, the melanomas are the condition that would make my decision easier, since you say they get bigger every month. They are NEVER going to get better, and the possibility is great that they will cause some catastrophic event where she will have to spend the last few hours of her life in pain and likely terror while the final arrangements can be made.
NO, I’m not being over dramatic; I’ve sadly been in just that position. If she were mine, given all the rest of her conditions, I would choose a nice day (temperature-wise) and give her the treat of a dignified ending before the fates made the choice for me.
I’m sorry for your situation

[cardinale]

And do you know whether or not she might have internal melanomas?

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I agree that the melanomas are the thing that gives me pause. If she has external tumors, the likelihood of having internal ones seems like it would be high - and you might not know it until she colics or something else happens.

[Mistys_Girl]

The melanomas as a big concern with her. Her gluteal pouches have a lot, and when she had her bladder stone removed it was a tough surgery due to them being so invasive on her colon, there is no stretch. Her anus went from one the size of a pea when I got her September 2021, to not being able to see her anus now. Vet has advised if she starts colicing, or having issues passing manure, it’s time.
The omeprazole is needed on lush grass, she can’t handle the sugars and gets reactive. The outdoor board is more of an over grazed paddock with round bales year round, more ideal for her.
For now she is happy and enjoying life, this is where is makes it a conflicting decision.
I’m leaning towards no extra vet work and putting her out 24/7 come spring. I can always let her go after if this shows not to work, or she seems to be suffering.
Her board has gone up $300 since I’ve gotten her, as well as mortgage, and living expenses. By cutting her board in half, would make keeping her long term manageable.

[steelerino]

@Mistys_Girl

Keeping her on indoor board with all the extra vet work required is sadly not an option with the economy the way it is. I’m currently pay to pay and struggling to pay the vet bills.

I can never advocate struggling financially to keep a horse with a lot of medical problems. Don’t beat yourself up if you choose to euthanize.

[fordtraktor]

You make it sound like being out is somehow a worse option or neglectful in your OP. I have a lovely barn and keep mine out 24/7 because they are healthier and happier out! Horses are not made to be in confinement.

Try the field board and see how it goes. I have one retiree here whose owner thought she would never be happy outside. Now the mare is unable to be kept in a stall at all because she adores her outdoor lifestyle! I suspect this might be the case for your horse given what you say about sleeping outside.

[SLW]

@steelerino

@Mistys_Girl

Keeping her on indoor board with all the extra vet work required is sadly not an option with the economy the way it is. I’m currently pay to pay and struggling to pay the vet bills.

I can never advocate struggling financially to keep a horse with a lot of medical problems. Don’t beat yourself up if you choose to euthanize.

This.

[Red_Dust]

Frankly, considering what a year I had with pet loss and so forth, I tend to fall into the category of euthanasia. You don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night, knowing it is time, then spending 2 days in restless guilt, first because you can’t get it done sooner, and then because you are going to ‘murder’ your pet. Just for the record, I was sad and cried, but I was and am fine with it. It was Kitty’s time to go.
On the other hand, I lost my dog at the beginning of December out of the blue. She went from fine into distress and when the vet (not my regular, he was all backed up) examined her, everything was out of whack and she did not survive the night. That one hurts more than I can say.

So, to stop my blabbing and make my point:
If I were you I’d give myself the time to say good-bye now, while she is fine. Make arrangements that are convenient. We all know how horses prefer a dark and stormy night to create havoc.

I consider it the last gift I can give my animals. They have given me their love and comfort. I can let them go without distress. Animals don’t know, or care about tomorrow.

Many hugs, because we know this day will come, and it will never get any easier.

[JumpWithPanache]

Everyone’s experience and threshold is different so as others have said, there really is no wrong nor easy answer. If it were me, I would be leaning more towards euthanasia… and sooner rather than later. My thought process behind this is the significant financial strain that you can stretch out and shrink, but it’s still a strain and the multiple medical issues requiring routine, invasive, and expensive intervention. Any time you start even thinking “can I afford to live”, it’s time to think hard about maintaining a high-cost expense that invariably has higher emergency costs. Kudos to staying committed to either maintaining her or NOT asking someone else to take on the task. THAT is the way to honor our equine partners.

For comparison, my now 24-year-old gelding foundered a little more than two years ago while out on lease and suddenly became a very unplanned for vet and board bill. I was fortunate to be newly into a two-income situation and had remaining funds from selling my house two years before that. With exceptional vet and farrier help we got him sound again. However, the conversation with my vet was that if he took a turn for the worse and/or would not be pasture sound, then it was time to let him go. To this day, the threshold is STILL that he remains at least pasture sound (fortunately a weedier than I’d like 3 acre field with fairly limited grass) and doesn’t re-founder (is on Prascend although I’ve tapered back). If I did not have DH and the benefit of a two income household, I think I would’ve opted for euthanasia at the time he foundered simply because I could not have afforded two horses and all my living expenses. It’s nothing against my old guy (he’s my profile pic actually), but I felt it was better for me to let him have a dignified end than try to sell the spicy youngster and end up not riding for who knows how long. I am blessed to still have Rex in my life, sounder than I dreamt, and still happily living the field board life.

Sorry for the long ramble, sending you jingles for whatever decision you make on whatever timeline it happens.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@Mistys_Girl

The melanomas as a big concern with her. Her gluteal pouches have a lot, and when she had her bladder stone removed it was a tough surgery due to them being so invasive on her colon, there is no stretch. Her anus went from one the size of a pea when I got her September 2021, to not being able to see her anus now. Vet has advised if she starts colicing, or having issues passing manure, it’s time.
The omeprazole is needed on lush grass, she can’t handle the sugars and gets reactive. The outdoor board is more of an over grazed paddock with round bales year round, more ideal for her.
For now she is happy and enjoying life, this is where is makes it a conflicting decision.
I’m leaning towards no extra vet work and putting her out 24/7 come spring. I can always let her go after if this shows not to work, or she seems to be suffering.
Her board has gone up $300 since I’ve gotten her, as well as mortgage, and living expenses. By cutting her board in half, would make keeping her long term manageable.

Reading your description of her melanomas? Well… with that on top of everything else, if she were mine, I would put her down on the first pleasant day. It sounds like you have already given her lots of love and good care in recent years, but she can’t be comfortable now. And… the possibility of a very bad colic is quite high. I would choose to spare her that possibility.

Hugs to you. I have a retiree that is turning 25 this year, and I have watched her slow down over the last 4 months. I’m in the process of debating when is the right time for her. She doesn’t have any ulcers, melanoma or significant colic risk though. Just lots of arthritis and has clearly markedly declined. It’s hard to watch.

Hang in there. I’m sure you will make a good decision for your mare, no matter what you choose to do.