I would encourage you to try the oral oil pergolide suspension from Wedgewood Pharmacy in NJ. My 2 PPIDers have been on it for 2 years now–has worked as well as Prascend for my 2 and is 1/3 the price. Easily dosed because it can be flavored (I do peppermint), and I’ve not had issues with lack of appetite on it. My gelding is 1175 lbs and on 3 mg a day; my 450 lb hinny is on 1.5 mg a day. They both have blood pulled every spring to make sure their ACTH levels are OK. Also, if you think the aches and pains of old age are causing your guy not to lie down for sleep, ask you vet for a week or 2 of Equioxx/Previcox to see if it helps–it really helped my gelding who would nap standing up and then just literally fall down from exhaustion.
I’m so sorry OP. That is never an easy decision. I could be writing your post myself almost exactly. I have a 25 year old mare that I bred when I was a teenager and she is slowly losing the Cushings battle and also cannot tolerate Prascend. My plan too is before winter sets in because it was really hard on her last year. Right now I’m eeking out what good days I can partially selfishly because this has been the year from hell- lost 3 old lady kitties, another senior mare and my main riding horse lost an eye. This one though is going to hurt like none other
OP, I too, have a 25 y.o. gelding who was 7 when I bought him. Fortunately he is doing great, although some signs of aging are creeping in. Last week the vet said, don’t change anything. So I continue to ride 5-6 days a week (I’m 71), mostly at a walk, and he continues to do a few therapy lessons, one with a woman with Down syndrome, and another woman who is immobilized with very severe MS.
The best piece I have ever, and I mean ever, read on this topic is by Julie Goodnight. She is a wonderful trainer who focuses as much on the rider as she does on the horse, and the sum is greater than the parts. She lost her horse Eddie recently when he dropped in his tracks in the arena. I’m not good at posting links, but if you go to
Juliegoodnight.com
click on ACADEMY
click on READ
choose FREE ARTICLES
scroll down a few and choose “Dealing with the Death of a Horse.”
As much as I think I will be ready when the day comes, I know it will be harder than anything I have ever done. I’ve said goodbye to lesson horses and boarders’ horses at the barn over the years. I say hello to a young friend’s 12 y.o. Appy gelding when I ride by his grave. I’ve picked through tons of photos. I’ve started writing reminiscences so I can cherish our wonderful moments forever. I’ve given written preferences to the barn owner and the vet. And I’m trying to get practical about making sure he will be taken care of if something happens to me.
But Julie is right. There is something about horses - their size, their beauty, the many years we have together, good times, bad times, goofy times, wanting to have them forever but knowing we cannot, and that we cannot ask them to suffer.
It’s not heartless to think ahead and to plan ahead. Money is also a difficult part of the process. I’m finding it much easier to make decisions now and put that information in the hands of people who I know will help me. It makes me teary-eyed, but better to decide things now when we can look forward to more happy days together.
.
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Want to send hugs to you as I am going through the same ordeal with my EPM horse.
As a comparative story, when my 19 yr old dog was suffering seizures, blind and deaf, my husband pointed out to me that it would be a much better end on our terms, as opposed to rushing him to the vet in an emergency. I called the vet, had him put down at my parents farm after a day of chasing “rats” and eating a roast. It was an awesome day together, even though I knew how it was going to end. To have that control over the situation has helped with my memories, and while I miss him dearly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
I recently lost another dog, and on the way to the vet to put her down, she passed on my lap. It was not how it should have ended and most of my sadness comes from not doing right by her and putting her down earlier.
I know the guilt you feel, but think of the peace for both of you if you can do it on your terms and not have to have an emergency in winter.
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I put my 13 year old gelding to sleep in June. He had been unrideable for 2 years due to bad ringbone. He was having more bad days than good. When I started having to drag him out if his stall to get him to set foot on the concrete to go out, I knew it was time. He was still happy and would try to run and keep up with his herd, bit I knew he hurt and I refused to let him deteriorate any further. He told me it was ok. I’m glad I let him go when I did.
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Based on your description, I would be making the call. I agree with others that when in doubt, err on the side of not making him go through that last winter.
It’s ok to consider your own stress and worry in the decision. It’s ok to consider the easier logistics of handling the carcass before the ground has frozen / no risk of the rendering truck canceling due to ice/snow. It’s ok to feel relief when you’ve made the call. We all have been there. No way around the fact that this is a truly miserable and sad decision to make (as I sit here on a plane with tears on my face as I type this, even though it’s been several years. My poor seatmate :lol: ).
With my 29 yo Hungarian, there was no crisis, no urgency, and more of his days were good than bad. Just the reality of steady decline in weight, ability to lie down, struggling to get back up etc., with no reasonable ‘cure’ available. It was late fall and my vet said he’s seen too many oldsters who seemed to be hanging in there in the fall, but disintegrate once the stress of winter was added. He cried too, it’s easy to forget that our vets get attached to these oldsters too.
We’re here when you need to ugly cry about it. We’ve all been there.
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Im sorry you are facing this decision. Youve given this horse much more than some others would have already. There is no shame in making the decision earlier. Better a day too soon than a moment too late in my opinion.
I have made a similar decision for a 34yro I have in my care now, so this is a timely thread. I made the decision at the end of last winter that I would not put her through another one. Shes been a dry lot type pony her entire life. Even with hard winters she would winter well and be plump and happy through the entire season. She was a staple lesson pony in our polo string up until last fall and to this day is still sound as a dollar on zero maintenance and barefoot. But her lungs just cannot keep up with her spirit anymore. She started to struggle in Feb and honestly I wish I had made the call then bc the following months were hard on her despite everything I threw her way. She came out of the winter in rough shape physically and has struggled all summer to catch her breath even jogging out in the pasture. She is fat and sassy still, but often has nose bleeds and struggles to keep up with the herd out in the pasture. The temps started to dip last week and she will be heading to the big polo field in the sky tomorrow fat and sassy :sadsmile: I am confident in my decision and luckily have a wonderful vet who is not at all opposed to putting quality of life over quantity.
May you find peace in your decision and Martina will be there when your man is ready
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Then you are in good hands! Good luck with this hard decision.
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Thank you all so much for your support. This is such a difficult thing to talk about. But I think we all benefit from the conversation. I know that I have from all who have taken the time to respond.
Sheilah
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“When there are still a lot of good days” is exactly the right time, if you know those days are numbered and will only get worse. With everything they do for us why should our horses have to suffer through bad days? The right time is determined by your tolerance for watching your horse slowly go downhill, your desire to prevent a crisis, and your ability (both financially and emotionally) to keep your horse safe and comfortable.
Unfortunately there is no black and white answer here, but I agree 100% with you that a month too early is better than a day too late.
Hugs to you!
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I had a mare with cushings who had been on prescend for several years. She was 25 when I made the decision. She looked great and was eating fine but she was having problems with reoccurring abscesses. I’d think we were on the mend and another one would develop. I had her in a small pen at that point. I had a discussion with my vet and asked the big question “what would you do if she were yours.” Fortunately, I had borrowed a neighbors horse to keep my other horse company in the field. When I put the older horse down, the younger one (who had been born and raised in the company of this mare) completely ignored her. That pretty much told me that she knew is was Bri’s time. As I said, she still looked good so I remember her as the beautiful chestnut mare she had always been.
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Hugs to you, IR.
We had a medium pony that has taught so many kids to ride. I got him a few years ago and he taught my daughter to really jump. He wasn’t “the one”, but he was pretty special. No one wanted the aged, hard to maintain schoolmaster anymore.
He also ended his career carrying some kids around the horse park etc. I promised him I would keep him forever. He is in his 20’s, has some metabolic condition for which is is on Prascend. He weight has decreased this summer, his feed increased. Our vet and I decided to put him down and it was scheduled for yesterday.
My vet’s words played through my mind the last week “Why have his last day be his worst?” (when you can help it).
Yesterday was a beautiful October day here in Indy. 70s, mild breeze, sunny. The vet was waiting for me to get home from work and watched him chase the mini, make faces at the goats and strut around. We put him down in a lovely grass area near his beloved turnout (but not before he tried to stomp the vet, per usual 
because - ponies). (I don’t share on SM this kind of stuff, nor really discuss it with family so here it is).
I am pretty stoic in front of people and I whispered “I feel like I failed him”.
My vet said “What a beautiful day. This was the right decision.”
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Oh dang @Pennywell Bay What a champ. Look at him go! Hugs to you, and all of the people who loved that pony. Glad you had a gorgeous day to send him on his way. I must keep kleenex nearby from now on.
@IdahoRider I’ve been following along your thread and just want you to know that I’m thinking of you during this troubling time. It’s crushing having to go through this. Sympathy and hugs!!
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Giving them a safe and peaceful end is never a failure. We can’t make them live forever so the next best option is to prevent them from suffering a day, if it’s in our power to do so. Hugs to you.
We just went through this with one of our dogs, whose arthritis was really starting to impact her quality of life. On a warm, bright sunny day we gave her a triple dose of her pain meds and drove her to the beach, where she was able to run and swim for the first time in more than a year. We went straight from the beach to the vet, stopping on the way at a drive through to get her an ice cream cone. She walked into the vet with her tail wagging, got a treat from each of the staff, got heavily sedated and fell asleep with her head in my lap before the vet gave her final injection.
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This made me cry.
I called and made the appointment. I did explain to the receptionist that I wanted to have a discussion with the vet first, but that the appointment was for helping him across The Bridge.
It is for the 25th. That gives me enough time to live with the fact of it and see what it feels like, but not be too far out.
Thank you everyone so much. And if Noodle could talk, he would also express his gratitude.
Sheilah
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So sorry,
It royally sucks.
But you made the decision you knew was the right one.
Always better to do it before there is a crisis. That is SO MUCH harder on the horse and the owner.
There are enough times we cannot keep them from suffering, that it is kinda nice when we can give them that last wonderful day full of good feelings for them.
Personally, if my old man gives me the choice-because he is the type to not give me any warning-He is eating everything and anything he wants. No point in worrying about that bag of sweet feed causing founder-He’s going to be dead in an hour anyway-let him be happy.
Oh, @Pennywell Bay you didn’t fail him. You did everything right. It probably doesn’t help to hear that because we always think there should have been one more thing to try, one more thing to do, but sometimes there just isn’t.
@IdahoRider - I think you’re making the right choice. Taking his pain away and making it your own is never wrong.
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I have to say, I agree with this. I know so many horses who were put down on their worst days. I suppose ultimately it doesn’t matter, because they’re gone, end result. But it seems so awful to wait that long. I remember Coach, who was such a wonderful horse. His last owner waited until the day they couldn’t get him up in the stall. The struggle, the struggle, the people, the horse, the vet, struggling struggling. Finally they made the decision. It just seemed so hard on him, his owner, the vet, everybody.
And yet it’s really hard to know when is “when” before those awful days. The horse is doing fine – until the day he isn’t.
Struggling with this with my big dog now, too. He’s fine, can get up the 16 foot ramp. The day he can’t do that will be “when”.
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Substitute any animal for horse. It can be so hard to know when until you’ve waited too long. Another ‘mental metric’ to me is if you are keeping them around for you or for them.
Mostly my dogs but the same mental ‘struggle’ with most of them. However, I also believe they tell me when they are done and I respect that request from them. It’s the least I can do after sharing a joyful and loving life with them and knowing I may not have them physically with me but they’re always with me.
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