This is a very good point. Especially if the younger unsound horse is looking at 20 years of 4 hours turnout, but unable to be ridden and taken out for enrichment - that’s a HUGE point in favor of euthing. And no, idyllic retirement somewhere in VA doesn’t always work out or even exist these days.
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Additionally, what about the horse (thinking KS but it could be anything) that requires expensive, particular maintenance to stay sound - but only sound for 2’. Or trails. But the horse is 7 and green and naturally spicy, so you have a firecracker that needs an experienced rider, can’t jump over 2’ (or is restricted to training level dressage) that needs $400 shoeing monthly, regular bodywork and shockwave and injections, Adequan and haul-in SI or neck work. And daily, focused work to maintain muscle strength.
The horse can be “maintained” to pasture and light riding, but at what point do you draw the line? If the horse isn’t 100% comfortable turned out without all that, are we obligating people to throw $$$$ monthly at a “sound” horse? Could you(g) ethically rehome said horse considering it may not stay manageable?
ETA my point is to the people saying you’re morally obligated to maintain the horse (I’m not disagreeing, just thinking), are we saying the same for the expensive ones? An easy keeper that’s happy to eat grass and have basic care is one thing, it’s another to have the expensive one that is maintained but not easily.
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Yeah I guess that was my point. It’s different for everybody and every horse and even different for different parts of the country. So I try not judge too much either way.
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I want to add that just because you keep your horses at home, doesn’t mean that retiring a young unsound horse is not a financial burden. The cost of feed, supplements, bedding, farrier, and vet have all gone up quite a lot.
We have always kept our unsound horses until they were no longer comfortable. Deciding when that is, is in itself is an emotional burden. Some I have left linger too long, and some I feel like maybe they would have been comfortable for a while longer.
I now have an 18yo large pony that I have had for 13 years, and a 7yo OTTB, who was injured a couple of weeks after I bought him as a 3yo. He was purchased because I decided it was time to put my old guys, who had been retired for many years, down.
I have been able to ride the TB lightly until this year. He is now sporting 4 shoes, due to thin soles and broken back angles that just cant be managed barefoot. He has the beginning of ring bone in his hinds already. He is currently not riding sound. We are several weeks into a rehab plan suggested by my vet. At the end of 2 months, we will decide if a larger investment in treatment is likely to pay off, or if he should be retired permanently. He is a very anxious horse, so if he is not sound enough to do enough work to be safe on the trail, he may not be very usable anyways.
The flip side is he is a total ham, with the best personality. I would have a very hard time euthanizing if he is pasture sound, so I am left with my pony to ride, who at least is turning into a fun trail partner. Pony is starting to have his own soundness issues as well, which we are managing. I am hoping to possibly lease him to a lighter rider at some point.
It is not an easy position to be in for sure. My competition goals have been on hold for way too many years already, and I am not getting any younger. I can’t afford a third horse.
My next horse will be a well bred mare, because at least there will be a chance of her having a second career if she becomes unsound!
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I’ve seen the other side of this dilemma more than the other way though. Not with a kissing spine horse.
But I worked for a lady years ago that had two retired horses at her house. She obviously loved them a lot. One was in his 20’s and one was maybe 13? The 13 year old had navicular and it was hard to watch for me. The elderly one, was great. Good health. Stiff but okay. The other one with navicular would have good days but he always seemed to pay for it the next day or so. Meaning, he would occasionally run around and play. The next day he could barely walk and would lay down a lot 
I also cared for a horse that ended up having cancer. By the time the owner finally put him down, he was a skeleton. He had chronic diarrhea that we struggled to keep from caking on him, chronic eye issues, wasn’t allowed turnout because they didn’t want him burn any calories. They thought putting him down was cruel so instead, in my opinion, the horse suffered and was depressed the last year of his life. The vet and barn owner had to get stern with the owner to finally get her to put him down.
My point is, both of those owners felt they were doing the right thing. I felt I did the right thing having my wobblers horse euthanized but I know some people were horrified at my decision. But all three of us owners were trying to make the best decision.
It’s so personal and no one right answer. It’s a good discussion!! There’s just no one answer. It’s so subjective.
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I agree with thinking things through. There is a hard to see line. I would never criticize a person for electing euthanasia for a horse that had next to zero chance for long term improvement that had become too expensive to maintain. Even if it’s a young horse. On the other hand, these horses didn’t ask to be “performance” animals. Keeping a horse as “just” a pet is possible. The horses don’t seem to mind being free loaders.
“Too expensive” is also subjective. And I’m not a good source of an unbiased opinion bc I spent a boatload of cash maintaining a pet horse until his QOL began to suffer and I laid him to rest.
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Exactly. At what point is “better living thru chemicals” really any answer at all?
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I have my own farm and the means to retire, and I have put down a few others would not. There are many worse fates than a kind end with a full belly.
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I would try to free lease to a good home.
There are good homes out there. I know someone with 3 horses. None are suitable for her riding abilities, but she pays for their training by others, she pays to board them out while she has a perfectly good pasture for them and she just built a second barn on her property… For horses that are pets. I said if she wanted a horse to ride, she could drop $10,000 and buy one suitable for her. For her budget, I could probably find her a really nice trail horse, if she wanted to do that. But she loves the horses she has and they get top notch care. Does she ride them? Not really.
Another person has horses as pets and rides once every blue moon. She has an open invitation to come ride my horses if she ever wants to and she doesn’t. I nearly rehomed my retired horse to her, but I couldn’t go through with it. I love that mare too much and would miss her. Not that I doubt she would get a good home.
I had a young horse with major issues and he went to someone that wanted a companion to her big Percheron .
Behavioral issues are harder to deal with then the well behaved but lame horse. I would take a not quite sound horse and give him a light work job, before I would touch a horse with behavioral issues (depending on what those behavioral issues were).
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Behavior issues and lameness are often one in the same. Some horses are just kinder than others, but most behavioral horses are that way to cover up some discomfort.
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Some horses can be lame and never have a behavioral issue. Many of those horses are safe for little kids to walk around on and would never dream of doing anything nasty. That’s the best type of horse because the grandparents will keep them the rest of their life, and the grand kids can come ride every holiday. But they have to have the right temperament for that.
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This is true. I find more and more horses with “behavioral issues” are actually in pain, too. Witchy mares being one of the main ones IME.
I know of one KS horse (not mine, though there are similarities) that has progressively become more of a shark on the ground. Very much a “mean mare” in a gelding body, though he wasn’t always that way. The owner has done everything by the book that they can afford, but the horse is still angry (and bites at the saddle and rider’s leg if ridden even for a little walkabout). They’re trying some new ulcer regimen in the hopes of getting the behavior under control - he randomly charges the front of the stall and front gate, among other things.
I wonder if the horse is in more pain than even the vets realize. Or if he’s getting some weird spinal pain that keeps him on edge. But he LOOKS sound out in the pasture…
I don’t think there is anything wrong with euthanizing an unsound or dangerous horse. We put a lot of human thoughts on our horses but in reality no horse is dreaming of his retirement at pasture. I am very lucky that I can retire my horses at home but I don’t think less of anyone who doesn’t have that luxury. I’d rather see someone put an unsound horse down than ship it to auction or give it away (yes there are exceptions to this rule but they are rare)
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Poor horse. It’s exact stories like this where I think the what’s best for the animal, what would I do if this was my horse? Idk it’s so hard.
I will say I see a lot of for sale ads that more tactfully list for sale what you just describe. It will just be colored as “quirky” or needs a “particular ride”.
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Omg, sing it. I spent decades hauling around my lame horse that I bought as a teen and supported on my own. Decades. Every goal I ever had up in smoke.
Some good came of it, but let’s just say I wouldn’t do it again. Nor would I encourage anyone else to do it.
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I don’t understand the paradigm of thinking an owner shouldn’t own a horse unless they can afford to retire it at any time. I don’t understand the paradigm of thinking a prey animal expects retirement. I don’t understand the idea that a person should sacrifice their goals/financial security to keep a horse that is likely in chronic pain, alive just to what? Eat? Its not like that horse will have much for distraction from its chronic pain. I also expect a chronically unwell horse will have some extinctive anxiety of being at higher risk to predators.
I think our obligations are to do the best that we can for our horses, and that means making sure they are fed, kept relatively comfortable, and socialized/entertained. I don’t think horses have any idea of life expectancy, or have any concept of looking forward to just hanging out 24/7. I don’t think waiting until they are overtly suffering to decide to euthanize is needed or even humane. I think the concept of “retirement” is often for the owner’s benefit, and not the horse.
Put your permanently unsound horse down. Save some money and enjoy the sport knowing you did the best you could for your horse.
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Since you asked what people individually would do:
I guess it may seem cruel to some people on this bb— but if I could only have 1 horse and I wanted to ride, I would euthanize the unsound horse ( which would be very difficult) and get one I could ride.
I have 3 horses at home 1 of them is 19 and basically pasture sound ( but hurting) for the last 2 years. If I was paying board I would have euthanized her once she became a pasture ornament because I would be lucky to afford board on 1 horse. I have had this mare for 18 years but I want to ride.
No matter what age–I would never rehome, free lease, give away, send to a rescue or pay retirement board on a horse with medical/ soundness issues that I could not keep and care for myself. Not only do I not want to offload my problem on someone else, I want to be 100% certain that horse had the best life possible and the end was merciful and the horse was at peace.
Yes.
You do what seems best to you. I can’t judge someone for the decisions they choose regarding their horse and their situation. It may not be the road I would take but the decision is theirs alone.
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The hard choice is still hard even when it’s the right one.
For US-based people I would recommend reading and taking to heart the AAEP guidelines.
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@candyappy I think we agree, if the circumstances aren’t right I think it’s best to let them go. Though, I’m not claiming it wouldn’t be hard.
It’s the peanut gallery, for those of us who (edit) show and train and board, that makes it seem like a moral failing to not move heaven and earth to limp a lame horse along for years.
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I don’t think there would be anything harder.
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