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Need Advice - when things get too expensive with an older horse

Horse Care
#1

Hello, I am in desperate need of some advice.

Long story short, I’m a few years out of college and supporting myself and my horse. My horse is a 20 year old TWH gelding that I have owned for a good ten years now, that I am boarding at a nearby farm. He currently wears shoes with pads on both his front feet due to issues with his soles, and I cannot ride him without them (we only trail ride).

I have sacrificed the ability to build any savings in order to care for my horse over the past several years, a sacrifice I was willing to make in order to provide a good life for him.

However, about six months ago I made a job change in order to further my career goals. The move to the new location meant more expensive boarding for my horse and higher apartment rent (the area is more expensive in general). I was getting by until I’ve started having some health problems, which has added a strain to my life financially and emotionally, and greatly reduced the already limited amount of time I can spend with my horse. Due to this, I started looking into re-homing my horse in order to free myself financially while giving my horse to a home where he could have the love and care he deserves.

With his spring vaccinations and check-up, I found out that my horse needs to have dental work done (extractions on his canines, and some other issues beyond a normal float) and that this will cost a considerable amount more than I can afford to pay out of pocket.

I work a full-time job, and have to be available to travel anywhere on a relatively short notice, so getting a second evening or weekend job isn’t really a good option for me.

Cutting expenses isn’t really an option either as I already live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have many extra non-fixed expenses. I could cancel more basic needs like internet and live off of ramen noodles… but even if i did that it still would take me a good eight months to a year in order to pay off the procedure for my horse. And then, I would be back to square one, juggling health, work, and horse–only even further set back financially.

I guess the question is, what would you do? Are there any other options that I might be missing?

As terrible as it makes me feel, is this a situation where I should start considering euthanasia?

#2

Is he a safe, calm, easy going horse? Perhaps a well-respected Therapeutic Riding program in your area would be a good fit?

2 Likes
#3

You know, I have been amazed at all the interest I see in older horses on FB pages with the title of “bombproof” and my local area. Most of those posting are folks in search of a kid’s horse or a husband horse. I would give that a try!

1 Like
#4

I do not think it is wrong to start thinking euthanasia. Dental issues are a pain, and are likely to cause on going increased maintenance. I had a client do expensive dental work on her older horse, and it didn’t go as smoothly as we expected and cost her a lot more time, money and stress than expected, and her horse isn’t quite right still. (jaw/poll issues): in hindsight she wishes she had made a different decision, but she felt too guilty to think that way at the time.

A 20 year old horse has lead a good life, and it sounds like you have done your best by him.

10 Likes
#5

It’s never wrong to think of giving your horse a peaceful ending, especially when you can never know for sure were he could end up. There are good retirement homes out there, but there are also lots of sketchy people as well. It’s up to you to make the decision, but I certainly wouldn’t feel guilty about euthanasia. It sounds like you’ve done a lot for your boy, and you’ve made many sacrifices. Letting him go could be one more.

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#6

Both of our older horses had one bout with having a few teeth extracted. After that one time each, they only needed routine floats.

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#7

Is part leasing him to someone who wants to trail/pleasure ride an option?? Is there a vet school close where you could perhaps get the dental done less expensively, I know not likely just thinking outside of the box. When is your birthday? Cash gifts an option to use for the dental? I would have an honest discussion with your vet…how urgent is the dental? horse’s overall general health prognosis? As others have said a peaceful ending is kind, often the kindest option, but I think you have time to find other options. Best of luck!!!

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#8

Oh not to encourage you to go deep in debt, but a Care Credit card could be a good option if vet accepts it. Actually it is good for human health care too. May be worth having just in case.

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#9

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate the feedback. To clarify, he’s not a bomb-proof easy going horse, despite being an older trail horse he still requires at least an intermediate level rider, so retiring as a therapy horse or kid’s horse wouldn’t be a good fit for him.

I will be discussing everything in more depth with my vet tomorrow, but any decision I make will not be easy.

#10

I feel for you, Stella. It is not easy to support a horse and life in a place with jobs/opportunity as a single person in an early career stage. Even before emergencies or age-related veterinary needs come into play. Sounds like you really care for your guy and have done everything you can to make sure he has what he needs. I see only 4 options for how to proceed:

  1. Cut more financial corners and/or find more income so you can keep him to a reasonable standard of care. Sometimes a little creativity can free up enough funds for rising equine expenses, like giving up things like Netflix, or getting really frugal with your food budget (e.g. cultivating some meal plans from sources like Good and Cheap, shopping in the reduced-for-quick-sale aisle at the grocery store, giving up small indulgences), or maximizing DIY cost cutting like remodeling fugly thrift store clothes into a not-hideous work-wearable wardrobe, or moving the horse to a self care/bare bones boarding place, etc. Sometimes you can stretch to make ends meet by picking up a side gig (not something with fixed hours that are incompatible with your travel or poorly compensated like Uber driving, necessarily, but figuring out what you are good at and finding a way to market it and fit it into your life). I’ve done both cost-cutting and shrewd side-hustling to keep a horse in a difficult economy amid rising horsekeeping and living costs. But sometimes there’s nothing more to cut and no more time to devote to earning. Your current lot in life depends to a non-negligible extent on things that are beyond your control and were potentially unforeseeable when you started your journey with this equine partner (e.g. wage stagnation and real wage increases disproportionately skewed to the very highest earners, housing market bust-boom dynamics and disruption in home and rental markets from the likes of AirBnB, private equity, and foreign speculators, and in some places staggering horsekeeping cost increases associated with urban development). The position you’re in is probably not a reflection of how hard you’ve worked and is certainly not a reflection of your care for your horse. So if you’ve reached the point where you can’t balance the books on any more of a knife’s edge, please be kind to yourself and think hard about the other options.

  2. Rehoming the horse. The hard truth is that once you give away or sell your horse you have no control over his fate, though there’s also a chance that he’ll find a good home in which to live out his days. I have learned the hard way that even a relatively young, totally sound, rather useful horse that is transferred with a seemingly careful contract to a long-time trusted friend is not guaranteed not to land in a terrible situation a wee bit further down the line. There are just no guarantees at all once ownership is transferred. At 20 years old, your horse’s soundness and skills are his best insurance – if he’s bombproof on the trail or happy to babysit kids at local shows he might have a better shot than most. But on the other hand, needing special shoeing and dental surgery will narrow your potential pool of new homes from all of the people who want a horse with your guy’s skills to just the people who want that and are willing to devote resources to maintenance and major vet expenses for a horse they aren’t already committed to. It’s not impossible, but it does shift the odds a bit. The more time and effort you can put toward finding the right home the more likely you are to find a good one, so factor time and stress into your calculus.

On the topic of rehoming I’ve also been triggered by comments above to issue my usual warning that therapeutic riding centers are not an easy happily-ever-after solution for older horses. I’ve worked at or volunteered at multiple therapeutic riding centers, and have visited many others. Most I’m familiar with do not have unlimited space or resources for horses, and put a lot of time and energy into training their horses for the job. Which means that they cannot afford to take on horses who may not have the temperament or soundness/health or quality of movement or mental/emotional robustness or size/build that suits their particular needs, and may not be able to take on even the best candidates if their herd is already at capacity. I probably got 30 or more inquiries about horse donations for every one horse my center could actually take when I was working at a PATH accredited center. Part of that was a function of having finite space and money and relatively low horse turnover. Most of it was down to the fact that an overwhelming majority of the horses we were offered were not suitable for the work we had. It’s a very hard job. Physically the horses tend to experience unbalanced riders, riders who bounce or kick or hit, riders with unusually high or low muscle tone, riders who move unexpectedly, and so on,. Mentally they have to constantly control their impulses and behavior in the face of stimuli like crowding by handlers/side-walkers, ramps and wheelchairs and mechanical lifts, novel objects moving around them and sometimes attached to their bodies, and so on. IME, even for horses that are a good fit, therapeutic riding is not necessarily a retirement or a forever job – it can burn horses out. I know of one large center that has great fundraising abilities, a large space, and some very generous benefactors, and runs a diverse set of programs (TR and HT for kids and adults, horses for heroes, unmounted psychological and dementia therapy programs) – they find jobs for all sorts of unwanted horses. But the average therapeutic riding center doesn’t have that luxury, so try to be realistic about your horse’s temperament and health/soundness and don’t be surprised if this doesn’t end up being a silver bullet solution.

  1. Finding a lease/sponsor/share (local terms vary) situation. What is often called a “free lease”, where another rider pays some or all of the horse’s upkeep costs in return for use or partial use of the horse, can be a way to take the financial pressure off. If you have a sound, useful horse and want to make sure he has a good future, retaining ownership while shifting both use and basic expenses to another rider can make sense. The caveat is that leases can be spotty (e.g. end abruptly) and depend on the horse being rideable (e.g. are rarely a forever solution). But if you’re in a pinch right now, have a horse who’s enjoyable to ride, can cover the dental expenses if board/shoeing costs are all or partially covered, and expect to be able to afford him more comfortably in his retirement a little down the road it could be a reasonable option.

  2. Euthanasia. This is the hardest decision to make, but if you cannot afford a reasonably comfortable life for the horse (i.e. one that includes relief from his dental and hoofcare issues) it is a sensible and humane option. Especially for a technically geriatric horse that needs expensive and invasive veterinary care. If you’ve reached a breaking point in terms of balancing your own finances and health and time, and if your horse has lived a good life up until this point but won’t continue to be happy without expensive treatment, then it’s not at all unreasonable to consider whether euthanasia might be the kindest option.

There’s no easy answer. But that also means that there’s no objectively wrong answer. Give yourself a little time to think it over and get comfortable with a decision. Wishing you the best as you figure out which road to go down.

3 Likes
#11

I don’t think you need to make the euthanasia decision today. If you cannot afford to pay cash for the dental work, don’t get it done. You have given the horse a good 10 years, but you are not obligated to turn yourself inside out financially for him in his older years. It doesn’t sound like the choices are dental work v. euthanasia. With older horses, expensive medical things tend to come up the road at you, and the dental work may just be one of multiple expensive things heading towards you in the next few years. Tell the vet that you will not take on debt for the horse and when he reaches a time where he is no longer happy and comfortable you will make sure he has a peaceful end. Your vet will not judge you for that, nor will we.

2 Likes
#12

I agree on foregoing the extractions. Tell the vet you cannot afford them and come up with plan B. Do not go into debt, do not open Care Credit.

I am not exactly fond of rehoming because there are too many horror stories and a peaceful ending is far better than ending up in an auction. Quality over quantity - always.

8 Likes
#13

I wrote this at some other time: I have had horses for 56 years now and it was never easy to make a final decision ( and that also applies to the dogs I have had).but my vet told me once, that people hardly ever have had their animals put down too early. From a financial point of view I have to say that although money is not everything and not near as important as a lot of people view it, it is important enough not to put oneself into a tight corner that could bring hardship if anything unforeseen should happen.

3 Likes
#14

I have been in your shoes, so please please take my word on this.

Do not rehome your senior/retired horse. You lose control over what happens to him. That could potentially be a much worse fate than euthanasia.

My horse was younger than yours, but an injury had him retired several years earlier. Life as a retiree didn’t agree with him…it was health issue after health issue. At 17, I decided euthanasia was the right choice. Many people tried to talk me out of it, right up until the last minute. But the thing is, you know in your heart of hearts what’s right. And your post sounds exactly like my inner monologue when I was in your situation.

I can hardly look at a picture of Dolce without crying, but I have never once regretted my decision. He is at peace, and I’m out from under the financial burden that nearly ruined me.

4 Likes
#15

[QUOTE=x-halt-salute;n10383730]

On the topic of rehoming I’ve also been triggered by comments above to issue my usual warning that therapeutic riding centers are not an easy happily-ever-after solution for older horses. I’ve worked at or volunteered at multiple therapeutic riding centers, and have visited many others. Most I’m familiar with do not have unlimited space or resources for horses, and put a lot of time and energy into training their horses for the job. Which means that they cannot afford to take on horses who may not have the temperament or soundness/health or quality of movement or mental/emotional robustness or size/build that suits their particular needs, and may not be able to take on even the best candidates if their herd is already at capacity.
QUOTE]

100% this ^^

I am a horse handler for a therapy program. I would 100% not be interested in a retiree with health issues. The barn has enough financial responsibility with a healthy horse, let alone one that has special needs. Our horses are all well-trained performers in their prime.

I really hope OP figures something out that allows her to have peace with her decision (whatever that may be) without feeling like she has to sacrifice her own quality of life for her horse.

#16

Maybe ask your vet if they have any clients who may want a trail horse who needs some managing? That in itself is no guarantee that he would be managed or taken care of correctly. That is a risk to consider.

I know euthanasia is hard to do, but I don’t think you need to exist on ramen noodles, put your health further at risk and deny your basic needs to foot the mounting care needs of your older horse. Don’t let guilt make your decisions.

You have done all you can to care for him. Sometimes it is best to let them go sooner rather than later.

2 Likes
#17

We are about to make the final decision on a mare that is just outright dangerous. She has a major leg deformity that in any other world would have had her shipped straight into the slaughter line. We’ve given her 15+ years of carefree life; never worked a day…but she’s big and can be incredibly dangerous. I will be at peace knowing that we gave her a life she would have never gotten, and will give her a peaceful ending as well. You have also given your guy an amazing life.

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#18

100% agree with this.

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#19

So many replies here, so I don’t have time to read all of them right now. However, I’ll say that my daughter’s show-jumper is 20, and I figure he’s got another 20 years to give. Not as a jumper, mind you, but perhaps a bit of dressage in a year or two, and then light riding, and finally, a pasture pet. He came to us when he was supposed to be 14, but it turned out he was actually 16… I have managed to track down every single one of his previous owners (5 in total). He has had the most interesting life! He started many young girls, has been a champion dressage horse, and is now my daughter’s heart horse. She was only 11 when we got him, and he was a handful. He was NOT what I had in mind for my daughter’s first horse. Riding him is like driving a Ferrarri. He has all the fancy buttons, but you better know how to use them. He has a FAST and BIG canter for a small horse, and if you don’t know how to slow him down, you’re in for quite a ride. Just yanking on the reins will not work. He lights up in front of a jump, like he’s a youngster again (at shows, people can’t believe it when I tell them his age). Mind you, he’s only jumping 2’3" and will probably stay there. He does low cross-rails mostly, at small, local shows, most of which are unsanctioned. That’s fine, my daughter is totally ok with that. She’d rather ride her precious Harley than move on to a bigger, more powerful horse.

I’d also add that he is a lot of maintenance. He came to me with some serious coughing, which is now gone, ulcers which have been treated, has skin issues if I don’t stay on top of things, gets chronic diarrhea every winter which has taken me years to figure out how to solve. But he’s worth every dime, and every minute of TLC to stay healthy.

My point is that this guy was not a beginner-safe horse. He is very forward, and full of fire. There were tears at first. But he taught my daughter soooo much. She’s taken on this challenge, and adores him now. And she’s now the kid they put on the “difficult” horses at her lesson barn.

So euthanasia is a perfectly good way to ensure your horse will not suffer, and I would not ever judge someone for making that choice. But it’s also entirely possible you will find someone out there who will love this horse as much as you. I am so, so grateful to the previous owners of my daughter’s horse for letting him go so that he could make our way to us. And by the way, a couple of them still come visit, and have hinted that they’d take the horse back anytime… to which I reply that he will live out his years right here in our back yard with his friends on our rolling green pastures. Good luck to you!

1 Like
#20

Not unheard of for those folks on FB to turn around and take the horse to the auction, they like older horses for weight reasons and often get them dirt cheap or even free because of the heartstring tugging tales they spin. Some lower end lesson mills and camps also pull this stunt.

Most Therapeutic riding centers have no contract language regarding giving a donated horse a forever home, they retain the option of converting 5he donation to cash. They can and often do sell them to fund operations…at auction if necessary. Think about it, they take in more then a few horses every year and there’s only so many active in the program. Knew some folks who donated one, pretty nice senior, really bombproof. Went to visit him 6 months later and he was gone. Always kept an eye out for him locally. Turned up in a rent string two years later. Rent string bought it at auction, camp had him before that also picked him up at an auction, don’t know where he was for the first year, another seasonal business packer probably. They bought him back.

Anyway, there’s no guaranteed easy way out. You might look at a retirement farm farther away from where you are. Get a good one and you don’t need to drive out all the time to check. If it’s futher out or even in another state, but you may still get vet bills but it will be less costly. But it’s never wrong to let them go earlier then later.

Once they start get serious infections anywhere, they start entering a cycle of repeating problems their aging body has increasing trouble fighting off. Many long time, well respected horsemen will pull the plug when this starts and not wait for obvious deterioration. They just don’t share when they do it and it usually cited as “ the infirmities of old age”. It’s not wrong to do so instead of wait until they turn into a bag of bones, have to eat soup or go down and not ge able to get up.

Nobody on this board will question the decision either way because most everybody has owned horses for some time and has been in the same place. In my case and suspect many others, if not most, looking back I should have done it earlier. Horse started a gradual slide that worsened and in the 90 days I waited after setting the date, went downhill in weight dramatically and the last 10 days never got down to roll or rest because it feared not getting up. I regret not doing it at least a month earlier.

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