That photo is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
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Beautiful boy.
I retired my old horse. He was “slightly lame” but otherwise fat, shiny and healthy.
After a few years he turned 24. Then I got the call we all dread. He was on overnight turnout and the barn owner found him down in the morning. He was all beat up from thrashing around due to a painful colic. When the vet came, she felt his stomach had already ruptured. His euthanization was peaceful, but oh how I wish I could have spared him those horrible hours with colic!
A planned end with no pain before is a kindness.
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@PeregrineHagen, I’m not sure if you need this but in case you do, check out Mark Cuban’s new pharmaceutical company, they offer reduces rates on meds and thought it could potentially be helpful to you.
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I am so sorry 
I read above that your are aggrieved about euthanizing as a “bad” outcome but honestly any peaceful painless passing is the best ANY of us can hope for. I’ve made the decision to euthanize 4 in my life. Once it was a violent, hopeless colic and the other three times it was the steady, increasingly painful march of time on old bones. Only once has a horse just suddenly dropped dead, with grass still in her mouth, as we idealize it. The rest of the time it is a judgment call we must make.
In my personal experience, any vet who hears your set of circumstances would definitely help you with whatever road, and hopefully advise you to euthanize as opposed to trying to rehome, especially since your ability to really investigate homes is limited.
Have you spoken with the barn owner? She has a great stake in this as well, if she has never had a horse this old she may not think of the practical aspects of having a 1000lb+ animal suddenly go down in an inconvenient location.
Worst case scenarios include having to saw the walls/side off of the barn of the horse dies in a stall.
This is worth planning now, regardless of your immediate decision. Are you very rural? Who would haul off after death? If you can bury on site, is there a hole now? Does it freeze hard in winter? Is there a tractor on site or a helpful farmer neighbor?
I am again so sorry to bring this up but it’s worth having a game plan, not just for the horse but for yourself and the others who will be immediately impacted.
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If your barn owner is giving you half off his board, she doesn’t hate you (speaking as someone who boards retired horses). If I couldn’t stand someone, I’d ask them to leave, not discount board for them!
Also, I’m usually the one saying “wait, think through all the options” when someone posts here asking about euthanasia. However in your case I agree with all the others, it is indicated now, here. If it gives you any comfort, you are not shortening his life much by putting him down now. The odds are very good that he would die of something in the next few months anyway.
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Here in NY the guy charged $400 to haul off, I assume in CA it may be a bit more. I’m very glad to hear the barn owner has some experience here. Lean on her. 
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Nothing much else to add, but OP, It sounds like you have been a wonderful owner, as much as you are capable of. I think a peaceful end would be a wonderful gift for your old horse. I love that picture you posted of you two.
I’m sorry you are going through so much.
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My 30 year old mare who I had owned since she was 3 was doing as well as could be expected until she suddenly had a stroke on Feb 12. My husband was home, I was at a local horse show but was able to get home within about 45 minutes. The vet arrived just before I did. I knew it was the end and we finished it.
I knew the clock was ticking and her days were numbered, I’m
Just glad it wasn’t something awful
Like a nasty colic.
We’re I in your position I would do as others have suggested. Make all
The arrangements, go out there spend some time with him, and put him down.
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You are human, with our species ability to envision a future & seek help for pain (knowing science marches on).
Horses have no “tomorrow” & being prey, most will mask pain as much as they are able.
I’m 72 & intend to leave instructions to euth 2 of the 3 I own now. Aged 22 & 20, it’s something I’d do to assure they don’t end up in a kill pen somewhere. Neither has much chance of a successful rehome.
The 8yo mini goes to a friend’s granddaughter.
If that fails, I trust friend to find him a home.
Or, if she feels euth is an option, I’d trust her with that too.
Your boy - in his prime - was stunning 
Better to have that memory than an emergent euth.
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Many people with lots and lots of money do things for their horses that is not in the best interest of their horses. You have given him the best you can, and as other posters have said, he’s lived a very, very long life. There is nothing horrible about you. Thank you for asking for advice from others so they could help you see a different way through.
Peace to you and him …
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I have euthanized two old horses in the last two years. Neither of them were at death’s door, but one was 35 and the other 25, and neither needed to be put through moving to another farm or surviving through another hard winter. My vet fully concurred.
Its always a hard decision, but i look on it as a responsibility that comes with horse ownership.
You will have to talk to his caretaker, though. Which may be the most difficult part of the whole situation. But you really can’t go on like this. You have a responsibility to your own self and your husband. I’m so sorry.
From a practical perspective, my vet’s office arranged for the pickup after the event for me. They knew what the timing would be so there would be no confusion and no unnecessary waiting around. The pickup guy here is very kind. It was about $250 if I remember rightly.
Wishing you the best in a difficult situation. Anyone who shames you for this decision is a clueless imbecile and certainly not a horseman in the true sense of the word.
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Yes, it’s hard to let an animal go.
I had a 15 year old dog put to sleep when I was faced with moving across the country, and possibly 2 moves. She was still happy and as fit as a 15 year old dog can be, but her sight and hearing was going rapidly, and I didn’t think 2 new environments was something she needed to handle at her age. I had to stop moving any furniture around or she’d bonk into something.
Your boy was beautiful… but it’s not kind to try to rehome a 30 year old horse even if you could find him a pasture pet home. I would see if there’s a way you can get to see him, groom him, feed him all his favorite treats, and then let him go happy and full and peacefully.
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This might be the perfect time to make amends with the barn owner. Tell her what’s going on and that you can no longer afford to pay board at all. Tell her that due to his age and health and management issues (not being able to be turned out with others), you’re considering laying him to rest since you worry about what might happen to him if he were to change ownership to someone unknown.
I feel like there are three things that might happen depending on what kind of person the barn owner is:
- She’ll understand and agree that euthanizing him is the most responsible thing to do.
- She’ll understand but offer to just keep him herself for the rest of his life and take care of his final days herself.
- She may shame you even more and try to say you’re being horrible to euthanize him and not pay for him to continue to live.
If she does either of the first two…good. IF she does the third, don’t let her ignorance upset you. Stay strong and tell her that you are going to do what is best for the horse, and in the case of a horse like this, a painless, peaceful death is a gift. Leaving his future up to chance when he’s 30+ years old, has soundness issues, and has some behavioral quirks that make keeping and managing him a little more of an effort? That’s not responsible horse ownership. It’s also not fair to the horse. He may not be aware of his future, but we know that it could get really bad for him down the road if he wound up in the wrong hands. It’s our job to protect our equine friends from that, even if it breaks our hearts.
I am sooo sorry you are having to go through this. But rest assured that if you decide to euthanize him, knowledgeable horse people would not blame you one bit. Doing the right thing is often the hardest thing. Hugs to you.
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It can be more than kind; it can be the ultimate gift — a painless death after a long life of being loved, cared for, and safe.
Your story touched my heart — after all you have been through, you are still thinking of how to do best by your boy. You have nothing to be ashamed of.
I wish Chase a gentle, easy passage and peace to you. That photo is beautiful — hang on to your wonderful memories.
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