I have a 4 year old Hanoverian gelding, has DSLD (basically all pasterns are horizontal), been vet-reviewed by Vet School (he will never get better, only worse although slowly) have owned him since he was born (bought in-utero), already out a lot of $$ and heartache. I am choosing to put him down because a) he will only get worse b) I don’t want him to end up on a truck to Mexico or Canada in the killers pen and horrible death. He has a wonderful personality which only makes the decision to put him down even harder. Basically he is big, still green (I put in 7 months of training before realizing he wasn’t going to get better) but sweet. So here lies the dilemma, the vet at the farm offered to take him “if I put another couple of months of training into him”. Now she wasn’t then one that did the extensive diagnosis, she has only done routine vet-things with him. I am getting the MASSIVE guilt trip from the farm owners and the vet about putting this horse down. Trust me, I wouldn’t be doing it if there were any hope he would recover but it’s a genetic issue and he will only go downhill from here. Done tons of research on it and there isn’t any “cure” or even a way to stop the eventual prognosis. I am getting a ton of shade from the barn owners yet I am still the one footing the bills. I don’t know what to say except what I’ve already said (and shown) above. Any insights? Am I just going to have to OK with being the crappy person that put down a horse that is “healthy” but not sound and never will be? FML. BTW, spoke with breeder of horse and she is ok with my decision.
I don’t understand how he could end up being slaughtered since he belongs to you and you aren’t going to send him anywhere. No way I would give the horse to anyone were I you but especially not a vet who wants you to have him ridden if he is lame. Aside from that, it is nobody’s business so they don’t get to vote. Move him somewhere else and put him down there if that makes things easier for you.
I would question why the Vet at the farm will take him IF you put some more money in ? Timing or is there another reason ?
I support your decision. Every living thing dies, the only difference is when and how. You are NOT crappy or you would have let him go to the kill pen for a few $ Horses HAVE to make their own way. Some are pets and merely live in a pasture. Your situation sounds like the horse needs to be ride-able. All those throwing shade & guilt will change their tune in a moment if you offered to give them the horse immediately with the condition they have to keep him. No selling or moving him along after they get tired of supporting a pasture pet.
I understand your reluctance… The last horse I euthanized came to me when I whistled to him, just like every other day of the last 17 years. You are doing him the ultimate service, a peaceful end though it costs you great pain.
Yes, you are going to have to be okay with being that horrible person who put a beautiful young horse down.
THEY don’t have all the information.
THEY don’t know what kind of slide into hell your horse is facing sooner than later.
THEY aren’t invested in this horse emotionally and financially.
YOU are doing what is right for the horse.
YOU understand what they aren’t seeing.
YOU are a strong, caring individual who is doing their best by their equine friend.
YOU can choose to let their opinions slide off you right into the garbage.
It is hard. I got some flack over my last horse, but I held onto what was right for him.
(((Hugs)))
There are many people who have been in this situation and made the hard call. I’ve known quite a few - in fact I’m a fully fledged member of the Crappy People Club myself.
I dealt with folks being upset with me, there were the obligatory guilt trips. I cried a lot - and I still miss that girl - but I know where she is, and I know she is safe.
I’ve watched many friends and acquaintances look for that “Fairy Tale Ending” - and then find out it all went very very wrong, usually much too late to help the horse. I loved my mare too much to even chance that would happen.
Personally, I find the Vet’s offer annoying. She’ll take a permanently disabled horse if you pay to train it for her? That’s just wrong - and odd. Really odd.
Either way this is your decision, your pocket book, your responsibility. Be your horses advocate, and do what you think is best.
I don’t think you’re a crappy person at all. I think you are a responsible, realistic horse owner. I think more people should be this pragmatic. You have done all you can for this horse. If you are like me, you only have a finite amount of money. Personally, I’d prefer those funds be spent on a horse that is sound and can do more than cause me heartache. You are doing what is right for him even if it is extremely hard for you - in my books, that makes you a great horse owner. The opinions of others in this situation do not matter. Just keep repeating that to yourself.
I also find it very odd and unprofessional that vet offered to take him. Based on the training stipulation, that makes it sound like she would intend to ride him. I am mystified and somewhat disturbed why a vet would suggest more months of training on a permanently lame horse. I would personally feel a lot more comfortable knowing he is safe than wondering if someone is riding him while in pain.
It seems an important piece of information is missing in this particular situation: WHY is the farm vet interested in taking the horse if he receives a couple of more months of training? I am going to go out on a limb and guess that maybe this particular horse does not YET meet the AAEP guidelines for euthanasia.
Frankly, I don’t question any horse owner’s right to want to humanely put any horse down. I think the industry as a whole produces too many horses, and I don’t think it does horse hobbyists of moderate means any favors to continue along the current path wherein taking ownership of a horse almost comes with an implied obligation to support a horse indefinitely as long as he is “pasture sound”. The reality is that good homes for pasture pals are rare as hen’s teeth and getting rarer. I hear more and more stories of folks who can’t take ownership of a new horse because they are supporting an old or unsound one. But the AAEP guidelines exist for a reason, and I can understand why some vets won’t sign off on a humane euthanasia when they don’t think the horse meets the guidelines. It’s a slippery slope.
Sometimes you have to be the crappy person as far as some other people are concerned because it’s the best choice forth horse.
I had a horse euthanized shortly after his seventh birthday. Cervical arthritis/stenosis/not quite a wobbler with related lameness. I spent thousands of dollars and two years the first time to get a sound horse, had about eight good months, and then the whole thing recurred. I then spend thousands more dollars. Prognosis was bad. I could have given him to someone to try to live out his life in a field, but that didn’t seem like the right thing to do. I figure that at least I got him out of his breeder’s hard pasture and gave him some good time. As someone on here said, horses are neither easy nor cheap and, if they are, you’re probably doing something wrong.
I don’t know any vets who will put a healthy horse down. Most will not bat an eye at putting down a lame horse that will degenerate over time. Is your horse healthy or not healthy? The thread title references “healthy,” but your post states he “will never get better,” so he is already lame? Is the treating vet going to do the euthanasia?
I totally sympathize with you. I take in older ottbs that have issues in an attempt to get them sound enough for a second career. A couple have not sounded up enough for me to confidently place, and I’ve made the difficult decision to euthanize them. If your horse is not going to stay sound, the next person is going to get exasperated and the whole situation can go south in a hurry. Sorry you are in this position.
I was in similar situation, twice. Got a lot of c*** from other boarders, friends at barn. One actually said to me ,“Who are you to play God?”
NOT from the vet or barn owner. Barn owner was neutral. The vet actually told me I was doing the right thing.
Be strong.
You make the best decision for your horse that you can. If that means humane euthanasia then do so with a clear conscience comforted by the knowledge you did the right thing for your horse. When a horse’s future is suspect that’s the only decision to be made. Stay strong.
Some vets are really reluctant to put anything down that doesn’t already have one foot in the grave. Other posters are lucky if they’ve never been in that situation. I had one vet who absolutely never wanted to put anything down. I use someone else for euthanasias after she got us into a horrible “minute too late” situation that really made the horse suffer badly.
Frankly I would call another vet to euthanize it. Or better yet, donate the horse to a DSLD study – I believe in @Libby2563 's post there are a few listed. No way would I give it to a vet who is a reluctant euthanizer to keep – it’ll end up in pain for years before that vet gets around to it.
Sorry you are in this situation.
There is a huge difference between a vet not agreeing to euthanize because they don’t agree that the horse’s condition warrants it yet and wanting it trained so they can ride it.
The horse isn’t sound according to OP, and never will be because it has symptomatic DSLD. Not sure what the vet thinks she is going to do with it. You can’t put a lame horse in training with a reputable trainer.
You know, I waited too long with my last horse and it just eats at me. A day early is far better than a day late. Hugs for you.
This.
I’ve seen horses suffer with DSLD, their owners afraid to make the decision. If this vet won’t do it, find another. I don’t believe it’s a vet’s duty to make a moral decision for an owner. The vet can advise, but cannot make the decision. And if the horse is ultimately healthy, I have known vets to take the horse or find it a suitable home. This is not a health horse.
I’m sorry you are going through this. I had to deal with this 5 years ago, but I was “lucky” enough that the horse was neurological so I could pull the ‘he will hurt a human by accident, or he will get hurt by another horse out in the pasture’ card, so basically no-one tried to lay a guilt trip. I was also lucky enough to have all vets on my side, and in one group of friends, my vet friend trounced the couple of people who said I was a shit for putting him down “too soon”.
Good luck. Sometimes being the bad person is absolutely the right thing to do and those that label you bad are willfully ignorant and lacking in empathy for both the horse and you.
I have seen too many animals live more than one day too long because of willfully ignorant people who have an off switch on their empathy and use it liberally. Don’t be one of those people 
I personally know two vets in Colorado who will euthanise without the massive guilt trip you’re getting. Please feel free to pm me for contact information.
I see you are also in CO, so shipping him to UGA is probably not on the top of your list, but I wonder if CSU or one of the large private practices might be interested in helping harvest tissues in necropsy for use by UGA or another DSLD study.
A friend’s very young horse just got diagnosed as a wobbler, and they will take him to CSU for tests (I’m assuming myelogram but I’m not 100% in the loop) with the firm intention he will not come out of the procedure given the symptoms that are showing up. The horse will be useful for helping us understand the condition.
I think regardless of whether you put him down, putting more training into him is ethically questionable given the description of symptoms already showing. While the dropped fetlocks is what is ultimately the death sentence, we now know it is a systemic disease. It’s not fair to ask him to try to be an athlete. And once he leaves your care, you just never know what will happen. I would feel much more guilt and worry over that than putting him down. It is very sad, but at least you know the ending.
OP, have you ever seen a horse with advanced DSLD? Might want to look that up.
Somewhat agasted this vet wants the horse for free but only if you dump several thousand more into upkeep and training him and he’s not sound now. Really…
IIWY I’d send the horse to the breeder to board temporarily, decide without input from what, honestly, sounds like a weird bunch of barn '“friends” wearing their judgey pants too often instead of offering you support whether they agree or not. And that vet…looking out for herself, not you. She smells a bargain.
Easy for some to point fingers and insist others spend time and money on things they would not and can not do for their own horses. You need to find a better place to board with a better class of boarder. Even if it’s a retirement place.
