Putting a "healthy" horse down and push back from others.

[caryledee]

I can definitely sympathize. I am going through something similar with a 13 year old horse with multiple issues. One of the reasons I have not done it yet is because I know I will get flack from the vets and other boarders. Vets here are extremely reluctant to put anything down that is still up and eating. Horses are extremely stoic creatures by nature; I am convinced they are sometimes in much more pain than we realize. My first horse I waited too long to euthanize too (due to a vet’s convincing me it wasn’t urgent) and like Halt, that guilt stays with me.

I think the vet is unrealistic and out of line in her offer. What is the purpose in putting this horse into training…to see how much he can take before he breaks? I would be leery of giving him to her in any situation because it does not sound like she has a grasp of the gravity of the situation.

I wish you the best of luck and peace in your decision.

[Cat_Tap]

You have to do what is right for you and your horse. Don’t allow anyone to put a guilt trip on you. Over the many years of owning horses I have had to euthanize several. Fortunately my vets were always supportive and never questioned my decision.

[Bellathemustang]

There are many fates worse than death. You are making the best decision you can for your horse.

I know that doesn’t make it any easier. F*&! the peanut gallery for making it harder for you than it already is.

[Coreene]

OP, I applaud your selfless decision, and I agree with others who recommend finding another vet.

[seabreeze]

You’re doing the right thing. He’s only going to get worse. I had one with that diagnosis. If I ever have another one, I will put him down as soon as I receive the diagnosis. You’re doing the very best for your lovely horse, and he is fortunate to have you give him a dignified end.

[asb_own_me]

FWIW, I do not consider an unsound horse to be a healthy horse, and I extend the definition of unsound to include both physical and mental soundness.

I have held four horses for euthanasia in the past six months - three of my own and the fourth was one of my fiance’s horses. Two of the three geldings were euthanized for mental unsoundness, one for a physical unsoundness that he would never recover from - at the age of 7.

My old retired mare was the only one that an outsider may have seen coming. At the age of 23, she had already been retired for a decade and had soundness issues from back in her show days. She hadn’t been thriving and generally looked less than thrilled with life more of the time.

I can say the vets did not question any of these four decisions. They stood with me/us, asked if we were ready, helped them go down easy, and said they were sorry for our losses. I cried buckets over every single one.

F**k anyone who questions the excruciating choice of a loving owner. These were not decisions made quickly or lightly.

[MoonWitch]

The ultimate gift we can give our animals is when we take on suffering to ensure they never do.

[CPL713]

This is so hard. I applaud you for putting your horse’s needs first, despite what the crummy people around you are saying. Don’t listen to them - it’s easy to judge when you aren’t the one paying the bills and watching your horse be chronically lame.

[tabula_rashah]

OP, for what it’s worth, I also think you are doing the right thing. Not sure if you have anything like this in your area, but locally we have a company that hauls away horses after they have been euthanized but will also allow you to haul to them and they will euthanize the horse there instead. I know a couple of people who have done that to avoid the barn drama and judgement. Best of luck for whichever road you choose

[bip]

@Laurierace

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.

Not to put words in the OP’s mouth, but I can answer this from my own personal experience (or at least my thought process when I was in a similar situation). I do not have my own farm, and any local retirement farm would be expensive for me ($500+/month) and unpleasant for the horse (small acreage, terrible winters). So I would need to send the horse south and we all know what can happen to horses with absentee owners (this is where the slaughter possibility becomes real). The horse was only 7, so we are talking 20-30 years of worrying about this horse. I would be making welfare check visits every year into my 70s!

[mmeqcenter]

I am pretty sure a horse with horizontal pasterns is not sound, and if it is, it certainly won’t be with more work. I would seriously question the skill of a Vet who knows of such condition and wants to take the horse herself as a riding horse. Obviously she plans on riding it, otherwise why would it need more work first? SMH.

You’re not a crappy person. The crappy people are the ones guilt tripping you for making an appropriate, responsible decision for the long term safety of your horse.

[IPEsq]

@IPEsq

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.

Actually, come to think of it, the CSU vet I presently use for sports medicine issues was recently on staff at UGA before returning to CO, and I wonder if she might have some insight into the study that others wouldn’t. I can PM you names/info if you’d like.

[merrygoround]

Your farm vet sounds like a disgrace to the profession, and is too ignorant to live. As for the farm owners, they are just looking at their wallets, and would prefer you to keep paying board.

There are times in life when you do what you must do. Please make your decision in favor of your horse. There is nothing to be gained by waiting.

Go in peace.

[McGurk]

F**k anyone who questions the excruciating choice of a loving owner. These were not decisions made quickly or lightly.

I want to echo a lot of the supportive sentiment expressed on this thread, but especially the above. ^^^^^

I don’t understand your vet, or your relationship with your vet. I have called my vet for a quality of life consult on a beloved, aged and unsound horse and been told that euthanasia is last kindness a loving owner can give, and better too early than too late. I’ve never had a vet question my judgement that it was time to euth, and only experienced support. In one case, they cried right along with me.

Yes, it’s harder to accept putting down a young horse than it is a geriatric one, but sometimes, and this time, it is still the right thing to do.

[Mango20]

I think you have come to a logical decision which is best for the horse. You don’t need to answer to anyone else.

However, if you want a way out of the discussion, you could say you are retiring him to the breeder’s farm. Trailer him to the breeder’s farm and euthanize him there. The people at the barn don’t need to know how long after “retirement” he was put down. Of course, this would involve the cooperation of the breeder, who sounds like supports your choice already.

I’m sure you’ve already given yourself a hard time about it and don’t need any outsiders piling on. I know I was really conflicted about putting down a horse who went blind and became dangerous, but was otherwise healthy.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I can’t figure out why the vet wants to ride him!?? Why else would you put more training on him? Just seems really odd.

Lots of good advice already given.

[Guilherme]

@hosspuller

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.

This.

This is not a pleasant situation; don’t ask me how I know.

Remember the good times and know that you have saved the horse from a very unpleasant future.

As to the others, you can politely tell them to mind their own affairs or can be rude, brusk and tell them to “kiss off.”

How you do it is up to you; that you do it is also up to you but is the most humane choice. Good on you for having the courage to make it.

G.

[Dbliron]

Vets can be your worst adversaries in situations like this. We have a couple of them in our area who excel at keeping horses with intractable and painful problems going for years, and they milk the owners steadily throughout the process. The horses are kept alive in agony - I have two clients in this situation right now.

Your decision is no one’s business but your own, unless you choose to share the decision and/or your reasons. Giving a horse a gracious and peaceful end is always a kindness. You deserve support, not criticism.

[IPEsq]

@TrotTrotPumpkn

I can’t figure out why the vet wants to ride him!?? Why else would you put more training on him? Just seems really odd.

Lots of good advice already given.

I noticed on the other DSLD thread that OP says all 4 fetlocks are already affected. This just makes me

[Simkie]

@TrotTrotPumpkn

I can’t figure out why the vet wants to ride him!?? Why else would you put more training on him? Just seems really odd.

Lots of good advice already given.

Because the vet is an idiot I’m just guessing here, but the vet probably sees a really nice flashy youngster from the knees/hocks up and can’t reconcile that with how he looks from the fetlocks down. Vets can be dumb and selfish, too, just like the rest of the population. :sigh: