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Post by millwillow on Feb 9, 2016 12:29:15 GMT
I have a 14 year old Spanish mare that I took on 8 years ago. she has the most horrific conformation, but in her younger years we did hunting, dressage and lots of hacking etc as her legs where no problem to her.
Shes been living out for the past 2 years as she's retired due to her wonky legs as they have started catching up on her with stiffness etc.
I've lost my grazing so she has had to come home. Now trying to explain her she's such a softy but is very neurotic. She doesn't like being in but will only go out for a few hours. She has also got a tumour being grey and Spanish above her eye which continues round to under her ear.
if you where to watch her walk you would be wincing, its always in the back of my mind what do I do before next winter, will she make it through?
The only thing holding me back is she is always happy to see me she whinneys, she has buck and a run about in the field now and again and she is healthy (vet given all clear) shes literally just rickety and struggles in the cold and wet, even with two heavyweight rugs on she dithers when its cold.
Im being sentimental, but do I give her the summer and see how she is before winter, I just feel like im ending a life because im worrying about her rather than letting her tell me when she's had enough.
My post isn't really trying to get across what I trying to say. I hope someone reads it and understands what im trying to say.
Has anyone been in this situation?
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Post by comanchediva on Feb 9, 2016 13:40:20 GMT
I had a grey mare who I owned for 16 years, she was my first "jumping pony" and I adored her. She started with arthritis in both knees and one fetlock which was one of the reasons why we never sold her when I went onto horses (apart from the fact I sulked for a week when I thought I heard dad saying we had to sell her). Her arthritis ended up awful with horrible lumpy knees. She hated to be clipped, was scared to death of the vet and most men in general (we thought she has been severely beaten at some stage before we got her). We tried to get her in foal but she never took so I just hacked her about when I could and other then that she lived in the field in the summer and came in during the winter.
About 2 years before I eventually has her pts my vet said I should think about letting her go in the autumn but I moved her to another yard with more turnout and she had a new lease of life. I brought her home one summer and decided that the time was right for her (she was 24) and I was going to let her go that October. So of course she would still be running round with the babies and generally making me think I was doing the wrong thing but I knew deep down it was time and I didn't change my mind. The night before she went I took some photos of her and when I had them developed afterwards any doubt that I ever had went away, she looked tired and just like she had had enough.
My vet put her to sleep in the field and we buried her in our little pet cemetery, that was 16 years ago and I'm trying not to cry now. The best advice I can give you is to make your mind up and stick to your decision, even though it's the hardest one you'll ever make. If she's wincing as she walks and dithering in the cold I'd be thinking about doing it now, it sounds as if she's had enough now tbh and it's so bl**dy wet and cold atm. But if you think she'll be happy for one more summer then you know her best but I wouldn't put her through another winter x
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Post by millwillow on Feb 9, 2016 13:54:53 GMT
Thanks comanchediva, its a hard decision to make, I don't know if im trying to take myself in or out of it at the moment.
I know she's not very old but I wrote a list of pros and cons and her pros at the minute don't out way the cons of keeping her for my own selfishness. She would probably love another summer but is our summer going to be any better than our winter and I don't want her to struggle on being unhappy and stiff.
She does have a play in the field when she goes out but her happiness soon turns into banging the gate to come in and then he bangs her stable door to go back out. she had no choice living out she had to deal with it but shes never been happy inside so I cant win at the moment.
its something that's been rolling around in my head for months and I cant stop thinking about it.
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Post by brindlerainbow on Feb 9, 2016 15:33:53 GMT
I have had 4 of my much loved ponies PTS now. I never let them get to the stage which results in an emergency call to the vet/knacker man, they don't deserve that. Mine have all gone when they still have a spark in their eyes and are happy. The last 1 I had PTS was my old Welsh section A gelding who we had had for 18 years ( he was 23 ). He hadn't wintered well and I got the vet out who said there was nothing actually wrong with him it was just old age had caught up. He had no lameness,arthritis,cushings, respiritory problems but he was thin despite teeth being done, ad lib haylage and fed twice a day and regularly wormed all his life. I chose a date about a month away and booked him in. A couple of days before he was due to go I took him for a walk up the bridleway opposite my house. He loved it and was jogging and pulling and showing off to the race horses out on their summer holidays and that's how I remember him, still full of fun and cheekiness. He would have hated this wet winter we've had and I've no doubt I did the right thing. I would say decide on a date whether it be next week, next month get it booked with your vet or whoever is going to do it. Only you know what is best for your horse. Lots of people say "Give him/her another summer" but with summer comes flies, midges, hard ground which won't suit some horses. I had my TB mare done at the end of the summer, she was 25 and again had no lameness etc, she looked fantastic after a summer at grass. When the knackerman came she pranced about,flung her head round, acted like a 5 yr old and wouldnt stand for the gun, not because she was frightened but because she was feeling well and was full of herself. Quick call to the vet to sedate her. At the time I was beside myself and thought she was telling me that she wasn't ready to go and when the knackerman asked me what was wrong with her as she looked so good and I told him that her immune system had broken down ( confirmed by vet ), that even dew on the grass would cause mud fever which no amount of treatment would cure and that come December she would hate the cold and wet. While I waited for the vet to come and sedate her so that the knackerman could do his job I cried like a baby, I really was inconsolable and even now 18 years on I am crying while typing this, but I had to do what was right for my horse, not what I thought was right for me. I always say better a day too soon than a day too late. You will be heart broken but relieved once it's done
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Feb 9, 2016 16:56:28 GMT
I always assess my herd in the autumn to see if there are any I didn't think it would be kind to take through another winter - my current eldest is 21 and I have a handful of teenagers, all so far fine. I do think they find the summer easier and more enjoyable though, barring any with sweetitch, and the wet and windy weather we seem to be in for in the winters now are a horse's nightmare.
Like brindlerainbow I find that once you've made up your mind it's a relief when done.
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Post by gillwales on Feb 10, 2016 4:22:50 GMT
I lost 2 beloved horses/ ponies that I sincerely regretted trying to keep going. I now take the hard decission earlier rather than later. We still have a couple of hard months to go before we get to spring and summer... if we get either. My heart goes out to you. But better to let them go before you have to, it is that last act of love that you can show them. There is nothing worse than seeing a loved animal suffer, especially when you know you could have prevented it.
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Pheobe
Junior Member
Posts: 104
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Post by Pheobe on Feb 10, 2016 14:46:26 GMT
We have recently had my horse of a life time PTS, she had been with us for 12 years, she has arthritis in her back legs. She was more than happy in the field during the summer months but we knew come winter it wouldn’t be fair to put her through it. We picked a date and kept it, it would have been so easy to change our minds, a few days before she was cantering round the field not wanting to be caught but now after the horrible wet winter we are having it wouldn’t of been fair on her to be stood in the wet all the time, she didn’t like being in. My brother has made me some candle holders, wine wrack and hanging baskets out of her shoes which I love and I have just sent off some of her hair to be made in some jewellery x
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Post by kateanne0 on Feb 10, 2016 19:20:56 GMT
Hi Millwillow
What a hard decision to make, I feel for you. We took the decision to pts our section C mare who had been the pony of a lifetime for my granddaughter and grandson and we still desperately miss her but we know in our hearts that we took the right decision.
Her beautiful eyes usually so full of life became dull and depressed and she was generally grumpy, the spark had gone and we knew it was time to let her go.
As mentioned above, we chose a date and time that left us time to pamper her before she left us and to grieve after. She went over the rainbow bridge looking a million dollars and we don't regret the decision.
From your post, I think you know deep down what would be best for your horse, follow your instinct, don't let her struggle on, she'll whinney to the end, she loves you and welcomes you and lets you know that.
Best of luck whichever decision you make.
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Post by millwillow on Feb 11, 2016 13:25:00 GMT
We have decided to do it I don't want to know when its happening as ill be hysterical, shes treated like a princess every day so I know when shes gone she went looking her best, my mum has been in touch with the hunt and we can take her down to them and they will let the hounds out so she thinks shes going hunting one last time, im hoping shes fit to travel to do that she would love it.
I know its the right decision, I feel better in a way for deciding to do it as I know shes not happy at all. She owes me nothing and I owe her everything.
thanks all
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Post by gillwales on Feb 11, 2016 13:36:02 GMT
I think you have made the right choice, she will be happy to the end. I always use the hunt and my local huntsmen are always sympathetic and it is the quickest and best method
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Post by millwillow on Feb 11, 2016 13:38:40 GMT
that's what my thinking is gillwales also, our last horse we had euthanized by the vet ended very badly and I will never get the noise or vision out of my head it was heartbreaking and horrifying
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Feb 11, 2016 14:14:42 GMT
I'm sure it's the right choice for the end. Mine being breeding stock have never been hunting, but I get the huntsman to come here for the them at the end, he's always kind and sympathetic. I'm not a fan of doing it by vet injection either.
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