Time for the rainbow

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ConniePonies

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Dec 15, 2015
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Hey, I have a twenty year old mare ( I rescued her this Autumn) with severe arthritis, reoccurring seedy toe in all four feet, a really bad cough, and cushings.

She gets lami in the summer so can't go out much, she can't stay in because when she stays in she can hardly move because she is so stiff, she loses weight rapidly in the winter and any damp weather she gets a hacking cough.

She just stands in her field and the other horses are bullying her, is it time to say good bye ??
 
It's hard to say when it's a horse you don't know. If it were mine in that situation, I would seriously consider it, yes. I love my ponies to death and would be sad to say goodbye, but quality of life is important to me and I hate the idea of them being miserable and unable to live like a normal horse.
 
If she were mine I would be looking at changing her living arrangements so that she may be happier. If she gets bullied in the field she is currently in, why not change fields and find her some horses she may be happier with? If she gets lami, try and find her somewhere that has very little grass so she can still move about. If she has a bad cough, maybe she has a dust allergy and needs her hay to be soaked? Has she seen the vet? Perhaps there is some medication or a supplement that would help with her cough? Does she need a bute per day for her arthritis?

If you have just acquired her then you may not feel obligated to do any of this, but I know that I would give my horse the very best chance of happiness in his old age before I considered having him PTS.
 
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Mary Poppins said:
If she were mine I would be looking at changing her living arrangements so that she may be happier. If she gets bullied in the field she is currently in, why not change fields and find her some horses she may be happier with? If she gets lami, try and find her somewhere that has very little grass so she can still move about. If she has a bad cough, maybe she has a dust allergy and needs her hay to be soaked? Has she seen the vet? Perhaps there is some medication or a supplement that would help with her cough? Does she need a bute per day for her arthritis?

If you have just acquired her then you may not feel obligated to do any of this, but I know that I would give my horse the very best chance of happiness in his old age before I considered having him PTS.
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She has seen the vet and he just said its age I could bite her but it's masking the problem ... She is kept at my house so moving field is not a option and she can't stay out 24/7 because of wet conditions making seedy toe worse ... Vet basically said she can be buted and medicated but it will need to be upped if she gets worse ... She has soaked hay and on shavings vet said it was possibly age related
 
I have a 32 year old pony, he has cushings and arthritis. He can be stiff sometimes but don't we all as we get older. He is on 2 pergolide a day for his cushings and flax oil to help his joints/mobility. Could you not try her on some oil too see if it helps as i am not a big fan of bute either, not long term anyway.
 
joellie said:
I have a 32 year old pony, he has cushings and arthritis. He can be stiff sometimes but don't we all as we get older. He is on 2 pergolide a day for his cushings and flax oil to help his joints/mobility. Could you not try her on some oil too see if it helps as i am not a big fan of bute either, not long term anyway.
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She on Devils claw root, linseed oil and glucosamine
 
ConniePonies said:
I've had her since August
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She may be like a different mare come the better weather. I really don't think 20 is that old too be truthful. You say you rescued her? Maybe she hasn't had the best treatment in her past and now that she is in your care and getting the attention she needs she may improve.?
 
I think that if bute makes her more comfortable and able to live our her retirement happily then that is a real option to consider. There is a huge difference between giving bute long term to a younger horse to mask an issue such a lameness etc. and an older mare to make her more comfortable when suffering from painful arthritis. I presume that you are not riding her in this condition, so you are only looking to make her field comfortable. Given the choice, is it better to lightly medicate a horse to keep it happy in the field, or have it PTS? If those were the two options I would be giving a sachet of bute per day without a second thought.
 
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I got her from my boyfriends farm where she was abandoned I known her years and she basically been ridden and driven into the ground young then breed from n left ... I just wanted to give her some happiness and love in her age but in the last week she gone really down hill the vet has basically told me it's my choice to bute and let her threw until spring n review or make the decision ...
 
Was hoping she would get better with care but it's almost as if she given up when we first got her she used to run away now she just stands and looks at you like what ever I'm not fighting
 
ConniePonies said:
Was hoping she would get better with care but it's almost as if she given up when we first got her she used to run away now she just stands and looks at you like what ever I'm not fighting
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If she has bad arthritis then she will find it too painful to run around in wet, damp weather if she is not having any pain relief. In the summer her arthritis probably didn't hurt her so much.

It's your decision but you do have to make one quickly, you can't leave her in this condition.
 
Mary Poppins said:
If she has bad arthritis then she will find it too painful to run around in wet, damp weather if she is not having any pain relief. In the summer her arthritis probably didn't hurt her so much.

It's your decision but you do have to make one quickly, you can't leave her in this condition.
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Yes I no I have to make a decision the vet will come back in the new year to reasses her.
 
If you are going to keep her at least until the new year I would be giving her some bute daily, I bet she may seem much happier when she isn't in quite so much pain? I know how miserable being in constant pain can be and I don't feel like running about and having a happy face when Im in a lot of pain.
Of course it's your choice but bute for a few weeks to keep her comfy isn't going to hurt her surely, then when the vet comes in the new year she will at least have had a chance to see if there is some improvement.
 
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Kite_Rider said:
If you are going to keep her at least until the new year I would be giving her some bute daily, I bet she may seem much happier when she isn't in quite so much pain? I know how miserable being in constant pain can be and I don't feel like running about and having a happy face when Im in a lot of pain.
Of course it's your choice but bute for a few weeks to keep her comfy isn't going to hurt her surely, then when the vet comes in the new year she will at least have had a chance to see if there is some improvement.
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I given her bute for the last three days ... No improvement and she now won't eat today she left her feed not touched it and all last nights hay she left too
 
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