Difficult decisions

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
28,298
18,001
113
43
Suffolk, UK
I wasn't going to post this, because I made my decision...NO, but it's still playing on my mind.

I started helping a friend with their horse's feet last year. He's a nice, well bred QH who was diagnosed with navicular before they got him. He has a history of decking people presumably from the pain. They got him 3 years ago and he was great the first year when they asked very little of him, just light hacking and schooling. 18 months ago they asked more and by spring he was decking people and then went lame, 2 or 3/10.

We went to Newmarket, did work ups, blocks, Xrays, tildren, steroids and I took over trimming and he came sound, vets said start working as normal, I said start with straight lines, they lunged him, he was lame again in 4 weeks. Back to rest and regular trims and he was all but sound, they had a regular farrier trim him and he was lame again. I had them move him to a 3 acre field (he was on a 20x20 sand paddock) and he improved, got them to get him boots and pads, aggressively treat his thrush and trimmed every 2 weeks and he was sound, weaned him out of the boots and still sound. Kept him sound all this summer, even charging about like a prat, so said bring back to work, start 10 mins on straight lines walking and build gradually and don't think about circles for a good several months. Rode 1 day for 10 mins walk/straight lines, 2nd day jogged (western horse) circles and a week later he went lame again, maybe or maybe not related to circling but I doubt it helped.

They are unable to maintain the booting and to do the rehab work, a bit of unwilling in there too. Then brought another horse to ride and I knew at that point his fate was sealed. A few weeks later they offered him to me, when I declined they admitted they would be putting him down. They love this horse, but anything more than rough maintenance they can't or won't deal with, not my personal approach but that is their prerogative.

I feel awful, he's such a nice boy and I'm 95% certain I could get him sound as have 3 times already and with the right ongoing management I'm sure he'd stay that way but I am not sure he'd hold up to work and even if he did I am not sure he wouldn't continue to randomly deck people and I just cannot afford to be coming off. He doesn't just buck a bit, he full on broncs and the longer people try to ride it out the nastier it gets. I'd hoped they would have him shot quickly, but he's still there and I can feel my resolve waining. Pointless post, but maybe one to get people talking, its been so quiet on here of late.
 
Hmm. From what you have said I doubt if there is any real happy ending for this horse other than full on pasture retirement. Reason I think this is because very few people in real life when push comes to shove will understand a horses limitations and abide by them - that statement is NOT intended to offend anyone, it's a fact - I have seen and heard of people taking on a horse they know to have problems and then pushing for more from them. I have no doubt he would have excellent care from yourself, however, getting whizzed off is a big no no. The unpredictability would worry me also. I have no problem taking on something that only needs and wants a quiet low key job but knowing they have a habit of bucking badly would be a no go for me for sure. I think they have two options here - either find him a charity home (but of course they are full to bursting) or pts. If they aren't prepared to put maintenance in themselves? (You say they have a different approach to you and me). Sorry that you have been put into the position of being offered under such circumstances. It's the sort of thing Mr T and myself would find very difficult indeed.
 
This is a twist on the 'When would you kill your horse' thread we had recently isn't it? Only this time it's 'When would you take on a horse that someone else would have killed'. It's so tricky and I agree with @Trewsers, it's something I would find very difficult in your position. It would be relatively straight forward in mine I think, because I couldn't afford livery for another horse.

Having spent so long working with this horse you must feel some sort of connection with him (maybe that's too strong a word, but I mean he isn't a stranger to you) and the knowledge that he could either be pts or sold on and be put in more pain himself, or possibly badly injure a new owner is hard to ignore. I feel for you and I wish they'd had him shot quickly too. Poor horse.
 
I actually think the best thing for him is to be PTS, he's so, so unlikely to find a home that will put effort and money into him for him just to stand in the field and go for a very occasional pootle, and he likely would be pushed because he is only 11 and looks the picture of health. I'd love to do it, would like to think I could do better than some but financially and physically I can't afford another without moving on one or both of the boys and I am not prepared to do that for a horse I could end up shooting in 3 months anyway.
 
He isn't your horse so not your responsibility. I bought Molly as a 6 year old, she retired when she was 9 and I kept her till she died suddenly age 26. She was a happy field ornament all that time. She cost a fortune to do nothing but I was glad to do it for her, as she was a sweet girl, and if she was moved on, she was always going to be going down hill. She looked a picture, she just couldn't do work.

It's very sad but if they don't care for him enough to keep him as a pet if that's all he can do. But a horse like that is hard to rehome and I hope they have him pts at home rather than give him away or sell him on. You shouldn't feel guilty if you don't want to or can't take him on. It costs the same to keep a sound rid eable horse. I felt I owed it to Molly as she was a very anxious mare and she would really have suffered if moved constantly on when they found she couldn't work. I have come across horses sold on as dressage schoolmasters who were written off and must NOT do circle work - people tell terrible lies to get shot of them. The poor woman who bought this horse had to have him pts 3 months later as he sank at the knees if you so much as touched his back, he had kissing spines and he scoured like crazy. They got their money for him and landed her with huge bills and broke her heart.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kite_Rider
Hmmm.
I agree with others jessey. He does sound like it would be hard to find a home for him. I can see why you want to though. Almost like you could get him right... But then would you have the time And money to have another one? The other thing that concerns me a little is his bucking. Like you say I could be due to the pain, which is sad. However, if he was to come right and still buck? Possibly as he isn't in pain? Could he do a job? But also with someone who could sit or manage him safely? But , you wouldn't know if he would still buck unless you got him right? Again if he still does buck would he just be a big pet? That you can afford? You may be in the same position as in the choice , for me would be turn him out now... or when he is fixed still possibly just have to turn him out?

The saving grace with sox, if you could call it that. Is that dispite all of his issues and problems we had, and you guided me every step of the way. I knew taking him out and bringing him back into work he would explode. He does buck, of course but its happiness not ' I am in pain and I need you off!'

In addition. I had a similar thing happen to me R the tb who had hock issues and KS he could only be a light hack field pet. I almost bought him because I really like him, he got on well with sox and previously before I found sox he was a horse I went to look at to buy. I wanted to buy him, but I would be buying him to PTS as sox was still lame and I didn't have the time, emotional strength and money to have two horses that both had a range of issues.

Sadly for R he was sold to someone else... They sold him as a allrounder... I still thing of him and hope he is ok. But as much as I want to I cant rescue them all. I just think of sox and think how lucky he is to have me. Though a number of people have told me they would have put sox to sleep ages ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
I think the only way I would have him is if they were going to try and pass him on. If that was the case & he was likely to end up either as a riding horse or passed around I would take him, give him a week or two with some bute to make him comfortable & then pts so he was safe. But ideally I'd keep out of it.
 
I think the only way I would have him is if they were going to try and pass him on. If that was the case & he was likely to end up either as a riding horse or passed around I would take him, give him a week or two with some bute to make him comfortable & then pts so he was safe. But ideally I'd keep out of it.
They have him on bute currently, he's comfortable and happy with his mate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: carthorse
I wouldn't take him either. I feel so sorry for the horse but he is not your problem and I agree that it will lead to heart break. If he wasn't so prone to bucking his riders off I would say maybe, but this is enough to put me off.

It makes me crazy to think about people who enjoy the good times with their horses but are unwilling to see through the bad times. It reminds me of someone who was at a dressage competition that I was stewarding at. I was telling a friend that Ben may potentially need surgery and that I was worried about it. This man turned around and told me to save my money, have him pts and buy a horse that I could ride. He said that the money that I spend on surgery could easily be spent on a new dressage horse when this was 'obviously' what I wanted to do. Ben is now 19 weeks post surgery and still on box rest. But I love him and could never have lived with myself if I hadn't given him the chance of life. Even if our story has an unhappy ending, at least I will know that I have tried every single thing I could do to make him well and keep him alive. He is far more than 'just' a horse to me.
 
Not wishing to be critical, but I seem to recall you were thinking of sending the wee ones to a friend a month or so ago. Im glad you haven't. But if you took on this one then surely your time would be split between four. Could you honestly manage that.
Sometimes you have to walk away. When I was looking for another horse. The same day I viewed Billy I viewed another as well. This other horse was exactly what I was looking for. It ticked every box. However, I had to walk away. And I brought Billy instead. Billy hasn't been an easy horse, as hes turned out to be quirky. Somedays I wonder why I brought him. However I have preserved and we are getting there slowly. I think in another 5 years he will be amazing and I will look back at the progress and my achievement.
The horse I walked away from was lovely and I cant help but wonder what happened to him. If i could have brought him as well, i would have just because i know that i could have looked after him better than the conditions he was living in. They where appalling to say the least. I could have called the RSPCA. The conditions it was kept in made the horse very unsafe, so much so he couldn't even be led. This made him dangerous for me to handle and consider. If I had more time, money and had had better circumstances to bring him to back then I'm sure I could have helped that poor horse have a better life. I will always wonder but I know that I couldn't have managed the two.
 
Not wishing to be critical, but I seem to recall you were thinking of sending the wee ones to a friend a month or so ago. Im glad you haven't. But if you took on this one then surely your time would be split between four. Could you honestly manage that.
I said a couple of times I couldn't, and it would mean one or both of the little boys going if I did take on another horse and is part of the reason why I won't be taking him.
The thought about sending them to a friend previously was nothing to do with this, it was because I was having lots of trouble at the field and felt I might have to move off in a hurry (still might) and the only place I know I could go with Jess tomorrow won't have the boys on the yard because their fencing isn't suitable.
 
newrider.com