Being dead is easy.

[Lin]

Especially if you don't obsess about the past or future.

Horses in some ways have it easy - They live in the present - while the past may affect their behaviour, they don't fear the future like a neurotic human.

I guess my point is that ending a peaceful day being humanely euthanized is not the worst end a horse can meet. And some horses are not ever going to be safe or simple to care for.

[greysandbays]

Being dead might be easy, but I'm not sure getting that way is all that much fun.

[WorthTheWait95]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but I feel like this board is a little euthanasia happy.

There is certainly a time and place where it IS the best option but not every case I've seen presented on here in the past fit the criteria for me yet everyone was suggesting it. I just feel like all other options should be exhausted before making that leap.

[Kenike]

all I know is being dead may be easy, but I hope to NOT feel the pain that I thought was going to take me under ever again!

[Lin]

I my experience, most people go beyond what is humane... in real life. On the internet, people talk about putting down animals in an offhand fashion, but in real life, it seems to be a much more agonized and usually too late decision.

Why is 5 more days of life so crucial? 1.5 more bales of hay consumed?

[WorthTheWait95]

I my experience, most people go beyond what is humane... in real life. On the internet, people talk about putting down animals in an offhand fashion, but in real life, it seems to be a much more agonized and usually too late decision.

Why is 5 more days of life so crucial? 1.5 more bales of hay consumed?

When it comes to euthing sick/injured horses that is probably very true. I was referring more to the multitude of threads/posts about putting down healthy horses due to monetary issues. I feel like alot of people jump on the euthanasia bandwagon a bit prematurely in some of those cases. :flame suit securely zipped up just in case:

[Lin]

That probably comes under the heading of "Easy to Talk About - Hard to Do"

[Bluehorsesjp]

But it is a personal choice.
Worththewait95 you are allowed to do whatever is in your power, your vet's power, a rescues power, your bank accounts power to forestall death. A few more quality years are nice.

There is the flip side where resources can be better utilized on saving a horse that is adoptable, or letting a horse go with more good days than bad.

I can only speak for myself, but when my horse was wasting away from a brain stem tumor I went with the "a day too soon is better than a day too late". Could I have thrown more money at tests and possible cures, maybe. But the shadow of his former self horse I had had come to the end of a productive life. Could he have had a few more good days, possibly. Could he have had a bad day, lain down and been unable to get up, possibly. I weighed the options and let him go.

The saddest thing I have seen was a dog that was old and incontinent with no teeth that was being kept alive because the owners just couldn't stand to let him go. That image has colored my view on euthanasia. For me it will always boil down to letting them go sooner rather than later.

Also horses are a huge financial burden. Colic surgery is expensive. Lameness maintenance is expensive. Keeping an old retiree is expensive. That is the reality. Most people can not afford to pay board on a horse that is no longer useful. It is not as though many horse owners are living on acreage where they can just turnout their retirees to live out their lives.

Are we euthanasia happy? I don't think so. Every situation is different, but everyone is looking out for the good of the horse with the reality of our world.

[Crooked Horse]

When it comes to euthing sick/injured horses that is probably very true. I was referring more to the multitude of threads/posts about putting down healthy horses due to monetary issues. I feel like alot of people jump on the euthanasia bandwagon a bit prematurely in some of those cases. :flame suit securely zipped up just in case:

I'm not "euthanasia happy" but I think that any of the grossly underweight, injured, frightened horses that end up in a kill buyer's yard would have been much better off being put down, no question.
And many of them ended up there due to their owner's financial situation. It might be easy to judge, but no one could have forseen this crazy economy. I myself have a crippled but pasture sound (she would be considered "healthy") rescue and times are very hard here. I've thought about it myself.

[BasqueMom]

Perhaps euthansia is discussed a little more due lately due to the economy, especially for
difficult horses or older/unsound horses. Think it is a far easier ending than a trip on a
truck to the border or left alone in a field to fend for itself.

Unfortunately, many folks are having to re-think how many horses they can support and what type of market is available for those they have to part with. Hopefully, most of us won't have to make those decisions. For those who feel euthansia is the safest choice for the horse, you have my support. Very few on this board would make that decision lightly.

[county]

I've never understood the " lets kill it because we can't afford it " mentality myself. I'd much rather sell a healthy horse then kill it even to an auction. I hear so often it will go to slaughter but the fact is less then 1% of the horses in this country go to slaughter a year. If I'm that horse I want the 99% chance I don't and get a new life with someone else.

[vacation1]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but I feel like this board is a little euthanasia happy.

I agree. There does seem to be a trend here of people being very aggressively pro-euthanasia in threads where it's not simply a theoretical conversation. I rarely see people here saying (A) "Oh, you can't give up on sick Horsie now; you'd be murdering her." I often see people saying (B) "Oh, you must euthanize Horsie now; you are just torturing her by keeping her alive for your own selfish weakness." I don't care if you feel that you're representing the poor, suffering horse who can't speak for herself; it's just as wrong to say B as A. It's an owner decision; no amount of general fondness for animals makes it right to attempt to force other people to adopt our personal standard of compassion for their animals.

[Coreene]

Vacation, 99% of the time people say "what would you do?" they have already decided to euth and they are looking for validation. And, yes, you will find that far too many people, for example, keep chronically laminitic/foundering ancient Cushings horses alive because it is for them and not the horse. Or want to send their blind three-legged horse to a rescue because they can't cowgirl up and put the horse - which is in far too much pain to have any quality of life - to sleep. So the horsw continues to suffer because Pollyanna doesn't want to grasp that part of being a horse owner includes putting on your big girl panties and doing what is right for an old or sick or lame horse.

[coloredhorse]

And, yes, you will find that far too many people, for example, keep chronically laminitic/foundering ancient Cushings horses alive because it is for them and not the horse. ... So the horsw continues to suffer because Pollyanna doesn't want to grasp that part of being a horse owner includes putting on your big girl panties and doing what is right for an old or sick or lame horse.

I've also seen this far more often than people who euthanize "too soon." It is hard to let go of an animal we love, who has been part of our lives and families for years. No doubt about it. But from the perspective of having owned many, many animals over many, many years, I can honestly say the only end-of-life regrets I have are those couple I held onto too tightly, trying "just one more thing." Yes, I told myself I was doing "the best" for my beloved pet ... spending more money, more time, etc. In reality, I was doing what was "the best" for me ... which was not, unfortunately, in the best interest of the animals in question.

I've watched plenty of other people make the same mistake; and yes, it is, in fact a mistake. A dignified and painless death is the last gift we can give our loved ones.

Those are my regrets. Those are the instances where I failed my animals. I hope I never make that mistake again; better a month too soon than a day too late.

[enjoytheride]

This BB is so full of contradictory people. When we talk about horse slaughter, starving horses, and sending a horse on a semi truck to Mexico people wonder why these owners can't pony up and euthanize their horse. People start a movement for euthanasia clinics as an alternative for unwanted horses.

But we have someone who says that their older horse is lame, in pain, or they can't afford to keep it people come out of the woodwork telling them to get a 2nd job, get a 3rd job, do the right thing, bed to keep 3 horses on the property, keep the horse alive, etc. Instead of suggesting euthanasia they tell the person to find a rescue or a therapy program or someone who wants a pasture pet. If these were options then there would be no slaughtered horses because rescues would take them all.

A healthy horse is only a healthy horse as long as someone can afford to take care of it and I think horses suffer because until recently if you talked about putting your horse down you were an evil person who just didn't try enough or just wasn't willing to spend enough money.

I agree with the OP, horses don't stand in a field thinking of everything they want to do tommorow but they do deserve a swift and painless death.

[county]

Unless those rescues have huge bank accounts to out bid meat buyers theres still going to be slaughter. People who eat horse meat aren't going to quit buying it any more then those who eat beef would quit buying that.

[wendy]

I struggle with the idea that putting a healthy, sound horse down just because you personally can't afford to care for the horse is ethical. Decisions to kill animals for their own good should, no matter how hard it is to do in practice, be made from only the animal in question's perspective. I suspect most healthy horses would rather take their chances at auction.

[Cielo Azure]

When it comes to euthing sick/injured horses that is probably very true. I was referring more to the multitude of threads/posts about putting down healthy horses due to monetary issues. I feel like alot of people jump on the euthanasia bandwagon a bit prematurely in some of those cases. :flame suit securely zipped up just in case:

I can't remember someone on this board putting a horse down due to monetary issues (not being able to feed/pay board), can you link to the thread?

(The kill or euth) thread is not an example because a crazy, old, lame and in pain horse that should have been euthanized a long time ago is very different than just euthanizing because of lack of money.

[Cielo Azure]

Especially if you don't obsess about the past or future.

Horses in some ways have it easy - They live in the present - while the past may affect their behaviour, they don't fear the future like a neurotic human.
.

Clearly, you havent haven't owned enough horses. I have a Hanoverian now who obsesses about the future over and over again. His defensive behavior in the stall, in cross ties and during certain triggers while being ridden show that he very clearly remembers past bad experiences and is acting in a very defensive, neurotic way. His fears have caused him to react and HURT himself because he is defensive (remembering the past and fearing the future).

He thinks in pictures, not in words but think he does! He can visualize bad things happening and clearly thinks about it over and over again.

Horses are extremely emotional. He is not the first horse I have owned that fears the future.

[2DogsFarm]

For those who suggest a horse in poor shape stands a chance at auction, I suggest you have never seen the kill pen at your local auction.

If there ever comes time when I cannot afford my horses, unless I am 1000% (NOT a typo) sure they can go to a Forever home I will euthanize before I send them to auction.
And I will beg, borrow or steal the cost of the euthanization as my final gift to them.

I have no moral problem ending the life of an animal that may otherwise live on in pain.
Heroic measures are for those who can afford them and are often performed largely to soothe the conscience of the owner who cannot deal with the idea of euthanasia.

I have made The Decision not only for my pets, but sadly it became my responsibility to end Life Support for my husband when there was no hope of recovery.
I just hope someone is there to do the same for me if my life comes to that pass.

[county]

I've seen many many kill pens but just because a kill buyer buys a horse hardly means it goes to kill. Fact is the odds any given horse goes to slaughter are very remote less then 1% a year go there. Many horses kill buyers buy get resold as riders and any other reason people buy horses. Do some go to kill? Of course but odds are way against it.

[FlashGordon]

It is impossible to get a real handle on any situation via an internet BB. So often there are factors and variables that are intangible, or hard to explain, via the internet. I think that is important to remember when reading or evaluating.

I learned a strange thing about life, and death, this year. I watched my perfectly healthy, sound, lovely horse get sick and die in a matter of a few hours. There was nothing preventable about it, and nothing that could have changed the situation or the outcome. In those hours, something in me knew he would not make it, but I refused to believe it. He passed on his own just a few minutes after I said it was ok to put him down.

Likewise, I took on a horse who was not going to live-- whether dehydration or a bullet got him first, he was not long for this world. Logic said he should be dead already, or put down, but I felt like he needed the opportunity to bounce back. Four months later he's now a fat, sassy, bright-eyed boy.

I'm not sure what my point is..... except that life, and death, can be deceiving. You can't ever know what you are going to do, or what decision you will make, until you are in that moment with your animal. And the feelings and intuition that guides us in making those decisions is impossible to explain or predict... and likewise, hard to judge via an internet post.

[Sandy M]

I've never understood the " lets kill it because we can't afford it " mentality myself. I'd much rather sell a healthy horse then kill it even to an auction. I hear so often it will go to slaughter but the fact is less then 1% of the horses in this country go to slaughter a year. If I'm that horse I want the 99% chance I don't and get a new life with someone else.

There are RELATIVELY healthy horses that are unsaleable, so that sometimes just isn't an option. I'd say my retiree is in that category. He has arthritic stifles. He probably would be rideable (I get on him once in a while) for walking trail rides in easy (not too hilly) country. He's on a number of supplements. He's 23. I will continue paying for his retirement board, his supplements, his extra feed, and his veterinary bills (he lost weight and it cost me a $500 clinic visit to get an "our best guess" type of diagnosis. Sigh.). He's bright and active, if a bit on the thin side despite all my efforts. What would I do ifI had a sudden major illness that wiped me out financially? Lost my job and was unable to find another? I have disability insurance for me, but he is obviously uninsurable. I surely would do my best to continue to maintain him, but it MIGHT come down to a euthanasia choice, since attempting to sell him would put him at great risk.

[county]

My grandfather always told me " If you kill them their dead no do overs " " If you don't kill them they may die anyway but they also may turn out just fine " Up to us to decide if we want them dead for sure or not.

[sisu27]

...but once you're dead you're dead a long time. I had a vet tell me that once when he felt we were being a bit hasty about giving up on an animal. He was right and I will always remember that.

You can only do your best and sometimes you might make the wrong decision....that is the toughest part of being a guardian for our animals.

[Iron Horse Farm]

I work at a vet clinic so I really have seen both sides of things. I think that many people spend way too much money and effort on things that we in the veterinary community already know can't be saved. Likewise, I hate (really, HATE) the people who say "do you know how many free ones there are right now? I'm not spending $300 or $400 (or whatever it is - once it was the $75 office call) when I can just go get another one for free." THere is a Lion and Tiger rescue here locally, so people don't have to pay for burial if they don't mind someone shooting their horse and cutting it up with a chainsaw.

I'm not talking about the 23 year old horse that may or may not have a couple more years left. I'm talking the sound backyard horse that needs a 200 or $300 laceration repair.

[kansasgal]

It is impossible to get a real handle on any situation via an internet BB. So often there are factors and variables that are intangible, or hard to explain, via the internet. I think that is important to remember when reading or evaluating.

I learned a strange thing about life, and death, this year. I watched my perfectly healthy, sound, lovely horse get sick and die in a matter of a few hours. There was nothing preventable about it, and nothing that could have changed the situation or the outcome. In those hours, something in me knew he would not make it, but I refused to believe it. He passed on his own just a few minutes after I said it was ok to put him down.

Likewise, I took on a horse who was not going to live-- whether dehydration or a bullet got him first, he was not long for this world. Logic said he should be dead already, or put down, but I felt like he needed the opportunity to bounce back. Four months later he's now a fat, sassy, bright-eyed boy.

I'm not sure what my point is..... except that life, and death, can be deceiving. You can't ever know what you are going to do, or what decision you will make, until you are in that moment with your animal. And the feelings and intuition that guides us in making those decisions is impossible to explain or predict... and likewise, hard to judge via an internet post.

Thanks FlashGordon for your thoughtful response.

[pj]

I guess I'm a very evil person!!! I'm old, my horses aren't so chances are they will outlive me. When I go they are going with me. With things the way they are with the horses these days I cannot chance my horses being sold or given away when I die. My friends that I would trust to care for my horses are old, too. My daughter would care for them but they would be a burden to her and her family so I don't want that to happen. No way in H$LL am I taking a chance that mine would end up on a truck to Mexico, or end up like the Lousiana Mare (that haunts me more than two years later). Am I being selfish? In part. I don't want to have nightmares about what could happen to my horses. I thought a looong time about this, these horses are much loved and this is the only way that I could come up with to guarntee they'd not suffer any of this stuff you read about, see pictures of.
Yep, they're going with me when I go.

[theoldgreymare]

I am in the "a day too soon" catagory. I had one here that was a day too late and it broke my heart to see him suffer. He was found in colic at 5 am. Owner and vet arrived shorty after and the vet told owner the horse was displaced and his heart rate was over 90. Due to his advanced age and health conditions he was not a surgical candidate (and he had a history of colic). Vet advised immediate euth. Owner walked the poor horse in 80 degree heat for six hours hoping he would pass manure. It was heartbreaking to watch. Only when his heart rate went over 100 did she consent to put him down (honestly, his heart was ready to go at any second). Being dead is easy but the letting go is very hard for some people.

[enjoytheride]

But why can't you put a healthy horse down for monetary reasons? Are you saying that if you lost your job and could not afford your horse you would rather it takes its chances with no reserve price at an auction then put it down and know its end? Would you feel better knowing you gave your horse one chance at a home and it loaded onto a semi the next day?

[county]

You bet I'd rather sell a healthy horse at auction then kill it. I'd much much rather give it a chance at at life then a sure death. The odds a young healthy horse going to slaughter are very remote if I'm that horse I want the chance at life.

[Foxtrot's]

When you sell - or give - a horse away you have lost control of the horse. It can then be on the downward spiral of worse and worse homes. Being dead is not a bad thing in my book. It takes commitment to see a horse is taken care of all its life.

[county]

It can also be on an upward spiral of great care. I've sold 100's of horses and the vast majority have great homes.

[Iron Horse Farm]

It can also be on an upward spiral of great care. I've sold 100's of horses and the vast majority have great homes.

County, I can't believe that we agree, but I was just going to go there. The vast majority of people take good care of their horses!

[Alagirl]

When you sell - or give - a horse away you have lost control of the horse. It can then be on the downward spiral of worse and worse homes. Being dead is not a bad thing in my book. It takes commitment to see a horse is taken care of all its life.


If nobody sold horses, how would we get ours? Go out west and catch one?

[scrtwh]

I've also seen this far more often than people who euthanize "too soon." It is hard to let go of an animal we love, who has been part of our lives and families for years. No doubt about it. But from the perspective of having owned many, many animals over many, many years, I can honestly say the only end-of-life regrets I have are those couple I held onto too tightly, trying "just one more thing." Yes, I told myself I was doing "the best" for my beloved pet ... spending more money, more time, etc. In reality, I was doing what was "the best" for me ... which was not, unfortunately, in the best interest of the animals in question.

I've watched plenty of other people make the same mistake; and yes, it is, in fact a mistake. A dignified and painless death is the last gift we can give our loved ones.

Those are my regrets. Those are the instances where I failed my animals. I hope I never make that mistake again; better a month too soon than a day too late.


I totally agree. I have seen people keep thier animals alive for selfish reasons, when it is apparent to everybody that the best would be to let it go without the crisis. I made that mistake with one of my dogs, and you know, never again, never. The end was terrible.

[Holly Jeanne]

I was a day late with a 12 yo mare with EPM. I asked my neighbors to call the vet for me. They came over and I let them talk me into waiting ("she's eating and resting"). They meant well but I've regretted it ever since after she spiraled down overnight. I saw it in her eyes and should have trusted my relationship with her.

I just had to make that decision three weeks ago for a 6 1/2 yo cat that was my much beloved constant companion. I asked the vet on Thursday if I was being unfair to him putting him through treatments. He said "not yet." I asked him to let me know when I was being unfair. On Saturday, the tech showed me the results of his blood test and even I could tell it wasn't good. Vet hadn't called with the results but I had the tech call him and asked what the chances were. I made the choice after a discussion with him. I did not do it for me as 3 weeks later I'm still completely broken hearted over his loss. I did it for him. I was not a day late this time and I could see a difference in him over the three day period.

Now in terms of my currently healthy horses. I have an attachment to my will designating approved homes. My family is instructed to ask the approved homes for help finding good homes if they cannot take them (and I mention commission for doing so). When any of them get to the point that issues may prevent them from finding good homes, then the attachment will be changed to provide for putting them down. If finances forced me out of horses, my 16 yo mare would go free to an approved home (if at all possible) and the two younger ones would go up for sale.

[greysandbays]

When you sell - or give - a horse away you have lost control of the horse. It can then be on the downward spiral of worse and worse homes. Being dead is not a bad thing in my book. It takes commitment to see a horse is taken care of all its life.

And I'm not sure what it takes to declare that one is the ONLY PERSON in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD who could POSSIBLY love and care for [this horse]. I can't decide if they are puffing themselves to convince themselves they are wonderful or tearing their horse because they are convinced s/he's worthless.

[arabhorse2]

I saw someone keep her dying horse alive for weeks before her husband and vet finally convinced her to let him go.

He'd had a stroke, had pressure sores from lying on his side, and was a rack of bones because he was paralyzed on one side of his body and could barely eat or drink.

She kept that horse stuffed with bute, and force fed him as much as he'd accept. He never once got to his feet after the initial stroke.

To this day, the memory of that poor beast being tortured by his "loving" owner still brings me to tears.

Her reasoning? She loved him soooo much, and just couldn't bear to think of life without him. I hope God can forgive her, because I never have.

I'm not "euth happy", but I'll be darned if any of mine will go through something like that. The only way to insure it though, is to keep them until they pass.

Wrong or not, no one gets to tell me that I can't euth an animal of mine if their fate is uncertain, or they have no chance of recovery.

What you do with your own animals is your business, but I'm not going to condemn someone for considering euthanization if all other options have been exhausted.

[BabyGoose]

If you let a horse out of your care you can never be sure what will happen to that horse, whether it will find a good home forever or end up on a slaughter truck. Obviously some horses have a better chance than others due to training or lack thereof, disposition, appearance, etc. A private sale probably has a better chance of finding a good home, but you still just don't know. It is such a case by case basis. Thousands of healthy dogs and cats are euthanized every day in this country. We don't like it, we wish we could change it, but it seems more acceptable than euthanizing a healthy horse. If the horse doesn't have the potential to find a good home, for whatever reason, I don't think it is wrong if the owner feels euthanizing is the best option for the animal. We don't like, we would like to change it, but the fact of life is there are not enough homes for them all.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

You bet I'd rather sell a healthy horse at auction then kill it. I'd much much rather give it a chance at at life then a sure death. The odds a young healthy horse going to slaughter are very remote if I'm that horse I want the chance at life.

My Bram (STBxClyde) was sway-backed, a little arthritic, and probably in his early twenties when his last owner sent him to the sale. A local dealer bought him because he knew he could sell him to a riding school or a beach ride establishment as a packer. My RS bought him, and then I bought him from the school as pay back for his helping me regain my confidence.

Now he's having a great retirement just outside my kitchen window.:)

If something were to happen to me, I bet my friends and DH could come up with two people who could manage to take just as good a care of my boys as I would. They'd better, or I'll haunt them.:yes:

[Crooked Horse]

I guess I'm a very evil person!!! I'm old, my horses aren't so chances are they will outlive me. When I go they are going with me. With things the way they are with the horses these days I cannot chance my horses being sold or given away when I die. My friends that I would trust to care for my horses are old, too. My daughter would care for them but they would be a burden to her and her family so I don't want that to happen. No way in H$LL am I taking a chance that mine would end up on a truck to Mexico, or end up like the Lousiana Mare (that haunts me more than two years later). Am I being selfish? In part. I don't want to have nightmares about what could happen to my horses. I thought a looong time about this, these horses are much loved and this is the only way that I could come up with to guarntee they'd not suffer any of this stuff you read about, see pictures of.
Yep, they're going with me when I go.


Thank you. That is exactly how I feel.

[Equibrit]

Especially if you don't obsess about the past or future.
How do you know that being dead is easy ?

Horses in some ways have it easy - They live in the present - while the past may affect their behaviour, they don't fear the future like a neurotic human.
How would you know that ?

I guess my point is that ending a peaceful day being humanely euthanized is not the worst end a horse can meet. And some horses are not ever going to be safe or simple to care for.

You're making huge assumptions.

[Laurierace]

If you want to take this to an entirely different level, I spent all morning at the medical examiner's office. Death may or may not be easy, but it is undoubtably the great equalizer. It doesn't matter who or what you were in life, in there everyone is naked on a gurney awaiting their turn. Sort of takes the phrase "having a bad day" to a new level.

As far as animals go, I too believe that they live in the present and have no concept of the future but that doesn't mean that we aren't completely responsible for ensuring that future is a good one or in absence of that make sure their death is as humane as possible.

[LexInVA]

This is the strangest and most existential sounding thread I've seen on here in a LONG time.

[wendy]

I guess I'm a very evil person!!! I'm old, my horses aren't so chances are they will outlive me. When I go they are going with me. With things the way they are with the horses these days I cannot chance my horses being sold or given away when I die.
this is just so selfish. Ok, an older horse, fine. A horse with some kind of issues (mental or physical), fine. Killing a nice healthy no-issues 8-year-old horse just because you're having nightmares about remote possibilities that probably won't come to pass? dead is dead. Bet your horse would prefer a different future. I know we hear about neglect, abuse, slaughter; but most horses don't suffer those fates.

[SEPowell]

If you have a tb or standardbred and you're trying to decide whether to euth it or send it to an auction, be kind and euthanize it. Sound geldings may find a home...

Many more than 1% of the horses at an auction I attended today sold for slaughter, and those horses WILL be slaughtered. I would estimate that about 10% of the horses there sold for slaughter. That may represent 1% of the horses in the US, but what does that matter for those horses?

edited to add: (this is in response to the euthanize vs send it to auction discussion earlier in this thread)

[mp]

This is the strangest and most existential sounding thread I've seen on here in a LONG time.

That's certainly a nice way to put it. Are you in the diplomatic corps? :lol:

[zooksuitriot]

Ok as far as Euth happy... I believe posters on Coth can get a little to into it. And I agree... I have seen a board about people Euthing for Monetary reasons.
As far as finding it and posting a link... I can't. But that makes two of us at least:yes: who have seen it around.

Now... Euthing a horse... to take to the afterlife... if you believe in that.. with you. In some ways I can understand it.. but me I wouldn't. To many people can provide good loving homes. Even with the Economy. Everyone close to me HR keeps one empty stall or spot. Just in case that one horse comes along. Me... I have already gotten mine for now. My sweet Skinny Vinny.

I think it should depend on the person, on the horse.... the situation. And I don't think age or lameness could have anything to do with it. I have seen plenty of horses... put down prematurely in my opinion. But that is my opinion. I am not the owner... nor responsible for the horse. So really we can all judge... point fingers, or defend. But truly should we accuse when we have no right.

I know.... now sadly... it is solely my decision. Listening to others... made my sweet innocent boy suffer. It all happened in 24 hours. But after suffering what we can only guess to be spinal. The only vet I could get to show up quickly , suggest..... let him live. Good Bloodlines, promising career, good personality, and her past expieriences pushed that keeping him alive one night... just to see. Her words " I have had one with the exact same problem. Laid down for two months, and now is my best horse. " At the time... I was overcome with emotion. Trusting a Vet... did not seem out of reach. They know best. But do they really.
I left him that night... with hopes. Good ones. He had been up, drank, ate, passed bowels... eager to recover look in his eyes. But When he was down. I can remember them . They were asking me to save him, take the pain away. And I believe the Vet. The next morning around lunch, I got the call. BM said before he started to clean stalls at breakfast.. he was up, moving best he could about. Eating Drinking. But in what I believe as a attempt to lay down. Ended in his death. When he would not want to stand any longer he would fall. And this time I think a little to hard. Could he have pulled through sure. And oh how I wish that was the case. I miss him every day. But He didn't, and I believe he suffered... I regret not ignoring the kookoo vet, and ending his pain.

[Trevelyan96]

Trust me... had the vet told me Trav would have been able to recover at all and been even pasture sound, he would have been my pasture ornament the rest of his life.

Most owners do not euthanize due to financial reasons. They do so to end a horse's suffereng in the most humane way possible.

Like everything else, there will always be a minority with less than loving motives, but in my time on COTH, I've not gotten the impression that there are many of them around here.

[WorthTheWait95]

I guess I'm a very evil person!!! I'm old, my horses aren't so chances are they will outlive me. When I go they are going with me. With things the way they are with the horses these days I cannot chance my horses being sold or given away when I die. My friends that I would trust to care for my horses are old, too. My daughter would care for them but they would be a burden to her and her family so I don't want that to happen. No way in H$LL am I taking a chance that mine would end up on a truck to Mexico, or end up like the Lousiana Mare (that haunts me more than two years later). Am I being selfish? In part. I don't want to have nightmares about what could happen to my horses. I thought a looong time about this, these horses are much loved and this is the only way that I could come up with to guarntee they'd not suffer any of this stuff you read about, see pictures of.
Yep, they're going with me when I go.

They are your horses and it's your decision but I gotta say that seems really off the wall to me. First of all is your vet okay with that? Someone is going to actually have to put down those healthy horses after you're gone. I know mine would absolutely refuse a request like that, I asked him today after reading more of this thread. He told me he practices medicine in order to help animals, not kill healthy ones. He said he would try and help rehome if the owners were willing to try but no chance in he@$ was he putting down a perfectly healthy animal (his words, not mine). He actually got pretty worked about it.

Of course I don't know exactly how old your horses are but it seems like they could have a shot at life even with the economy the way it is. I guess I'm just with County on this one I would much rather my horses had a shot at a happy life then kill them in order to try and circumvent something that 99% of the time never happens.

I don't understand the 'I'm the only one with any kind of heart/morals/whatever and everyone else is a cruel horse abuser just out to get my horses and ship them off to mexico' mentality. I've sold many a horse, all of which were trained show horses which does give them some insurance, but all of them are still showing according to USEF and doing very well even after changing hands multiple times. Not all sales and giveaways end in disaster.

ETA: I also think there are two convos going on in this thread. One regarding euthing perfectly healthy horses and one regarding euthing horses with a real medical issue, health problem. Two completely different topics.

[rainechyldes]

You bet I'd rather sell a healthy horse at auction then kill it. I'd much much rather give it a chance at at life then a sure death. The odds a young healthy horse going to slaughter are very remote if I'm that horse I want the chance at life.

I don't agree and disagree, I really really think it depends on what auction it is.
In this type of discussion, it helps to define that.

Some auctions are widely known for being meat auctions, and the KB's are hot and heavy at bidding - and you know there's a much higher chance of a KB getting the horse then regular 'joe'.

Other auctions aren't as prone to this, and it does make a difference definitely. They are populated by ranchers, families, etc. And horses do have a much better chance at going to a good home.


Recent example.

I attended a horse auction in Caldwell ID late last fall.
Fairly obvious almost 90% of the horses were going to the KBs. Barely anyone else was bidding.

I attended a recent auction up here, in Armstrong B.C.
Prices were strong, most horses going for well over 1500$ and higher for grade horses who were obviously broke, unbroke - 800-900 and up- not KB prices. I know the local KB - he was there, I saw him bid on only a few horses that night. This is pretty normal for this auction - it's prices are usually quite steady, almost all the horses have reserves- often quite a surprise if they don't.

[county]

When I sell at auction I go to which ever one I think I'll get the most money for what I'm selling. I sell here in Mn. , Mo., and Ok. Personally I like seeing a kill buyer at an auction that way I know theres going to be a bidder thats going to help get the price up. The ones here also sell lots of riding horses I know for sure one bought an older mare I culled out this past fall and sold at auction. But at $1100 I also know she didn't go to slaughter.

[Twomanydawgs]

I saw someone keep her dying horse alive for weeks before her husband and vet finally convinced her to let him go.

He'd had a stroke, had pressure sores from lying on his side, and was a rack of bones because he was paralyzed on one side of his body and could barely eat or drink.

She kept that horse stuffed with bute, and force fed him as much as he'd accept. He never once got to his feet after the initial stroke.

To this day, the memory of that poor beast being tortured by his "loving" owner still brings me to tears.

Her reasoning? She loved him soooo much, and just couldn't bear to think of life without him. I hope God can forgive her, because I never have.

I'm not "euth happy", but I'll be darned if any of mine will go through something like that. The only way to insure it though, is to keep them until they pass.

Wrong or not, no one gets to tell me that I can't euth an animal of mine if their fate is uncertain, or they have no chance of recovery.

What you do with your own animals is your business, but I'm not going to condemn someone for considering euthanization if all other options have been exhausted.


The above reminds me of the Barbaro debacle...that poor horse suffered and for what?...I can't decide what side of the fence I'm on with this...either decision would be very hard to make. They are setting horses free down here and the poor animals are being hit by cars, attacked by packs of dogs,etc. One guy who was caught doing it told animal control that he thought he was doing the horse a favor instead of shooting it or having it sent to slaughter. It was a 2 yr old TB colt. The man could not afford to feed him any longer. We are going to see more and more of these kind of decisions having to be made unfortunately. I don't know the answer:no:

[rainechyldes]

When I sell at auction I go to which ever one I think I'll get the most money for what I'm selling. I sell here in Mn. , Mo., and Ok. Personally I like seeing a kill buyer at an auction that way I know theres going to be a bidder thats going to help get the price up. The ones here also sell lots of riding horses I know for sure one bought an older mare I culled out this past fall and sold at auction. But at $1100 I also know she didn't go to slaughter.

My point exactly.
You took your horses to an auction where you knew there were valid buyers and you'd get good prices.

I think a lot of people see the word 'auction' and automatically assume it means KB city, where everything sells for 50$ and goes straight on the truck. Those auctions exist yes, but not all auctions have the same 'buying crowd' or reputation. (lack of a better word)

[county]

For sure, its like any other way of selling a horse your going to get out of it what you put into it.

[enjoytheride]

So now wanting to euthanise instead of risking a horse an uncertain future is "euthanasia happy?" Good lord what a bunch of judgemental people. The same people that are crying about abusive owners, starving horses, and people being irresponsible and letting their horses going to kill.

But people who have a plan for what happens if they lose their jobs or die are euthanasia happy? So what happens if you die, nobody wants your horse, and your vet will not put him down? Is your vet going to take the horse?

As far as an auction, they can be useful if you go to the right auction and set a reserve. Don't drop your lame, unregistered, old, or unbroke horse off with no reserve and have happy thoughts that he might possible get a better future then euthanising him. That is just a pipe dream and it does not happen often. Locally the kill buyer doesn't even show up, the auction house bids on anything for him usually the kill horses go for $250 bucks. Often less.

[MunchkinsMom]

So what happens if you die, nobody wants your horse, and your vet will not put him down? Is your vet going to take the horse?


I had this conversation with my vet this past fall. I have two retired pasture pets and a younger gelding that is very high maintenance with special dietary needs since his colic surgery. I asked how she felt about euthanizing horses upon the death of the owner, and she said she would prefer to do that than send them to an unknown fate.

So, I am going to update my will, and if the people that I have designated as the recipients of my horses upon my demise cannot take them (and that is perfectly understandable), that the horses are to be put down. Not to take them with me, but to keep them from being a burden on my survivors. If they were younger, or more easy-care horses, it might be a different story.

Each situation is unique of all of us.

[county]

Neither one of the vets I use here will kill a healthy horse either. No their not going to take them the horse wouldn't be their responsability theres no logical reason for them to take care of them. What should happen to them? Anything thats legal the owner decides upon.

[enjoytheride]

So what choice is the owner left with? Nobody wants to buy their horse, the vet will not put it down, and the owner lost their job and can't afford to keep their home let alone their horse. Or the owner dies and nobody they know can take it. Let it loose? Dump it at an auction with no reserve?

Vets like this might think they have good intentions but in the end the horse suffers.

[pj]

You bet I'd rather sell a healthy horse at auction then kill it. I'd much much rather give it a chance at at life then a sure death. The odds a young healthy horse going to slaughter are very remote if I'm that horse I want the chance at life.

County, do I understand correctly that you breed and sell a number of horses? If so Of Course you aren't going to want to put them down...you're going to want to sell them and make your money since that's what they were bred for.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Also I believe that young and healthy horses are exactly what is wanted for slaughter.
Now as to taking my horses with me to the one who :) misunderstood. I didn't mean that I literally was going to halter the two horses spirits and fly away with them. I like the idea though. When the time comes I think I'll see if I can do that!! :lol:

[county]

Its against the law to turn them loose, its legal to sell at auction. Each has to do what they feel is best personally I feel its best to give them a chance at life rather then a sure death.

Yep I breed horses, also cattle and hogs. And yes the ones most desirable for slaughter are young fat horses same as cattle and all species of food animals.

[pj]

this is just so selfish. Ok, an older horse, fine. A horse with some kind of issues (mental or physical), fine. Killing a nice healthy no-issues 8-year-old horse just because you're having nightmares about remote possibilities that probably won't come to pass? dead is dead. Bet your horse would prefer a different future. I know we hear about neglect, abuse, slaughter; but most horses don't suffer those fates.
But many do. If there are so many good homes waiting for horses where are they? Why are we hearing of more and more horses being dumped, starved, put off on rescues etc.?
As more people lose jobs I think we'll see it become even worse. When I die do YOU want to give my horses a forever and good home? :)
Ps One of mine is eight now but :lol: I "ain't" going yet so hopefully she'll be a lot older by the time I do!!

[Crooked Horse]

personally I feel its best to give them a chance at life rather then a sure death.


A "chance" at life vs. a sure death. You cannot GIVE away good sound riding horses around here right now, so that "chance" is pretty slim. My "healthy" with some issues horses would probably not win that lottery. People are abandoning their horses left and right, losing jobs and farms. It is a very big, very REAL problem. Ask the rescues.

I do not disillusion myself into thinking that I am the only one that can properly care for mine, there are most likely better horsekeepers than me all around. But my biggest nightmare is that either one of mine end up starved, neglected, abused, suffering or on their way over the border. Ain't gonna happen.

[county]

Like I said its how you want to play the odds, the odds a horse gets a decent place to live are far far greater then it doesn't any way you look at it. Add up all the slaughter horses and even if the same number are starved and abandoned ( and I've seen no stats that say its even close ) your still under 2%. I hear on this forum over and over its QH's that go to slaughter so if thats actually true and you don't have a QH then the odds are even lower for the other breeds. I hear over and over if you sell an old horse at auction for sure it goes to slaughter but fact is the odds are really realy small thats going to happen well over 90% of slaughter horses are young fat ones and always have been.

[SteppinEasy]

Like I said its how you want to play the odds, the odds a horse gets a decent place to live are far far greater then it doesn't any way you look at it.

As an academic who frequently works with statistics, I have to say that this statement is more than a little disingeneous. Predicting the "odds" of any horse going to a good home aren't that simple. A gentle 12 y.o. riding gelding might do really well at a breed auction or one frequented by 4-H families, for example. If that same horse showed up at New Holland on a slow, rainy Monday, the outcome might be completely different. Statistics are remarkably easy to skew if all the variables aren't taken into account-that's one big reason banks are in trouble and the economy is tanking right now!:eek: BTW, I'm not saying that many horses don't find great homes at auctions. But there are also many who don't.

Euthanizing a horse for financial reasons...I'm someone who has ended a horse's life for partly financial reasons, so I know how agonizing the decision can be. Anyone who thinks someone would make that decision if there were other viable options available is crazy. The key word, though, is viable.

I told my story on the other thread, but I'll recap here. Last summer, my mother was dying a slow and horrific death in the hospital. My 25 y.o. chronically laminitic gelding had a flare-up at the same time. It wasn't severe, as far as his flare-ups generally went (I'd treated him through worse) and the vets said he could have another 5 years left. But those five years would be comfortable only if I continued to pay $600 a month medicine and give him 4x daily feedings. That's in addition to whatever it was going to take to get him healthy again. But money wasn't my only consideration in deciding what to do.

This horse had already been on the wrong side of the odds once...he had three broken vertebra and a cracked skull from being beaten (by people he'd won a World's Championship for, incidently). I'd owned him for 12 years and in that time, he'd had every luxury money could buy. And he'd known he was loved.

With me, Scoobie was gentle and very kind. With other people, he took an "I'm going to get you before you have a chance to get me" attitude. He could be dangerous on the ground and his past treatment made it physically impossible for him to be ridden.

So what were my options? Find him a home...with whom? People weren't exactly lining up to take him. One person offered to let him "live in her pasture," but that meant no shelter, no keeping him on the schedule he needed to keep weight on, no buying his medicine. Without his medicine, he was in pain. Oh, and no paying the therapeutic farrier who'd been working on his feet for years. Sending him there would have certainly made me a responsible owner, wouldn't it? :(

Send him to a rescue? Assuming (falsely) that one had an opening for a horse like him, what would they do with him? Like there was ANY chance they'd be able to adopt him out! He'd only be PTS there...surrounded by the very thing he feared most--strangers. Now that would have been kind of me!:(

Send him to auction? Um...no. Just being at an auction would have been traumatizing for this particular guy.

Life is never as easy as it seems from the outside. My horse wasn't so bad he "needed" to be euthanized that day. But his condition was just going to continue to deteriorate little by little until one day it became a lot. If I had had unlimited resources, I would have waited. But I didn't have either the financial or emotional wherewithall to keep treating him.

Perhaps things seem different to people who don't primarily deal with rescue horses, as I do. It's easy to look through the lens of your own experience, whether positive or negative. But the horses I own have already proven that bad stuff happens to good animals.

I can't imagine anybody actually wanting to but a horse down for any reason. It's hard. But sometimes it's the only option available. Please don't be so quick to judge others for not caring when they make the choice you don't agree with.

[county]

I agree with that last sentence I see alot of people do it when someone sells a horse in any way but how they would.

[arabhorse2]

So what choice is the owner left with? Nobody wants to buy their horse, the vet will not put it down, and the owner lost their job and can't afford to keep their home let alone their horse. Or the owner dies and nobody they know can take it. Let it loose? Dump it at an auction with no reserve?

Vets like this might think they have good intentions but in the end the horse suffers.

Enjoy, all it takes is one well placed bullet to euthanise an animal. In fact, it can be even more humane than chemicals, because it's quicker.

If the vet won't do it, make sure you have friends who are familiar with guns.

[WorthTheWait95]

As an academic who frequently works with statistics, I have to say that this statement is more than a little disingeneous. Predicting the "odds" of any horse going to a good home aren't that simple. A gentle 12 y.o. riding gelding might do really well at a breed auction or one frequented by 4-H families, for example. If that same horse showed up at New Holland on a slow, rainy Monday, the outcome might be completely different. Statistics are remarkably easy to skew if all the variables aren't taken into account-that's one big reason banks are in trouble and the economy is tanking right now!:eek: BTW, I'm not saying that many horses don't find great homes at auctions. But there are also many who don't.

Euthanizing a horse for financial reasons...I'm someone who has ended a horse's life for partly financial reasons, so I know how agonizing the decision can be. Anyone who thinks someone would make that decision if there were other viable options available is crazy. The key word, though, is viable.

I told my story on the other thread, but I'll recap here. Last summer, my mother was dying a slow and horrific death in the hospital. My 25 y.o. chronically laminitic gelding had a flare-up at the same time. It wasn't severe, as far as his flare-ups generally went (I'd treated him through worse) and the vets said he could have another 5 years left. But those five years would be comfortable only if I continued to pay $600 a month medicine and give him 4x daily feedings. That's in addition to whatever it was going to take to get him healthy again. But money wasn't my only consideration in deciding what to do.

This horse had already been on the wrong side of the odds once...he had three broken vertebra and a cracked skull from being beaten (by people he'd won a World's Championship for, incidently). I'd owned him for 12 years and in that time, he'd had every luxury money could buy. And he'd known he was loved.

With me, Scoobie was gentle and very kind. With other people, he took an "I'm going to get you before you have a chance to get me" attitude. He could be dangerous on the ground and his past treatment made it physically impossible for him to be ridden.

So what were my options? Find him a home...with whom? People weren't exactly lining up to take him. One person offered to let him "live in her pasture," but that meant no shelter, no keeping him on the schedule he needed to keep weight on, no buying his medicine. Without his medicine, he was in pain. Oh, and no paying the therapeutic farrier who'd been working on his feet for years. Sending him there would have certainly made me a responsible owner, wouldn't it? :(

Send him to a rescue? Assuming (falsely) that one had an opening for a horse like him, what would they do with him? Like there was ANY chance they'd be able to adopt him out! He'd only be PTS there...surrounded by the very thing he feared most--strangers. Now that would have been kind of me!:(

Send him to auction? Um...no. Just being at an auction would have been traumatizing for this particular guy.

Life is never as easy as it seems from the outside. My horse wasn't so bad he "needed" to be euthanized that day. But his condition was just going to continue to deteriorate little by little until one day it became a lot. If I had had unlimited resources, I would have waited. But I didn't have either the financial or emotional wherewithall to keep treating him.

Perhaps things seem different to people who don't primarily deal with rescue horses, as I do. It's easy to look through the lens of your own experience, whether positive or negative. But the horses I own have already proven that bad stuff happens to good animals.

I can't imagine anybody actually wanting to but a horse down for any reason. It's hard. But sometimes it's the only option available. Please don't be so quick to judge others for not caring when they make the choice you don't agree with.


Again that's a completely different situation IMO. You had an elderly horse with significant health isuues. That is a far cry from euthing a healthy, sound, younger riding horse with no behavioral issues.

I think this is definitely a hard issue to debate b/c like you said there are just so many variables that can go into the decision, plus it's so personal. But I'm definitely someone that will give my (health issue free, sound) horses a chance at life everytime over euthanasia.

[Ajierene]

Again that's a completely different situation IMO. You had an elderly horse with significant health isuues. That is a far cry from euthing a healthy, sound, younger riding horse with no behavioral issues.

I think this is definitely a hard issue to debate b/c like you said there are just so many variables that can go into the decision, plus it's so personal. But I'm definitely someone that will give my (health issue free, sound) horses a chance at life everytime over euthanasia.

I was talking to the wife of a man that took horses to the renderer as part of their income. He also offered to shoot the horses on sight at no extra charge. There was one charge for picking up the horse, less of a charge if the horse was brought to them and whether you wanted your vet there or had them do it, it didn't matter.

A relative was in the lesson business. When she got older and decided to retire from the business, she had all her lesson horses put down by him. This included any age, physical ability, etc. It wasn't about selling the horse at the auction, it was the worry that they would end up in the wrong hands and her feeling that she was responsible for them to their last breath.

Someone else came with a 6 year old stallion that he could not sell. He was willing to geld if the buyer wanted - but no sale - for years. Horse was perfectly healthy, he just could not find someone that wanted the stallion. Instead of selling him a New Holland, he opted to put the horse down. She had countless other stories about perfectly healthy and slightly less than healthy horses ending their days at her farm. She loves horses and has a few of her own.

She wishes she could take in all the otherwise healthy horses, but the fact is she does not have room or money for that and is aware. What she can offer is a nice field and treatment the same as if she owned them until the time came (either her husband or the vet). She does seek homes for the horses - people tell her what they need and she keeps an eye out. She actually acquired one horse because he was shipped from New Zealand and got to the US sick. After New Bolton said they could not do anything for this 4 year old, he came back to her place to die. Her husband had an idea (for some reason no one thought to give the colicing horse oil...) and next thing you know the horse was fit as a fiddle. The previous owner gave this horse to her because she was the only one that had faith. This horse is now ridden by her daughter.

You don't know people's circumstances, or the personality of their horses. My mare is a good competition mare. By all outward appearances, she would sell easily. Except no one is looking for a 14 year old Novice level event horse -though she could transition to hunters pretty easily - still age is a factor. She also HAS to be drugged for the farrier and some other quirks. Right now it is a buyers market. If I were an outsider looking for a nice horse, why am I going to buy something with so many issues? The mare she lives with - healthy, 7 years old. I talked to my trainer about a Pony Club kid free leasing her - horse lacks training. No deal.

Finding a home for horses, especially a 'forever' home is hard right now. Paying for a retirement home is expensive and horses do not always get in. Right now euthanasia is better than the options. It isn't just about euthanasia or selling at the auction. What if I am up front with the buyer, they take my mare, she does something silly and typical of herself and next thing you know she's down the line at a less than ideal setting - reliving the abuse she suffered in the first four years of her life? Have I really done her good by her? No, I haven't. Cost benefit analysis.

I keep thinking about that thread with the Halflinger Pony. She could have solved all her heartache by euthanizing that pony when she knew she could not pay board.

[Daydream Believer]

I debated whether to post or not on this topic but it's a subject that is one I'm struggling with right now for a horse that I own. I bought this horse off a ranch three years ago as a resale project.. a coming three year old with very little handling. He arrived a very scared, very difficult youngster with no trust of people and a major fear of ropes. His reaction to any stress is to bolt and run through and over anything in his path. I think you can imagine how that can be a problem.

I've spent the last three years trying to turn him into a safe, manageable horse that I felt comfortable selling and turned away several prospective buyers who I figured he'd probably kill. I will not sell a horse that I don't believe will work out. I've ridden him in a very controlled setting, desensitized until I'm blue in the face and the minute you turn him out for a week or two, he reverts back to his old self....almost impossible to catch, fearful, suspicious, and bolts the minute you put pressure on him.

So I find myself the owner of a dangerous unmarketable horse and I'm not interested in keeping him as a pasture ornament for the rest of his life. I will not give a horse like this away either. I did that once...gave a "project" horse to a trainer "friend" who promised to keep him and make something of him then turned around and sold this horse to a beginner...to my horror. I also suspect a horse like this one has a dim future and most likely will end up in the slaughter house after he puts some unsuspecting person in the hospital. The sad part of it is that he's an attractive horse but with his temperament/behavior problems...he's worthless...and worse, he's dangerous.

I won't sell a horse at an auction when I know what the odds are that he will 1. hurt someone badly, or 2 will end up on a long cattle truck ride full of fear and misery to an inhumane end in a slaughterhouse. If there was a zoo, kennel, or large animal preserve around here that took horses, I'd donate him but I don't know of any. So I'm most likely going to put this horse in a hole and my vet, who knows this horse's history already, has agreed to euthanize him for me. My resources are too limited to keep him forever and I have way too many other nice young horses with brighter futures that need time and training. I think at some point you need to know when to stop, cut your losses and move on...and I'm there.

I am in the "day too soon" crowd also when it comes to euthanasia. I would never criticize anyone who humanely destroys a horse versus allow it to live in pain...nor anyone who chose that route over spending a lot of money to prolong a horse's life. I have seen a lot of retired and permanently lame horses turned out for their "reward" that were miserable. It is no reward to limp around a pasture for years in pain and horses cannot rationalize that life is worth living. They live for the day and the moment. There is a glut of horses out there now and limited resources to care for all of them. Expecting someone to "keep a horse forever" or stretch it's life out by whatever means necessary until the animal is miserable and beyond help is ridiculous. I do not advocate slaughter the way it is done now and I won't send a horse into a situation where that is a likely fate but I do advocate responsible humane horse ownership and euthanasia.

[JohnDeere]

So what choice is the owner left with? Nobody wants to buy their horse, the vet will not put it down, and the owner lost their job and can't afford to keep their home let alone their horse. Or the owner dies and nobody they know can take it. Let it loose? Dump it at an auction with no reserve?


This is the path my new boy was headed donw. Onwer dies, family basically sends it thru auction for what they can get, which didnt pay for gas $$ to get there BTW. He was skinny hairy unbroke and intact. Bad news allaround. :( But the stars aligned for that horse that day at that auction. Someone bought him for his looks and his potential and hes going to be fine for someone or many someones. :cool:

Demand falls and supply stays constant--theres a glut. Reducing the glut in a humane way is our challenge. No ones mind is going to be changed because of a post on a BB. But we can decide about it for ourselves and do what we feel is right.