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How serious a commitment is a horse/pet for you?

3K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  themacpack 
#1 ·
I ask this question because over the weekend something really took me by surprise. For me, my pets (dogs, horses etc) are a very serious thing and I never go into something unless i KNOW i can take care of them for their entire natural life.

On saturday I went for a ride with the stable owner and she said she had received a call about some "free horses" and wanted to go and see because she was looking for a thoroughbred about 15.2hh that she could school up for her riding school and the kids could use because they are all getting older and taller and outgrowing the ponies at a rapid rate.

The owner had basically bought horses for racing that were not of racing quality and when they havn't run well he had let them become brood mares. You can't breed good quality from bad quality so he has pretty much ended up with too many mouths to feed and decided to have them all euthanised. I was shocked because if you take on that responsibility knowing full well what will happen then you can't back out of it in that way. You are responsible for those lives and finding them a good home.

Out of the 3 needing homes there was only space at our yard for 2 so she said she would take them.

One is a 6 year old chestnut mare, about 15.3hh in the most beautiful condition. She had aborted her foal and therefore he didnt want her anymore. (lucky girl in my opinion) The other is a 9 year old bay, 15.2hh who has had a foal. both are so gorgeous and have such wonderful temperaments.

So yesterday we went over there to fetch them and ride them back. The chestnut had not been ridden in a year and the bay in over 2 years. We tacked up with no problems, grabbed their passports, jumped on and left. The owner had decided last minute to try and wangle some cash out of us! They were both a little nervous leaving the yard and kept calling to the other horses but they soon settled down and off we went! Neither of them have ever been along a road and had no problems with cars. A friend drove with us just in case. When they got to the yard we put them in a stall, fed them, took some pictures and let them out. They ran around for a good hour checking the place out, meeting the other horses and ponies, tails held high!

The chesnut is going to make a great jumper, she has the prettiest movement I've seen in a long time.

The bay needs to calm down a bit because she is a little spooky but nothing dangerous and she works through whatever is scaring her.

We were all just so happy that they could be saved from being put down and that they will stay there for the rest of their lives :)

Im just so shocked that people see their horses and animals in general as something that can be "here today and gone tomorrow". If you are ever in a situation where you are unable to keep an animal that you are responsible for then I feel you should do whatever it takes to find them a new home. You can't just euthanise a perfectly healthy animal because you have too many. I breed dogs and I make my new owners sign that should there ever come a time when they want to get rid of the dog that it comes back to me and only me so that I can either keep it or find it a home I am happy with. So even though they are in new homes I still feel like it's my duty to make sure they stay happy and cared for the way they deserve. And i follow up all the time with them and even pay home visits every so often. And that is how we should feel about the animals we love and take on.
 
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#2 ·
I think putting an animal down (even perfectly healthy) could be much more responsible decision than say starve them, or just letting anyone to pick them up (where there is a possibility it'll be sent to the auction or put on meat truck). With that being said yes, finding a good home is always a best way to go IMHO.
 
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#3 ·
But then doesn't the innocent animal suffer as a victim of circumstance? I mean, these 2 didn't CHOOSE to be there. I know they would know no better at the time but they have potentially great futures ahead of them now.

He was irresponsible taking on more than he could handle and I don't think having them shot is the right thing to do. Because yes, they were going to be shot. Another mare there is 20 years old and in foal and as soon as her foal is born and weaned she too will be shot simply because she is no longer worth anything to them anymore. Clearly he didnt care where they went to as long as he didnt have to pay the bills anymore - he didnt even meet the new owner or find out where they were going to.

You're right though, they could end up anywhere, in this case they are lucky because the new owner doesnt have the heart to school them up and sell them on so they will stay with her for life. But I just don't think euthanasia is the right way to go over an unwanted animal :( breaks my heart personally
 
#8 · (Edited)
But then doesn't the innocent animal suffer as a victim of circumstance?
It does. I'm not arguing with you about situation being bad. Not at all. What I'm saying under certain circumstances sometime putting the horse down may be the right choice. At least I think it's more humane than sending it down to Mexico to become a can food, or just giving it to someone and washing your hands off.

P.S. As already said finding good home in this economy doesn't sound to be an easy task. Especially if your horse is not a beginner horse or can't go high in any discipline.
 
#4 ·
My horses and dogs are pets.
A business is something different.

And really, keeping a horse is not cheap. If everyone had to keep every horse they ever bought forever then there would be lots of people who would be out of luck having a useable animal (because the first horse they bought turned out to not be a good fit for them) and people looking for a good beginner horse would be out of luck too.
 
#5 ·
I agree completely that business is different - I still disagree with having them pts for no reason when there are other people out there who would care for an animal like that and are looking for a horse. And if push comes to shove we have various horse rescues that rehabilitate and re-home them as well as a brilliant SPCA horse care unit.

Regardless, these 2 have good homes and a bright future ahead of them :) I suppose we can't rescue them all :(
 
#7 ·
I agree completely that business is different - I still disagree with having them pts for no reason when there are other people out there who would care for an animal like that and are looking for a horse. And if push comes to shove we have various horse rescues that rehabilitate and re-home them as well as a brilliant SPCA horse care unit.

Regardless, these 2 have good homes and a bright future ahead of them :) I suppose we can't rescue them all :(
Sorry if this is a double post.

In regards to the bolded, the rescues are full. Very few of them have the resources to take on horses that need to be retrained before they can be rehomed.
 
#6 ·
I take the responsibility of my horses very seriously.

I have a 22 year old standardbred gelding who could only be very lightly ridden if he were in work, due to arthritis. I have chosen to retire him. The plan is for him to live out his days with me.

However, if something were to happen and for some reason I could not keep him, finding a responsible home for a pasture pet is no easy feat. Sure, I would give it a shot, but there is a good chance that the responsible choice in that event would be to euthanise him.

From what I know of the horse market in the US, I would think that finding a home for low quality TB mares would be just as difficult. I would much rather see them shot, than left to starve.

There are things a whole lot worse for a horse then a quick, humane death. And despite what you may think a well placed bullet is quick and humane.
 
#9 ·
Oh I know - I have experienced it first hand and luckily they don't understand what is happening at the time and I personally think a bullet is kinder than a drawn out injection. But the only time I have faced that is when a horse has broken it's leg on race day. I had my old Boerperd shot after he was stolen and taken to a neighbouring country called Lesotho but only because he was 27 years old, riddled with arthritis and would not have made the trip home through a mountain pass on the back of a truck with other livestock.

I don't live in the US, im in SA and many competition horses and light hacking horses come straight off the track because they were simply not the best racers.

for the record, neither of these mares is in bad condition - if anything they are over fed and the one in particular has really great movement and conformation. They just werent racers! Anyway, these 2 are safe and happy :)
 
#11 ·
I don't live in the US, im in SA.
So do you, folks, have slaughterhouses there? And auctions? I must confess I have almost no knowledge about your continent.
 
#13 ·
Horses to me are a business. I used to have horses as a pet and due to a family member becoming terminally ill. It was hard to get rid of them, the hardest thing i ever had to do. But it was in their best interest. Now i only train horses for other people or for the university to sell. It would be much easier for me to put down or get rid of one of the horses i train. Because like i said horses are a business to me, there will always be another horse. They are not pets to me, they are how i plan on making my living.

On the subject of putting down VS suffering. The horse should be put down without thinking twice. Sure it "breaks your heart" but watching a horse suffer just because "it breaks your heart" to put it down is sick and demented.
 
#14 ·
Here in the US we're having a hard time giving away horses, never mind selling them. If circumstance warranted it, I'd put them down before I'd let them starve for sure. What he's doing is simply good business, culling those horses who don't run, don't produce runners and otherwise are taking up valuable space and resources by standing around eating. I can't be quite that cut and dried about it, I'd give them away first, but he's culling his herd and you can't fault him for that.
 
#15 · (Edited)
It makes no difference whether animals are your pets or your business. There is never an excuse to not do right by them. When you are responsible for a life, you do everything you can possibly do to make sure it's taken care of. I don't care if you do make your living from horses, you don't treat them like commodities.

I could understand if the guy had made every effort to rehome them and putting them down was his last resort. But it sounds like he just got sick of paying for them. That's disgusting. Especially since the horses sound wonderful. How many horses will let you ride them down the road after not being ridden for a year? Lucky for them that you guys found them. =]

Y know, if he really tried, I bet he could find a home for that 20 year old mare. I bet she'd make someone an awesome pasture companion. Poor thing.

As for your original question, my horses are a permanent commitment. I would never part with them unless (heaven forbid) I couldn't afford to care for them. When I buy a horse, I make a commitment to stick with them for better or for worse. =]
 
#16 ·
I always find this argument somewhat difficult to understand. People have a big problem with euthanising (sp?) a horse because its not "fair" for the animal, but it is fair to beef cows, pigs, chickens etc that are raised for meat? And its not a "we need meat" thing because people get just as outrageously upset about sending horses to abattoirs.

I don't support any of the killing, and if it came down to keeping a horse I didn't want or euthanising it I would keep it, but I don't consider horses a "whole life" thing. I don't consider them pets as I do dog and cats. I mean I love them and pamper them and care for them, but its like they are kept in a herd, in a field, I am not their "family" or their "herd". I might be a sort of associate member of it all. With a cat or a dog though, they live in your house, they might sleep on your bed, cuddle up in the cold. You share a life with them.

I consider horses as having a purpose - I wouldn't buy a horse I couldn't ride or that wasn't suitable for my hobby. Yet when I buy a horse I take responsibility for it, I will feed and care for it while I have it, and when I need to sell it or give it away I will ensure it goes to a good, safe home, at least as much as anyone can ensure. My first pony was a great horse, but I grew out of him and he went to a home that got much more use out of him, and that loved him.

I don't like the racing industry, and I don't support it. But you must realise it is an industry, not a few owners with a passion for horses. Many horses are euthanised and sometimes, especially for dangerous or chronically injured horses, it is the best option. Just like the beef industry or something, the profits are the primary concern, other things are secondary. Not saying its moral or good, I'm just saying that is the way it is.

I hope these two horses work out well! Its great if they were good after not being ridden for so long!
 
#17 ·
Yes, it is a huge commitment for me. I do not take ownership lightly and will keep all of my animals until it is their time to go. I plan and budget for the worst case scenarios and then some. Since I'm not a type A personality and still take the time to do it, I have little sympathy for those who choose not to plan realistically.

The way I read your post, I would say that I agree with you that this is an irresponsible horse owner. Nevermind the fact that he is euthanizing them, he should never have bred horses he could not keep in the first place. That is unacceptable and probably the largest problem for animals IMO.
 
#18 ·
When did 'responsible home' become synonymous with 'forever home'? :?

Not everyone can or even WANTS to keep a horse forever, nor should they be looked down upon if they decide to sell or give away an animal they don't have any use for, or one that they've outgrown.

An old, crippled, unrideable horse who needs a ton of care and medications just to be pasture sound, though? Yeah, I have a problem with someone trying to unload their unwanted, untrained, older animal even if it's free. A horse like that should be euthed, instead of sold off to an unknown fate.

I'm a sucker; mine are with me for life, or God forbid, until I lose my job and subsequently everything I've been working for over the years.

Nothing is guaranteed except death and taxes, and I see nothing wrong with euthing an animal who has a very shaky chance at finding a good home, like that 20 y/o pasture puff mare.

My emergency plans would be to euth my old guy, and give away the two riding horses. Mack has little to no chance to find a good home with all his physical limitations, and I wouldn't even think of trying to rehome an old, arthritic horse with CHF. That, IMO, would be much more cruel and irresponsible than giving him a quiet, calm death in familiar surroundings.
 
#21 ·
Again I will repeat what I have already said. These horses were NOT old, crippled or suffering in any way. They are strong 6 and 9 year olds in very good condition with no physical issues at all and will both go on to be very well rounded school horses. So it DOES break my heart and I am not "sick and demented" in my thinking because they were not suffering and therefore I don't see a reason to euthanise them spontaneously before even trying to find something better. Clearly the man did not care if they lived or died anyway so at least let them go to someone else where they stand a fighting chance of a happy and healthy life. He never even advertised them or looked for a new home, the stable manager happened to have a moral issue with what he was doing and looked for a home for them herself, and let me add found one very easily. Imagine if government decided to "cull" people simply because there were too many or they were below standard and had no home and there wasn't enough money to feed them - lord knows there are too many of those around that are below standard that cost us tax money to keep alive but we don't do that.

The owner was irresponsible to take below standard race horses and breed more below standard race horses for the purpose of racing knowing full well it was a losing battle and that he couldnt afford it. They didnt fall pregnant by miraculous conception, again, HE made that choice for them.

And I'm not anti euthanasia in any way, in fact I'm all for it when it is done for the right reasons and not the easy way out. No one forced him to own horses, race horses or breed horses. I never have and never will let an animal suffer for no reason because I'm not selfish. I've been there, I've made that choice many times and I've had to argue against people who would rather keep an animal alive because they can't let it go when it is suffering. But never would I put any animal down because I am in over my head.

Sure, most countries have slaughterhouses and auctions but it isnt promoted. And those who can help prevent those animals going to a horrid and unneccesary death do and I praise them for it. Personally I have never seen horse meat for sale anywhere and the thought of eating horse meat is something I detest. The same as I wouldnt eat a dog or a dolphin etc.

Call me crazy or anything else but I personally don't agree with what he was going to do to these perfectly healthy animals.

These 2 were lucky because someone had a heart and extended her budget to include them instead of letting them die unneccesarily.
 
#22 ·
Imagine if government decided to "cull" people simply because there were too many or they were below standard and had no home and there wasn't enough money to feed them - lord knows there are too many of those around that are below standard that cost us tax money to keep alive but we don't do that.
Right here is where you lost me.

Why do people insist on comparing human lives to animals? They're not the same and that's a silly, anthropomorphising argument which makes me dismiss anything else the person who brings it up has to say. :?

I wasn't disagreeing with you at all if you had actually read my post.

Based on your original post, yes, this person was being irresponsible and callous. However, it is not illegal to euth an animal for convenience's sake. It might be morally wrong and completely reprehensible, but it's not illegal.

How about the people who have tried every resource and can't find someone to take their animals? What then? Their family has to starve because someone not involved with financially supporting the animals doesn't like that untrained, fugly, conformational trainwrecks of useless horses are going to be euthed?

I don't know what it's like in South Africa, but here in the US the rescues are overflowing, many rescues are going under because donations have dried up, and those of us who have horses are already full up and it wouldn't be fiscally responsible to take on another mouth.

My responsibility is to the animals already in my care. It would be foolish of me to jeopardize their health and well being because I let my heart rule my head and took on too many.

There are worse things than a quiet euthanasia, even for young horses.
 
#23 ·
I haven't said it is illegal????? Im saying it should not be your FIRST option, it should be your last.

My irritation is at a person who didn't care a damn to try and fix what he broke. Not at people who are out of options and desperate to feed their families. Good grief!
 
#25 ·
Im saying it should not be your FIRST option, it should be your last.
And I agree with this. It should always be the last option for a horse who is young, sound, and has a chance at a decent future.

Not at people who are out of options and desperate to feed their families. Good grief!
Oh I see, my comments are ridiculous, but you anthropomorphising and comparing euthing horses to killing people is a rational statement? :?
 
#24 ·
The uncaring idiots of the world will always be frustrating. That is for sure.

It just becomes difficult when blanket statements are made about things not being right (like euthanizing a healthy young animal).
 
#26 ·
You know I never said your comments were ridiculous, I never used that word. In fact I agree with most of what you have said. I said "Good Grief" out of surprise at how you came out boxing with me like I had done someting wrong. Im proud of a woman who put good animals first and gave them a second chance at happiness and I'm more than disappointed in a man who took the cowardly way out of a mess he created.

And I may 'anthropomorphise' but sometimes we can learn a thing or 2 from animals - case closed for me
 
#27 ·
"But never would I put any animal down because I am in over my head."

That right there has killed more horses than euthanasia and slaughter ever will.

I'm glad the owner of your barn took in the 2 horses, I am greatful she can do that. Here in the US we have situations right now where the owner can't feed nor care for the horses, has tried to sell then give away and then tried to have a rescue take them and can find no where for the horses to go. To have the vet euthanize a horse costs around $200 where I live and I know in other areas it's a whole lot more. If some cannot afford to feed and care for their horses then they certainly aren't going to be able to have a vet euthanize them. I'd rather see them euthanized while the owner still has money than to starve when they are broke.
 
#28 ·
Mystic, I agree with you. Bottom line is, the owner made no effort to find his horses homes. He just got tired of taking care of them and decided the easiest way to get rid of them would be to shoot them. That is irresponsible. Those lives were his responsibility and he wasn't even going to give them a chance.

Once an animal is dead, you can never rewind or take it back. What's done is done. Two awesome horses would have died for nothing if your BO hadn't taken them.
 
#29 ·
wow very emotional thread. I am very happy you guys have taken these horses in i am so happy they have found caring and sensible home where they will be loved and have a job. My horses are everything to me and i have done everything possible to make provision for them what they need i provide to the best of my ability and wherever possible choose a horse very carefully so i can aim to keep them for the rest of their life. Of course the way life is ive made mistakes and overhorsed myself but luckily a few years ago the horse market wasnt in the crisis it is in now and he was sold to a suitible home.

But just to stir things up i am also a re-homing officer for a UK based equine charity so just HAD TO REPLY! Im afraid there are a huge amount of irrisponsible and uncaring even cruel owners out there who people like myself mop up after on a daily basis. At the moment the charity i represent IS FULL TO CAPACITY, STRUGGLING FOR FUNDS AND HOMES for the horses we save. It is a huge and heart wrenching battle with so many moral questions.

Today you saved two animals who are very lucky and i am so happy :) and that man will not be punished and will possibly carry on doing this :( but there are lots of amazing homes out there and good people and all we can all do is our best. Would absolutely love to see pics of them and here about there progress :) :) :) I am holding a fund raisinf event in a couple of weeks so aim to raise some funds and always looking for homes :) its the best feeling in the world to see the rescued ponies in their new and loving homes :) x
 
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