So, why the long faces?

On Friday we had to euthanase one of our horses. We spent most of the day with him while the vets sorted out what had happened to make him so lame. We spent most of the day lying around in the sun with him, giving him whatever treats and hard feed/grain he would eat - which was quite a lot because he was always a pig! He kept looking at us, thinking it was all very odd, and wondering why we humans had such long faces. Finally an x-ray of the hock showed a fine crack and an area of low bone density which gratefully made our decision very easy. We had a couple of hours together before the vet came to deliver the green dream and then he was no more.
On the bright side, we finished off the new yard and paddock for the new 4yo mare (the one that squashed SWMBO's face) and brought her in this arvo. The 26yo gelding suddenly felt 20 years younger and ungelded, so he's pretty happy again too!

Cheers
Michael

Always sad to lose a friend.

For such a big strong looking animal, they can be so fragile. Our neighbour lost one a couple of months ago (ex. racehorse). She was trying to get it in the float and it bolted, slipped over on the drive way and went down in garden. Wouldn't get up, so she called the vet. Broken leg, bye bye horse.

Why do horses get put down when they break legs?
Can't you splint them - Animals hurt in Zoo's get looked after. Why get rid of them so quickly? Surely if the horse has been loved and treated like a family member it should get better attention. Or is it just a matter of economics.

The answer is that a broken leg in a horse can be fixed.

It comes down to expense, time and whether you want to put the horse through a fairly unpleasant time.

It can take a year for the leg to mend. In this time the horse needs to be stabled. During this time the horse can't be a horse. They'll get depressed.

If one of our horses broke a leg we would fix it depending on the severity of the break and the age of the beast. We would spend the time with the horse to give him lots of attention so it doesn't get as depressed.

I can understand why people put them down in the first instance tho.

I'll put my dogs down when they get to an age and a stage that they can't do what dogs do. Past that I'd be keeping them alive for my sake and not theirs.

The same goes for all our animals.

Thanks for that Grunt, I had often wondered about that myself, still sad you had to have him put down.

Well stated, Grunt! :thyel:

Pity that people can't see the same reasoning applies to people as well, esp. when they're of sound mind and ask to be "put down." :no: But that's another thread I guess. :rolleyes:

I found this, which might answer some questions:

http://www.horse-sense.org/archives/...09111000.phtml

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Originally Posted by silentC

I found this, which might answer some questions:

http://www.horse-sense.org/archives/...09111000.phtml

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Thanks Silent. This horse was a 23yo that we rescued 6years ago and had ongoing issues with the hock. The bone around the crack was honeycombed and low density, the fracture was due to the deterioration, not an accident and there's no healing this. Believe me, I'm with Grunt, if we did have a treatable fracture we would have treated it. Mind you, I hope I am treated as humanely as we treated this horse when my time comes.

CHeers
Michael

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the fracture was due to the deterioration, not an accident and there's no healing this

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Understood. Was really in response to Linden Hardy's question, as it's something I wondered about myself, so I did a Google to see what I could find. I do some work in the racing industry and it's a common place thing to see horses that cost thousands, or hundreds of thousands, put down over a broken leg. I know that's more of a commercial decision and emotion doesn't come into it generally but I guess it's not something that vets take lightly.

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Originally Posted by silentC

but I guess it's not something that vets take lightly.

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Oh no. Our regular vet was on holidays on the morning of the trouble and his partner would not do anything until he had consulted him. Then the regular vet was good enough to come out and xray later in the morning. You could see in their faces it was not something they take lightly.

Cheers
Michael

We have lost two, eldest daughters pony to cancer about 3 1/2 years ago and a TB more recently, fell down overnight and couldn't get up, kicked itself around the paddock on it's side and tore it's eye out.
Had it put down at 7.am when we found him, then take daughter out while the knackery came to take him away.
As for trainers, most don't give a rats and a horse is just a bit of equipment with no emotional attachment, they just shoot them if they don't perform.
There are some exceptions but not many.
Our horses get better treatment than we do and if there is any hint of a problem the vet is only about 30 minutes away.