We see the posts all of the time:
“Can’t keep, but find good home for my blind horse”
“Can’t ride anymore, want to find a good home for my navicular horse”
“Broodmare her whole life, not broke, 28, good home only, can’t care for now”
The headlines vary, as do the reasons, but the story is really the same. You are not able to keep your horse that isn’t especially rehomeable, anymore. The horse has a condition which makes him disadvantaged, usually effects his quality of life and makes his placement into a long term safe place essentially impossible.
Sometimes owners die, sometimes owners lose their jobs, become very ill or simply just get tired of dealing with the upkeep of this “special needs” horse. This doesn’t mean the sound older horse, the horse with a minor issue or the like. I am speaking of horses that have special medical needs, special diets and are generally unrideable.
There are exceptions to everything in the world, but what I know after years in equine rescue is that disadvantaged horses have no consistent chance at safe, long term placement. Occasionally, you may luck into something. That is a rare exception. I know that sanctuaries are bursting at the seams. I know that rescues should focus on horses that have a viable chance at adoption (else they become defunct). There are no free retirement pastures and hands waiting to spoil your horse.
Please be aware that anyone jumping at the chance to bring in a blind, lame or retired horse will rarely have the finances or knowledge to care for the horse. Sometimes they mean well, sometimes not. Makes no difference.
Almost all of these horses who are disadvantaged, when given away or placed for a small fee, end up going into homes that neglect them or cause them to meet an unkind death through slaughter or starvation.
While we hate to be this candid, as it puts people who mean well on the defensive every single time, our reason for existing is to improve equine welfare, not give owners who aren’t doing the best thing for their horses an uplifting speech.
If you have a horse who is disadvantaged through lameness, chronic illness, advanced age and/or blindness, you should not pass him off to someone else down the road. He is YOUR responsibility. He should never have to face hunger, fear or abuse because you couldn’t make the responsible choice. He has served you. Do not look the other way and shirk what you signed up for when you became a horse owner.
So when you cannot care for your special needs horse, do not place him on Facebook for free or cheap, simply make the call to your vet, spoil him, give him love and let him cross the rainbow bridge never knowing a bad day, never knowing hunger or a brutal end slaughtered. Let him peacefully pass and know you did the right thing by him.
If you are sure there is a chance of placement,
Then require these 4 things, and do not consider placement without them:
1. Vet reference with name and number (call and verify the vet knows the buyer and feels good about the care they give to their large and small animals
2. Farrier reference with name and number (call and ask about the quality of care, whether they buy and sell / flip / trade horses)
3. Photos of their fence, current horses and facility
4. If possible, deliver him yourself and check the facility to be sure quality of care is high.
You will learn when you ask for these things, months will pass and no one will be interested, but at least then you will know we’ve given you the cold, hard facts of responsible equine placement and ownership.
I wish it were different. But if even you, as the owner who was served by your equine companion, will not offer a retirement home, how could you expect someone else to do it, either?
We would be sorely remiss if we didn’t make an effort to educate the public on this matter, but the truth is many well meaning people simply do not realize what we’ve said here is true. We hope in this case, knowledge can be power, and that is will save some horses from neglect and slaughter.
Your article should be published in every equine magazine, copied and posted in every large animal vet’s office and in feed and tack stores! I’m 70 years old and I’ve made arrangements for my 5 equines, whoseages range from 17 to 28, to be cared for after I’m gone. If they are ill or otherwise in poor health, I will have them euthanized before I allow strangers to have them.
I’m 77 and I have the same commitment to my horse. She will never leave here. I don’t trust anyone with her. Too many people are using their horses as if they were a car or an object that has no feelings. They buy and sell them that way. That is so wrong.
When the time comes and I’m no longer able to take care off her, she will be put down here with me present to say the final goodbye until we see each other again someday soon.
Agreed whole heartedly!!!!
Advice I give often…….😢
Amen.
May I repost to my personal FB page?
Please share
I own a boarding facility, I am proud to say 8 of my 25 boarders have horses that are bkind, lame or over the age of 28-33 years old. They are spoiled rotten, custom fed everyday as they get finicky in their later years, they have beddedicated stalls and grass pasture turnout.
Don’t get me wrong all of my 5 are rescues, 3 abandoned and to old to rehome, they will live out their days here at Serenity.
But a huge thank you to my dedicated horse parents, you rock!!!
Best article I’ve read in a long time and the words I preach to people all the time. Unfortunately most dont listen 🙁
Thank you! The public does need to be educated that taking on any horse especially a handicap horse or senior horse. They are extremely expensive if taken care of properly. I have four senior horses that I raised and have owned for many years the oldest 29 years old and the youngest 19 years old and I plan to keep them to the end. They are all fat and sassy. I also have an 8 year old mini that is wonderful with the grandkids. Does not bite, kick, buck , run off with them. He is perfect.
Thank you so much for this wonderful article! Most definitely the BEST thing you can do for a aged, blind, lame, or otherwise disabled horse. We recently made the difficult decision to do just this for our horse – and even though we still cry about it, it was the best thing for her. She is now galloping free of pain on the other side of the rainbow bridge!
Excellent article! There is no such thing as a “throw away” horse. A few years ago I learned of a horse whose owner had abandoned him and left him to die on property that she had vacated. He was a regal American Saddlebred that was near death from starvation. I went home and got my horse trailer and came back and loaded him up. One of the neighbors wanted to know what I was doing and I told him I was taking the horse for its own good. If he wanted to contact the authorities fine and I gave him my name and address. Vet said his body condition was a “1” at best. We nursed him back to a good weight, he was in his mid-thirties and the last couple of years of his life was good. Plenty of food, good clean water and shelter. He was unrideable but a great old guy. I wish I could afford to do this more, but since then I lost my job and have been classified as disabled. It’s a stretch to continue to keep the 8 we have now, but they’re never hungry!
Well spoken, my friend, and I will pass this article out to new owners. But what I really wanted to say was…grow a spine and do the right thing. Thank you
Amen, if people only understood the horrible times these horses have when they end up in sales and slaughter. I take on as many as I can but sometimes the kinds words and hugs and kisses and great meals before crossing the rainbow bridge is the best time they’ve had and that is the memory they say goodbye with and no more pain and suffering, just green pastures and by you giving that unconditional and unselfish love you have blessed them with a perfect forever home
This subject is sooo disturbing but also should be “required reading at the time you get a horse”. Article was hard to read and I understand it is necessary to know. Been around horses for many years and it’s a fact of life that eventually you may have a horse who is aged/broken and what do you do?? If you don’t have your own property and/or willing to pay an extreme amount of money for upkeep…… well there you go. it’s not a dog or cat. Another subject, but still the same objectives. Leaving your animal anywhere for care is questionablle, even in the best of circumstances. So please take note of this serious problem. We as a species need to follow up on our ‘pets’ and take steps to ensure they are respectfully taken care of, whatever the circumstances. we need to shine a light on such a profound lack of preparation for our beloved ‘pets’.
Great story.
I have 4 horses and love them. My 1st horse owned is a OTTB from a rescue and we picked each other. She has issued but I will always see she is taken care of.
I have a BLM Mustang I rescued and is my main riding horse.
Another Mustang I have has trust issues we are working on.
And finally a Freisian cross I have had since his birth almost 5 years ago.
I chose to work with these four and plan on having the for the rest of there lives.
I pray nothing happens to myself so they are taken care of for life.
So my point is I respect the rescues and have adopted good and not so good horses. But I am a horse family now and they will always be family as long as I have a say in it.
That’s wonderful to have a lifetime commitment to your horses! More horse owners like you will make a better world for horses. But but don’t pray they are taken care of…plan! Financial planning is hard, I’ve had to go through it with my horses in case I die unexpectedly. It’s the main reason I limit myself to just two 🙂
I completely agree with this article. I have a horse who I’ve owned for 7 years and who was rideable for less than a year of that. I made him a promise the day he came home that he would end his days with me. He is happy to be my best friend, my soul mate and my inspiration and I am v privileged to have him in my life. He wants for nothing and never will. I think part of the problem is that many people see a horse as a machine, bought to do a job and I despair when I come across this mindset.
What is your sugesstion for lesson programs for when a horse is ready to retire
We feel there are a few options:
#1 Consider retirement early enough to mean a lesson horse would be a suitable candidate for children or new adult riders as a first horse.
#2 If a horse is truly not able to carry a rider anymore, consider humane euthanasia – a horse is able to know good care and then just one day to be no more. . .
#3 If a retired horse is able to work until they are close to the end of their lives, ask former students to sponsor, consider setting back a portion of the fund from the lesson they give over many years. . .to help retire them.
These ads seems to put in the newspaper/magazine to squeeze the last available drop of life from the horse as possible. One only needs to look at the horses hooves to see that their not been well-looked after. Even if it’s very difficult to maintain a good body condition, the feet tell a different story which makes mequestion the weight and body condition. Do people still not know, these ads are often trolled by dogfighters looking for bait.
The day I can’t take care of my horses the day I will put my horses down humanely and bury them on my property to be with us forever. I will not give them away for someone to sell and make money. My horses have been with me all their lives and they are 17. They wouldn’t understand and I wouldn’t cause them that stress.
My old guy is 32 Blind in one eye partially blind in the other and he eats a bag of equine Sr a week. I have had him since he was 4 and would never consider “rehoming” him. .It makes me really sad when I see these adds and the same goes for so many dogs.
What about letting them act as barn buddies or companions to other animals?
See above article. ^^^^^ Even “barn buddies” and “companion animals” require feed, hay, shots, hoof care, dewormer, fly spray, and dental checks. Plus potential injury or illness costs. Even if you own your own land, you are looking at a MINIMUM of $1500 per year per horse.
The reality is there are almost zero people with that kind of disposable income for a horse they can’t ride.
In a lot of cases, they are just disposable. $1500 per year is a drop in the bucket for an animal that gives so much. People spend that much on trivial crap.
This is exactly what I think. I could never rehouse or sell my perfect 30 year old kids horse that I had all his life. I wouldn’t stop thinking about him. I would have him put down and bury him.
Thank you so much for this 💖. I recently had this conversation with a friend of mine, and I recommended the same thing. Unfortunately, she didn’t listen. I don’t understand how anyone can do this. It just breaks my heart.
It is not fair to call slaughter an unkind death. Death is death. Humane euthanasia has been deemed unkind for humans to undergo, why is it kind for your horse?
Do you know how slaughterhouses slaughter horses? If they are based on cattle slaughterhouse lines- which I am not sure, but I am a horse lover and slaughterhouse advocate so I am up to the challenge of doing the research- they are ridiculously humane in how they carry out the procedure. We have forced them to be humane in order to remain open.
In 2009- after the crash of 2008- I lived in Florida where people were setting free horses they could not keep- releasing them into the ‘wild’. The horses sought out human companionship because they were unable to care for themselves. They are DOMESTICATED. They have never truly learned to fend for themselves. I watched them run out of the woods towards any human, car, whatever and be hit like deer. People thought this was an acceptable alternative to a slaughterhouse since these animals were young and viable. THAT is an unkind death.
Why is a slaughterhouse frowned upon? You are going to kill your horse anyway, and then be charged a disposal fee. You can’t just bury them on your property- that’s actually frowned upon and in some places illegal. Other cultures, other countries eat horse meat. Thus, your horse is recycled and gets to give back to the world. Watch ‘Alaska the last frontier’, they do this all the time. It is the circle of life in full motion. People should not be ashamed to make the also responsible decision to send a horse to a slaughterhouse. Whether you put the needle in and lay your horse down or however they do it at the slaughterhouse, the end result is the same- you are ending their life prematurely.
Let’s all get off our high horses and accept that this is that we are doing, either way you do it. You are choosing their fate. In a perfect world, we can all make it a fairy tale ending. In a perfect world we have a great connection with our horse and keep it it’s whole life, in a perfect world… well, we all know that isn’t reality. Let’s be open to other options and not spread falsehoods like “slaughter is an unkind death” and insinuate that it should be avoided at all costs without facts to back it up.
Maybe the end result is the same but how about the journey to the end. Stuck in a dry lot with flies covering you. Fighting for food because there are so many in a pen? Scared as the people around you think of you as property and not a friend/pet/family member and treating you like it is a job to take care of you and not being there for you because they want to be…
I’m pretty sure you and I have debated this very issue before, and you’ve obviously NOT researched and watched U-Tube videos of Mexican horse slaughter (like I suggested you do before you talk about how “humane” horse slaughter is). So why do you keep talking about a subject you have not personally researched?
That’s as nutty as me trying, again, to educate you. Futility.
Horses sent to slaughter suffer a terrifying truck journey crammed in with too many others. Broken legs and fallen trampled horses are common. They hear and smell fright and death while waiting there turn. Foreign slaughter houses are anything but humane.
D’you have a slaughterhouse or are running one? Sound’s like you may? Very pro slaughter aren’t you? The emotional aspect of letting a horse go are not at all evident in your email? How come?
Jasmine Francisco,Are you serious? Your arguments are ridiculous. And many horses are slaughtered in the same way as cattle, which is wrong due to a horses physiology,etc. There are no slaughterhouses for horses in the US., thankfully. There is absolutely nothing remotely ok or humane with any part of horse slaughter…from the transport to the method of slaughter. Sending a horse to slaughter is not only barbaric, but is beyond abusive. Telling people to get off their high horse is insane in this instant. Please never get a horse, or any other animal for that matter. Also, please do some basic research on horse slaughter.
Please educate yourself. Slaughter is never the right answer.
Actually you can’t use horses that are vaccinated and wormed with medicines as meat horses. That is supposed to be illegal.
Look up how horses are killed in slaughter houses IF they survive the trip
It’s an awful way to go
My horses will either go back to USERL where they came from or they will be put down. I will never condemn a horse to the death afforded them at slaughter
I don’t understand how people can dump senior animals. I cherish my seniors . I hope there is a special hell for people who dump senior animals and humans.
Thank you for this! Wholeheartedly agree.
Thank you so much for posting this. Our organization deals with so many of these calls, with owners trying to make themselves feel better by saying, “I just can’t give him/her the attention he/she deserves.” It gets harder and harder to bite one’s tongue!
Love this article!!! The best I’ve read!!! I’m a licensed veterinary technician of 21 years and you wouldn’t believe all the stuff we hear. It’s so sad people try to get rid of their faithful horses when the horses need them the most. These horses that find so called homes are often betrayed and sent to slaughter. It’s frustrating that people won’t listening to advice. I was blessed to have a BLM Mustang from the time she was 10 months old to the day I had to euthanize her at 36 years old. I never dreamed of getting rid of her and told my husband that if anything ever happened to me and he couldn’t keep her, then my husband was not to get rid of her but to put her to sleep. We must all have plans for our old faithful friends!!! Thanks gain for this article!!! This needed to be said!!!
While I appreciate your point of view, I think it is a bit one-sided and closed minded. Prior to my own situation and numerous setbacks, I would’ve agreed with you.
Now, however, I am one of the many who has fallen on hard times. I have been chronically ill and getting worse; I have had multiple knee, shoulder, and back injuries; AND I have been out of work for a while now. The longer I am unemployed, the harder finding a job gets. I live in a rural area where there is very little work. I cannot work from home because I cannot get hard-wired, high-speed internet service. I have had a few short term contract jobs, but those are few and far between.
Sometimes, I am in so much pain that I cannot even walk down to the barn to take care of the horses. They have a nice, big run-in shelter, free choice hay, and water, but nothing else. It kills me that I cannot provide more.
My husband absolutely resents having to buy hay for them — this was something my income always took care of. He also doesn’t want them here so won’t take care of them (other than filling and cleaning the water trough). He doesn’t believe in having pasture ornaments (which he calls hay burners). We fight about this all the time. He would prefer to “put a bullet between their eyes” if I’d let him. He is an “old school, country boy” and this is one subject we will never agree on. Human needs always come before animal needs.
I have tried selling my horses, but no one wants a healthy, rideable (but green) horse — even at a good price. They don’t want to bring them back into riding condition or work with them. It’s very competitive now because SO many people are rehoming and selling cheap. The rescues are full, too, or are only accepting the worse of cases. I’ve already tried.
So, what will happen to them? Just what do you expect people to do when they’ve TRIED to do the right thing? I suppose the horses will gradually lose weight because I’m feeding them “affordable” round bales. Their pasture will look worse and worse from overgrazing and neglect. Someday, I suppose some well-meaning passerby will fuss about my horses needing fly masks or something, and I will probably get reported to animal control for neglect.
Your point of view is honorable. But mine is the reality too many of us are dealing with right now.
What this article fails to mention is that death is rarely pleasant for a horse. Drugs fail. Bullets miss. The real problem is breeding. Until we start to regulate Aqha and TBA and many others this will remain a reality.
I’m pretty sure death is unpleasant for all creatures but would you rather they fall from a needle or from starvation or, worse of all, be knocked unconscious and wake up just in time to feel their throat slit as they hang from one leg?
Excellent points well made. May I quote you (with full attribution and a link) in a blog post please?
Excellent article, I truly wish more people would consider ‘what happens next’ for these horses. They’ve given you their all for their ‘peak’ years, and now that age or an injury poses limitations and additional care, they’re dumped and usually end up starved and slaughtered. I have 5, three are in their mid 20’s, some have been with since they were born, 2 were purchased very young (6 months and 2 1/2 yrs) they will all be with me forever. I realize that’s not financially possible for everyone, but they need to find some alternative to ‘dumping them’.
My beautiful Arabian mare is 18 years old and she was born at my place. I owned her mother and she lived to be 22 years old when she colliced and I had to put her down. So this horse is very special to me and I would never give her up. She is staying with me until I can no longer care for her at which time I will have her humanly put down at my place. I feel that if you have an animal as precious as a horse you have to make a commitment to them to take care of them. They have feelings and you can’t treat like you would a car that you discard when it doesn’t perform as it used to.
You should mention those who justify getting rid of their horses because they have a “buy back ” clause. Not worth the paper the agreement is written on. I have never heard of one working as it was expected to.
I just had my 36 year old mare put down, the hardest part is that it was a financial decision. It is very expensive to keep horses where. I live and she required daily medication and extra rations. My retirement savings is OK but I was spending at least 800$ month to keep her , it made no sense but the decision took me 3 years to make. I did not want anything to happen to her outside of my control and I believe I did the right thing but I still cry whenever I think of her. Thank you for this article.
By the way I would NEVER consider sending any horse never mind one I loved to slaughter, it is inhumane and a betrayal of their friendship and loyalty.
Seen all too often 🙁 Heartbreaking. Sad too that I’ve seen some therapeutic riding centers dump their horses after several years of work. (Even worse, dumping them off to homes where they still have to keep working). All for the sake of a buck. Shame!!!
I also think this needs to be printed in equine magazines. This is the same thing as old human placement. You wouldn’t want your parents going to strangers to take care of them and not knowing if they get fed or taken care of. Once you buy a horse that horse is your responsibility to take care of it till the end when keeping them.