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 Expert
Posts: 3782
    
Location: Gainesville, TX | Many prayers and hugs.  | |
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 Dog Rescue Hero
Posts: 1660
Location: Oklahoma City OK | God Bless you for your compassion and thank you for relaying your story. I know it will help so many others find peace when making that decision.
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Didnt read what you said because my heart is still broken over my mare that I had to put down about 6 years ago, it still hurts when I think about her, she got hurt really bad.
Just sending a few hugs to you.  | |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Thanks for everyone's nice words. I am completely at peace with the decision, it was truly an honor to be there with such an old friend. There's nothing like having a good vet that can get 105 mL into one while he's still chewing his grain. She got big hugs too!
I hope that Sneaks story can be supportive of anyone that is having a hard time deciding what to do. Love all the support from everyone, thank you! | |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Made me cry, it's so tough to say goodbye to them. I wish everyone had the strength to handle this like you did, we owe it to them.
I still cry everytime I think about the day I had to do it with my old guy - he went very peacefully and I felt like it was the least I could do after all he did for me. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1255
| I had to put mine down today he was 25 year's old I've had him 22 years so it's very very hard to do. | |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| myhre - 2016-11-08 6:59 PM
I had to put mine down today he was 25 year's old I've had him 22 years so it's very very hard to do.
Hugs for you too, and all of our BB who have had to face or are facing this decision. | |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Dinero10 - 2016-11-08 7:53 AM
Hugs, doing this, this weekend.....
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | myhre - 2016-11-08 6:59 PM
I had to put mine down today he was 25 year's old I've had him 22 years so it's very very hard to do.
Hugs to you and all of the ones going thru this right now. . . | |
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  If it Ain't a Paint it Ain't!
Posts: 8519
Location: Mansfield, Tx | classicpotatochip - 2016-11-07 6:53 PM
I just want to write and let you know about my old friend Sneaks.
Sneaks turned 34 years old in April, we had owned him since he was young. Everyone in the family rode him for something, I even ran barrels on him some in high school. My Mom claimed him as her own since he was so noble looking, but Dad still used him on fall roundup.
Sneaks was always happiest being turned out, so when my Mother retired to five acres, we turned him out on the property my husband and I have. The heat this summer took a huge toll on Sneaks, and he got pretty thin. I watched him closely, knowing that if he lost any more weight he would need to be put down.
The heat finally broke, and he put almost all of the weight back on. He played around, and took long naps, but winter in Oklahoma is very wet and windy, and can be pretty chilly. I didn't want him to ever get cold and soaked, so last Friday, the vet came and we put him down.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but during the actual euthanasia, there was nothing but peace. He was chewing his last bite of grain one minute, wondering why he got a shot, the next his eyes went blank and he was down. We had him on the front lawn, because that's where it's the cushiest, plus he got all the green grass he could eat. Sneaks never twitched, and it took about three minutes for his heart to completely stop beating. I kneeled at his head and talked to him and petted him the whole time.
Sneaks went away in the same classic style as he arrived in my life, and I feel nothing but honored that I was there to help him along away from any chance of pain or need.
If you're having a hard time making a decision for your old, sick, or physically hindered horses, please just know that with a good vet, a big bucket of grain, and lots of love, you can make that hard decision knowing that you're doing the right thing, and that they truly don't feel a thing.
I also have an old one ... 33 and I'm worried about him this winter . I swear when I was reading your story it was about Lil Bit but I haven't made the decision to put him down yet.
I just don't know if it's the right thing to do. I've always prayed that he would some how tell me ( if he couldn't get up from laying down anymore or signs of pain in his eyes) but nothing I go out this morning and he is laying down resting which I haven't seen in forever and he jumps right up.
I made the comment to him I guess your still doing good old man.
It's killing me... to do the right thing for him
Edited by RunningOnPaints 2016-11-09 2:41 PM
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | RunningOnPaints - 2016-11-09 2:37 PM
classicpotatochip - 2016-11-07 6:53 PM
I just want to write and let you know about my old friend Sneaks.
Sneaks turned 34 years old in April, we had owned him since he was young. Everyone in the family rode him for something, I even ran barrels on him some in high school. My Mom claimed him as her own since he was so noble looking, but Dad still used him on fall roundup.
Sneaks was always happiest being turned out, so when my Mother retired to five acres, we turned him out on the property my husband and I have. The heat this summer took a huge toll on Sneaks, and he got pretty thin. I watched him closely, knowing that if he lost any more weight he would need to be put down.
The heat finally broke, and he put almost all of the weight back on. He played around, and took long naps, but winter in Oklahoma is very wet and windy, and can be pretty chilly. I didn't want him to ever get cold and soaked, so last Friday, the vet came and we put him down.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but during the actual euthanasia, there was nothing but peace. He was chewing his last bite of grain one minute, wondering why he got a shot, the next his eyes went blank and he was down. We had him on the front lawn, because that's where it's the cushiest, plus he got all the green grass he could eat. Sneaks never twitched, and it took about three minutes for his heart to completely stop beating. I kneeled at his head and talked to him and petted him the whole time.
Sneaks went away in the same classic style as he arrived in my life, and I feel nothing but honored that I was there to help him along away from any chance of pain or need.
If you're having a hard time making a decision for your old, sick, or physically hindered horses, please just know that with a good vet, a big bucket of grain, and lots of love, you can make that hard decision knowing that you're doing the right thing, and that they truly don't feel a thing.
I also have an old one ... 33 and I'm worried about him this winter . I swear when I was reading your story it was about Lil Bit but I haven't made the decision to put him down yet.
I just don't know if it's the right thing to do. I've always prayed that he would some how tell me ( if he couldn't get up from laying down anymore or signs of pain in his eyes ) but nothing I go out this morning and he is laying down resting which I haven't seen in forever and he jumps right up.
I made the comment to him I guess your still doing good old man.
It's killing me... to do the right thing for him
I honestly pray also that Dan will somehow let me know, that I will have not a shadow of a doubt when it's time. | |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| For me, it was knowing that he was a little thin going into winter. The chubby, young horses crowd into the shelters and then stand there and shiver during a windy, wet, cold winter day.
I knew that he would be miserable on those days, and then facing another blistering summer after that.
It was just too much to ask him to do. It felt right to lay him down before there was an issue. He was so super old, and had lived a useful, great life with full care and love.
Letting these guys retire well, and live their last days as horses with all their needs met is all we can ask of ourselves. He would have had needs that I couldn't meet, and very soon. I couldn't let him have even one day of being miserable.
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