I've been dreading this decision for some time, 

My highschool rodeo mare is now 24, physcially she looks abosolutly fantastic! shiney, healthy and fat and happy! very happy! but shes sore, very sore. 

she struggles with arthirits, navicular, and laminties. she gets around and keeps up with the rest of my horses quite well, my farrier is fantasic and is helping her the best he can, we give her previcox every other day. 

she stands stretched out majority of the time, and has a really hard time turning around. 

ive just been taking it day by day, and our winters are really harsh and cold here, so i guess my thoughts were to let her enjoy the summer, but she's so happy, I know now isn't her time yet, I'm just worried I'm going to choose the wrong time for her, I dont want her to suffer. 

does anyone have any advice on how they knew it was the right time? 

You know your horse and you will know when is the "right" time. If she is moving around well (more good days than bad at least) and seems happy then let her be. If she is just looking miserable and in constant pain, then it is probably time to let her go. Prayers for you and her in making a decision. It is never easy. Just my thoughts, but I really believe they will let you know when it's time.

So sorry, this is never easy.  I had to put my 25 year-old down last November.  It's cold where I live and I told myself I wouldn't put her through another winter as she had a hard time keeping weight on.  I also didn't want to have something happen to her in the middle of winter when I couldn't get my trailer out. I didn't want to let her go as I wanted her to tell me.  And I also always told myself that I would NEVER let her suffer, no matter what.  If I kept her alive for me, that would be selfish.  As I debated the decision for when, her body made it for me.  She too had arthritis and navicular.  She seemed to have lost her sense of balance and equilibrium in late November last year.  She had a mild fall and that was it.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but I'd do it again so she wouldn't suffer.  I was with her the whole time and I still cry about it and it's been 9 months.  But through the tears I do remember the fun and good and she's always with me.  I am so sorry for you - even when it's the right decision, it's never easy.  Your horse will tell you when it's time.

^^^^This exactly. . . 

Dan told me when it was time for HIM, even tho I wasn't ready.  But I never would have been ready.   I prayed daily that I would do right by him and not be selfish for Debra.   It was awful, but since he was 39, Sean had been telling me periodically to start preparing myself.  Like someone told me on here after he was gone, better to do it a few days too early than a few days too late.  I feel like he had a stroke, so it wasn't like he just wasn't moving good, it was decision time, period.   At 2 am none the less.   I will say this though, as long as he was eating good, moving good, and was happy, he was telling me "I still wanna be here Momma."    (He would snake his head and buck and shake his mane like he was a 7 year old stud when it was cold and he felt good---I still have a piece kicked out of my left front fender well on my Tundra from him "leading" us to the barn at feeding time.   I am so thankful I didn't have that fixed. . . )

I am so sorry you and she are facing this decision.   But she's blessed to have her person be one that loves her enough to think about what's best for her. . . Hugs and prayers to you 

Somehow or other it doesn't always seem as if you need to know the right time.......the animal lets you know.

It's just so hard to put them down.  It's like you doubt you should have the right (if that makes any sense).

I'm in the same boat. My mare is rowdy and then is sore for the next two days. She's healthy looking and sassy. But, last winter she lost some more weight than normal, didn't move much, and her back legs ballooned very frequently. She's also got a large lump on her throat that's moveable and the vets won't touch it.

I never ever won't this mare to be in unbearable pain and she looked fairly miserable last winter. I'm worried she's going to get hurt over winter because her balance is slightly compromised. She's not looking to the point of telling it's time yet.

But I don't want to be too late for her either. She's only 13.5 but between the harness racing and the amish her joints tell her she's a lot older.

I know that was zero help, but you're not alone in the confused state of mind

Previcox is not enough.  Try a gram of bute a day and your horse will thank you.

I’m sorry you’re having to think about this…  I’m literally going through the same thing right now with my 29 year old boy that I’ve had since he was born.  Breaks my heart.  He’s no longer eating his grain, although he’s eating most of his hay, and he’s drinking, pooping, peeing, etc. His teeth and worming are up to date but he’s lost a ton of weight all of a sudden. I feel like he’s telling me now that it’s time and although it still breaks my heart and doesn’t make it much easier to think about losing him, I feel a sense of it being okay or better. It’s something in his eyes, or the way he looks at me.  It might sound weird, but there’s something.  Prayers to you in your decision.

My heart hurts for y'all so much.   I know how bad it is, and even tho it may be time, that pain is there. . . . Prayers to each of you

Thank you for all the reply's I dont think it ever gets easy, or ever will. They are our family, actually even more so, they listen to everyword we have without judgement, they are just there for us when we need them most. 

here are a couple pics of my girl that we took this summer, and heres one on how she stands I would love to see everyone's horses, lets celebrate them <3

and heres one from a few years ago, with her colt by her side, and a throwback pic when i used to run her

Shes a beautiful mare .. But just curious, I see shes on a good healthy green pasture do you feed her feed too? If so what are you feeding. 

This was my Doodlebug at age 36.  He's been gone a year, and I miss him everyday.  

Your girl is beautiful 

I’m in the same situation. Mine is only 17 though but ate up with arthirits and bone spurs in both coffin joints. She’s cripple more days than sound now and stands stretched out a lot. But she still has her normal fiesty, full of her self, personality. She had a rough time this past winter so I dread this winter. But like the others I agree they have a special way of letting us know when they’ve had enough and it’s time to let go. I’ve owned mine since she was 4. It’s going to absolutely kill me but I can’t stand to see any animal stand around suffering. I let my dog stay longer than I should have and watching him suffer, hoping for another turn around, was just as bad as loosing him. Hugs for you. It’s nevrr easy loosing a partner especially when you have to make the decision for them. 

I think you have to take their quality of life into consideration.  I always weigh the good and the bad.  What is a good day for them? What is a bad day for them? How often do they have bad days in a month? week? More bad days than good?  I feel like when the bad days outnumber the good days, thats a sign that it may be time.  What's their normal routine- can they still do it with little difficulty? Or is it getting more and more challenging? 

I have seen a lot of horses where it was time to go months before I finally got the OK to do it. Probably cant even share that stuff on here, but it made me wish people would be more ready to let them go before the horse basically begged for it.  And some horses will literally eat up until I'm euthanizing them. And that doesn't mean they haven't been suffering for a long time.  So I always look at their appetite combined with all of the things I mentioned above when I make the decision of if they still have a good quality of life or not.  You as the horse owner knows their routine better than anyone else.  

It's never an easy decision. You don't want them to suffer too long but you don't want to let them go too early either. 

I had to put my old mare down last fall, she struggled to hold weight during the summer and I knew she'd never make the winter. I hated the thought of her going down or dying and not being able to bury her. 

In the end you know your horse and what's best for her. I'm sorry you have to make this decision. I wish all the good ones could just lay down for a nap and pass on their own terms.