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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
 
| I have a 9 year old stallion that is foundered. He has been rotated since he was three years old ( some incident where he shipped in to the track, nobody knew he was there apparently, he went 4 days with no food or water!) from stress founder. I just got him last July, and was under the impression that he was only rotated a few degrees. I have galloped him his last three years on the track, so I knew his feet were bad... just didn't know he was being blocked all the time! I have worked so hard since I got him just to keep him comfortable. He lost a lot of weight right off the track, and he's finally starting to look really good again. But his feet just keep getting worse and worse. I have taken pictures of them multiple times, and he is 12 degrees rotated now. I have been getting him shod every 4 weeks, which has helped a little bit. This horse absolutely cannot go barefoot. I tried that once and he rotated more. I have a really good vet and farrier that come out often and look him over. I give him Bute and banamine everyday, and he does ok when it kicks in. But he still won't go out of a limp walk. I know it's only a matter of time before he starts building up a tolerance to the medication. Our before he comes through his soles. So my question for you guys, is how do you know it's time to put down your horses? I just feel bad, because I know he wouldn't normally act like this. He has been laying down more. That's not him at all. I don't want to wait to put him down until he's absolutely miserable either. Am I being selfish for thinking about putting him down now? He's just so young...I just don't feel like he will have a very good or comfortable life. Any input is helpful! Sorry for the long post... thanks in advance. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| The best way to figure out if its time is do they act like they still enjoy life? If their are more bad times than good?
I've never had to put a horse down, but we put one of our not-so-old dogs down last year. In three weeks, she went from a happy, high energy overweight 15lbs dog to 7lbs, losing all her hair, and completely blind. She was only 6 years old. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | So why not block his feet....m |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
| When the quality of life isn't there. I watched my boss let her mare live way to long. To the point she got sores from laying down so much. In the end the horse couldn't even walk the 10 feet to her grave no matter how much drugs the vet gave her she just hurt that bad.
It's our job as the keeper of these creatures to do justice by them, not to let them suffer needlessly for our own selfishness. I had to put my 29 year old mare down last year, she was perfectly healthy other than she had zero teeth and had to eat soaked mash 2x a day. Financially I couldn't afford to feed her that much feed. I was scared to find her a home for a young child or a light trail rider because I worried they wouldn't feed her properly etc. I struggled inside a long time and ran myself into a sizeable amount of debt feeding her until I made the decision to have her euthanized.
The decision sucks to make and it's not always easy, but in the end normally the next day or two you realize you did the right thing, and you're not the horrible person you were worried you were.
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | If you can't keep him comfortable, then I wouldn't make him suffer. My sister had a pony that was foundered BAD and the only thing she did to help her was occasional trims. The poor pony spent the whole day laying down, and only got up to get water and eat. She lived like this for years because my sister's attitude is "animals are happier alive than dead, no matter what condition they're in". My other sister and I finally convinced her to put the poor thing out of her misery. When their quality of life is non-existent, then it's time to let them go. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Katielovestbs - 2016-03-04 10:42 AM I have a 9 year old stallion that is foundered. He has been rotated since he was three years old ( some incident where he shipped in to the track, nobody knew he was there apparently, he went 4 days with no food or water!) from stress founder. I just got him last July, and was under the impression that he was only rotated a few degrees. I have galloped him his last three years on the track, so I knew his feet were bad... just didn't know he was being blocked all the time! I have worked so hard since I got him just to keep him comfortable. He lost a lot of weight right off the track, and he's finally starting to look really good again. But his feet just keep getting worse and worse. I have taken pictures of them multiple times, and he is 12 degrees rotated now. I have been getting him shod every 4 weeks, which has helped a little bit. This horse absolutely cannot go barefoot. I tried that once and he rotated more. I have a really good vet and farrier that come out often and look him over. I give him Bute and banamine everyday, and he does ok when it kicks in. But he still won't go out of a limp walk. I know it's only a matter of time before he starts building up a tolerance to the medication. Our before he comes through his soles. So my question for you guys, is how do you know it's time to put down your horses? I just feel bad, because I know he wouldn't normally act like this. He has been laying down more. That's not him at all. I don't want to wait to put him down until he's absolutely miserable either. Am I being selfish for thinking about putting him down now? He's just so young...I just don't feel like he will have a very good or comfortable life. Any input is helpful! Sorry for the long post... thanks in advance.
Bute and Banamine every day??? I'd have to put the poor guy down. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I can't tell you what to do, but bute and banamine are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
There is still hope for your guy, I have one who is a chronic founder she bled out then sloughed off her feet. It has been 2 years, last summer she was moving well no abscesses. Now we are back to dealing with abscesses.
I don't shoe her, as the vibration of hammering can cause rotation and it is painful.
I use old Mac hoof boots, she wears these 24/7, I put iodine pads on her feet so she doesn't develop thrush, and change these every 3-5 days.
If I have her locked up in a small pen. I will put her soft rides on.
The only reason we have went backwards is she managed to get her boots off in the winter and bruised.
Bruising is what causes them to become sore and can cause them to rotate more. Bruising can cause abscesses, and it takes 18 months for them to grow a new foot.
Have the farrier trim to the coffin bone, so the heel with have to be dropped and the toe cut off, this honestly does work.
The day before the trim, the day of and a few days after a trim, she gets the max dose of bute to prevent inflammation.
Currently I have noticed mine does a lot better on turmeric daily.
If you want more info message me |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| MS2011 - 2016-03-04 11:31 AM
Katielovestbs - 2016-03-04 10:42 AM I have a 9 year old stallion that is foundered. He has been rotated since he was three years old ( some incident where he shipped in to the track, nobody knew he was there apparently, he went 4 days with no food or water!) from stress founder. I just got him last July, and was under the impression that he was only rotated a few degrees. I have galloped him his last three years on the track, so I knew his feet were bad... just didn't know he was being blocked all the time! I have worked so hard since I got him just to keep him comfortable. He lost a lot of weight right off the track, and he's finally starting to look really good again. But his feet just keep getting worse and worse. I have taken pictures of them multiple times, and he is 12 degrees rotated now. I have been getting him shod every 4 weeks, which has helped a little bit. This horse absolutely cannot go barefoot. I tried that once and he rotated more. I have a really good vet and farrier that come out often and look him over. I give him Bute and banamine everyday, and he does ok when it kicks in. But he still won't go out of a limp walk. I know it's only a matter of time before he starts building up a tolerance to the medication. Our before he comes through his soles. So my question for you guys, is how do you know it's time to put down your horses? I just feel bad, because I know he wouldn't normally act like this. He has been laying down more. That's not him at all. I don't want to wait to put him down until he's absolutely miserable either. Am I being selfish for thinking about putting him down now? He's just so young...I just don't feel like he will have a very good or comfortable life. Any input is helpful! Sorry for the long post... thanks in advance.
Bute and Banamine every day??? I'd have to put the poor guy down.
Same here!! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 187
| Last summer I put my 19 year old gelding down. It was the hardest decision I had ever made. He was an orphan at a month old, then hurt his pelvic area (not 100% sure what happened) and was a pasture pet ever since. He was a hard keeper and he got around good, but couldn't ride him, because he would loose his balance. I tried to find a home for him as a companion, but like someone else mentioned, no one could take as good a care of him as me. He looked the best he had ever looked! He was "fit" looking and not thin. But that made it harder for him to get around. I have felt at peace since he was put down. I know he is happy, fat, and pain free now. Good luck with everything! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| It's never an easy decision. I put my daughter's pony down a few years ago. He was absolutely miserable the day before. He had a very hard time walking a few steps to get in the trailer. I hauled him to the vet and let him go. I have a 24 year old horse that kicked through the tin on the barn wall several years ago. He has a major scar from it and is a pasture ornament. His time is coming too. He still acts frisky when turned out, he is very excited to eat twice a day and he still picks at the other horses. I feel he is still enjoying life, and does have quality of life. If you can treat him a little longer, then let him continue on. If there are no other treatments and he's miserable, you'll know when to let him go. Don't feel guilty. It's not a easy choice. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| Thank you everyone for your input and stories! I really think I will be putting him down very soon...I guess I just needed to hear some similar situations. And to not feel like a terrible person! I don't mind giving Bute and banamine everyday, but it's not doing as much anymore. Thanks everyone! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 623
Location: /ARKANSAS | Make sure you are not making it worse by not controlling the calories he gets, |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| He is on a very strict diet for IR horses that my vet helped me make :) I also have put a pair of old Mac boots on him before, and I loved them! He did alright with them, but after a couple weeks, I couldn't keep them from rubbing his heels raw :/ |
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Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Katielovestbs - 2016-03-04 12:39 PM Thank you everyone for your input and stories! I really think I will be putting him down very soon...I guess I just needed to hear some similar situations. And to not feel like a terrible person! I don't mind giving Bute and banamine everyday, but it's not doing as much anymore. Thanks everyone!
You're not a terrible person, you've gone above & beyond to try to give him a good quality of life. It's an incredibly difficult decision, but we owe it to them to not allow them to suffer. I've gone thru it a couple of times and it's just heartbreaking. |
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Miss Southern Sunshine
Posts: 7427
Location: South Central Florida | You said he was blocked prior. So if he was comfortable enough to gallop, why not block him for daily comfort? I would prefer to block him than put him down. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | What are you feeding now, just wondering? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| When you don't see the quality of life anymore and your gut tells ya. Seems like you have a lot of experience around animals, its a hard decision but sometimes the best decision. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| Thank you guys for being so kind! It wouldn't be feasible for me to block him. Because blocks, for feet at least, only last 24 hours, and have to be done by a vet. He is being fed a Colorado mix hay, with no alfalfa. He also gets stamm 30 and a handful of oats. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 787
Location: NE Pa-Gods Country | have you tried hoof cinches? a friend has a beloved pony that foundered every time the weather changed...and they have worked wonders for him. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 891
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PRAY. God will tell you when it is time & listen to your horse. Look into his eyes. He will tell you as well. I have been through this & trust me, God & your horse will let you know when it's time. You have to trust both God & your horse. |
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