Do you have a senior horse?

[fadetopurple]

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[FarmerChick]

Sorry about your horse.

I know...been there a few times.

It is hard but letting go of an animal that had a great life but is suffering is the best anyone can do.

Enjoy the time you had....good memories are priceless. Life moves forward and we must march along.

 

[freemotion]

It is easier when they give you permission. A tiny bit.

 

[big brown horse]

big brown horse,

I truly appreciate the advice, but in this case it's time for me to let him go. He was always an extremely easy keeper, and never lost a pound during winter until the last two. I was looking at pictures the other day and I realized he's actually LOST weight since this spring. :/ The vet checked him about a month ago for something else, and said that his heart murmur had gotten noticeably worse since when she last saw him in March. He's been irritable with me the last couple days too, which is not like him at all. He's trying to tell me something...
I started digging the other day.

Thank you, though. I would give fermented oats a try if he had more time left. I hope it can help someone else.

I've been there before too, not fun at all.

Sorry fadetopurple, hugs, Sally

ETA: A few more hugs,

 

[lupinfarm]

Well my little lady is not really a senior, but she has some senior problems like awful arthritis in her hocks.

Luna is 8 years old, yeah, young... but she's been roughed up so badly over the years she may as well be an old girl. I love her to death, she's a pain in my rear end but what can ya do? I fully expect her to not live too long. We're prepared for when the time comes that she is in just too much pain to live comfortably but we're trying to help her with as little medication as possible (going to Glucosamine next, then ASA).

She's not even a great keeper. She is on grain all year round and hay in the winter because she can lose weight. She has next to no muslce in her hind end due to the pain of her arthritis (or something else, we're not sure.. no x-rays were done but the vet is certain its arthritis in her hocks).

She has terrible conformation and very bad feet (looking into corrective shoeing for her next, she badly needs a trim right now but the ground was too wet out up until today when it snowed).

ETA:
Luna in the snow! She's that pink blob in the distance. I had to change her blanket today to her thick winter one (it's a mid weight, 220g polyfill and 600denier). This picture is from day before yesterday. She's out there in this huge storm we're having, snow, then a little rain, and more snow expected overnight. She's doing well in this weather with her new blanket on (her new one says Born to Roll all over it). My poor 4 year old is naked and looks a lot colder, I think, than she actually is (BUT SHE SURE IS WET!).

 

[FarmerChick]

that is bad when a young horse gets troubles like that.....they really do live a hard life. feet and legs are everything to a horse. that is what a horse is and when there is trouble there...UGH

hard keepers are tough. but sounds like you got a handle on it and will do what you can for her....good deal, she is lucky to have you as an owner.

 

[pfht7]

My oldest living horse is a 29-year old Arabian gelding. As we speak, I am procrastinating "that" vet appointment. He has a disease called DSLD (or more correctly ESPA), which among other things is causing all of the tendons and ligaments in his body to degenerate. The most common symptom is when the fetlocks (usually the rear) become enlarged and drop, sometimes to the point that the pasterns are almost parallel to the ground, although it doesn't always manifest that way. It can also affect their internal organs. His legs are certainly messed up and are gradually getting worse, but his biggest problem is being underweight.

Before you make "that" appointment, I was just wondering if you've tried the treatment developed for DSLD-ESPA (DE) horses by Dr Eleanor Kellon? It is NOT a cure, but it has helped many many horses whose owners were looking at making the same call to their vet, and their horses appeared to be in worse shape. I don't think I'm supposed to post links to other forums etc., here, but there is a group for owners of DE horses. It's ~900 members share their knowledge and support each other through the difficult times. If you're interested, please eMail me and I'll send you the information.

 

[Nicki]

My Senior horse is in her mid twenties in my mind she never really aged until one day we realized wow maybe she is getting up there. She is a wonderful appaloosa that I grew up with I am now well older and married my husband knew from the beginning that if the horse could not go I would not go. She is now blind both eyes have been removed due to Uveitus not sure if I spelled that correct but I feel so blessed to have a chance to have a horse that even completly blind trust me to to do anything. She does not get ridden anymore we go for walks and she keeps the lawn mowed in the summer and is still a true joy to have. She is normally out in a large pasture with a large open type barn but we have been in double digit negatives this week so she had to come in until the artic blast passes. I dont normally use hoods and could not find one to fit so we improvized with some clamps and quilted bedding to keep her neck a little warmer.

 

[big brown horse]

Isn't she pretty?! (I love to hear stories about how much we all love or loved our senior horses. ) I love her blankie too. What is her name? She looks like she still has a big engine back there in the form of a rump too.

My sister's appaloosa is 30 years old now and he still has the same get up and go that he had as he did as a youngster. He was an old rodeo horse and his name was Smoke. Those appaloosas are built so tough they should name a truck after them...forget the "bronco" or the "ram".

ETA: Welcome to the herd!!!!

 

[Nicki]

Her name is Dani she has tons of energy still she is a bit of a harder keeper but always has been even when younger so she pretty much free feeds on as much hay as she will eat. Other than being blind she is still very healthy.