Can we please stop shaming owners for making difficult decisions?

Today’s topic is inspired by two different Facebook posts seen within the past 24 hours. The gist of both was that euthanasia is bad, and that good owners don’t euthanize their old horses.

I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, if you didn’t know, most old horses don’t just die of old age. Most of the time, the owner isn’t ready so the horse suffers until the day that the owner is forced to make the call. Maybe he gets down and can’t get up, or maybe he colics or founders as a side effect of other health issues. Old horses develop many of the same health issues as old people - arthritis, organ disease, cancers, tooth loss, vision problems, metabolic diseases and Cushings.

One alone might be manageable - managing several becomes extremely expensive and difficult, especially juggling medications that might help one but make another worse. Even if the horse can be maintained, in the real world, we need to consider the human aspect, as well. Old horses are often owned by older people. Someone on a retirement income probably can’t afford $500 or more to maintain their old horse to give him a few more weeks or months of some level of comfortable living. So, why would we shame that person on social media for making the very difficult decision to send their old friend across the Rainbow Bridge?

This is responsible horse-keeping. This isn’t a bad decision. This is a loving, practical choice.

The rescue who inserted itself between an owner who had made the call to euthanize a horse in this situation - Cushings, vision impaired, previously laminitic - and now has a very expensive animal who needs very specific living accomodations - did what they thought was right. But, when you think about that owner, who may not have closure now - and you think about the quality of life for that horse - and you think about the number of potentially healthy, adoptable horses who will not be helped because the financial impact of this one - you start to think about things a little differently.

Consider the owner who has multiple, elderly horses and has to sell their farm due to their own health. Horses that are no longer sound for long rides or horse shows or anything flashy; mares too old to carry a foal even if someone tries; horses who are one unqualified owner or unsatisfied rider or uncarried foal away from entering the auction pipeline. Sure, there is potential to network them into homes or perhaps a solid rescue organization has the ability to make space for them. But, if all those avenues have been exhausted, why is euthanasia so frowned upon? Why do people scream don’t put him down, but in the same breath bemoan the costs to provide a home or sponsor his care in a rescue organization willing to provide a space?

We cannot say it often enough. A good last day at home with a loving owner is so much the better choice than ending up in a home that uses up the last ounce of soundness and throws their old horse out to pasture to fend for itself, or ending up dumped at auction.