Doing the right thing?
Recently, I saw an affected (with DE) 12 y/o QH gelding advertised on Donate My Horse. He's advertised as an easy keeper and can be ridden walk/trot only. Now, I'm not trying to disparage the owner, but with so many anecdotes about deals gone wrong and abused/neglected horses, why take the chance that someone may not care for your "less than perfect" horse or do the responsible thing when it's necessary?
If you have a horse with DSLD-ESPA that you cannot keep, PLEASE do the humane thing and put it to sleep.
I know it's difficult.
For the last almost seven years, I kept a DE horse that I couldn't ride. When I could no longer control her pain, I released her from it. Knowing that it was the right thing to do didn't help with the heartache or tears, but I know she's in a much better place now, and she is NOT suffering.
I can't begin to tell you how much I spent in vet bills, medications, supplements, etc. trying to help her -- and for a while, I did. But not everyone has that luxury; economically, things are tough all over the world.
Allowing your horse a peaceful death is NOT a bad thing to do. Yes, you will agonize over the decision; it's one of the toughest you'll ever make. It's very natural to want to pass that decision/responsibility on to someone else, and hide from it. But that would be shirking our duty. Our compassion and concern (aka humanity) for our horse's future is what holds our feet to the fire and enables us to make decision and follow through. It is a responsibility that we should all accept as a part of horse ownership.
If you have a horse with DSLD-ESPA that you cannot keep, PLEASE do the humane thing and put it to sleep.
I know it's difficult.
For the last almost seven years, I kept a DE horse that I couldn't ride. When I could no longer control her pain, I released her from it. Knowing that it was the right thing to do didn't help with the heartache or tears, but I know she's in a much better place now, and she is NOT suffering.
I can't begin to tell you how much I spent in vet bills, medications, supplements, etc. trying to help her -- and for a while, I did. But not everyone has that luxury; economically, things are tough all over the world.
Allowing your horse a peaceful death is NOT a bad thing to do. Yes, you will agonize over the decision; it's one of the toughest you'll ever make. It's very natural to want to pass that decision/responsibility on to someone else, and hide from it. But that would be shirking our duty. Our compassion and concern (aka humanity) for our horse's future is what holds our feet to the fire and enables us to make decision and follow through. It is a responsibility that we should all accept as a part of horse ownership.
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