There will come a point in a horse’s life where he needs to
be put down to relieve him of intense pain from a severe injury, or an
incurable disease. I came to write this article because my friend Patrick just
lost his horse of 7 years due to severe laminitis. I was inspired as he did
have remarkable experiences with Gracie. There is no more human action than to
put down a horse and end its suffering. Of course, this can be a very difficult
decision with regards to time and manner. If you are facing a situation where
you know your horse is suffering greatly, how would you react? What should you
do?
You may try to ask when the best time to do this euthanasia
thing is. If you see that your horse is in deep pain is so distressed due to an
incurable disease, the only thing left to do is to euthanize him. However,
there are instances where the decision may be unclear. For example, a horse can
experience pain permanently but is just fine living with it. He could even be an
elderly horse who has compromised dental health, which will contribute to poor
feeding practices. But, if you simply
supplement the diet with softer feeds and allowing him to venture on soft
pasture, then you will allow a bit of comfort for your horse. You may know that
a horse is in bad condition but if he can simply manage with your help, then he
is just fine as he is.
Personally, I think it’s not on how painful the situation of
a horse is but rather, question yourself if he is still doing great in his
life. You can tell by his behavior – even with the illness or injury. When it
has become clear that your horse is burdened, then maybe it’s safe to consider
euthanasia.
Do
not allow your horse to suffer immensely from gastric ulcers. You can help treat ulcers in horses without spending too much. With proper medications and
routine caring for your horse, you can
save his health. Use equine omeprazole to treat horse ulcers.
While as a horse lover, I may simply think that horses are
put down because of illness or injury but the truth hurts and the truth is this
– even reasons that do not include health problems may call for euthanasia in
some cases. Economic constraints can be among the reasons why horses are put
down. This especially applies to competition horses. Those that are not fast
and powerful enough for a competition will be put down. Caring for elderly
horses can also be expensive and many horse owners would rather put their
elderly horses down than to spend for their retirement. Generally, taking care
of an injured or debilitated horse can be very expensive, with overwhelming vet
bills. Though economic pressures may drive horse owners to simply let go of
their horse through euthanasia, there are alternatives somehow.
Rescue organizations can be an option; they are willing to
take in the horse and put it under their care. If not, there are other horse
owners who don’t look into the economic value of a horse and are still willing
to make use of them, for instance, as a companion to their horse.
A horse can be a good companion, just like a dog would be. I
cannot just extend my opinion to every horse owners out there discouraging of
euthanasia. When it is a must, euthanasia can be a reasonable option. But for
reasons like economic constraints, there are alternatives on how to let go of
your horse without letting it die. Nevertheless, the final decision will come
from the owner and the owner alone.
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