Kind of a grim subject but what you you do?

[All4Grace]

I was just having this discussion with a few friends online and I am wondering if you have ever thought about what would happen to your horses if anything should happen to you.

It's kind of a grim subject but I think every horse/animal owner should think about it and have a plan.

For us, now my sister and I have talked about this a few times. If anything should happen to me I asked my sister to sell Vicor (which we are) find a home for Gizmo and make gracie her driving horse, if she has to sell her I know my sister will take great care in selling to the right home. Sometimes I think I'd rather have Gracie put down then sell her on.

If anything should happen to my sister or BIL, Vicor, Ginger and Gizmo would be sold/re-homed. Sunny would be put down as we will never let that pony go to anyone else and risk her harm she is just to precious. I'd try to hang on to Grace, but if not possible I'd resell or put her down as for Hazel, I would do everything humanly possible to keep that mare as long as she lives.

I'd find homes for River and Biscuit and keep Rocky as long as he lives, I'd keep my cat Maggie and re-home, Kit Kat and Dobi.

What would you do?
I know it's a grim depressing subject but something we should all think about.

[palomino]

John would sell her.

[PatriotsDreamer]

Well i put my dad on dreamers papers too as owner. if anything happend to me, he has first option to keep him, then my barn owners( who watched him grow up) have second option, third option is my bf or his mom, las toption is to sell him

[WashingtonBay]

This was a huge concern for me before I married... as I was on my own here with lots of animal dependents. My family is not really well prepared to take any of them on, probably, for the long term, it would be a drain on them and not really fit in with their lifestyle.

I gave immediate instructions for my dad to contact my few horsey friends in the area for immediate "who is going to feed and water everyone today" kind of help. There were specific instructions that Bay was not to be sold. That if a select few friends didn't want him, he should be put down.

Now, I'm not sure that isn't very selfish and untrusting advice. Really, there are lots of good people in the world, and it's too easy to assume we are the only ones capable of loving our animals. Now if something happened to me and hubby were left with them, the need to do something immediate is much less, but it would be my guess that he probably would and should eventually find homes for the horses. I'm not sure of this, but I don't see him continuing to ride without me, or even stay in this area, necessarily. Maybe he would... I don't know.

Cyn's easy, she's young still, and there are many friends that have expressed interest in her (why I don't know ;)) Bay is the emotional favorite around here, but the harder sell to place. Someone is going to have to bury him one day not so long from now, and if hubby didn't keep him, I would want him to go to someone who will not flinch or sell him out. I made a promise to that horse.

If something happened to both hubby and me together, the problem is much like my original problem when I was single.

I will say this... Let your families know of this forum, and have them use it as a resource. There are a lot of animal lovers here... good people who might well be inspired into taking the well loved animals of members who have passed unexpectedly. We bond with the forum critters, as much as their owners. Don't forget this resource in your planning. :)

[Gypsy Rose]

I will say this... Let your families know of this forum, and have them use it as a resource. There are a lot of animal lovers here... good people who might well be inspired into taking the well loved animals of members who have passed unexpectedly. We bond with the forum critters, as much as their owners. Don't forget this resource in your planning. :)

That's a very good idea, WB! As it stands now, if something happened to me, Shadowdancer would care for my animals, but something would have to be done with them, as he has his own place. Of course, he already knows to come here for advice if he needed to.

In case something happens to both of us, I do have a few friends that are aware of Baywind.

The only thing is, of course, whoever came to the forum for help, would have to create an account, if they didn't already have an existing one.

As far as Gypsy, a lot would depend on her state of health, and if anyone was willing to care for a 30 year old horse. If not, I hate to say it, but I would have to go the same route as WB, and have her put down. She would not have a good quality of life without her supplements at all, and those do cost money.

[WashingtonBay]

I wouldn't sell this forum short on offers to take Gypsy... there are several horses on the forum that I think are fixtures here, and would have offers of a home, and I think Gypsy's among them. It's one of those situations where as horse owners, we may not be able to cure what ails the people, but we do know how to care for the critters, and help that way. It would just be a question of how far she could go, and whether she was up to the trip. I dunno... you could probably even sneak a cat or two on to the trailer ;)

[Gypsy Rose]

Awww, thanks, WB!:D It's good to know that she'd be taken care of if she ws still in good health. That's always been my biggest fear. So many around here don't really believe in supplements, and she would definitely be much better off with a caring forum member. As of this point, she's in fine shape. I'll bet she'd be pretty stiff after a long trailer ride, though!:eek: And if some kitties could go along, that would make it even better. She's used to her kitty buddies, since she's an only horse!:p

[WP~Paint]

I have decided that my parents would take care of him and my dad just said the other day if something happened to me they would give him to the people who are free leasing him right now. I had a friend pass away 2 years ago and we were talking about it and I said first thing is to take care of Yogi and my dad said they would give him the the people who are free leasing him. I know he would be in great hands.

[Kara]

Already talked. They would keep them on the place, or given to close friends. The minis are loved by my grandparents, and the bigs will be taken care of by family.

If I died before Bud, I would have to be selfish and ask for him to be put down. Corona, Rum, and the New one(muhahahah she's won't be here till Friday), will leave out their lives and not be sold.

[Buckpoco]

I've thought about the subject a lot too. My hubby has serious health problems and lots of us baby boomers are getting hit with serious health issues. I asked my two closest friends to find good homes for both of our horses should something happen to both of us.
I don't think we could manage our little farm if one of us passed away either, then I don't know what would happen. Boarding would be financially possible in this area. I know if my husband passed away, I'd need the horses more than ever...it's a hard call. If I moved I could manage to keep them, but leaving your kids is tough...I hope we all live to be very old and we'll be able to make the humane decision to end life at the right time for our horses.
:(

[Bessie13]

Well for me. Two of my horses are very senior. One is 28 and the other is 34. I also have a 9 year old mare and a 2 year old pony. I call the pony my "30 year plan". If something happens to me, my daughter in law would take them. We kid around that my pony will go to her when my 30 years are up :). Then we add, that it will really only be up for discussion then.

[lovesfortune]

If I went, my husband would keep them. If we were both gone, my in laws would probably keep them. But it's nice to double check, etc.

If they didn't keep them, Norman would go back to his old owner and they would sell Booty. Reno would have to stay here forever, as he is companion only.

[oursarge]

One of my horses is a preservation horse so he'd go back to the preserve which I hope would take Sarge since they are best friends. If not my best friend would take Sarge and Delta. It's in our will.

[GrungeEquestrian]

I've talked to my parents about it, both of them were not very happy I brought it up (I'm only 17 but things can and do happen). It goes like this, my mare Trouble is to stay with them if they can financial keep her...even if my death was a product of something with her or horses in general. My sister can ride her and have her as her own, but if she looses interest Trouble will be quite happy as a pasture pet. My aunt who has horses has a 25 acre stable in Indiana, Trouble would probably go up there as a second option.

The last option would be to give her to one of my horsey friends or something I would hate to think...sell her.

[Horseaholic]

Its very interesting that a few of you have said you'd put them down. I never really thought of such a thing. I don't know how I feel about it yet.
Since I'm a new horse owner I haven't really thought about it so I'm sitting here at dinner discussing it with my boyfriend. I'd want him to keep him if he could. If there was someone who wanted to ride him and bonded with him like I have then they could take him. If he couldn't keep him my first choice would be for him to come here and offer wads to a good home here.

[Buckpoco]

I know if I had an older horse that had special needs, and nobody who wanted it (other than hubby nobody in my family likes horses) I'd rather put him down than see him go who knows where.

[Kara]

My horse has cancer. I wouldn't rest with knowing that he had to rely on someone else. The other three will be taken care of but not him. The meds and being spooky with other people. The kindness thing I could do is put him down

[shewasmyshadow]

Well, I've told Farmers_wife that if anything happens to me that Rashad is hers. Rashad has had enough people unworthy of trust in his life that the fact that he loves and wants to be with Farmers is a blessing to me. I know that she would make the right decisions about when/if it was time to put him down.

Also, since he's at her house, if something were to happen to Rashad where a choice needed to be made about putting him down (broken leg, etc) and she couldn't contact me, then she is to lie to the vet and tell him that Rashad is hers and have him put down. I don't want people waiting around for me to drive all the way out there if he's in pain.

[Dakota Sunrise]

I've never really discuessed it with my parents... I'm only 17 but I probably should anyway.

If something happened to me though there are two options for Dakota, but he will never ever be sold. The first being my parents would keep him and he could just live out his days (he's 20 now) as a pasture pet. They know I would never ever want him sold, and even though they are not horse people I honestly don't think they'd ever try to sell him. He means everything to me, he's my best friend. They know that, and they would never let some stranger have him.
The other option for him is going to my neighbor Donna. We've been friends and riding partners for years and she's done a lot for me. She'd take wonderful care of him and Kota gets along well with her horses all ready. I have talked to her about it and she knows he goes to her if my parents cannot keep him for whatever reason. It's kind of the same way with her horses- they would go to me if something were to happen.

Beauty is tougher.. she's only 13 and has lots of spunk and attitude and many years ahead of her. It wouldn't really be fair to have her become just a pasture puff and never be ridden, although I really don't think she'd mind, especially if she was with Dakota. My parents might just keep her too, and if not she too would go to Donna. I would love it if she kept her, but if that wasn't possible I know Donna would find a good home for Beauty (it would be amazingly wonderful if a baywind member could take her, but I don't know if anyone would want her). I hate the thought of her being sold, especially since she has been neglected in the past and is so afraid of strangers. But she is a little bit more difficult than Dakota, so I have to be realistic.

[Country Girl 43]

UGH!! I really don't know what hubby would do if I died.
I know first he would move the horses to my freinds house (free boarding) then he would probably have to sell Dallas since my kids can't handle him just yet. :( Depending on how far Joe is in his training, Joe would probably have to be sold too. As for Missy it would really depend if the kids continued riding. But I think my friend would let Missy live out her days on his property.

I know of a few people here that I would let my horses go to. And I also have a large network of friends on our local forum.

A lot of the horses future would really depend on the kids and if they continued to ride. If both hubby and I died, my friend would take the horses in and wait to see what the kids wanted to do.

[All4Grace]

Its very interesting that a few of you have said you'd put them down. I never really thought of such a thing. I don't know how I feel about it yet.


I recently when thought a lot of heart ache and trouble over my old TB whom I adopted out when i left MA, he was stolen from his adoptive owner and passed around for 3 months. We got him back with a lot of trouble and expense. He is safe in loving hands again. I hope to never go through that again. His adoptive mom promised me that if something happened and she couldn't afford to keep him again then she would put him down. He is 22yrs old, arthritic and is an extremely hard keeper. After the fiasco in the spring, she knows that there really isn't anyone besides me and jetlagaside that we can trust to care for him properly and I know jetlag can't afford to board two horses.

This is the reason we'd put Sunny down. She is high maintenance, a chronic founder pony with feet troubles (obviously) and she is not trusting of strangers at all. Putting Gracie down would be the ABSOLUTE last resort. If superstb couldn't find a home that she was 150% comfortable with and a forum member couldn't adopt her then she'd have her put down. In the 4yrs I have had Gracie we have been through WAY to much to just let her go.