It is a primary tenet of responsible horse ownership — indeed of owning any animal — that it should be given a good life and a good death. This may sound tough but it is true. Research published by the University of Bristol last year identified delayed death as one of four key welfare challenges currently facing our equine population.
In the UK there are approximately 800,000 equines (horses, ponies, donkeys and mules), which is about the same number as there are pet rabbits, yet these animals live far longer and fulfil so many different functions.
We are often called a nation of animal lovers, though unfortunately that love can sometimes mean we do not make the right decisions for our animals. This can mean owners using euthanasia for convenience, while at the opposite end of the spectrum there are those who will keep their animals alive far past the point at which the difficult decision to put them down should have been made.
By domesticating horses we have taken on the responsibility for their care from birth until death but, too often, owners are found wanting. We will never be able to remove emotion from the decision to put a horse to sleep, and nor should we try, but quality of life, not quantity, must always be the primary factor. And therein lies a big challenge.
Measuring quality of life is not an exact science but there are some key principles to help guide owners. Only a small percentage of horses die of natural causes; meanwhile, many are kept alive while suffering with lameness, lost teeth, laminitis (an extremely painful condition of the feet) and geriatric decline. In this regard mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing — enabling the animal to have a life worth living and not one that simply makes the owner feel better about their misplaced priorities.
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The horse world is renowned for having hundreds if not thousands of different voices willing to offer their advice on a situation, most of them well-intentioned. But when considering end of life, the most important views must be those of the owner in tandem with their veterinary surgeon. It is vital that the vet stands as the objective voice of reason in any discussion and decision. Only then will we be able to tackle the ever-increasing issue of delayed death that is compromising the welfare of our horse population.
Roly Owers is chief executive of the charity World Horse Welfare