[ october 2019 | horseillustrated.com 55 ]Rehoming an ailing hoRse
Quality of life should be a consideration for own-
ers who ponder rehoming their horses rather
than euthanizing them. Removing a horse from
the familiarity of his routine, surroundings and
pasture mates stresses an animal already chal-
lenged by chronic injury or illness.
Likewise, placing an ailing or elderly horse
in a so-called retirement sanctuary exposes
him to the stress of adapting to a new environ-
ment, as well as to the possibility of poor care.
“The horse might be turned out to pasture
and continue to suffer from the condition he
had in the first place, or be in a situation where
he will be neglected or mistreated,” says Weiss.
Even horses that have been rehomed to live out
the remainder of their days frequently face risks kovop58/shutterstock