To question why Valegro has been put to sleep?

It is absolutely none of your business. It’s also not unusual for people to make the decision to pts older horses with health problems before winter as winter can exacerbate existing health problems.

But these are working animals, not pets.

As far away as possible from them 2 , & to the supporters here are you also beating your horses 24 times plus for your own desires!!!
R.I.P these 2 beautiful horses are now at real peace together who deserved better.

I think this is the case here, both horses were not old by today's standards and could have lived much longer. I know someone who once worked for a well known show jumping family and as soon as the horses no longer served a purpose, they were put to sleep if they couldn't compete any more.
A lot professional riders/competitors are the same, the horse for them is just a means to make money despite what they say, totally wrong! My horse will be with me for the rest of his life, even when he's too old to be ridden

Quite.

It was an act of kindness to let two old pair bonded horses go together.

A vet once said to me "Euthanasia isn't a welfare issue" and it really stuck with me. A horse doesn't know it's being pts so there is no prior knowledge of what's about to happen.

Horses aren't like people, they can't quietly sit in an armchair when their mobility decreases. If they have mobility issues moving about a field then their quality of life must be pretty miserable. A top class competition horse will have had a lot more wear and tear on their body than your average happy hacker so even with gold standard care problems may well arise in later life.

There was a definite feeling towards the end of Valegro's competition career by those in the know that he had soundness issues so to have been kept going until now is impressive. Carl Hester does seem to have a good reputation for horse welfare and I'm sure this decision was taken for very valid reasons.

But OP, why do you think money has anything to do with it? Their owners are wealthy & it would be nothing to them financially to keep the horses going in retirement. It would be far worse for some rich owner to say, oh yes, there’s my Olympic horse out there, hobbling around a field, looking miserable. Get real, & save your outrage for real horse abuse.

You have no idea what they were suffering from in their daily lives. Many things no doubt. Arthritis, Cushing's, you name it... , but luckily he didn't let them just go on and on , because he knew what was best for them, and that is a responsible owner.

I don’t think I said anywhere I knew better, I am reflecting on 50 years of changes that I have witnessed in animal welfare, and my lifelong passion for the equestrian community. It is very sad that a discussion forum cannot express views without leading to rather personal comments. Forums like this only give a glimpse of the lives we lead. You never know what experiences your fellow commentator has led. An earlier response explained my life’s involvement with horses and how for most of my formative years my life evolved round them. Now in my dotage I lead an easier life.

You literally think you know better than an Olympic MBE equestrian with a team of top vets. So yes, it is embarrassing.

Don’t be embarrassed for me. My lifelong involvement ( I’m in my 70’s) with the equestrian world has led me to reflect on modern day practices. I have seen major changes in animal welfare over the last 50 years, many for better.
I admit here the world of dressage is not one I have been involved in, other than my contact within my lifetime round horses. I spent years hunting and am quite well aware of the toll certain activities take. This forum is for free speech, I’m sorry you feel the need to denigrate a fellow commentator. We all have different life experiences, and mine has been fulfilling on reflection. My passion for animal welfare increased as I grew older.

embarrassed for the OP

Valegro has been retired years (2016 I think?)

There could have been any number of reasons and they’re are none of our business.

I had my old retired mare put to sleep a couple of years ago. She was 24. To look at her you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with her but she had arthritis and I couldn’t keep her field sound anymore.

If you can’t go for a buck and canter across your field anymore, or lay down to sleep or have a massive roll in the muddiest puddle you can find because you’re worried you can’t get back up, then what’s the point. I wanted a calm, quiet and dignified end for her. Not one full of fear and pain because she’d gone down with n her field and we couldn’t get her back up.

Putting my daughter’s much younger riding pony down at the same time was certainly a consideration floated by our vet. They were very bonded (which was actually a massive pain in the arse) and there was concerns the other one wouldn’t cope with the loss of her buddy. As it was, she was fine but I can certainly understand why someone would let 2 pair bonded horses go together.

I’ll tell you. I’m in my 70’s, grew up on a small farm. Joined the pony club around about 10, it was a long time ago. I spent most of my Saturdays hunting, and when not at school twice a week Thursdays and Saturdays. My life evolved around my passion for horses. I competed in local gymkhanas but never sought a professional life in the equestrian world. I have no experience of dressage other than watching. However what I see in the modern world ( as I call it) is very different to the life I experienced growing up. It seems is much more commercial, much harsher. We perhaps were unusual in that we were lucky to have parents who were compassionate when it came to our personal relationship with our animals. I’m not talking livestock, but pets and in my circumstances my boy. My attitude to animal welfare has not changed over the years and perhaps people like me are not in tune with modern practices. It all seems so money driven to me.

Well done Carl for making a decision which put the two of them first. A month too early is always better than a day too late, and they have gone to the great fields in the sky together after a summer and before a long winter of cold and wet which is so hard on older horses. I only wish we had the ability to make the same choices as humans.

23 and 24 is a good age for these two beautiful horses to have reached.

It is always better a day too soon than a day too late - and as anyone who has been involved with horses will tell you, it is the last act of kindness you can do for your equine friends.

And to what end?

Do the vets collude? In what? With who?

Another ten years of failing health and missing his life partner?

Why would you subject an animal to that?

Not sure we’ll see the OP again. Shame really as I’d love to know what she was truly thinking to make such an unreasonable post.

Totally agree with all the sensible people on this thread. Too many people project human emotions and scenarios onto animals. We have NO IDEA what the situation was, but the responsible and loving thing to do is ti put the quality of life of the animal first.

Tell me you know nothing about elite level dressage and horse ownership without telling me!

It's really good to read so many sensible replies to this post, none of which I can add to but I just wanted to say, far too often we put our consciences first when it comes to what is best for an animal.

Too many animals are made to suffer, including wild animals that should to be humanely PTS rather than 'rescued', because we let our emotions get in the way of what is the kindest thing to do.

We did exactly this with two of our retired elderly competition horses. It would have been cruel to take them through another winter on the Yorkshire moors so waited for a sunny day, called the knackerman and job was done in minutes. I don’t know why pps are suggesting that 23 and 24 are on the young side, we have had many many horses and I would say that’s a pretty decent age. Ponies, yes you might expect them to live on a bit, but horses not so much. Money isn’t a factor- Roly Luard who owned Valegro is absolutely loaded and very close to Carl.
One thing we have learned over the years is never give any details about a horse’s demise and never ever tell anyone that you are planning to pts as the haters come out in force, especially when it’s a well-known horse.

I completely agree with you! I read it in the press and thought the same. Both at the same time? I’m very suspicious and can’t help thinking at least one of them would have had at least another 10 years. Do the vets collude?