Elderly pony and fast depleting finances

[CousinDelores]

What on earth do I do with elderly pony who I'm fast approaching being unable to afford to keep

Said pony is around 26, I've had him 23 years. I adore him and he is fit and healthy and, touch wood, not required or requiring extensive medical involvement to keep him healthy.
I used to keep him on part livery, and had reasonable savings put aside for him. Then covid came along, my work situation changes and he went onto DIY livery and my his savings started depleting as I temporarily lost my job.
I found work again (less well paid) kept him on DIY to try build his savings back up. Tragically DP died so I'm now a single parent, on a reduced income compared to what I was before. Pony is now on grass livery, but with the increased cost of life in general keeping him at all is possibly going to be impossible. Pony savings are pretty much gone, my own savings aren't exactly high, just enough to cover car issues, household appliance replacements etc and once energy increases comes in, I will have very little money to put away each month.
So what on earth do I do with my beloved pony
A) have him sadly put to sleep, he's had a good life (sadly a decision I might have to make sooner rather than later whilst I can even afford this option)
B) try to keep him, accept I can't put any money away for a rainy day and pray nothing goes wrong, 2.5 years till DS goes to school and childcare costs decrease
C) keep him and pray I find higher paid work soon (unlikely but not impossible, but I also am solely paying childcare etc, so have to stand the increase alone if higher pay = higher hours)
D) desperately try to find someone who will take him as companion (unlikely as lami prone and gets easily attached)
E) suggestions welcome

For context dear pony costs around 230 a month (averaged to include feet trimming and any extras, as I'm currently keeping him as cheaply as possible)

This is such a shame for you to be worried and how lovely you’ve had him so long.
Have you asked around locally if anyone would want him on loan? It might work for someone who owns their own field and as you say wants a companion, especially if you could still hopefully see him often.

(Could the laminitis be avoided with a special hood to limit his grass or is that not kind, I don’t know enough.)

I have asked people on the yard to send anyone who might be interested my way, but I get the impression other people might be in the same boat. I've noticed a few local horsey pages seem have had an increase in people looking to move to DIY, so presumably looking for cheaper options. Where I am (city area) a lot of people have to keep horses on yards, so not much demand for a companion for someone keeping ponies at hoke
A muzzle? Yeah he's a pain and pulls them all off so it's managed by keeping him on a bare paddock in the summer with the other fat ponies

Is he in / capable of v light work? It may be easier to find a loan home if he's up for a couple of hours a week on the lead rein - or a sharer?

If you are in a city area and he's safe & friendly, maybe approach city farms to see if they'd be interested on a loan? Many have limited grazing - our local one only had one ancient Shetland for years due to this - but if he's lami-prone that might work?

He's sound and would probably love to be brought back into work (he was retired as I was too busy, not due to anything age related) but at 13.2 he's a little big for a lead rein, but probably a bit slow/ too long term for a child off lead rein who probably would want to do more, but yet too small for an adult who just wants to potter about, he's sort of an awkward height in that respect.

City farms is a good shout, ill get in touch with them as there's a few within an hour for me, he's quite food aggressive and bitey though so I doubt they will take him but worth a try. The rda possibly as well, he's bomb proof, child proof (providing you don't hand feed him he doesn't bite ) and might make a good lead rein for some of their older kids?

I'm so sorry you're in this position.

Some years ago I was in the same circumstances you describe, with our 18yo pony who was also lami-prone and quite complicated to keep. I tried all the charities, was called abhorrent by one when I mentioned pts (it was a small charity)
I had a lovely long conversation with one of the bigger charities, and while they were unable to help (they were only taking rescue cases) she said that pts was by far the kindest option if I was unable to care for her. As she pointed out, horses don't look to the future the same way as we do, and potentially being passed from pillar to post was much more terrible.
It nearly broke my heart but we did pts. I was trying to maintain my young family single handedly after my husband left, so circumstances had changed a lot. I could have taken on even more work hours to pay for pony things, but that would have left me with even less time for both pony and family.
It took me 6 months to come to the decision as it was so hard, but there was a relief afterwards.
It's a position that many are finding themselves in at the minute. So many horses needing homes and the cost of living soaring. It's extremely difficult to rehome an oldie, especially one requiring special care due to laminitis.
How about having a chat with the British Horse Society? They have a great welfare team as well as a friends at the end euthanasia support team.
They would be able to help you work through your options.
I really hope you can work something out.

If you don’t get a result from the RDA / city farm ideas you could have a ring around all the rescues you can find and see if someone would take him if not I’d have him PTS as you say he’s had a good life , is a reasonable age and there are much worse things that happen to ponies . Good luck with it @CousinDelores , we have a 29 yr old pony that we’ve owned for 25 yrs , fortunately we can afford to keep her on full livery but we have reached the point where the next big medical issue and she will be PTS .

City farm/RDA both a good call - that would be amazing if they could help x

I think you’ve had helpful advice especially from @Trekles.

If you explore the options and you can’t find someone you know will be able to take good care of him then sadly having him PTS sounds like the kindest solution.

Hope it doesn’t come to that but you’ll know you’ve done everything you can and you’re taking care of him until the end.

I’m very sorry you lost your husband too xx

I'm so sorry, I missed the part where you said your husband died

I really hope you find a solution. In your position I would pts. You've given your pony a stable home for 23 years, which is wonderful.

TBH he probably isn't suitable for RDA die to age and being out of work currently. I'm trustee of a centre and we wouldn't consider him. We don't have the finances to take on ponies that can't go straight into use and are likely to be short term/incur big vet bills as aging ponies tend to.

Do you have any riding schools around where he could do some beginner lessons for his keep? I'm in a different country, but he sounds perfect for what an instructor friend of mine does. At a school she used to own, one of the horses was a permanent loan. It's an option. Or an onsite lease for a beginner child. If he's good he may be handed from beginner to beginner as he gets outgrown.

I think it is difficult to find good homes for ponies, especially those with issues, there are some real horror stories out there and I think you will need to be extremely careful finding the right home.
Also worth considering that you may still be liable for veterinary or future euthanasia costs if you retain ownership, once ownership is relinquished you lose any say in the pony's care and treatment
I am very sorry to say that I think option A would be the kindest and least stressful all round.

I am so sorry and think that you should be proud of giving your pony such a lovely home for so long. I would pts, I have done this recently for the pony’s health reasons, at that age you are in the realm when that is coming anyway at some stage. I had a sympathetic vet who put a painkiller and drip in first and then injected the sedation, it was very peaceful. I have a lickit up to the end and did it in the field. I have done this before with a lot of apples in a grass paddock. It is really very hard but you would know that your pony was cared for their whole life and did not need to leave you or home which is hard for them at that age. Vet cost was around £150 and £95 pick up, I kept the tail and planted it under an apple tree. Best of luck and stay strong, better times will come Xxxxx

I kept my childhood pony until she died . It cost a fortune . If I couldn't afford it I would have had her put to sleep rather than send her somewhere / give her away etc .
Don't feel bad about whatever decision you make . Horses are shot daily just because they can't do what they are supposed to and have never experienced love . It is the reason I have never got another horse .

Hell would freeze over before I offered a 26 year old to a riding school. Most are worked very hard and beginner riders even with good instruction will bounce on their backs and balance on their mouths.
In your situation I’d PTS or suffer through keeping him but if not put him in someone else’s care. Far too many less than honest buyers.

This is a long shot but put to sleep is the best option.

@Lastqueenofscotland agree 100%! Control his future and safety however that looks .

If I had seen this post six months ago, and if you were anywhere near me, I would have been interested in him. At that time, I needed a companion horse who could still be ridden on the odd occasion. Lami prone not a problem as I have a fat cob who needs minimal grass. I have now got a companion pony so couldn’t offer him a home, but what I am trying to say is that there may be someone out there who could offer him a home, so it is worth putting the word out. Ask your vet, farrier, dentist etc, whoever you know in the horsey world if they know of anyone.
If you can’t re home safely, then yes, pts is the kindest option. Good luck xx

I think I already knew deep down pts was the kindest option all round, I just needed to hear it from other people
As a side note, I would never give him away/ sell him. I would never give control over his future to someone else, given his age. But if I could find a loan home then that would be wonderful but it's unlikely I guess.

Unless I could be absolutely sure that he would be ok on a full loan, or went to a reputable charity, I’m afraid I would PTS. I’m so sorry about your partner and now finding yourself in this position

I would absolutely pts over any of the options people have suggested. He's been so lucky and has had a great life and there's a lot worse out there than spending your last day in a sunny paddock with a belly full of carrots. You've been responsible for him for almost all of his life, far kinder to pts - better a week too early than a day too late, and his 'day' is getting ever closer with age.

Even a part loan of a few days a week may make him affordable.

Two days a week at £15 a day would half your cost.

There is a couple of rescues that give permanent homes to older horses near me that are very good - I’m in the East Mids. Just thinking of options. I don’t know if any of them have spaces. DM me if you think it may be an option