Category: Euthanasia

Updated Sept. 13, 2026

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Over my years fighting laminitis, one vet battled to keep my horses alive. Another vet told me to put them all down, cut my losses and move on before my life was over.

I originally thought the first vet was right. Then, I believed the second vet was right. Now, I don’t know.

As of 2026, I lean toward euthanasia as the better answer for this reason alone: Two things are kryptonite for laminitic horses — heat and humidity. Not only do they stress the compromised hooves further, but they stress the whole horse.

Getting a laminitic horse through each summer now has become a full-time and not very fun job.

I believe the only horses that will do well in the ever more stressful weather will be the healthy ones. And I even worry about them.

Traditionally, a horse’s chances of having a quality life after developing laminitis have always been small.

I didn’t realize that at the outset of my first case in 1998. I remember asking my vet how long until the horse recovered. I can still remember him pausing and searching for the right words. He didn’t want to say never. But, that’s what he was thinking.

Some laminitic horses have had stretches of a quality life. Did those stretches make up for the pain the horse had to go through in between?

All but one of my horses fell into this category. I spent a lot of money on things, such as boots, duct tape and supplements, to keep them going, and keeping a horse in boots is pretty much a 24/7 project. Has it been worth it? For me? For them?

I kept Angel alive for seven years because I had every hope that science would develop a treatment to restore her feet before she got so bad that she couldn’t hang on. When she hit the point of being miserable, that treatment had not materialized. So one could make the judgment that keeping Angel alive was a complete and total waste of money, and additionally I kept her hopes alive, only to have to go back and tell her nobody could help her and that final day had come.

She looked so much more peaceful in death than any day that she struggled through laminitis. I can’t say keeping her alive was the right thing to do.

I have seen products that gave me a lot of hope.

I have not seen a product that cures laminitis or even provides long-term effectiveness.

Someone recently said to me that my one current chronically laminitic Connemara was cured. Not even close. He’s still here at age 30. But I fight hard to keep him on his feet. I am the reason he’s still here.

Today, in 2026, the horse world seems no closer to an answer to stop laminitis than we were when my first horse developed the disease in 1998.

I wish I had better news.