The retirement and end-of-life stage for horses presents significant welfare challenges as older or injured animals require ongoing care that owners may not anticipate.
Many horses face welfare problems in later life due to owners being unprepared for the ongoing costs of care, dental disease, Cushings disease, and laminitis in older animals. Responsible ownership includes financial planning for end-of-life care and willingness to make timely euthanasia decisions rather than allowing prolonged suffering to avoid cost.