End-of-life decisions for horses are among the most emotionally challenging aspects of horse ownership. Evidence-based quality of life assessment and clear criteria for euthanasia support owners through this difficult process.
Horse end-of-life welfare requires honest, ongoing quality of life assessment rather than waiting for clear crisis indicators. The stoic nature of horses means that significant pain and deterioration can occur before owners and vets recognise the threshold for euthanasia has been crossed. Frameworks that assess multiple quality of life domains - appetite, mobility, social engagement, sleep, pain-free periods - provide structure for decisions that owners and vets may otherwise find impossibly difficult. The welfare-appropriate decision is always to err on the side of earlier euthanasia rather than allowing prolonged suffering to avoid the emotional and financial cost of timely action.