I see it all the time. I'm in a group that tries to find homes for 'free' horses - almost ALL the ads go something like this "Need to find a home for my 22yr old TB gelding. He's not sound anymore and can only be a pasture mate. I just can't afford to feed him plus the 2 yr old barrel racer in training and the 6 yr old jumper that I just bought" I always think.. Why can't you just keep the old one a few more years and THEN go on to your next new hobby/sport?
No problem. I've done my rant-if I yell at cats, my wife yells at me. So I rant here. Let this thread go where it goes.... I'm a northern, I'm not sensitive....
You are I share the same loyalty for our aged friends. I only put down one horse and that was because he was starting to suffer and I knew that he would be panicking if he went down and couldn't get up. My other horses died of old age, several at 27yo and one at 35yo.