I think I am going to have to have my 19 year old horse put to sleep. I am desperately sad, I've had him for years, but he's arthritic and on top of this has been horribly unwell the last few months, now has a tendon sheath infection, is just not picking up like he should, and I'm fairly sure that the time has come.
My 4 and a half year old DS1 is really very fond of him (as is my 2 year old... but I really doubt my 2 year old will query not seeing him again, whereas my 4 year old definitely will). How do I explain this to him? I tried to have a discussion this morning about how my horse is old and sick, and sometime we have to help animals to die so that they are not in pain any more. He got very upset, and also worried because his pony (in v good health) is older than my horse, so he obviously now thinks that the same thing may happen to his pony (which ultimately it might and I don't want to make any promises I can't keep on that score - but the pony is very sturdy and healthy ATM and looks like he'll go on and on).
I've probably got a couple of days to prep him - if anyone has suggestions I'd be very grateful, I'm finding this almost the hardest part. I might try to take a special picture of him with my horse for him to keep (we have a few, but no very nice recent ones), but beyond that I feel quite clueless. I do want to explain in in as matter a fact way as is reasonable for a 4 year old - no put-to-sleep euphamisms or similar, even though they sound more gentle (worry he'd never sleep again). He has a fairly good concept of death, but I don't want him to worry about sick / old people in this context, going forward. He's a real worrier anyway.
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Explaining having horse euthanised to young DCs
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equiliteral · 12/03/2013 14:12
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