Hello, and how can I do this

[jc67]

Hello all, I've been visiting for quite a while, but this is my first post.

I'm looking for advice on how to tank my daughter's 4H horse without
breaking her heart too much in the process.
I traded her mom's dream horse ( a blue roan and not without some tears from the wife) to get a gentle sorrel gelding with some experience. But apparently now, it was a poor trade as this horse turned out to be heel sore and flat footed and lames easily. I've vetted him and gotten the advice to try with the farrier with pads and heel/toe shoes to try to take the pressure off his joints but it's apparent this isn't making a difference.
I'm not talking a lot of money here(<2500), and she already knows the issues (mind you, she's 12, she's already horse crazy)
If she wasn't involved, I'd ship him right now as I'm not the type to try to pass off an unsound horse to someone else. But how can I do this without breaking her heart any further. She already has another horse to use, which has worked for her better already.
I'm really looking for advice on how to deal with the inevitable, as tough as it may be. Thanks

 

[Goodpasture]

Let her come to the decision....you need to take her to the edge, but she needs to say "This is it." She has to look at it in a pragmatic way. She already knows the horse is holding her back. She should be in charge of deciding if the horse goes to a place where it will be happier or "do we need to keep it?" Kids, particulary country kids, understand reality better than you give them credit for.

 

[Denny]

I would just tell her the way it is and find a replacement for it.Kids rebound from these things quicker than we give them credit.

We lost a foal about a month ago I could see where it was in the pasture and sent my 7 year old son out to check on it as it was'nt doing well he walks back and say's.(Dad the colt's dead) that was it of course he's been at my side since he was 2 years old so he see's what I see on a daily basis.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Yeap kids take things better than we think, but sometimes horses are different. Depending on the length of time she's had with this horse is gonna kinda set the scene for how to tell her it's time for this horse to go.

Then again, a friend of mine has been dealing with an old ropin horse that is her grandaughters. He's been lame for a long time, but still goes enuff for the grandaughter who's 7. She's been bringin in a lady that does nothin but "natural trims" and correcting years of mistakes farriers make when puttin shoes on a horse, he's lookin lots better. Barefoot.
I'm a firm believer in barefoot horses. But it does depend on the ground your dealin with. A 4H horse in an arena can go barefoot (my opinion)
You might talk to your vet and see if they know of a "natural trimmer" that does corrective work. I'm not talkin about a farrier that does just a "pasture trim", there is a difference.
First you need to find out why he's lame. Has he been foundered in the past..rotated coffin bone? things like that. There are ways to trim that can make these type horses wayyyyy more comfortable, and travel alot better.

 

[cattleluvr18]

tell her whats goin on. hopfully she is mature enough to understand that this is best. and she already has another horse so its not like your just leavin her stranded without a horse.