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 Off The Wall
Posts: 4737
   
Location: Somewhere in Mommyland | We just went thru this with my husbands old rope horse. We're under contract for 2 years in this house and even though we have 5 acres, burying him was not an option. My husband was out of town when I had his horse euthanized. When he asked if I buried him I said no, had to call the rendering truck. He broke down in tears :( But like others have said and what I told my husband, he was gone. It was just his body. I don't like the idea but it's a reality of horse ownership. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
 
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | im one of the lucky ones that has the space and the means to bury one at home and thats what i will always do............
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  Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | When Slim died he was down in Ft. Collins at CSU. We had him cremated and buried his ashed under his barn window. It really wasn't that expensive to have done..like 250 or there abouts. I don't think I could have beared having him sent to a rendering plant. Have 4 buried out by the arena that passed during spring and summer, but cremation if it's an option is the way to go. Your vet should know if it's a service offered in your area.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 887
Location: MN | TurnLane - 2014-01-06 2:25 PM
SKM - 2014-01-06 6:21 AM
If you have a vet school near by, maybe look into taking the horse, watching them put it down and then donate the body to the school.
I wouldn't just drop it off. I would first make sure the horse was put down. Not saying that you can't trust them... but I would just feel better doing it the way I described.
That is a great idea. And it is also a good time while it is NOT an issue for those of us reading- to look into the options so we can make a clear headed decision if we ever have to in the future.
Exactly! And I wish this conversation came up one day sooner! My husband's dog was found dead yesterday morning. It was sudden and a shock. He was the world to hubby. Burying wasn't an option (MN!) and he wasn't comfortable stowing some where to freeze outside for the time being. Hubby was going to bury in shavings to decompose, but I found a place and took him for cremation. Now thinking about it, body as a shell is good perspective.
With burning, aren't the bones still left? |
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 Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | I've given this a lot of thought lately because I will be facing that sooner or later myself.....
I have a 35 yr. old mare that I've owned since she was 3, and even though she's in pretty good shape now, I know I could find her dead at any time.....best case scenario for me is that I can haul her up to Dr. Powers and have her put down if she is starting to suffer.....I really don't want to have to call the rendering truck.....but if she goes down here, that's what I'll have to do because I already have one buried here and my ground is so hard that it almost didn't happen, so I can't try to do that again....I feel like the others here.....it would be just the shell of her body....but I still don't like it and I sure couldn't watch it....but it would be my only option too.... |
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Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | teehaha - 2014-01-06 3:55 PM When Slim died he was down in Ft. Collins at CSU. We had him cremated and buried his ashed under his barn window. It really wasn't that expensive to have done..like 250 or there abouts. I don't think I could have beared having him sent to a rendering plant. Have 4 buried out by the arena that passed during spring and summer, but cremation if it's an option is the way to go. Your vet should know if it's a service offered in your area.
The truck around here doesn't take them to a rendering plant.....they take them to a dump site...still not pretty, I know.....not a lot of options.....sad. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 770
Location: Kansas | When my old horse hit 24, I started thinking about what I was going to do with him because I knew I would be a mess when the time came. If the ground was frozen, he was getting hauled to Kansas City to be cremated and, if the ground was thawed, I had a friend who would let me bury him in her pasture. Last summer, at the age of 27, the time came to put him down and I'm really glad I had everything planned out ahead of time. I called my friend, who called the backhoe. It was about a four hour drive to her house and, by the time I got there, the hole was dug. She and my husband did the actual burying while I stayed at the house. I am SO glad I had this all figured out ahead of time because I most definitely was a mess when the time came. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
| Prndi - 2014-01-05 6:20 PM
mreklaw - 2014-01-05 6:41 PM
You don't have a vet that cremates?
They might, I haven't had the conversation yet. Is it common for a smaller- scale large animal facility to cremate? Its $300 to cremate a dog at my small animal vet. I can only imagine the cost of cremating a horse.
Our small vet clinic doesn't offer cremation for horses. The closest plant is more than four hours away. They send small animals there for cremation but horses are out of the question.
I feel for you. That is emotionally tough BUT I would rather send them to render than take them to the dump. If you don't have ten acres or good neighbors that won't tell in our valley your only option is the dump.
At least with rendering they are serving a purpose. (I know burying doesn't have a purpose other than to make us feel better but I would rather put one in the ground and grow a tree than haul it to the dump.)
Edited by cyount2009 2014-01-06 4:54 PM
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | When I had to have my mare put down about 4 years ago, the vet looked around said "do you have a backhoe?" yes sir. Then he said "I don't see a well near by..." nope. He says "Okay, then, I was never here." Thank you God!!! We have made it a tradition as we pull out of our yard with the horses to honk to her and my other old mare who is buried on the property also several years before that, They are still very much part of my life. I am very lucky to live where it isn't an issue as far as ground and tools necessary to take care of the task. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | Thats really the only option where I live unless you are lucky enough to live on a big farm back away from any neighbors. |
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 Roan On The Range
Posts: 7889
Location: Stephenville, TX | I had to do it. Sometimes it's the only thing you can do.
I had a horse die suddenly away from home, late at night. We dragged her out of the arena and stashed her in another building under a tarp, but the facility wanted me to do something by the next morning. So I didn't have a chance to look into cremation and burial wasn't an option. I got her shoes and tail hair (both of which I unfortunately don't have anymore) but I do have her halter (I've got it hanging in my leather shop), her competition bridle and memories. That's enough for me.
Even if you bury them, technically their body still "goes away" eventually.
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 The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | What I hope you are gathering from this thread Prndi, there is not a right or a wrong way to say good-bye to our equines. We do the best for them in their life, and you do what you can in their death. Remember they are gone. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 268
| Cremation is expensive, but is an option |
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 Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | I personally couldn't do it. There is nothing wrong with it and I like donating it to the zoo better than just sending it off. Like another poster said, the burying is more for me than for them. If I didn't have another option then I would do what I had to do. |
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