Having a horse PTS

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sarah23

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I'm having to have my horse PTS. I don't want this to turn into a debate whether to have him shot or injected, but I'm looking into both options.

If i take my horse to the hunt kennels do i have to pay. I have been recommended Thurlow hunt by someone how had their horse PTS a while ago by them and said they where very nice.

My boy is 17hh so i do worry in case he puts his head up at the wrong time.
 
Can you inject if your sending to the hounds? My pony was sent to the hounds but shot, which may have been because of the costs. If you can, I would inject..but that's just a personal opinion. Sorry you have to make this decision x
 
I'd always go for the gun if I had a choice and I think its generally a more cost effective option as well. Aside from that, massive sympathy and a hug from me x
 
Yes you will have to pay for the hunt, ours charge about £150 for a horse.

The only place you will get it done for free is by sending him to Potters, then they will pay you his dead weight value (prob about £400 for his size).

The chances of them missing are very very slim, they will simply get him to put his head in a bucket of feed and he will know nothing about it.
 
You will have to speak to your hunt, my friend used our hunt to have her horse pts and there was no charge but she did make a £20 donation. I'm sure there is no hard and fast rule here so you would need to ask your huntsman for their policy.

I had mine pts by injection and it was very peaceful - the vet gave me the option and he said that shooting is very slightly quicker as the injection takes a few seconds to work, but to be honest it was so quick and peaceful for me it was the right decision. Of course I then had the disposal to deal with where if you take your boy to the hunt they will deal with that for you so that's also a factor to take into account. Either way it won't be easy for you so my thoughts go out to you.
 
QR.
Poor you having o go through this. Just because its the right thing to do, doesn't make it any easier.

If it's any help the BHS welfare dept have no problem whatsoever with horses being taken to a licienced abbatoir to be PTS.
However a lot depends on what drugs the horse is on. If you chose either the hunt or an abbatoir they'll need to know.
No matter what the cost of the actual putting to sleep. this will pale in to insignificance against disposal costs of the carcus, so if the economics are a significant factor chose the hunt or the abbattoir.
 
If i have him injected he will be buried on my land. But of course i have the cost of the digger and the vets, so looking into all the options. Plus trying to work out what i can cope with better as the decision to have him PTS is hard enough.

I had to have my last old boy PTS a few years ago now and i had him injected and it was so peaceful. My only worries with this horse is he is younger (19) and not ill as such so whether the injection will work as well, as i have heard as many horror stories about the injection as i have being shot.
 
The hunt came to my friends field where I had my old cob put to sleep. Two huntsmen came, they were very kind and quick, I had him shot. I paid £100.00. I have sympathy for you as its not an easy thing to do but I'm sure you will make the right decision for you and your horse.
 
Thats a very hard one to answer, having experienced both, not my horses but liveries, with the hunt you just take the horse there, unload him and say goodbye and leave they will not shoot him whilst you are there, it is painless and very very quick. With the injection it it a little more drawn out, someone holds the horse while the vet injects into the neck, you prearrange with the local slaughter house what time it is being done and they will arrive promptly to collect, once the injection is administered, whoever is holding the horse will walk away with the vet once the drug has been administered the horse passes away and will then fall to the floor, if they are standing, the vet then returns to the horse and removes the intravenous kit and leaves the persoon to wait for the lorry to collect the horse.

My one bit of advice to you is do not deal with the slaughterhouse lorry yourself it is not at all a nice experience, when we have had to have any liveries put down or friends horses put down I have always dealt with this side of things as I think it is nicer for the owners not to see the departure of their horses onto the lorry.

If a horse is in a lot of pain and needs to be PTS without delay then I would go for the injection but get someone else to deal with the disposal. If the horse is being PTS for old age and there is no actual rush I would send to the Hunt.
 
I always thought and planned to have my horse shot when the time came, but as it happened, he ended up being PTS by injection last month.
If you have your horse injected, then he will have to be incinerated as he can't be fed to the hounds with the injection stuff in him.
If you have him shot, then he can be fed to the hounds....I am not too sure if there is a difference in price.....I suspect it is more expensive to go the injection way...?
The guy that does the shooting will be very good and professional....I dont think they usually miss !!
 
I had a pony PTS by injection & then burried. By the time everything had been paid for it cost about £300, & that was about 6yrs ago.
 
So sorry you are having to go through this.

I've spent a lot of time at an abattoir recently and have only good things to say about the place. The horses have plenty of hay and straw until their time when they are handled calmly and professionally. Please don't worry about him putting his head up as it is done so quickly and they are very experienced. For a 500kg horse they are currently paying £280.

I would always chose the hunt or a professional knackerman over a vet as they have much more experience.
 
[ QUOTE ]
with the hunt you just take the horse there, unload him and say goodbye and leave they will not shoot him whilst you are there, it is painless and very very quick. With the injection it it a little more drawn out, someone holds the horse while the vet injects into the neck,

[/ QUOTE ]

See that's also my problem i want to stay with him right to the end as i don't want a stranger to be the last person with him. I'm more than happy to hold him for the injection as I've done it before and that was fine, but i know i can not be anywhere near him if he's shot as i cannot listen to the gun going off. But i would rather have him shot if the injection is not going to work as well.

Good why does owning animal have to be so hard
 
Sorry to hear this.

I had one of mine shot very recently, but the guys from the hunt came to the yard with the wagon they use for collecting fallen stock. They shot him at home while he was stuffing his face, then took him for the hounds. That cost me £130.

It is very, very rare that they "miss", as they bring the gun up and shoot before the horse has a chance to react (I mean, there is no messing about waving it about in front of the horse, causing it to move its head away).
 
I stayed with my friends horse when he was PTS by injection a couple of months ago. It was quick, dignified and totally stressless (for him). The vet did not leave him as has been mentioned on her. He was sedated and then injected. The vet kept hold of the rope to keep his head down which meant the horse knelt down on his knees and then gently rolled over sideways. I was able to sit with him until he stopped breathing. As I say very dignified and a good end.
 
phone mick wills at grafton hunt. or his website is equinebereveamentservices. very good professional and caring. there are laws re burying at home, cremation is the usual as many hunts dont now feed flesh, and if going to potters or turners they only payout on drug free dead weight with a section 9 in the passport.
 
I've held 2 to be shot, put a pair of good ear defenders on, our hunt also comes out with fallen stock lorry and does them at home. Go before they winch them onto the lorry as its your own its not the nicest sight.
 
I would like to thank every one who has taken the time to reply to my post.

I think the more i read your posts the more i know what i want done. I'm going to have him injected at home, so i can be with him until the end and then he is being buried in my back field next too where my old boy and this horses friend was buried 4 years ago. Yes i have permission.
 
So sorry to read this, I have been there - twice.
Please remember everyone, if you wish to bury your horse you will need to obtain permsission from DEFRA first.
 
so sorry to hear about your awful decision
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on xmas eve i had to have my 17hh 17yr old hunter pts. i had always said he would be shot as he was horrendous for his booster injections, however when it came to it i had him pts by injection. A friend held him for me as the vet recommended this (he had dislocated his hip so the vet was worried he would fall in a distressing manner). Apparently he just sat down on his bum & fell to his side in a very peaceful manner. He was very well behaved for the injection but he was in a huge amount of pain. Im glad i chose this option in the end as it was going to take the huntsman over 4hrs to get to him.

the injection cost was about £250 inc call out of about £60, and the knackermas picked him up a few hrs later for £170. I was very impressed with their service especially as it was xmas eve. The drove into the yard collected him & then came to find us to deal with the money so we did have to see him being winched onto the lorry. We had the option of burying at home but wouldnt have been able to get a digger until after xmas so it was impractical. I believe if you can prove they are a pet you are able to bury at home (i believe theres something on the defra site)
 
tnothe ones we have PTS and buried were injected and it was peaceful and stress free. iIwouldn't want to load my horse and take him somewhere strange when the time came and I could not face the thought of any of mine being shot. Some people can but i can't, Ok the horse doesn't know any difference but I've got to live with it and I find it hard enough losing an animal without hearing a gunshot in my mind play over.

i know it's different for everone but in my mind i prefer injection.o me it's the same as putting something under GA for an op and just overdosing. If you as a person have had GA then you know that you know nothing about it.That's my preference.

I am very sorry you are having to go through this. I know i am dreading it with mone as it'll be the longest I have ever owned a horse for but we all have to take responsibility at the end of the day.
 
I'm so sorry you are having to think about the details upfront - although obviously it can be reassuring to feel organised and informed. None of this will be easy, that's for sure. Whichever method you choose (I've done both in my time), please leave the 'clearing up' to the person responsible for taking him away afterwards, and don't hang around to watch. If you are at all concerned about the money (I don't mean to sound presumptive, and this is something that a lot of people are having problems with) please just ring your hunt, go and have a chat, and explain your concerns and I'd hope that you can come to some arrangement. I'd be appalled if my hunt couldn't help you out just because of funds. And please don't worry about the shot missing - this really doesn't happen (often if at all) if you go with a good professional. And for the jab - well I only have good experiences of this too. Its personal choice, wishing you all the strong and supportive vibes I can muster, thinking of you both. x
 
So sorry to hear about your boy
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When I had to have my TB mare PTS, she went peacfully by injection.

Can't comment on costs with hunt and not something I considered at the time.
 
Our huntsman just says send a voluntary donation to the secretary. I've had three pts at kennels over the past 15 years and whilst there can never be a pleasant way to see a beloved horse die, I find the speed of the gun preferable to the potentially drawn-out end by injection.

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this, especially when he isn't really very old. (((hugs)))
 
Just to prepare you, it is not always so peacefull by injection. I had to have my much loved mare put to sleep last summer. I wanted it done by injection as I cold not stand the thought of her being shot.
I had seen another pony being pts by injection and it was very quick and peacefull so I thought it would be the same for her. Sadly it was not. although she went down very quickly she then struggled to get back up and the vet had to give a second injetion before she went.
The vet was panicing and all in all it was a
horrible experience.

I have found out since that it does sometimes happen this way.
I was upset as the vet did not warn me it may be like this.
I feel very sorry for you as I know how hard it is. I hope your horse does go quickly and peacefully I think I was unlucky but just be aware that it does sometimes go wrong.
I still get upset when I think of it. I am sorry you are having to deal with this and hope it goes well for you.
 
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