Is the knackerman now adding equestrian tax?

AShetlandBitMeOnce

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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I saw this price list just now on FB - publicly shared so I'm sure they won't mind if I re-post. I have always used a hunt service and they have all been brilliant, but considering our Ayrshire cattle were generally around 600-650kg so the same as an approx 17hh horse, why are they so much cheaper than a horse? Do they take less processing or something? More meat? doubt it for a dairy breed

Cow: £130
Horse 16hh+: £285

(Not querying the injected uplift as that's obvious).

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I'm more shocked at how expensive their prices are for sheep and lambs! Our local place charges £20+VAT per sheep over 40kg and that's collected.

They charge £200.00+VAT for a horse over 14.3hh so in the same ballpark, price-wise, to the OP.
 
It's not the price in and of itself that I have issue with, they're also in the south east which is more expensive for everything but it's more the jutification for more than doubling the cattle price when the animals require the same equipment, space and provide the same amount (if not more) of sustinence to the hounds.
 
I have heard - not sure if it's true - that beef is better than horse for the hounds, so perhaps it reflects the ongoing usefulness more than the disposal cost?
 
No clue but our place is the same - £115+VAT for a Bovine 48 mths + (including TSE sample charge) - Male - so it must be a "thing".

If I was pushed for an answer, I'd go with either:

(a) Farming is a horribly cash-strapped industry while equestrianism is seen as more of a luxurious hobby therefore we are to a certain extent subsidising the fallen livestock. Or,
(b) They collect more livestock than horses therefore due to economies of scale, horses command a higher price.
 
Looking at those prices I think my local knackerman has put 'horse tax' on his prices. 3 years ago we lost B to colic, so PTS by the vet and collected the following morning by fallen stock man. £430.00 (he was 14.2hh) yet we dropped a sheep down to him (only in next village) and he charges £25.
 
Im local to them but used an alternate company which was cheaper.

14.2 pony cost £150.

This was with Fallen Stock Hampshire.
 
If its a hunt the removal of fallen stock for farmers is often a perk of allowing the hunt on or near their land. Our local hunt sent us farmers tickets for the beer tent at the point to point, and it was a free bar. They have the costs of disposal incinerator.

Most of fallen stock is sent for rendering and does not go in the food chain.

A Hughes & Son

www.ahughesandson.co.uk www.ahughesandson.co.uk

I grew up with the smell of De Mulders, distinctive.
 
Shooting horses is a lot more specialist than shooting a cow. I wouldn’t be surprised if they only had 1 person able to do it so you are paying a premium for that expertise (I certainly wouldn’t want my horse shot by someone who usually only did cows). Horse owners also are generally not going to be happy for the horse to be removed on a multiple load (perhaps in the wagon with farm animals or other horses) so you're also talking single visits too
 
Jenko109 said:
Im local to them but used an alternate company which was cheaper.

14.2 pony cost £150.

This was with Fallen Stock Hampshire.
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I will second Fallen Stock Hampshire - Chris is a truly lovely man who made a horrible day that bit better by treating Rio with care, respect and dignity. He will come out 24/7, is a horse owner himself and I wouldn't use anyone else. Also charged just £120 (13.2 pony). Always used the Hunt before, but never again - when we had an emergency PTS they told us sorry, no one available.
 
We also have two fallen stock companies locally. One of them is predominantly horses and is the one the vets use and they are more expensive than the other one which is mixed horses/farm animals. They used to be the same company so the expertise is the same. I've used both for cremation, so I can only assume one of them is applying a horse tax.
 
TheMule said:
Shooting horses is a lot more specialist than shooting a cow. I wouldn’t be surprised if they only had 1 person able to do it so you are paying a premium for that expertise (I certainly wouldn’t want my horse shot by someone who usually only did cows). Horse owners also are generally not going to be happy for the horse to be removed on a multiple load (perhaps in the wagon with farm animals or other horses) so you're also talking single visits too
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This is just for disposal, not dispatch and disposal.. I ran a bit fast and loose with the 'knackerman' in the title as I didn't want to write 'hunt' and open up that book when it's not totally relevant to this post
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
This is just for disposal, not dispatch and disposal.. I ran a bit fast and loose with the 'knackerman' in the title as I didn't want to write 'hunt' and open up that book when it's not totally relevant to this post
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Ah ok, our local hunt will shoot too. Actually, the woman I use charges the same whether she shoots and takes them or just takes them.
I'm guessing it’s the single load thing then and the economy of scale
 
TheMule said:
Ah ok, our local hunt will shoot too. Actually, the woman I use charges the same whether she shoots and takes them or just takes them.
I'm guessing it’s the single load thing then and the economy of scale
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Our local fallen stockman doesn't charge extra for shooting either. Unfortunately ours doesn't give the option of a single load. One had other horses onboard and one had a cow (I wasn't there for that bit but OH was).
 
ester said:
In the comments they do say it includes the shooting bit
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TheMule said:
Ah ok, our local hunt will shoot too. Actually, the woman I use charges the same whether she shoots and takes them or just takes them.
I'm guessing it’s the single load thing then and the economy of scale
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Ours have done too but I was expecting it to say dispatch and disposal rather than just disposal, my mistake @TheMule . Makes more sense then!
 
TheMule said:
). Horse owners also are generally not going to be happy for the horse to be removed on a multiple load (perhaps in the wagon with farm animals or other horses) so you're also talking single visits too
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I think this might be a factor too. But yes, maybe a little equestrian tax added
 
That's cheaper than to have them collected here in Mid West Wales, over 14.2h was £250 cash or £300 by card payment this year, cattle were cheaper if I remember correctly and if they have to travel further afield they charge extra.
 
A lot of the time horses can't be fed to hounds because of drugs etc. my friends say hounds don't like horse as much as cow so they prefer to have more livestock and not just horses to feed them.
 
LEC said:
A lot of the time horses can't be fed to hounds because of drugs etc. my friends say hounds don't like horse as much as cow so they prefer to have more livestock and not just horses to feed them.
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I think if they’ve been signed out of the food chain that includes animals too.
 
My knackerman sends out a clean wagon for each horse, except for those he knows are practical and dont mind being included on his regular rounds. There is £50 difference in the price.
 
druid said:
Farmers are regular customers, usually have better access/loading, often have multiple carcasses for collection at once. Plus there's less time spent dealing with an emotional owner and time taken in collection
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I’d also imagine there’s the convenience of when you can collect it too - no one wants a dead horse lying around in their stable yard (understandably!!), so they often need collecting ASAP, whether it works well logistically or not. Whereas farmers are happy for you to swing by and pick up a few dead cows that are round the back whenever it works best.
 
BronsonNutter said:
I’d also imagine there’s the convenience of when you can collect it too - no one wants a dead horse lying around in their stable yard (understandably!!), so they often need collecting ASAP, whether it works well logistically or not. Whereas farmers are happy for you to swing by and pick up a few dead cows that are round the back whenever it works best.
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I know it's true but this did make me laugh. I don't think anyone would survive in farming without a slightly bleak sense of humour.

FWIW they seem to be charging the same for a pony as for a cow, so there must be something about bigger horses that makes them tricker / less profitable to handle. I would agree that it's probably more work for them to deal with a bereaved single horse owner than a commoner who's needing a pony PTS.

Under £300 to humanely shoot and remove a large horse still doesn't seem like a bad deal to me.
 
I think we also have to remember that farmers are working/ trying to make a living whereas the majority of horse owners have them for their hobby/it's a privilege to have rather than work.
 
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