Morbid and probably numpty question - sorry

scatty_mare

scatty_mare

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I have made a rather difficult decision (I think) to have my mare put to sleep.

But... how does it all work? I'm not talking injection versus bullet, I understand that, but more the logistics of what happens to the body.
Call me fluffy but I hate the idea of her being winched into the hunt lorry (it is the winching I object to, weird).
If the vet comes and does the deed what happens to the body? Presumably they can't fit it in the back of their car...
And is it an option to take the horse to the vet and then have it done there and leave minus the horse. If the vet ends up with the body does it have to be cremated?
Another thing, what is the cheapest way to do it? I am sad that I have to ask this but I do have to consider that.
Sorry for the morbid post, it's something I feel I should know but I have been fortunate enough not to have been in this situation before.
 
Whichever way it is done the body will have to be winched into the knacker van. My friend had her pony put down recently and the horse crematorium picked the body up but still winched into the vehicle. There is no other way I'm afraid. If the horse is taken to the hunt kennels and dispatched by bullet I suppose it does not need to be winched into a vehicle as the body would be recycled there. When I had my 2yr old PTS last year I stayed with him as he was PTS by injection at the vets but the body was taken away a short while later to be incinerated once I had said my final goodbyes. It is awful and not nice and although I was with my baby at the end (I feel you owe it to them to have someone familiar with them at the end) I certainly wouldn't want to see them winched into a vehicle. That said I have been with friends horses as they didn't want them alone even at that stage so stayed with them until they were on board.

Hope this helps
 
Sorry to hear your having to think of this. Hugs to you!!

We had our pony PTS last Thursday.

Unfortunatley there is no nice way to move a horses body. They are so big it is just impossible to do without some kind o machinery. However it is my belief that once they have been PTS it is just a body and there spirit has moved on so they will not know what happens then. Bt its still not nice to see, which is why most of the people i have dealt with that have come to collect horses are more than happy to be pointed in the right direction and get on with it as quickly and proffesionally as possible. We pointed them to the field where we had her PTS ( she loved the field :) ) and then went inside till it was done.

We had her cremated individually, we wanted her ashes back as we know she would want to come home. This however IS expensive!

I'm not much help with regards prices of other things as this was the first horse I had PTS.

I hope this helps a little?
So sorry your having to think of all this. My thoughts are with you.

Emily
 
Cheapest is to take your horse to the abattoir. They will pay you for the body. The good ones are quiet, clean and kind and I am told that horses are perfectly relaxed there and it's no problem.

Around here the next cheapest is local hunt, £200, then abattoir home visit £200+, then much much more expensive, vet and injections. They all have to be winched into the lorry and you are right - you don't want to see it, just make sure you are somewhere else when they do it.

I would also go with a bullet gun and not a captive bolt. If they use a bolt, they stir the brain through the hole to make sure the horse is dead, and you don't want to see that either but it has to be done immediately and you may not turn away in time.

You've made a brave decision. I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible.
 
Agree with Burge. As to costs, all depends if the horse is on drugs or not or able to travel.
If you're upto it (I can't but many can) and not too far from either Bristol or Nantwich (Cheshire) you could take him to either Potters or Turners in which case you would get some money for her.
Another option is to donate her to your local veterinary university if you have one; I'm not sure about their charging procedures though.
If you hunt then hunt kennels would be your best bet; could be done at the kennels or at home - but then you'd have the winch as you would whichever way you had her put down at home.
If you get into the realms of cremation then you're talking a lot of money with no guarantee that you'd actually get your mare's ashes back anyway whatever they say (I know someone who worked in a pet crem once and you'd be horrified at their tales!)

It really is a case of paying your money and making your choice, there are pros and cons to all ways and what might suit one won't suit another. Whoever and whatever method you use, they should do the deed quickly, efficiently and with dignity and respect for the animal and IMO, you can't beat hunt staff for that.
 
I have had horses taken to the hunt kennels, pts at the vets ( I wasnt able to be there) and pts at home then removed by the hunt. By a winch.

The way i prefer is the last tbh. I stayed with them whilst they were pts, said my goodbyes and walked away. I didnt want to see them winched either.

But i would rather be with them at the last call so to speak. I know they went peacefully with someone they knew and trusted. And i know they went the way i wanted them to go. Once they are gone, they are gone. You dont have to watch the winching. Hunt people know this is a really hard part and dont expect you to be there.
 
I have so far chosen the injection. Always stay and also stay for winch unless a very good friend happy to stand by instead - I return this favour for them. I like to know that even the winching was peaceful, even though that's a silly.
 
Both my babies were put to sleep by the vet, in a quiete and peacefull manner. Thier bodies were then disposed of by the help of the local farmer ( luckily I wasnt there)

I left them asleep, lying in the feild ( or shelter for the other one), where they had lived most of thier lives.


They lived together for 15 years. Ryan had lost his fight, he had to be put to sleep. Stacey help out for 3 months, but in the end, I believed she just coulndt live without him. She lay down and wouldnt get up. Vet said she had broke her back, :(
 
:(:(sorry to hear you have had to come to this decision , the most important thing is that your horse is not stressed at this time, so if you can, be with her till its done.. there is no need to stay for the winching and i never have as i know this would be the image i kept in my head. its a very difficult time but lots of us have been through it and i personally am sure that made the right decision for each one (have lost 3 ages 22, 24 and 35 and had owned all for a long time).. my vet arranged everything for me including collection but sorry cant remember how much it was......good luck and hugs for you
 
Hi,

Firstly I'm sorry that you are faced with this horrid decision. :(

As for answers to your questions:
Having your horse shot is cheaper than the injection, merely because you don't need the vet to come out for starters. The disposal is usual done by whomever has shot the horse, either hunt or abattoir.

Both shooting and injection methods are totally humane and IME are personal preference only. Some people feel very stongly one way or the other. My mum would go for shooting, I would have injection.

The collapse side of things is different though. When a horse is shot, it tends to drop vertically downwards immediately, and often this can be very shocking and sudden with the head hitting the ground. While the horse is already unconscious and feels nothing, this can be distressing for the owner.

In contrast, when injection is used, the drug takes about 20-60 seconds to circulate and the horse then looses consciousness. This results in the horse lying down and consequently is a bit more controlled. they don't always go down perfectly, but it is pretty much always calmer and less sudden. Cosmetically this is nicer I think.

Most importantly, is making sure the person who comes out is experience in either technique. It's not something you want to worry about in anyway.

Disposal is not very nice in that the body will always be moved with the winch and as such I tend to advice that clients may not and don't need to watch that part. Sadly as they are so big this cannot be done any other way.

Options for ashes back or not is also available from most reputable companies and popular to contrary belief they are what you ask for. Bear in mind, when you ask for ALL the ashes back, they are a lot and often come part in a wooden casket and part in a large hefty duty bag....quite a shock if you're not expecting it.

All the best, and my condolences.
Hope this has answered some of your questions.

Imogen
 
Thank you so much for all the helpful replies, now I have made the decision I want to make sure I am well-informed so that it can be as calm and pleasant as possible for both of us...
I will have it done at home where she is peaceful and content. I will be there when she dies but will definitely make sure I'm not there for the winching - I do agree that once she is gone she is gone, and I don't need to see that.
I am not going to rush, I need to come to terms with it first I think... I can't believe I am on here talking about her with this decision - 6 months ago the decision I was agonising over was where to take her for our first BE Novice! It is so sad, she is only 13.
It's so hard having to decide when. At the moment she is well, shiny and happy and this is how I want to remember her. Like someone else said, it is like she has been condemned - by me - but I do think it is the right thing for her. Ok will stop with the gushing now.
This was just meant to be thanks... so thanks!
 
you might not have this option or want to hear it but we had a friend who couldnt bare the winching so my dad picked the horse up gentaly with his fortlift with old rugs rapped round her and put her in the back of the trailer. it was much gentaler and quieter
 
I lost my mare 5 years ago with a broken leg in the field. She was pts by injection and taken away to be cremated. I didnt see the collection of her, wouldnt have wanted to. Imogen is right, there are a lot of ashes but Holly came back in a wooden casket. On Christmas Day that year she was 90% scattered in her field under the tree where she used to stand, the other 10% is at home with me in the conservatory. Im insured with NFU and they gave me £200 toward disposal costs which I didnt even know that I was covered for, the cremation was £450 from memory but obviously less with NFU's contribution.

Sorry for you, its hard but as you say you have to think about it x
 
Sorry to hear that you are faced with this tough decision. I was lucky that I was able to bury my two dearest horses on the property where they grazed. One had had an accident and was PTS on site and was transported home and buried, the other had untreatable navicular I had him PTS by injection and then the digger came in dug a deep pit and gently rolled my horse in. I was able to say goodbye and know where my horse lay. I still say hi to him when I pass the paddock where he is buried.

Another I had to send away to the abbatoir as the paddock owner refused to allow him to be PTS on the property, said it upset the other horses too much.

Whatever way you choose - try to stay with them while the depart, say your goodbyes and leave before they move your horse.

Big hugs to you.
 
What a horrible and tragic predicament you are in. My many sympathies to you. I thought, by special permission, it is still possible to bury a horse on your property. Your mare is obviously your pet, and if you have a spot away from a water source (i.e. river or ditch), then burial might be another option. You will need to check with local authorities (which is what Defra advises you to do).

Hope this helps.
 
How it's done is personal chioce cost wise I can only go one what we were billed.

We had our mare PTS 2 weeks ago by injection (extremely peaceful) :(

Cost was approx £150 for vet + drugs and collection was £125 plus VAT
 
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