Newton Stud slurry death

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Archangel said:
Looking at the overhead shot of the farm, there is nothing on the farm that looks like a slurry lagoon. it looks like a possible slurry lagoon 2 fields away from the buildings but it does look fenced - when you go to streetview it is just a field so maybe not. It is the corner so I suppose possible for a horse galloping madly to just run up the bank and go in it. Not impossible to recover the mare with a bit of machinery with a long arm though. I am sure DEFRA would have an opinion about a horse left in a slurry lagoon. It doesn't look like the sort of farm that would have an open slurry lagoon, some of the old farms in Wales are a death trap but this one looks modern.
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It is a meat waste product slurry, so I think being regularly topped, up and think modern. It is identified in aerial shots at the start of this thread.
 
I would suggest that this was a tragic accident to a horse that had an amazing career. The emergency evacuation of the horses from the stables would have been the priority and it would appear that they were all safely taken away from the fire. What this sad incident highlights is that we must all be aware of the dangers on our and adjoining properties and to ensure that we take precautions that in the event of an emergency evacuation there is no chance of animals coming in contact with them. I feel very sorry for the horse, the owner of this wonderful horse and anyone that cared for this horse. Hopefully we will all learn a lesson from this incident.
 
I have had several horses put to sleep, unless there is an insurance claim on value (and I rather suspect many top competition
PeterNatt said:
I would suggest that this was a tragic accident to a horse that had an amazing career. The emergency evacuation of the horses from the stables would have been the priority and it would appear that they were all safely taken away from the fire. What this sad incident highlights is that we must all be aware of the dangers on our and adjoining properties and to ensure that we take precautions that in the event of an emergency evacuation there is no chance of animals coming in contact with them. I feel very sorry for the horse, the owner of this wonderful horse and anyone that cared for this horse. Hopefully we will all learn a lesson from this incident.
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But dont forget, the stud sent round baliffs to the owner of the dead horse, chasing unpaid livery bills. I think the horse dying in their care in such tragic circumstances, would negate chasing ANY unpaid livery bills.
 
PeterNatt said:
I would suggest that this was a tragic accident to a horse that had an amazing career. The emergency evacuation of the horses from the stables would have been the priority and it would appear that they were all safely taken away from the fire. What this sad incident highlights is that we must all be aware of the dangers on our and adjoining properties and to ensure that we take precautions that in the event of an emergency evacuation there is no chance of animals coming in contact with them. I feel very sorry for the horse, the owner of this wonderful horse and anyone that cared for this horse. Hopefully we will all learn a lesson from this incident.
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The story says that the stud admitted negligence rather than it being simply an accident. It would seem that the gate to the pit had been left open, the horse was panicking, it was turned out with no one checking the gate to the pit and then no one checked on the horse again until the following day. If you look on the owner's facebook page it says that it is pit with waste meat in it that's then spread on the grazing.
 
Rowreach said:
And go and see it in person, don't just send your precious competition, breeding or young stock off to anywhere without looking at it first.
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Agreed. YO went to see it in person and was worried by the number of young colts all housed in one barn together. Thought the risk of injury would be high given how densely packed they seemed. Staff seemed knowledgeable about how they were all bred and could pick out each one but just “piled too high” for YO’s liking. Ended up using a very small more local stud and very relieved to have done so now!!
 
Tiddlypom said:
But if there’s a body, especially one of such a valuable horse, a vet would be called out to confirm the cause of death. You wouldn’t just call the knacker man on his morning rounds and get him to cart the body off without getting the death signed off in some way, unless the owner OK’d it.
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I am sorry if this is insensitive, but here goes. As soon as an animal dies it becomes waste, and has to be disposed of as waste, and like everything there are rules how it is disposed of. When your knacker or fallen stock come to collect there will be a charge, they are licensed and there should be a waste transfer note, and well as invoice, even if the animal goes for rendering. If you bury animals on your land there are certain rules, and for some animals you are unable to do this.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fallen-stock
So I would be looking for some paperwork.
 
honetpot said:
I am sorry if this is insensitive, but here goes. As soon as an animal dies it becomes waste, and has to be disposed of as waste, and like everything there are rules how it is disposed of. When your knacker or fallen stock come to collect there will be a charge, they are licensed and there should be a waste transfer note, and well as invoice, even if the animal goes for rendering. If you bury animals on your land there are certain rules, and for some animals you are unable to do this.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fallen-stock
So I would be looking for some paperwork.
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In England that does not apply to horses so they can be buried without paperwork. That said, I do not know whether that would apply to leaving the poor horse in the lagoon. Presumably the lagoon was permitted to have certain types of meat and waste product in it ie certain categories of stuff - so nothing that would be from those parts of a cow that can have bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Or at least I would hope so given that it is being spread on grazing land. The whole idea of spreading anything from an abattoir or poultry factory on land for horses, cows, sheep, deer or pigs seems completely abhorrent to me because surely it must be utterly rotten. Or am I being a big wus about it?
 
The idea of abattoir waste as fertiliser turns me as well, but apparently it's the next big thing in UK farming.

However it results in higher levels of selenium which I wouldn't have thought was great for a stud farm.

I remember when sewage sludge was used, great piles of it left at gateways and then spread - we tried to find out which fields had been done before the hunting season as the resulting "mud" would burn the hair and skin of the horses that went through it. You'd wash them off thoroughly after hunting, and the next day you could see exactly where the mud had been as the skin reacted.
 
This
Rowreach said:
The idea of abattoir waste as fertiliser turns me as well, but apparently it's the next big thing in UK farming.

However it results in higher levels of selenium which I wouldn't have thought was great for a stud farm.

I remember when sewage sludge was used, great piles of it left at gateways and then spread - we tried to find out which fields had been done before the hunting season as the resulting "mud" would burn the hair and skin of the horses that went through it. You'd wash them off thoroughly after hunting, and the next day you could see exactly where the mud had been as the skin reacted.
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Still using sewage sludge around here there is a huge pile of it about half a mile from me a couple of days ago.
 
Rowreach said:
Having just had a little Google it seems that a quarter of the UK 's fertiliser needs will soon be met by using abattoir waste. Not sure how well that will sit with vegetarians and vegans, or me for that matter, along with the sewage sludge.
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The sewage sludge is treated and it ploughed in not used as a "top dressing" which is what abattoir waste is in this case used for. Slurry is normally sprayed and ploughed in. Soil organisms then break down the sludge or slurry, interestingly sewage sludge does not really smell but slurry can really whiff but as it is quickly ploughed in it is not an issue for long (unless an incomer to the countryside when suddenly the complaints start)
 
ycbm said:
yes , treated sewage. You used to be able to tell where it's been spread because tomato seeds survive passage through the human and sewage treatment. It's safe and useful but farmers don't tend to shout about using it!
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Some fields by my old school had this spread on them- the stench was awful for about two days before they ploughed it in!!


Edited to add as a vegetarian I really f#cking dislike the idea of abbatoir waste being used on fields
 
Rowreach said:
Having just had a little Google it seems that a quarter of the UK 's fertiliser needs will soon be met by using abattoir waste. Not sure how well that will sit with vegetarians and vegans, or me for that matter, along with the sewage sludge.
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I wonder how much research there has been into that. Into the safety of that. Utterly mind-blowing when you think that 20 years ago this month cattle where being burnt on farmyard pyres across the country.
 
Velcrobum said:
The sewage sludge is treated and it ploughed in not used as a "top dressing" which is what abattoir waste is in this case used for. Slurry is normally sprayed and ploughed in. Soil organisms then break down the sludge or slurry, interestingly sewage sludge does not really smell but slurry can really whiff but as it is quickly ploughed in it is not an issue for long (unless an incomer to the countryside when suddenly the complaints start)
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Yes I know, but it still has a dreadful effect on horses which are ridden through fields which have been treated with it, and presumably anything/one else it comes into contact with.

Anything applied to pasture is not ploughed in, it is dressed on top. Living round here during slurry season is a ... joy :D I've just had to take spare boiler suits up to the lads who are pumping slurry today and my car now stinks.

Sh1t as fertiliser doesn't really bother me, I use it in my garden, but I know where it has come from (horses) and it hasn't been doctored in any way.
 
Rowreach said:
Yes I know, but it still has a dreadful effect on horses which are ridden through fields which have been treated with it, and presumably anything/one else it comes into contact with.

Sh1t as fertiliser doesn't really bother me, I use it in my garden, but I know where it has come from (horses) and it hasn't been doctored in any way.
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I'm guessing that any fertiliser high in phosphates/nitrates/ammonia etc would do the same though, including the artificial stuff?
 
JaneSewell said:
... you would think that would be a key part of the correspondence between us but it has never once been addressed. I have never been told how she was recovered, I have never seen a body, there was no veterinary report... nothing on her passport ... quite bizarre
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Im actually shocked!

I investigate accidents (human) as part of my job and i agree there are so many unanswered questions. Have they ever given you a 'chain of events?' the whole things is strange and i can completely see why you took to the media, id be digging to find out the truth if i was in your shoes!

I dont know your horse or the yard set-up, but was she in the burning barn or just turned out as she was nearby for a precaution? Does she normally panic in a field? Im just wondering that if she was just in a near by barn and just turned out as a precaution, why was she panicking? (im assuming as a dressage comp horse, she would have been very used to different yards, fields, handlers, stabled, routine, and busy environments?) and im presuming that she wouldnt have been asked to walked infront of a burning building (i doubt the fire peeps would allow that?)
If she was in the burning barn, im assuming it wasnt 'very' on fire if someone was able to walk in, open the door, put a headcollar on and walk out (please bare in mind the amount of smoke)

Dont forget that the horse panicked in the field she was put in, then panicked through an open gate and then panicked so much that in daylight she panicked into a slurry pit that she was unable to get back out off on her own (this is a horse, not a small pony) and a slight slip, would have only put her near the edge?

How deep is the slurry pit? why had it just been filled (i think ive read that) in June? (would you fertilize grazing land in June?) i cant imagine that they are stocking-up incase of a shortage.

The fire brigade were on site for 3 (i think i read?) days? might be worth talking to them and see if they witnessed anything?

Jane Sewell - i honestly hope you get some resolve as some point.
 
INDIA1999 said:
I wonder how much research there has been into that. Into the safety of that. Utterly mind-blowing when you think that 20 years ago this month cattle where being burnt on farmyard pyres across the country.
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Probably quite a lot, farming is a pretty high research area as plenty of funding.
 
Chinchilla said:
Edited to add as a vegetarian I really f#cking dislike the idea of abbatoir waste being used on fields
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Why? (Genuinely) Animals will always be slaughtered or need to be processed after death in some way. Surely using a by product of the meat industry is a good way to ensure every part of the animal that died for us is used.
 
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