windand rain
Well-Known Member
Leave you with a sick animal to go to the surgery to get it but most vets will have one or know someone who has
PTS
- Thread starter mary pearce
- Start date
chaps89
Well-Known Member
I presume the vet would have contacts. Failing that, knackerman/fallen stock man/the hunts, just ring round, I'm sure they'll all be used to emergency calls?!
Both of the horses I've had pts were done at 6.30am on a bank holiday Monday, planned.
When the mare was pts last week, the knackerman had been out already that morning to remove a horse who had passed away overnight, so that must have been somewhere around 5am so I'm guessing that unsocial hours/emergency call outs form part of their job
Both of the horses I've had pts were done at 6.30am on a bank holiday Monday, planned.
When the mare was pts last week, the knackerman had been out already that morning to remove a horse who had passed away overnight, so that must have been somewhere around 5am so I'm guessing that unsocial hours/emergency call outs form part of their job
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
The fallen stock company local me to have a 24 hours service with someone on call at all times so in a broken leg type emergency would be as quick if not quicker than the vet depending on who is on another call.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Warning not very nice memory on PTS!
Can someone tell me if I am correctly remembering a childhood incident of horse being shot by the huntsman. Not very nice and sort of hope it is a false memory. I have vague memories of an injured horse being shot (no idea if captive bolt or actual firearm.) and the poor horse did not die immediately and the huntsman/knackerman had a long metal instrument that they had to put in the hole made by the gun and wriggle it around, presumably in the brain area, until the horse actually succumbed totally?
Sorry if that is difficult for some to read but it has always been a vague memory in the back of my mind, I must have been very young, and it might explain why I am so anti the gun method of euthanasia.
Can someone tell me if I am correctly remembering a childhood incident of horse being shot by the huntsman. Not very nice and sort of hope it is a false memory. I have vague memories of an injured horse being shot (no idea if captive bolt or actual firearm.) and the poor horse did not die immediately and the huntsman/knackerman had a long metal instrument that they had to put in the hole made by the gun and wriggle it around, presumably in the brain area, until the horse actually succumbed totally?
Sorry if that is difficult for some to read but it has always been a vague memory in the back of my mind, I must have been very young, and it might explain why I am so anti the gun method of euthanasia.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
That is the normal way to shoot a horse with a captive bolt. It is not aware of the rodding to destroy the brain stem.
.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Oh yes I am not questioning the actual shooting - it was the memory of the long piece of metal being wriggled around in the hole. Is that common and a usual thing to do, why would they need to do that, do you know? The only horse I had shot certainly didn't have that done?
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
That is called pithing, Mrs J. It is normal procedure following captive bolt pts.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Well I'll be damned - over 70 yeas around horses and I never knew that. Just shows we can still learn something new everyday! How odd then when I had the huntsman do one of mine that he didnt do this?
chaps89
Well-Known Member
It's for this reason I never stay and watch - I actually don't know/haven't witnessed the full pts of a horse. I had them ready, had a handful of treats, passed the rope and treats over and retreated to my car whilst it's done. Went back and said a final goodbye when it was done and horses head was covered, pre loading onto the trailer.
In fairness last week the chap said that was always his preference and that he rarely found the presence of an owner/helper actually helpful/necessary. (I know that doing that is more for the owners sake than to help to be fair)
I was so glad I did that for my first horse, I had so many subsequent nightmares about him being alive but in horrific circumstances and I was helpless to do anything about it after he was pts, having seen his body meant I was able to be rational about it when I woke up.
In fairness last week the chap said that was always his preference and that he rarely found the presence of an owner/helper actually helpful/necessary. (I know that doing that is more for the owners sake than to help to be fair)
I was so glad I did that for my first horse, I had so many subsequent nightmares about him being alive but in horrific circumstances and I was helpless to do anything about it after he was pts, having seen his body meant I was able to be rational about it when I woke up.
Pearlsasinger
Up in the clouds
laura_nash
Well-Known Member
Sorry about your pony.
I did similar when I had to have our pony PTS last year. I deliberately used the farm vet we use for the cows rather than the pet and equine vet that had been treating him for years. I thought it would be easier for the vet (who'd never seen him before), easier for me not having to deal with the vets emotions as I prefer to shut down and get on with it, plus I suspected she was more experienced with PTS of large animals. I also worried having the usual vet there would tempt me to change my mind, though the decision had been made months before if he had another severe attack. It worked very well for me, the process went as well as it could do in the circumstances and the vet was very professional and efficient which was exactly what I wanted.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
I think he must have done after reading this, I didn't actually watch - I stood nearby with a friend and turned my head away and just heard the bang, I had assumed the bolt but perhaps it wasn't? Either way, never again unless absolutely necessary to use that method.
southerncomfort
Well-Known Member
I do hope poor Mary has stopped reading.
It's an interesting discussion, but I think the poor OP was already feeling very traumatised.
It's an interesting discussion, but I think the poor OP was already feeling very traumatised.
hopscotch bandit
Well-Known Member
When we went on a school outing many years ago part of the outing was to a dairy farm. I remember the curious 12 year olds around me asking about 'killing animals' and distictly remember the farmer telling us about that procedure (its called pithing). Wasn't aware it was done on horses though.
It really disturbed me, more than the farmers glee at trying to shock a bunch of 12yr olds by going into great details about it.
paddi22
Well-Known Member
yeah she sounded totally in shock, an awful situation. I couldn't even make sense of the random paperwork issues, I'd say her vets were equally confused.
hopscotch bandit
Well-Known Member
I was just thinking that. Poor lady, she sounded very upset. My heart goes out to her.
windand rain
Well-Known Member
Very educational for all horse owners though. The most part it hasnt been littered with dreadful scenarios of either method and comes to everyone who owns a large animal for its lifetime
hopscotch bandit
Well-Known Member
Agree about being able to see the body post agonal gasping though.
meleeka
Well-Known Member
it’s funny how we are all different. I definitely do not want to see the body. I’ve always walked away as the injection went in and not looked back. To me, once they are dead they aren’t ‘mine’ anymore and just a body.
MurphysMinder
Well-Known Member
But at least it will hopefully help her see that her pony had a quick end which is surely the most important thing .
Elf On A Shelf
...
I personally would not choose the gun unless the horse was sedated first. We had one done at work and the horse moved it's head just as the trigger was pulled. The bolt took off the front of the eye ball and the horse took off. Caught him, blindfolded him with a towel and started again. To be fair the knackerman was mortified. He had never had that happen to him before.
Birker2020
Well-Known Member
Yes that sounds horrific. I dread to think what actually happened to my horse when he was shot twice, the YO who had been holding Mikki was white as a sheet after and went in the house for a large Brandy, the vet lied and said that they shoot big horses twice as a matter of course.