Qu re knackerman

[Fun Times]

***Bit of an unpleasant query so do not read if you feel emotional!***

I have lost a few horses over the years but disposed of them in ways that did not involve the knackerman. I understand that if you have a horse shot the knackerman can use the meat, hooves etc for dog food and other bi-products. My question is what happens if a horse has been euthanised by injection by the vet and you get the knackerman to take it away? How does the knackerman dispose of the carcass? Presumably it cannot be "used" for anything because it contains the lethal chemicals from the injection so would be no good as dog food etc? If so, how is it policed? Do we just rely on the knackerman to keep a proper record of which animals he picks up have been injected and didn't just die naturally?

Weird and unpleasant qu I know, but I feel I ought really to know the answer!

 

[eggs]

I believe they cremate the body.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Cremated either whole or in parts subject to size of incinerator.

 

[Fun Times]

Thanks eggs and AA, that is what I suspected but wasn't sure if there was some residual "use" for the body (or parts of it) that I was unaware of. I guess dog owners etc just have to hope there are no mix-ups!

 

[Dexydoodle]

Was told they incinerate. That said, when I lost my mare 3 months ago they said even if she was shot there was loads of beef around and the hunt prefer that so she still would have been incinerated.

 

[Fun Times]

Thanks Dexydoodle, thats interesting that there is so much beef around. Sorry to hear about your mare.

 

[Orangehorse]

Loads of beef around - like our steer that cost £1,000 and broke its leg in the field, plenty of feeds and no chemicals at all.

 

[Cobbytype]

Well I've had the misfortune of driving past one of our local knackerman's premises, as he also has another business on the site that I was visiting. It wasn't a pleasant sight, as there were animals 'propped up' being skinned, so I think (regardless of method of being PTS), parts of the horse are salvaged for various uses.

We have a local glue factory, so I imagine that bones/hooves are used there? And we have a maggot factory fairly local too:-( I don't like to think about it too much as my boy was PTS last August and I had the knackerman collect (who btw was absolutely brilliant) - it was hot and I was worried about the flies getting to my boy, but I couldn't cover his face (Don't ask me why, I just couldn't) - he was out within the hour to collect and was unbelievably kind and understanding. He jumped out his truck and said "It's that big beautiful coloured horse isn't it?" I nodded and he said "I knew it was him, I knew it was him, I've seen you at the church with him and always stopped to admire him". It made a very bad day slightly more bearable.

 

[webble]

Yes my experience with knackermen is like yours cobbytype, very kind and understanding. When I rang up to pay I asked them to thank him

 

[Spotsrock]

Ours was fab, waited till I'd gone to tend to my other horses then removed her. Also took a copy of the bill to my yard owner and asked if I was ready to receive it. I was 6 months pregnant and visibly so!! I don't like to think about what happened after that but she's gone by then so it doesn't really matter.

 

[Fun Times]

Thanks everyone for your responses and sharing personal experiences.

 

[smellydogjack]

With our local knacker man it goes for bio mass now due to the massive increase in gas prices

 

[smellydogjack]

I should also add our local knacker man is wonderful. Dealt with my old girl completely on his own so I could just sit in the car and sob.

 

[Michen]

I had a knackerman out in the end when the hunt started pissing about with timings and days (as if it wasn't bad enough). I wasn't there but they were recommended to me by my local vet and my friend said they were excellent. It was all over, done, removed within five minutes but they were very kind and nice to him.

 

[Fun Times]

Ah Michen, I am sorry you saw this thread, its probably too soon for you to be dealing with logistical questions from me!

 

[Cobbytype]

Yes my experience with knackermen is like yours cobbytype, very kind and understanding. When I rang up to pay I asked them to thank him

I was absolutely dreading the knackerman arriving. His words put me at ease and he gave me time to go for a walk before he backed his truck in and took my boy away. I guess we'd all love our beloved horses to have a dignified 'funeral', but they're big animals... My boy went the day after my mum's funeral and I was an absolute wreck, so it was such a relief that the knackerman was kind and understanding and swift.

 

[Equi]

Maggot factory? That's interesting. What exactly are they for?

I always bury my animals and have thankfully only had one horse lost to old age but he's in my orchard. Couldn't have it any other way! I hate the thought of cremation and I like having them close and intact lol

 

[Michen]

Ah Michen, I am sorry you saw this thread, its probably too soon for you to be dealing with logistical questions from me!

Not at all I'm quite matter of fact about these sorts of things. The pain is the fact he's gone, not how he went. I think I made the perfect decision as the friend who held him having had horses put down by injection and then seeing gun for first time said hers will always go by gun in future. No catheter, totally instant etc etc. when people say they want their horses bodies disposed of respectfully aka via cremation and not being chopped up...I know a large number of the incinerators couldn't actually fit a whole horse in so what do they suppose happens.....

I think a lot of the meat from the knackerman goes to zoos and wildlife parks but I could be wrong.

 

[Cobbytype]

Maggot factory? That's interesting. What exactly are they for?

I always bury my animals and have thankfully only had one horse lost to old age but he's in my orchard. Couldn't have it any other way! I hate the thought of cremation and I like having them close and intact lol

The maggot factory supplies angling shops with maggots for the fishermen. I'm not sure where the factory is now, but the old premises was a stately pile called Elston Towers, which is now a posh day spa!

 

[Equi]

The maggot factory supplies angling shops with maggots for the fishermen. I'm not sure where the factory is now, but the old premises was a stately pile called Elston Towers, which is now a posh day spa!

I wonder if they do old time natural healing remedies! -puke-

 

[Casey76]

Medical maggots are very carefeully bred and looked after in a sterile invironment.