A question i hate to ask but really need to know

Question

ok here it is when you have an old horse and it passes away what do you do?

do you call the police? how do you move it?

what if you want it cremated?

=-[ its a sad question but i need to know thank you

Answer 1

In most areas, you're not allowed to bury them.  If you have a big place (>10 acres) many people do that anyway, but it's hard to find an excavator who will do it for you.  Call around; ask your horsey friends.  Here, it's around $250-$350.

Cremation in my area (Ohio) costs $1200, plus you have to pay to get the horse there ($250+mileage).

Most horses end up hauled away to landfills ($250+tipping fee, for private parties).  I know it sounds ecologically awful, and I truly agree it is, but that's the sad reality of it.  

The vet can usually give you a number for someone to haul it, but most won't give you an excavator because it's not strictly legal.  They may or may not know of a local cremator.

I'm really sorry you need to know this.  I hope you're doing it in advance, because it's really, really hard to handle when you're in the midst of things, so to speak.

Edit:  You're not allowed to bury them because the process of decomposition is likely to contaminate the water table. Drug residue is a smaller problem as only trace amounts leak out, and are diluted quickly.    If you do bury them, make sure they're not near/uphill from a well, watercourse, or other ecologically sensitive area.

If the horse has been euthanized, don't leave it on the back 40 - the euthanasia solution remains lethal, and any coyotes, buzzards, bears, etc., that eat it will die.  If an endangered animal like an eagle gets at it and dies, you may find yourself in a heap of trouble.

Answer 2

Burial, at your own farm if possible.  Cremation, at an animal crematorium.  Or, a rendering plant, if there is one in your area, and if you can haul the animal or have a company that hauls.  These are things farmers deal with on a regular basis as they do have sick animals from time to time and the state must deal with the dear struck on highways.  It's not that unusual a question.

Answer 3

What can be done is a lorry can come out that has a cremater in the back and do it there and then 4 you...  

Answer 4

You will have to call the vet imidiatly

or ask at you local pet clinic for advice they will tell you eneythink you need to know

hope this helps

Answer 5

Some people bury or cremate the horse. Your vet should have some info on this. Other people, (depends how attached you are to this horse and how many you have room to bury) will call the "dead truck". This is a service that comes and hauls your dead away (cattle, horses, etc) and I don't know roughly what the cost is. Your vet should have this number too. Lots of people just haul it out to the back 40 for coyote bait but again, it depends how attached you are to the horse. Myself, I don't mind leaving cattle out there but a horse is another story, I like to have them buried.  

Answer 6

Where I live, you call the removal truck for dead animals.  They used to pick up cattle without charging, but for horses the last I heard it was $300 because the carcass was not able to be used for anything.

I believe if you own your own property and are far enough away from neighbors, cities, etc. and have the necessary machinery (backhoe, skid loader, tractor) you can dig a deep hole and bury it.  But I'm sure there are different laws for different areas of the country, and it is forbidden in certain places.

If you know the horse is going to die, or be put down, some equine research centers at universities take horses for research purposes.  Check in your area.

Answer 7

Around here, you call a rendering service, and you pay for the service.

Burial is illegal for good reason...all of us want to protect our water supply, and burial may contaminate the ground water if the aquifer is shallow, so unless you have researched the water table in your area, burial is not a good idea.

Answer 8

Ask at your local vet clinic of they know of anyone who does horse cremation. Those people will usually come pick your horse up. Your other option is to have it buried. You can hire a backhoe to dig the hole, and they can usually put the horse in it as well. Make sure they line the hole with lime before putting the horse in. Your best bet is to ask at your vet's office. They'll know what to do. Sorry for your loss :(

EDIT: A lot of people are saying that it's illegal to bury your horse. I have heard this also, but only in regards to a horse that has been euthanized (because of the toxins or something caused by drugs?). If it died of natural causes it is fine, as long as you have the room (don't bury a horse in a neighborhood). And if anyone ever asks, you tell them either that it just died or that you shot it. If you tell them it was euthanized and you buried it you can get in trouble.

Answer 9

Some places have "dead animal removal" companies.  They will come with a dump truck and backhoe and dispose of your animal properly.

Or you can hire someone with a backhoe to come dig a hole so you can bury the horse.

Around here (Wyoming) there is a dead animal pit at the dump so you just have to find someone to haul it to there for you.  Not very romantic but it's reality.

Cremating a horse is not common.  Do you know how expensive it would be to cremate a horse?  I can't imagine.