Question:

Do they still euthanize horses with a bullet to the head?

by  |  earlier

0 LIKES UnLike

After watching the Derby I was wondering if they shot the animals or some sort of more humane method of putting teh horses down.

 Tags:

   Report
Answer The Question I've Same Question Too

12 ANSWERS

Sort By: Date  |  Rating

  1. um no

    they give it a shot

    no offence

    but that question was

    kinda stupid


  2. Absolutely not.  They have used lethal injection for years now.

  3. they put down the horse i picked for the derby :( i picked her cuz she was beautiful and she came in second and then broke both her front ankles i was so sad

  4. No, it is done by barbiturate overdose, much like if you dog was being put down.

  5. No they stop doing that a long time ago they give them an injection thing now..

  6. It depends on where they are. In America horses are commonly euthanised by injection. However, I had a friend who worked with Steeplechasers in England (she worked with Red Rum) and there it is seen as cruel to euthanize by injection (because the horse normally collapses before it loses conciousness- VERY scary for a horse). In England, they tend to use a gun. In capable, well-trained hands a shot to the head will kill the horse before it knows whats happening. -Neb

  7. They do not shoot the horses with a bullet. They gave her a shot

  8. No, Eight Belles was given a shot of euthanasia solution, which all equine vets carry on their trucks these days for this purpose. ES has two drugs in it- a tranquilizer, and a paralytic anesthetic to stop the heart and breathing and paralyze the muscles of the body. Once she was given the initial shot, she never knew what followed. With a gun- suppose whoever was doing the shooting had missed the first time, or struck an innocent person or another horse, such as one of the horses belonging to an outrider? It's very possible that something like that could have happened, given the emotions and chaos of a situation like the one on Saturday. That's one reason why they don't use guns on tracks any more, at least not in the US. The British are different, but even they are coming around to realizing just how dangerous a loaded firearm can be around excited, wounded horses who are in agony following a breakdown. It's almost impossible to get a clear shot in a circumstance like that- a wounded horse is NOT going to hold still, and the emotions of the situation are going to interfere with the ability of the shooter to aim well. Shooting anything requires a person to be calm, and to have all of his or her wits about themselves. That's not possible under this kind of circumstance. Plus, I have never heard of anyone who is able to destroy an animal without feeling at least some emotion him or herself- even people who hunt for sport and pleasure are generally very respectful of the animals they kill. I have known several people who hunted for sport- and most do not get any particular thrill from shooting an animal like a deer. Now take that and translate it into a situation like the one on Saturday, and imagine for a moment that a person like this was asked to do something like shoot that poor filly. How successful do you think that person would have been? Not very, I think.

    Just my thinking...

  9. no they do the same thing to euthanize a dog.a surringe is inserted but with a horse it is a bigger dose.

  10. no the give them and injection that makes them drowsy and really the only thing painful about it is the injection itstelf

  11. The best-case scenarios for euthanizing a horse both involve intravenous barbiturate overdose. A horse undergoing surgery can be given the overdose via the already-established IV if it becomes clear during the surgery that the horse will not survive. It is also common for a horse to be euthanized by intravenous injection outside of surgery. As soon as the drug is given, the horse loses consciousness, and its pain is relieved almost instantly. This can be a comforting thought for the owners.

    Beyond these scenarios, things can get a bit more difficult. If your horse is badly injured or in significant pain it can be dangerous to attempt to use an injection. If it is in shock, its circulation may be too impaired to transport the drug to its brain and heart, and the veins may be difficult or impossible to locate to administer it. In this situation, the veterinarian may need to use a .22-caliber pistol to euthanize the animal.

    Note:  Eight Belles was euthanized by injection.

  12. they do not use bullets. it is a shot.
You're reading: Do they still euthanize horses with a bullet to the head?

Question Stats

Latest activity: earlier.
This question has 12 answers.

BECOME A GUIDE

Share your knowledge and help people by answering questions.
Register Now