Discussion topic; very horse-related...

[Getitia]

We are very fortunate in that we have our own heavy equipment and no specific restrictions regarding burying livestock on your own personal property.

 

[SkipsMom]

Wow, I had not heard about the changes in New Mexico regarding rendering services. That creates quite a pickle.

In our area cremation can be done for $800 and up for full size horses, a little less for mini's. That is out of my price range.

The rendering service we use at the clinic charges $20 or $25 to pick up cattle of any size and $127 to pick up horses of any size, the amount is less for young ones. They will not take goat or sheep under any circumstances. . The driver told me the difference in price between the cattle and horses is "just because" horses are companion animals and cattle are food animal, a product, so they keep the rate down for the cattle business. At the plant the horses and cattle are not separated before beginning the rendering process.

I've buired one on my place which is legal as long as you are not near a water source and have the space. A local foxhunt will attend to members aged or injured horses in the traditional way. If your good friends w/ a member you might be able to use those services. Because the body is left to nature chemical euthanasia is not done.

Anyway, your post is a very good heads up and thank you for sharing it. Are you aware of any other states which are dealing w/ downsizing of rendering companies??

 

[Denise]

I am one of the lucky ones, we just call our precinct and they come out the very next day and bury it wherever we want it buried on our property...for free!

 

[shminifancier]

In Wisc. one of the bigger mink farms, goes all over the State and brngs back horses and cattle, and who knows what else, and grinds them up to feed the their mink~!

I also did this many many years ago as I went around my area and picked up animals to feed to the mink at the farm I worked at while going to Trade School~!

 

[Marion]

We have a tractor and bury on the backside of our property. So far I have two mini babies and two family goats. We have buried lots of dogs and cats on the backside of our property.

We don't leave anything out to be eaten because of the coyotes. We have lots of chicken houses around here that feeds them, so I don't want to encourage them to come my way. We have lots of coyotes around here.

 

[Bess Kelly]

We have a State Lab about 20 miles from where I live......and they will take an animal in for necropsy and disposal for $65. They cremate. I have taken an animal there on a trailer before. This lab takes all types of blood samples for testing, so I can get a coggins in 1/2 hr if I hand carry

it from the vet.

Any chance you have such a lab near you?

There is a crematory in our area that will pick-up, etc. Fees are $250 & up, depending upon what services you want. It's actually owned and operated by a people funeral company. So, you might ask some of those groups which ones may accept animals. The one here is about 50-60 miles from me.

Now, I have also buried on my own property before. Used to have a larger farm and heavy equipment and a burial area. With a few hundred goats, mini horses and donks, well -- it's gonna happen! Now it would require my hiring a backhoe, so limiting again. PLUS, nights, weekends, holidays....it's a real issue.

 

[runamuk]

Actually as I read replies it is obvious that many of us in our zeal to protect horses and raise our awareness about feeding animals not to mention a few other hot button issues....we seem to have created ourselves a nice little mess........

BSE/banning of animal by products in ruminant feed

Anti slaughter movement /no knackers left

Anti fur proponents driving the fur industry into the ground thus eliminating mink/fox farms

Rising fuel costs

Landfills at capacity/and no where to deveop new ones (not in my backyard)

Burying issues due to ground water contamination

Dog food industry moving away from "meat meal"

cremetory issues due to air pollutant standards

yep about the only outlet for horse products is baseballs as they still need hides but not the rest.....

I think I am going to look very closely at all bandwagons from now on

 

[Watcheye]

This subject is painful for me. I remember when my beautiful arab mare died and we had to have her hauled away. We could hardly stand it. She had been part of the family and the thought of sending her off like that was very hard indeed. Then recently my little McKeever died. We truely did not want to have to do the same if we could work something else out. Luckily, horse cremation came up and that was our plan. It was not the cheapest thing but the people were VERY nice and respectful. They had the large white transport and I felt so much better doing that. I am so happy I could.

 

[sedeh]

In our area there are quite a few options if the horse dies naturally. We have 3 exotic animal places... one with tigers, another with wolves and then a place that has everything that will take the body for food(not a nice thought but I'm pretty practical....I know their spirit has left the body). Or the rendering plant will take it for a fee. However, if you have your horse euthanized with drugs nobody will take it! If you have the property you can bury it but I'm not sure what would happen otherwise. Definately something to think about. I still have one big horse but I think I'd bury my mini's.

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

I always prefer to have my vet cremate our pets that have passed on. They give us the option of a lone cremation or a group. The group is $8, the lone $28 I think. This vet is for our non horse pets though. I did call one year when we lost a filly at birth and they would have taken her if they had room in thier freezer but they didn't. The vet school wouldn't take her, I must have called ten different vets and none would take her. I ended up burying her in what is now our "pet cemetary" in a corner of the yard. My place is very residential- not sure what the rules are. If I have a horse that were to be euthenized I would bring the horse to the vet school and they would euthenize and take care of the remains. I believe the last time I had a mini taken care of it was $100 for a mini foal that died and $125 for a QH I had years ago.

So it's a tough call and I have to take each time it happens individually.

Tammie