Discussion topic; very horse-related...

[Margo_C-T]

...the ONLY facility in the area that would pick up the carcasses of horses that have died(from whatever cause, including being euthanized) announces that they will NOT perform this service anymore? In recent years, this service HAS carried a charge, rather hefty, IMO, when compared with back when it was FREE; you just had to call them-has most recently been around $130, more over here where I live, which is pretty far from the business's location...however, to not have it available at all??? An acquaintance said, in discussing this, that we who have miniatures are "lucky" in that our horses are small enough to bury-and I do agree with that--but what about losing a big horse, or, what if you live where burial on your own premises,even of a miniature horse, would NOT be allowed? I was speaking with a member of the NM Horse Council, who said the only possible alternatives would be VERY expensive,and that the likely reason for the company quitting the service was that there was simply no longer a way for it to be worth their while financially, AND that they have been hassled by either environmentalist, who don't want horse carcasses in the landfill, and/or PETA(who seem to hassle just as a matter of course....). Either way--what do you think this will mean for folks who want to do the right thing, by having a horse humanely euthanized--or lose one to injury/disease or the like? The fear is that the bodies will just be 'dumped' on the mesas of the surrounding area...and in fact, that unfortunately seems likely.

In a 'natural' setting, having the scavengers take care of the situation actually seems preferable, to me, to the landfill--BUT, coyotes and others are so warred upon nowadays they couldn't be 'counted on' to be able to do so, IMO.

Years ago, my pygmy doe, a pet of many years, died during one of the coldest parts of winter(despite all efforts, including heat lamps and a special cozy nitch in the insulated barn--she was just OLD, and went peacefully.)Although I have hand-buried several dogs, including two large ones, a cat, and a stillborn foal, myself, on my adjoining acreage, the ground was frozen solid, so that was not an option--nor was the landfill(my husband was hauling our trash there himself, via permit, at the time, but I just didn't want her there). I carried her body 'WAY out into the big pasture across the road, and left it under a juniper. Within a few days, a raven flew over, dropping a freshly-picked-clean rib bone into my yard. I truly felt it was Nature's way of letting me know that the issue had been dealt with, and in the way of Nature-and I felt that was the best I could have done, under the circumstances.

I see this situation as having possibly very serious repercussions, and in its way, as yet another blow to horse ownership. Cremation has been mentioned, but the probable cost would turn your hair white.... In any case, I'm interested in what others think about this....

 

[billiethekid40]

The fear is that the bodies will just be 'dumped' on the mesas of the surrounding area...and in fact, that unfortunately seems likely.

This makes my skin crawl to think of! Any animal that has been euthanized is a threat to other animals who might eat from the carcass. There was a wild cat in a zoo that died from being fed a euthanized cow or horse, and I'd hate to see wild animals poisoned this way. You are right, there must be a way to dispose of animals bodies after they pass on, especially those who were PTS. Have you asked your vet if they have any reccomendations? I don't even know what to do in our area if a large animal passes away...guess I always just figured it would work out if it ever happened.

 

[Becky]

I had a yearling filly die suddenly a year and a half ago. My only way to dispose of the body was by a rendering plant. It might not be what I would like to do under ideal circumstances, but there is no way I could dig a large enough hole with a shovel in hard, dry clay to bury an animal of that size. I also think that in the Oklahoma City limits there is a law agains burying livestock?? on your property?

So without a rendering plant to pick up dead animals, I don't know what people would do. It certainly wasn't free, but I gladly paid to dispose of a carcass that could be a health problem to others if it was just left alone. I know this same rendering plant picks up dead horses at the vet clinics as well and I don't know what they would do if they no longer had this service available.

 

[minimule]

The problems with dumping the poor animal on the mesa is that

1. It is illegal dumping, you get caught doing this and it is a hefty fine, starting at $500.

2. The coyotes will eat it, so will the birds, but the coyotes will develop a taste for horse flesh. With the coyotes getting so brave, dumping becomes a real risk for breeders with small foals. Easy pickins'!

The solution:

Buy up a LARGE piece of land (lots of it available on the East side of the mountain) and open up a pet cemetary and crematorium. Have a pickup service available.

 

[runamuk]

Well not sure....vets can for a steep fee dispose of them.......and why do the go to landfill do they not have rendering facilities in your state?

Just as an aside.....my neighbor went on her monthly dump run a couple weeks ago and the dump was busy as usual...so she waited her turn.....she said she backed into the building that is the household waste jumped out to unload her bags.and some idiot had DUMPED A FULL SIZED DONKEY right there in the middle of the floor....................totally gross and wrong......I still wonder if they figured out which vehicle did it and fined them.....

This is an interesting topic as disposal is a huge issue in many areas.

 

[justaboutgeese]

Here I have two choices. I can bury the animal or call the rendering plant. There is a fee for pickup and processing but those are the only two methods redily available. I am not aware of to many juristidictions outside of cities or towns where burial is prohibited by law. One thing I am sure of is that its not legal to just haul the animal out in the bush (woods) and allow it to lay and rot. It must be burried below grade which precludes just covering the animal with dirt.

 

[Shari]

You will find a lot of companies that used to deal with dead animals are no longer going to be able to.

Check out..

NSIA

http://www.usaip.info/

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

The solution:   
Buy up a LARGE piece of land (lots of it available on the East side of the mountain) and open up a pet cemetary and crematorium.  Have a pickup service available.

524756[/snapback]

​

You're brilliant!

And I would add that over every grave to plant a tree in memoriam.

 

[shminifancier]

I see in Southern Wisc. There is a place that cremates animals Including horses, That is the wave of the future I would think. if not being able to bury on your own land.

 

[shane]

OVER HERE,I WAS READING HORSE MAGAZINES HOW WHEN HUNTING HORSES DIEETC THEY WOULD LET THERE LOCAL HOUNDSMEN TAKE IT FOR THE HOUNDS, I THINK ITS AWFUL AS TO ME MY HORSES WOULD BE PETS { MY CONCIENCE} ,THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING TOPIC AND IF IM AT ALL WRONG IM SURE FIZZY WILL HELP CLARIFY MY POST . ID PAY TO HAVE THEM CREMATED AND BURIED BUT I THINK OVER HERE THEY WOULD SEE IT AS GIVING BACK.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

We went thorough this after Mad Cow was followed so closely by Foot and Mouth- a service that had once been free became costly- you just have to budget for it. I have never had an animal put down by anyone but a knacker- who will then take the carcass, nor would I. I have no desire to fill an animal full of chemicals alive or dead. I also have a "Pet Crematorium" about 50 miles away who will pick up, dispose, package to your choice and return, anything (I do mean ANYTHING- I believe they actually have done an Elephant!!) The cost is about $1500.00 for their top of the range service, and about $250.00-$500.00 for their "plain" service - you can cut corners by delivering yourself and picking up and also providing your own casket.

My Hunt Kennels charges $100.00 to come, destroy and take away- I personally like the idea of the animal being used but I know a lot do not.

My knacker, obviously, does use the carcasses.

It is illegal, for so many very good reasons, to bury animals, I am very close to a river, and the water table is about ten feet below the surface so it would be a very bad thing for me to do.

Since F &M burying carries a HUGE fine.

Before that they would usually turn a blind eye if it was a pet.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Oh God, touchy subject here. We just lost our 30 year old Arab in November and the worst part of the whole thing was dealing with the body. We've always hired a company to come haul them away as we'd been told that because of our well we could not bury animals on our property at all, nevermind something the size of a horse. I don't know where they take them as the last time we had it done I was a young child.

This time we asked the vet about disposal after he'd done the euthanasia and he told us that if we did it on the back of the property x feet from the well and any property lines, we could bury him. We tried, but no one was available to come out and dig the hole. After two days the body (still in the stall in the barn as he died during a seizure and we could not get him up to move him) was beginning to decompose and smell even in the cold and we were all getting desperate. Do you know how heartbreaking it is to pass by the bloating body of your best friend every single time you go to feed the other horses or clean the barn??

Mom couldn't look out the window towards the barn without bursting into tears and I wasn't doing too well myself.

The company we used to use was no longer around and no one else seemed available. Our vet was no help. We finally called Pilchuck Veterinary Clinic and they apparently had all sorts of resources. Dad made the call so I missed the details, but apparently there was a haul-away service or a burial service, also a cremation center. Mom chose to spend more $$ and go with cremation. It was about $500 for a 1,000lb horse counting removal and pickup services. It would have been about double that to get the ashes back as it would have been a private cremation instead of just the daily service with any other animals they'd picked up. But she preferred that to the thought of him rotting in the cold winter ground so that's what we did.

I've got to admit, it was a much more dignified method then the old haulers. We always made a point of not being here when they came but my neighbors tell me that a large, bad-smelling truck would come rattling up the road, winch them up by their heels and drop them in with all the other animals. It was horrible. We were asked to warn them if we ever needed to do it again so the neighbors could arrange to not be home as well!

But this service showed up with a bright, clean, white moving-style van which lowered a lift and my dad and the attendant rolled the horse over until he was lying on it. He was slowly raised to the level of the truck bed and then carefully drawn inside by a pully system. I had gone outside to groom Spyder and keep him calm while he watched all this so I saw every step. The truck was empty except for him, which was a mercy. I bawled like a baby watching his precious white star recede into the dark interior (it seemed so final and metaphorical) but they did a good, kind job. They tendered their sincere sympathies, took our check, and left. And I cried on Spyder's shoulder down at the barn.

Don't even ask how we got him out of the stall. My dad felt it was his responsibility to deal with the body for his wife so instead of waiting for the neighbor to bring over his tractor in the morning, he took our Subaru down to the barn, hooked up a chain, and did it himself with many tears and much effort. It was sad. I came outside in time to stop him frantically brushing away drag marks in the paddock and cleaning out the stall. He was sobbing and compulsively muttering that he couldn't let Terry see the bloody stall, he had to clean up all the blood....I burst out in tears and dragged him out of there. That was MY job, darn it. That was MY last service for Bo, just like removing him had been Dad's. ::sigh::

Sorry, hadn't meant to go off on all that. It's just that the whole thing is still pretty fresh and reviewing the options in our area for you got me remembering every horrible minute of it. I know what you mean though Margo- we were like "What do you do when there's no one to call??" We're in a residential area with a large animal that ain't waitin' while time passes. Tough situation.

Wish I had some ideas on how to solve the problem.

Leia

 

[shminifancier]

Mary Lou: That is what I did a few years ago~! OH It was NOT a mini, But a small steer,,Just died during the night..Had no reason for it..Well I called the a dead animal pick up and they wanted $150.00...Well anyway my manure pile is way into the woods on a slight slope... So I dragged the steer down with my lawn tractor. Well it was getting close to winter so I just put him down in a little low spot and cleaned out the steers pen and put that manure over him and other pen cleanings.. Winter came No smell No mess and now years later No Sign at all that there was a steer buried in the manure pile, which I continue to spread out over that Low spot so now even after 10 years of having horses and Steers Where I started is now nice and flat area and I drive over that and going further into the woods nobody is the wiser, Ne smell by the house, no flies because of the manure area being so far into the woods and no sign of any bones either!

 

[Hosscrazy]

When I was working on Misty's final preperation plans last summer, I needed to research all the options open to me:

There is a rendering plant near me, but they were at capacity and were not accepting any more dead animals at the time.

There is a city dump that accepts dead animals.

The city told me that while it is illegal to bury animals on your property, there is no way to monitor what you do at your own home.

Cremation was not an option once I looked into prices.

I was very lucky in finding a person to pick up Misty. She used to have a full size horse who suddenly died of a heart attack at a horse show. It took her 3 days to find someone willing to pick up the dead body. She said it was at that moment she realized she needed to start her own dead animal pick up service, so no one would go through what she went through. She was very compassionate, just a wonderful person to help out during such a stressful, heartbreaking time. I believe her rate was $350 to pick up.

Liz R.

Edit to add: Another side issue with the rendering plant was related to all the drugs and medications that Misty was on, and whether or not they would even accept her after her death.

 

[wishful]

Mercy Me, I cant even begin to imagine. Living in the south , way back in the country I didnt realize folks had this type of problem. we have always had the freedom to bury our animals. For a big horse or cow we always rent the services of a back for the hour and it runs us 60$'s.

 

[nightflight]

I spoke to my vet earlier this afternoon, and we asked about the change in procedure here in New Mexico and what our options were now.

I was told that between PETA, environmentalists, 911, the fear of anthrax etc.. rendering was no longer a viable business, and landfills had restrictions on dumping.

Transporting the animals after death is a major issue, not just the disposal of the body. I'm sure we can all think of a few "hidden agenda issues" that the groups lobbying for these changes had in addition to genuine concern about our welfare.

It is still possible to get animals transported, but you will near a death certificate - to show that your horse was euthanized or died to natural causes (and not as a result of a bio-terrorism attack aimed specifically at your horse). Apparently there are transport companies that will still pick up from your vets office, but will be very reluctant to pick up from a private residence. You will also have to be in contact with the landfill to arrange a day and place for the transport company to take your animal.

My vet told me that as far as she knew, her horse, which passed a month ago, was still "in storage" at the rendering plant because new regulations make transport so difficult. Her exact words were "Just thank goodness that most of your horses are minis".

Regards,

Colleen

 

[mcharr36]

Do you live close to a veterinary school large animal clinic? Luckily we do and we can take a living horse to them and they will euthanize and dispose of the body for $90. We can bury one or two on our property. After that, I don't know.

 

[keeperofthehorses]

I think this is going to become more and more of a problem throughout the country.

I had the misfortune of being assigned to an investigation at a rendering plant (they dealt with any livestock carcasses, horses included) a few years back (in July, it was awful) and had a conversation about this with the plant manager. Because of BSE/Mad Cow and other concerns, rendering plants are having a harder time finding a market for their end products, especially the products that come in contact with people (cosmetics, gag) and animal feed (not just ruminant feed). This floods the other markets (the steel industry was one mentioned) with the products and there is more product than the market can bear. There was a time when the renderers would actually buy the carcasses because they could turn a profit with their end products. Now they charge to accept the carcasses, and are still having trouble with the bottom line. They end up having to landfill, which costs them yet more. So when it stops being profitable for them, they are going to have to close up shop.

Most states have a Cattlemen's Association. They are no doubt having to deal with this in a big way, so you might contact them to see what their members are doing with carcasses. Or slaughterhouses, find out where their unusables are going. Or your state's Dept. of Ag. There's no way the entire state can ban disposing of animal carcasses without causing serious harm to their agricultural industry, and I would guess ag is a big part of New Mexico's economy. That doesn't mean that the rendering plants haven't gone out of business though.

As far as transporting of the carcasses, unfortunately that is going to rely on profit-margins as well, and if the renderers aren't paying, and fuel prices are high, they may have to price themselves out of what people are willing to pay.

 

[Marty]

I have never had a horse hauled off to bury it.

I have always hired a backhoe to dig and bury, very deep, even in Florida in my field when you aren't supposed to. All big horses.

Up here on my land, I also do the same thing: my big horses and my pony are all here laid to rest in the little forest area outside of my pasture in the way back.

I would bury the horse on my property if I were you and not say anything about it.

 

[Minimor]

Years ago if we needed to put a horse down, we'd have a pet food processor come & shoot the horse, then haul it away for pet food--he knew what he was doing, it was quick, painless, & cost only $30. He shut down long ago, so that is no longer an option. For years the rendering company would pick up dead animals free, but since BSE they began charging (I think) $30 per animal. We've never used the service so far.

What we have done in recent years is have the vet euthanize the horse, then a neighbor with a backhoe comes & buries him. The backhoe costs us about $55.

There is a pet crematoriam near Winnipeg, 100 miles from here. You must get the horse hauled there, then the cremation is around $1000 for a big horse. Locally there is a pet cemetery, but I'm not sure they take full size horses--they might take a Mini. A friend buried an Arab foal there years ago, at a cost of $250.

It's illegal here to dump an animal carcass out in the bush for the coyotes to eat. A few farmers do it with cows or calves, but most don't--the problem is, leaving a carcass lay out like that draws the coyotes in, & farmers have enough problems with coyotes killing calves in the spring, they don't want to encourage them to come around looking for food!