# Humane Euthanasia of old horse



## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

We have an old horse and we have made the difficult decision that it would be best to euthanise him. I have called the vet and have an appt to do so. My husband thinks that it would be as humane to shoot the horse since he hasnt been in a trailer in over 20 years (if ever, I honestly do not know as he came with the property that we inherited) to save him the stress of hauling, having strangers handle him, etc. If we do that we could also donate him to a big cat rescue near us (I know that probably sounds really morbid to some but in a weird way I think it would make me feel a bit better about it...) we cannot do that if he is euthanized with chemicals. While I _personally_ think that a quick shot to the head without him knowing what is happening and being in his own pasture is about as humane as you can get there seems to be a stigma to it. I would appreciate any thoughts from others on either method, and I guess the biggie - is it_ legal _to use a firearm and do it ourselves? I really appreciate any feedback..


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

I don't think donating his body is weird at all. 
My old gelding whom I loved dearly went to a big cat park a couple of years ago when it became clear he would not make it through another winter. 
We trailered him there with a manger full of 4th cutting alfalfa and they humanely euthanized him (shot him) and used his body for meat. No fear, no pain...except for mine.
It was very hard but I'm glad I did it. Why would it be better to let his body moulder underground than to sustain other animals?
Better make sure however, that your zoo will come pick up the body. My understanding is that most zoos have you bring the horse to them alive.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

If you wish to donate him, be sure to call up the park and plan out the details BEFORE hand.

I wouldn't trailer him, if I wasn't sure how he would trailer.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

EEG readings have shown that brain activity spikes during chemical euthanasia the same as if the animal were panicking but they can't move. With a bullet or bolt gun the brain is destroyed and the animal is instantly no longer aware. I would choose a bullet so long as the person knows what they are doing with gun size and aim over chemical euthanasia even if there are no other reasons. From research and veterinary classes along with butchering my own small livestock I think a well placed bullet is more humane than chemical euthanasia.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I think shooting him at home is much more humane. We have had to do this to beloved family pets before (dogs) and although it sounds SO wrong to shoot your own dog (and is probably illegal), it's far more humane than stressing him out with a vet visit and the trama of the euthanasia.


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## Sededl (Jan 14, 2011)

Ultimately it is up to you, but I dont think Id haul the old horse. I think id feel better about doing it myself. That way you can love all over him etc etc. Talk to your vet or a vet about euthanizing using a firearm, there are certain specifics youll need to know.

I dont see anything weird about donating his body, other than the sentimental part of our brain screaming thats not right. Might as well help the big cat center, than have to pay a renderer or rent a backhoe to dig a hole.

Good luck with your decision

(hugs)
Sededl


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## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

People on this forum seem to be much more practical than the rest of the horse world in general. I think a bullet while the horse is relaxing in his own home is the most humane. I believe it is legal, I have never heard otherwise.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

unless he wasused to trailering I wouldn't trailer him - in fact even if he was I'm not sure I would - we've always had the vets come to us


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

I wasn't suggesting that the OP should trailer her horse. Only that the zoo's that I know of that take the animal for meat usually require the live animal be brought to them. 
Also, it's not a simple thing to load and haul a dead horse.
My old guy was a retired fox hunter and show horse and he was well used to being trailered and having strange people around him. No extra trauma for him.


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## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

Thanks so much for the replies and helpful advice. Shooting him at home is the direction that I was leaning.. The legality is what concerns me. Just want to make sure we have our ducks in a row there...I guess I am a little freaked out because I mentioned to one neighbor that we were going to have to put him down and she totally came unglued on me, going on and on about how that was cruelty to animals, etc etc. I can see her causing a stink when she sees that he is no longer there and just wanted to make sure that I could not get in any trouble for shooting him at home. If it is indeed illegal to shoot him (as she insists) I will take him to the vet even though I prefer not to. So does anyone know the legalities or know where I could find out??

Wanted to add, my plans were to haul him afterward to the big cat sanctuary but I will make sure to call them first..


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

You might call the county sheriff. I would think if there were some law against it, he would know as his office would be the law enforcement handling a complaint.

As far as a neighbor causing problems, if she asks about him not being there in the future, I would simply say "we talked to our vet and a local rescue and local law enforcement and made the decision we felt best for him" ... if she asks for details, I'd simply say "I miss him and don't want to talk about it."

Basically ... none of her business.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

DWH Farm said:


> We have an old horse and we have made the difficult decision that it would be best to euthanise him. I have called the vet and have an appt to do so. My husband thinks that it would be as humane to shoot the horse since he hasnt been in a trailer in over 20 years (if ever, I honestly do not know as he came with the property that we inherited) to save him the stress of hauling, having strangers handle him, etc. If we do that we could also donate him to a big cat rescue near us (I know that probably sounds really morbid to some but in a weird way I think it would make me feel a bit better about it...) we cannot do that if he is euthanized with chemicals. While I _personally_ think that a quick shot to the head without him knowing what is happening and being in his own pasture is about as humane as you can get there seems to be a stigma to it. I would appreciate any thoughts from others on either method, and I guess the biggie - is it_ legal _to use a firearm and do it ourselves? I really appreciate any feedback..


Usually the vet comes to your house to do this.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusarst5_62_101.htm#s104

Looks like it is not illegal. I would be shocked if it were.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

DWH Farm said:


> Wanted to add, my plans were to haul him afterward to the big cat sanctuary but I will make sure to call them first..


How will you haul him? That is one process that really does bother me. I just hate seeing a horse winched up on a truck. Silly and squeamish of me but it does.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I have no problem with the concept of shooting horses and have done it more times that I care to count but please make sure you know exactly what you're doing and if you aren't comfortable enough to do it right, have the vet come out and do it on site.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I have never shot my own animals, but agree a well placed shot would be instant and humane. The nosy neighbor doesn't need to know HOW you did it, just wait for her to not be home and then deny, deny, deny. There is a stigma, for sure; I don't think it is a justified one. If you can't be sure you can do it, do you have a friend who is a good shot who can do it for you? Worst case, if questioned you could claim he had broken a leg or something. I also wonder if Animal Control would be willing to do it?

I am so sorry for this decision you have to make. It is so hard to let them go .


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

No need to let the neighbor know. Wait until she's not around to do the deed and then simply tell her that you had him humanely euthanized and don't wish to discuss it. (I wouldn't have discussed it with her in the first place.)

I had people give me BS when we had a 3 year old colt colic early in the night, but we didn't catch it until late the next morning/afternoon. By then he was SEIZING and fell over on the electric fence when we were dragging him up to the house(to call the vet and get him away from the trees). When he fell over on the fence he just laid there and and twitched when the fence sent out a charge(we were running to turn it off) but he made no effort to get up, just laid on it and had another seizure there. At this point we were only half way through the pasture and I told hubby to run and get the gun because this horse was just done, you could see it in his eyes, he was done fighting and just wanted to be gone. Sometimes you can just feel/sense it when an animal is just plain done fighting. So hubby went to get the gun and even before he made it back, death took the horse. 

But you wouldn't believe the BS I got just because I told hubby to go get the gun and had "planned" to shoot the horse. (As if I didn't feel terrible enough we didn't catch the colic earlier, right? We had the vet do a necropsy and she stated there would have been nothing we could do by the time we caught it anyway, he had rupture an intestine and just about to rupture his stomach. The heat here is a killer and the horse displayed depressive atypical symptoms. It was just terrible, I wish we could have ended his suffering sooner.)

I don't tell people anything. They'll give you grief over just about anything.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Maybe it happens if you spend a lifetime with animals, but I've had the experience of 'how not to do this'. I am the one that does it now because I KNOW, absolutely, I can do it right ... it's instantaneous and painless. One second they are standing eating grain out of a bucket and the next second it's over.

I hauled an older horse (who had never been in a trailer in his life) who injured himself in the trailer and died ... a trauma that would not have been necessary.

I had a vet euthanize a mare I was very much emotionally attached to and she turned out to be one of those that had an ideosyncratic reaction to the euthanasia medication and struggled/fought the process ... to the extent I had gone to the house and was returning with the gun when she finally went down.

I also had an 'unmanageable' horse to be put down and asked Animal Control to do it for me ... that one took three shots to get him down.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

It would be silly if it was illegal to shoot livestock. How else do can they be raised for food? 

Sorry about your horse. Certainly sounds like doing it at home would be better for him.


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## HOTW (Jul 3, 2007)

It os more humane to shoot him than to inject him with chemicals.People have this concept that a clean death is better, rather than what they consider violent. It is a process called conditioning and out society is full of it. Better to put the dead horse to good use than bury them, but people don't want to know where thier food comes from or see it before it dies they humanize the animal if they see it. I was just having this conversation with my 15 year old this am about people's attitude to using horses as food for people/animals and we were talking baout the horses that are turned loose to starve because there is no way people can afford chemical euthnasia. Sad world we live in that people have no concept of really being huamane


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Vets used to have something called a "humane killer." It was a device that the vet would place on the forehead of the horse and hit and it would send a bullet into the right place.
Maybe there are still vets who would be willing to still kill a horse without chemicals.
It's been decades since I heard of that so who knows. 
My worry would be to make sure I knew where to shoot to get the jobs done without allowing the horse to struggle on.


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## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

Lisa, we would load him into an enclosed trailer afterwards.

Becky, we have had to put down cattle before and my husband has done it this way, so he does know what he is doing. I know that is not illegal, but wasn't sure if the law was different for horses.

And yes, I wish I had never let the neighbor know. To me it didn't seem cruel, just something that needed to be done. She is not very familiar with horses (except for seeing ours over the fence) so where most people could look at this horse and see that it is an old horse and not in great shape, she doesnt see that and was horrified that we would "murder" it. In my opinion it would be more cruel to over winter him at this point but I guess that is the difference between us. She has already made a huge fuss, called a bunch of other neighbors going on about how we are going to kill a poor horse when we could donate it to a rescue or "someone that wants him", not realizing that this is an old man that has lived out his life on the same property and it would be traumatic to load him, trailer him, put him in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar horses when he is at the end of his life anyway. I think that is more cruel, the problem is I am already feeling bad, guilty and stressed so I think I am maybe focusing too much on what others might (or do) think..
I would like to thank everyone here for not being judgemental about an already difficult decision.

I did want to add, since someone else mentioned it, it would be 200.00 for the vet to do it here (and we would not be able to donate the body). I have no problem with paying the 200.00 (not that I am loaded, but he has earned a dignified death and I will have no problem paying for that), I am just questioning what is the least traumatic for the horse and I honestly dont know that it is the chemical euthanasia. I have a call in to the Sheriffs dept and if it is illegal we will have the vet do it regardless.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

where I want to said:


> Vets used to have something called a "humane killer." It was a device that the vet would place on the forehead of the horse and hit and it would send a bullet into the right place.
> Maybe there are still vets who would be willing to still kill a horse without chemicals.


They use this in England, or did, and in many slaughter plants. It doesn't use a bullet but has what they call a 'captive bolt'. 

This link shows the pistol type in the second image, which is probably what you are thinking of. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_bolt_pistol

I know it is not in common use in vet practices and I don't know of many vets who routinely would have a pistol and would be willing to put an animal down with a firearm rather than the usual euthania drugs.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

I do not talk about this, but I will this once. I had no money when my baby boy was so sick with Wobbler's. The County has a facility where you can take sick and diseased livestock and the gentleman in charge will shoot them in the forehead with a high-caliber rifle for you. You sign a paper and it's done. Free. The county subsidizes this to protect the water supply from contamination of folks burying or dumping carcasses.

Cattlemen and cops shoot suffering animals in the forehead all the time to end their suffering. A horse is not different. UNLESS you live in an area where discharge of a firearm _in general_ is illeagal, I believe you have the right to shoot your own animal in a HUMANE location (the forehead or back of the skull in horned animals). If you gut shot them and left them to die slowely, that would be definable cruelty.


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## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for the replies, suggestions and advice. Lisa, the link that you sent was very helpful. I did speak with our county AC officer and he said that "he did not have a problem with that" which I found a little alarming since I was expecting more of a "You CAN do this; You CANNOT do this" fact based response.. I do feel a bit of peace though after speaking with him, reading the info that Lisa sent and the responses that I got on here. We are working on arrangements with the big cat sanctuary also. 

I have to say that this was my 1st Equine Forum post and I was really scared of getting blasted, there seems to be a lot of that on some of the other boards so I did expect that and was touched and surprised by all of the support and helpful advice and people that shared their own experiences. So a BIG thanks to everyone for being so helpful, supportive and just plain nice..


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

You're welcome and I can't imagine why anyone would blast you. You're trying to do a kind and humane thing. And we all know how hard it is.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

DWH Farm said:


> I have to say that this was my 1st Equine Forum post and I was really scared of getting blasted, there seems to be a lot of that on some of the other boards so I did expect that and was touched and surprised by all of the support and helpful advice and people that shared their own experiences. So a BIG thanks to everyone for being so helpful, supportive and just plain nice..


I know what you mean. I'm on a couple of other equine boards where I am very, very careful of what I say and what I do not say.

I've been here a number of years now and this is much the most rational equine board I've been on ... ever. Sensible people.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

DWH Farm, I can't imagine anyone giving you a bad time for doing the right thing and the most important thing you have to remember is that it really doesn't matter what your neighbor thinks, the old horse has served you well, should not suffer and deserves the right to die with dignity. 

We'll be there for you when you again when you've made your decision and need a bit of support because doing the right thing doesn't always seem so right at the time.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Homesteading Today is a unique board like that. It was a unique real-world view of livestock and pet ownership.

I remember I was on a different rabbit forum and people were getting blasted for breeding and eating rabbits. Heaven help you didn't get your rabbit spayed or neutered. I was amazed!

I absolutely love this forum.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

this is the ONLY equine board I frequent ...I like the range of experiences and styles ...
glad things are working out - though i'm sad for you and horse they have to


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## Tallabred (May 23, 2008)

I give you great credit for being able to do what needs to be done. Just yesterday my vet told me that my 18 yr old mare, Flo, has a tumor on her spine and will need to be put down. Every day she struggles a little bit more to keep her balance and to be able to walk. I so wish that I could do it myself. I have put my goats down but not a horse.

My thoughts are with you,


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

When our dear Star had to go, my husband shot her. He hated to do it, he loved her, but even more he hated to give that responsibility over to someone that didn't love her. One shot and a whump! and she was gone. Very peaceful really, though we were all crying. My hubby said that she looked at him and told him it was time and I believe him. Sometimes the last gift you can give an animal is to let them go.


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## cnvh (Jun 11, 2008)

I have (thankfully) only had to have one horse put down, and I chose to have the vet do it with sedation followed by chemical euthanasia. I've heard horror stories of euthanasia without the initial sedation-- horses literally flipping over backwards, euth not working right away, etc.-- but with sedation+euth, I don't know how it could go wrong... My beloved horse was sedated like he was going to have surgery, got very sleepy, eventually laid down, I petted him and said my last goodbyes, the vet administered the "pink juice" and it was quietly, serenely over. No thrashing, no wild-eyed look of terror, he just "went to sleep."

I don't debate that a properly-placed bullet is instantaneous-- it absolutely is. But I have witnessed more large-animal butchering than I can count, and I HAVE seen the bullet method go poorly-- animal moves JUST as the trigger is pulled and the shot isn't perfectly placed, etc. 

With that being said, I think it also depends on the situation-- I've heard that chemical euths can take longer for an acutely-stressed horse (i.e., colic, broken leg). If it was a crisis situation and I had a gun, I'd opt for bullet; if it's old age and something I can schedule, I'd opt for chemical.

Assuming you have a place for burial/disposal and don't want to donate to a big-cat program, which rules out chemical euth as others have said...


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I agree with wr, we'll be here for you when it's over, whatever you decide. ((hugs))


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

Here, it used to be that if you took the critter to the vet to put down, he did it, took care of the carcass and the charge was $10.

Today, the vets still use the same chemicals but charge $300 - $500 and it's up to you to have a company haul the carcass away. They charge the same fee as the vets.

So some take the critter out in the desert and put a well placed bullet. The critter is dead before their finger is off the trigger and some wild life have a meal.

Some use a backhoe, dig a hole 8 - 10 feet deep, and bury the critter on their property. Allowed here. I know some who live where this isn't allowed, but they live out in the boonies where there's no close neighbors and bury on their property.

We have an Out Of Africa place here that will take critters to feed to their large cats. The critter can not have any chemicals in it. So you'd have to haul to the place.

Do what's comfortable for you.


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## TxHorseMom (Feb 21, 2011)

We had to put down 2 horses last month. One was my beloved grey Arabian Mercedes. who coliced. We did everything we could, tubing, mineral oil walking, IV's etc. I had already spent hundreds of $$ at the vet which I didn't really have. (Well, I had it, but it was earmarked for another bill *sigh*) The thought of spending more for a farm call plus putting her down was stressful. My son, who after hugging me said "mom, I can do it for you and I _promise_ she won't feel a thing." Well, he is in the Air Force, and has seen combat in Afghanistan, so I know he knows how to use a gun. My daughter and he walked her out to a quiet spot and did it. One shot and her pain was over.

A week later we decided that it was time for another horse to be put down. She was the first horse we ever owned and was over 30. She had no teeth left to speak of. Giving her buckets and buckets of One And Only wet down so she could "eat" it etc, but couldn't keep on weight no matter what we did. She told me that it was time for us to let her go. I could tell she wasn't happy any more. She wouldn't "play" with the other horses, something she would do even 6 months ago. She would just stand my herself under a tree with her head hanging. So, my son took care of it again. It was very fast, and only painful for us emotionally.

I agree with the others. If the neighbor asks, I would just say, "he was put down humanely, and I don't want to talk about it." It's none of her business if you ask me.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Most of the time we've just known when a horse was ready to be put down but I'm not sure Cara would have ever given up. It didn't matter if she couldn't stand she'd still try to tell the horses walking around her what to do. That was the hard one to decide when to put down and I probably left her much longer than I should have. The vet commented on how she gamely got herself up and hobbled to the gate because I asked her to even though she was missing a tendon in her front leg so she nearly walked on her fetlock, her back was arced weird, and her hindquarters weren't supporting her. I wish a well placed bullet could have been done for her. He kept pumping her full of anesthesia and she would just stagger, snort, and spread her feet wider to hold her ground. It took a good 40mins of waiting around and 4 or 5 syringes to get this little quarter horse laying out unconscious so she could be put down. Then it took double the usual dose to be confident her heart had stopped beating. The vet was getting a bit confused and frustrated. I don't think right up to the moment she died of starvation or health problems she would have shown a sign of giving up. Her head never hung, she never worried over the other horses going places faster than her, and I don't think that spark ever would have left her eye. She was still ready to run barrels and blaze trails where there were no trails. There will never be a horse like Cara and Cara never faltered no matter what happened to her. I catch glimpses in her foals but I would have to smash all of them in to a single horse to come close to recreating that mare and her drive. Good old working quarter lines that don't quit.


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

DWH Farm said:


> Thanks to everyone for the replies, suggestions and advice. Lisa, the link that you sent was very helpful. I did speak with our county AC officer and he said that "he did not have a problem with that" which I found a little alarming since I was expecting more of a "You CAN do this; You CANNOT do this" fact based response.. I do feel a bit of peace though after speaking with him, reading the info that Lisa sent and the responses that I got on here. We are working on arrangements with the big cat sanctuary also.
> 
> I have to say that this was my 1st Equine Forum post and I was really scared of getting blasted, there seems to be a lot of that on some of the other boards so I did expect that and was touched and surprised by all of the support and helpful advice and people that shared their own experiences. So a BIG thanks to everyone for being so helpful, supportive and just plain nice..



Like I posted yesterday to another newer member- you're safe here. There are many of us who no longer post or even visit other forums for that same reason. The irrational reaction to our comments or thought processes surrounding responsible animal husbandry and such. One forum absolutely BLASTED me because I stated that if a dog came onto my property and began wreaking havoc that if the owner did not restrain the animal I WOULD kill it. It seems they expected me to just let the dog tear up or kill whatever it wanted and give the neighbor the benefit of the doubt. Many of those people were pet owners and I appealed to that as well "If a dog came onto YOUR property and tried to or actually killed your pet, would you let it go?" No one answered the question, but they sure condemned me for the thought.

Heck- I caught hell here locally because a local farmer wanted to shoot some horses that someone had left there 'just for a week or so' that turned into several months. The horses kept breaking down the fence and the farmer (older man) couldn't round them back up and secure the fence. The actual owner never did anything about the fence or moving the animals, so the old guy said that either the owner came to get them or he would shoot them in the head. Folks thought that was SO cruel. I told them that cruel would be a gut shot. A head shot would solve a lot of problems. 


We're (for the most part) rational and reasonable here. The comfort level for the animal being dispatched- be it for food or due to illness/injury/age- is foremost in everyone's minds. 

Good luck, whatever you finally decide to do.


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## CheerfulMom4 (May 21, 2008)

We had to put down our old gelding a few years ago. We had called the vet and I was a wreck for days, then she couldn't come on the day we had scheduled.
So..I called my Dad. He took care of it, one minute Buddy was eating nice fresh grass, the next he was gone. No struggle, no fear.


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## Sededl (Jan 14, 2011)

Here, We all understand you are doing what is best for the HORSE. Not what is easiest on YOURSELF. Its hard to euthanize your babies, but its even harder to watch them waste away. I had a cat I watched do that, because I was to weak to have him put down. I loved him so much, and I so dearly wish I could go back and change it. That is one mistake Ill never make again.

Your neighbor is a moron. Id ignore her unless she directly speaks to you. As far as the others, well if they cant accept the fact that you are a responsible horse owner, you dint need to be around them anyway 

Keepin you in my thoughts
Sededl


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Ugh, don't go near The Horse Chronicles...those people are VICIOUS!

WOndering how you are doing?


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I'm hoping all goes well no matter what you decide it best. Hang in there. It is a tough part of animal ownership and we're all here for ya.


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

My husband has put down a couple horses himself. Apparently its not quite as easy as it sounds, I know he has had to, on occasion, use more than one shot - and he's a hunter with a lot of different guns. We have also had the vet do it - but our vet comes to the house as he's strictly a mobile equine vet. In either case we had no one to donate to so we just drag them to the very back of our property and let the scavengers do their work, amazingly, it only takes a couple days. I wish you well with the hard decision.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

houndlover said:


> My husband has put down a couple horses himself. Apparently its not quite as easy as it sounds, I know he has had to, on occasion, use more than one shot - and he's a hunter with a lot of different guns. We have also had the vet do it - but our vet comes to the house as he's strictly a mobile equine vet. In either case we had no one to donate to so we just drag them to the very back of our property and let the scavengers do their work, amazingly, it only takes a couple days. I wish you well with the hard decision.


You can't let the scavengers take care of a carcass if it is chemically euthanized. It is poisonous. If an endangered species is harmed, you'd be criminally liable. If the animal is shot and out of the way, the coyotes do the job pretty quickly.


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I am a rabbitgeek. It's only a little easier to put down a rabbit that is has been a friend than what you have on your hands.

I'm glad you have this group here supporting you. There should be more groups like this one. 

I believe there will be animals in heaven and our friends will be there. So I try to do what's right for them. In case we meet again.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== One forum absolutely BLASTED me because I stated that if a dog came onto my property and began wreaking havoc that if the owner did not restrain the animal I WOULD kill it. It seems they expected me to just let the dog tear up or kill whatever it wanted and give the neighbor the benefit of the doubt. ===


Here in Arizona, it's legal to shoot ANYTHING -- 2 legged, 4 legged, winged, protected -- that harasses our livestock.

Where it's not allowed, many use the 3 S's -- shoot, shovel, shut up.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

We are in much the same position and have decided that our old man will be put down with a bullet as well. He's 33 now and has a real hard time keeping on weight. He's still in good spirits, even if a bit senile imo, so we'll wait til winter. My husband has already made it blatantly clear that he cannot and will not do it himself -- it is his gelding and he's very emotionally attached -- but a man we know who has done it many times has said he'd help us out. Just have to get a backhoe out before winter. *sigh* 

It's heart wrenching, but I want him to go quickly and in investigating our options this does seem most humane to me. He can be out in his paddock with familiar people and surroundings. 

It took me a long time to come to terms with putting him down and a long time after that to make a decision about how to do it in the best way possible for him, but am now at peace with it... as much as I can be anyway. 

Don't let your neighbor make you feel bad. It's really none of her business.


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## kscowboy (Apr 27, 2008)

We have euthanized a number of them over the years at our boarding barn. We had my vet do all of them, two steps , sedate to the ground then a IV shot to stop the heart. 
I have often asked owners to leave as any method is tough in these situations.


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

Rogo said:


> === One forum absolutely BLASTED me because I stated that if a dog came onto my property and began wreaking havoc that if the owner did not restrain the animal I WOULD kill it. It seems they expected me to just let the dog tear up or kill whatever it wanted and give the neighbor the benefit of the doubt. ===
> 
> 
> Here in Arizona, it's legal to shoot ANYTHING -- 2 legged, 4 legged, winged, protected -- that harasses our livestock.
> ...


My kids had several hamsters while they were young. I had a forum blast me for not taking a hamster to the vet.... BTDT ONCE to the tune of $200 before I sprung the creature out of the exotic animal vets office after a couple of days
. That hammie lived out her natural life of about a 1.5 years... the one I got blasted for died.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

fetch33, my daughter wanted a budgie in the worst sorta way and I figured it would make a great birthday present for a kid who was super responsible with large stock. Silly me, I went to a pet store in the city and they handed me a form to fill out. As soon as I looked at the form, I knew we weren't going to bringing home a budgie because they wanted my street address so they could come and visit but I figured I might as well go for it. The questions were brilliant:

How do you plan on feeding your pet? (From a dish but PBJ sandwiches and cookies will be hand fed)

How will you exercise your pet? (Open the cage and let it play with the cats and on nice days, we'll tether it to the clothesline)

What will you do if you pet gets sick? (Fix it)

What will you do if your pet dies? (Take it apart, see why it quit working and have a viking funeral)

Nice lady told me my answers were insane and I told nice lady her questions were stupid and we walked out with a budgie.


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

wr said:


> fetch33, my daughter wanted a budgie in the worst sorta way and I figured it would make a great birthday present for a kid who was super responsible with large stock. Silly me, I went to a pet store in the city and they handed me a form to fill out. As soon as I looked at the form, I knew we weren't going to bringing home a budgie because they wanted my street address so they could come and visit but I figured I might as well go for it. The questions were brilliant:
> 
> How do you plan on feeding your pet? (From a dish but PBJ sandwiches and cookies will be hand fed)
> 
> ...


:hysterical: I think I love you. I love the Viking funeral one... lol


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## columbiasc (Sep 4, 2009)

I had to put the bare mare (Strawberry) down 2 days before Christmas a couple years ago, the kids wrote little notes and laid them on her mane. They left and I fed her sliced apples and told her how much I loved her. 
I still carry the empty 30-30 shell in my pocket everyday. When something hard to do happens to come along I take out the shell and look at it, then the hard stuff isn't as tough to do as I thought. 
I wish you all the best, I am afraid I am facing this job again with dear old Derby soon.
You do what is best for you and your sweet old horse, we are all on your side.
God bless


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

we 'know someone' who did shoot an older, suffering mare. she died at home, quickly. I think this was the best that could've been done for her and don't regret it one bit. sorry she's gone, but better than hauling her, strangers, smells, etc.


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