Lift capabilities

[JimRB]

A horse that is having problems keeping on weight might not be that heavy depending on breed. We got an old Morgan stallion bag of bones 5 years ago. That horse costs us more to feed than the rest of the horses. 3 or more foals from that now 33 year old stallion that is missing a bunch of teeth. Proper feeding might be more than someone wants to spend on pelletized feed watered down to soften up or take the time feeding 4 times a day. Anyhow I have dug holes using the JD 870 2 wd bucket. Sloped hole deep enough. Push horse in. Cover back up. Add a little bit of dirt a few years later as things settle. Those horses were more like 1000 pounds when healthy.

 

[4570Man]

1 cubic foot (or yard) of compost doesn’t weigh 1400#. Did you to type another quantity?

Compost is pretty light. 1400 pounds per cubic yard isn’t unreasonable.

 

[jyoutz]

Compost is pretty light. 1400 pounds per cubic yard isn’t unreasonable.

I was thinking that was on the heavy side, but I suppose it depends on how much soil is mixed with the organics.

 

[LD1]

I have buried alot of horses. Mini-ex, full sized backhoe, and compact backhoe.

I have never lifted a horse. Its always been drug, pushed into the hole and dirt shoved over. I just tell people they may want to step away. Some understand its just the circle of life, others get emotional.

One guy....put the horse in the hole himself. He had a skidloader....scooped up the horse from the barn and dumped into the hole. Was no big deal to him.

I have often heard of people digging a ramp into the hole for the horse to walk into.....and have the vet euthanize once in the hole. Maybe thats an option?

Or if the excavator guy is a weekend/evening only guy.....why cant the vet put the horse down.....and dig the hole that evening where the excavator guy can lower?

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Thanks for all replies. What I was told a few weeks back, was there would be a ramp down. Horse walked down, given a shot to prevent felt pain of whatever was given to kill it. Now it seems they won't be able to get horse to walk down ramp. Excavator just dug hole. Maybe he talked owner into just pushing horse in. When I talked with owner to tell him tractor wasn't capable to lift etc. His reaction (visually) appeared to he thought horse should just be pushed in. His wife, actual owner of horse, as emotional as I saw her, would not be happy if that was done.
That's for them to settle. I'm just a neighbor willing to help anyway I can.

 

[sd455dan]

It's a working man who uses it for work. Doing it as a favor, that's how we roll around here... Vet has a schedule as well. Not idea situation.

Have done several horse burials over the years. I agree with above you very likely do not have a large enough tractor with enough FEL to move the animal. I did have to drag one by the neck once that was stuck in a barn stall. Pretty ugly scene if the horse owner is there as well. I have a plate on pallet forks that does work well to move the animal and then it works to roll the animal in from the side of the grave site. Without a plate in front of the FEL not sure you can do this even with a strong enough FEL lift. Doesn't take long for rig to set in and then things do not bend, It does help when it comes time to roll them in as the legs can be used to rotate then use the fel to gently tilt and let the animal slide off and gently into the ground.
I have never tried to get any of the horse in the actual bucket just to big.
Good Luck on whatever is chosen, this isn't fun stuff especially if it is part of the family.
My condolences to all involved and my biggest advice is Do not put the animal down inside a barn stall.
pick an area with good access from all sides.

 

[pecans]

Good Morning,,,, No doubt you have accomplished your task. Empathy. I have 130 horses here for folks. There are many options. Here are some comments for future readers. One is an Indian Burial... you need to have a large property and compatible local governance if applicable. That is a circle of rocks or trees in which the animal is placed and allowed to respectfully return to nature. (Smell will be around for some time) For FEL you need to counter balance your tractor with an equal weight on the rear. We use a LARGE 1000+ pound round bale. If you are going to use a small tractor and a slope into the hole, it would be suggested to have slick tracks placed down the slope. (castors but quality castors for the weight are very expensive) Build a matching platform that the horse can be laid upon. Push the platform slowly on the tracks/ rails first with your FEL,,,, then, depending on your design, you either need a push pole to continue, or a chain fastened in two spots equidistant from the balance point to slowly allow the platform to move to the bottom of the slope It is presumed the slope will extend to the opposite side of the hole. If you are pulling (better for the tractor and safer), you need a slope both directions or a narrow ditch the chain can drop into on the other side as the horse progresses down. You can also pull a platform directly over the hole in the way funeral homes do and use a winch of many types to lower in as final words are said. A funeral by chance may have one wide enough. There is a lot to think through. Once you have your method perfected you will do a lot of folks good in your area. --- High complements to all the safety comments by folks. Every one of them mentioned is critical to your safety and preservation of your tractor as well as respect for the participants.

 

[jdp]

I own a New Holland TC 29D. My neighbor asked me for a favor, I said I would help, if I could. Sadly, they are putting down one of their 30+ year old horses. They asked me if I would place in grave. Someone with an excavator is doing the digging prior, but can't stay around to lower horse. I'm not sure if I'm reading manual correctly, but it would seem like the lifting capabilities are 800#. Research shows the average horse is 1000# to 1200#. Yes, I know that there are wide variables to horse weight. This particular horse has been unable to gain weight despite vet recommended diet, and will not be able to survive the winter. Still, when standing next to it, seems big to a non horse knowledgeable person. I don't want to disrespect the horse by not being able to lift it, which I was going to accomplish by strapping the legs. Not sure if that is the best way either. Strap is 25'ish 7500# rating.
Any help would be appreciated.

I have done this. You have the excavator slope a nice ramp to the bottom of the hole. Then you lead the horse down the ramp. The vet puts him down right in the hole. Then you fill it in. Worked like a charm.
I rented a real small backhoe, dug the hole and ramp, returned the machine, vet put the horse down in the hole- it walked down the ramp no problem, then I pushed the dirt in with my compact B2320.

 

[Snezzy]

pelletized feed watered down to soften up

We do that "at great expense" for our ponies who are 37 and 48 years old. They still do work carrying kids. You would think a 48 would be a rack of bones, but he is plump! Timothy pellets plus beet pulp pellets. Yum yum eat'em up.

 

[John_Mc]

I suspect by now this has been taken care of, but just in case it's still under consideration:

Unless the horse can be walked into the hole and put down there, it's really best if the owners or anyone with an emotional attachment to the horse not be around for the process of putting the horse in the hole. Let them say their goodbyes, have the horse put down, then go away while the dirty work is done. There are just too many unpleasant things that can happen while moving an animal as big as a horse.

I was in my twenties when my sister's large 37 year old horse had to be put down. We had known his days were numbered. It's unusual for a horse that large to live that long. He had been seeming OK, just a little stiff and "creaky", but in good spirits and not losing weight. One day we came out to find him lying on the ground in the barnyard, unable to get up. Multiple attempts to assist him up failed.

We called the vet to put him down, and a neighbor who ran an excavating business to dig the hole and bury him. Our whole family was around for the end (my parents and the 5 of us kids, and our other horse). After he had passed and everyone said their goodbyes the neighbor on the excavator asked us to leave. Two sisters who were the real "horse people" of the family wanted to stay for the burial. Fortunately, the neighbor had done some of this before. He was unable to get his big excavator into the barnyard, and even if he could, lifting a large dead horse might not go smoothly. With his smaller excavator he would have to drag the horse out of the barnyard to the hole. It would not be a process we wanted to watch and definitely not what we wanted as our last memory of our old friend.

In retrospect, even if the horse had been put down right at the edge of the hole and then pushed in, I don't think it's something my sisters would have wanted to see.