The last thing for a horse

[czechsonofagun]

This is hard and even weird question to ask. Our horse is close to 30 years old, suppose I come home and he is there with broken leg. Do I just go for my .357 or what? That's what one of my neighbor farmer done with cow that had to be disposed off.
Let me rephrase it. Did you ever have to deal with a horse - or any other big farm animal - that had to be put down in an emergency? What did you do?

Don't get me wrong, he has plenty of life left, he is still able to roll on his back and his hoofs are still growing - he is a sturdy old boy, but I always prefer to know my line of action.

 

[CMSporthorses]

It's actually a good question to ask and an important thing to know.

Draw an imaginary line from the left ear to the right eye and from the right ear to the left eye.

At the point the lines intersect is your point of aim. (same for cattle)

Fire from just a few inches away with the barrel of the gun at 90* to the surface.

You DON'T need the .357 (although it will work fine if it's the only option), just a .22 rifle is suitable for horses (cattle are a little tougher, but a .22mag or .22 hornet is good) and the round should not have the over penetration issues you might find from a heavier load.... A .22LR in this way should drop most cattle except some bulls, but err towards caution for cattle and go centrefire if you only have a .22

 

[Youare]

Had to deal with it twice.

I was given an older former pulling pony that the kids enjoyed for 5 or 6 years. As far as we could tell he was in his 30's and began the downhill trip. One day I came into the barn to find him laying down and unable to get on his feet. Knowing it was time I called the vet to come look at him with the possibility of have to put him down. The vet took too long in getting there and the pony expired on his own, we tried to make him as comfortable as possible. So the process of digging a hole began.


About 12 years later my Mustang got to the point where she was approaching the end of her years. WHen she got to the point of being too weak I made the dreaded call to another vet and he gave her a shot which was quick for her but not painless for me. Before he arrived I had started digging another hole.

Either way natural death or human assisted it is not a pleasant undertaking. I much perfered paying the vet his fee to give my horse a shot than to take a gun and pull the trigger. The loud bang of that event woho ring in my ears too long.

Randy

 

[Kays Supply]

We had a mini horse that was old and in a lot of pain. We just called the Vet and he dropped her right in the hole with a hypo load of something.

 

[MikePA]

We've had to put 2 horses down over the past 10 years and we let the vet handle it. We were there, but she gave the shot. She also arranged for the rendering truck to stop by and warned us not to be there when the pick up happened. Lastly, while it might be common sense, she mentioned it anyway. Put the horse down where the rendering truck can easily access it, i.e., not in a stall or in the middle of a field.

 

[CMSporthorses]

Waiting for the vet isn't always practical or humane...

Remember also that the "green dream", Lethobarb, is not always as peaceful as you might expect, an injured horse with adrenaline flowing can "fight" the sedation and make for a difficult, unpleasant and traumatic experience.
A single gunshot done correctly is more quick and certain even if a little more "graphic" than a needle...

You also have to be careful with carcase disposal when lethobarb is used..anything that gets at the carcase can be poisoned, it can contaminate soil and in some areas the carcase needs to be treated as toxic waste. You may also be charged more to dispose of a drug euthanised animal.

 

[Egon]

Sorry to hear about your horse. It always hurts when part of extended family gets hurt.

It is very difficult to have a horse with a broken leg put in slings till the leg is healed. Usually it will only be done for very special circumstances.

Ensure that you abide by your local regulations for carcass disposal.

 

[SARG]

I had personally put down one of my animals 35 years ago. I have never done it again ..... nor will I.

Long lasting heartache that will never go away. May be beneficial and painless for the critter but the personal trauma lasted me a lifetime.

 

[MikePA]

I had personally put down one of my animals 35 years ago. I have never done it again ..... nor will I.

Long lasting heartache that will never go away. May be beneficial and painless for the critter but the personal trauma lasted me a lifetime.

Agree, 100%.

 

[Gizmo2]

We have had to put down 3, the last one was 27 and lived his entire life here on or place. Although the personal trauma is bad I would highly recommend you not waiting until it is an emergency. The personal trauma will be with you regardless and it is completely unfair to the animal. It is part of owning animals.