The last thing for a horse

[powerpace]

Having been around farms/ranches/dairys and own animals now it is a process I have had to do many times. Most people who own animals for pleasure don't know when to let an old animal go. They wait too long, and put a lot of money and heartache into an animal to "save" it then in the end it dies anyway because it's -OLD-. Uncomfortable for all concerned. Accidents are a different story. Like my dad said "always carry a knife" if your riding a horse in the backcountry. You never know what may happen to an animal.
Around here if the animal is not on medication it can be taken to Wildlife Safary where they have Lions and other big cats and meateaters. It's been hard to do but it is part of the Circle of Life. They put them down humanely and are processed. It is also tax deductable because it is a donation to a non-profit. About 1,000 dollars for the last one I took in. There are no rendering plants locally and you can't bury. They will make you dig it up.
Fish and Game will even make you pull a horse from the river that has fallen and died from a trail.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I know overseas in slaughter they use this blank round propelled piston. The whole think looks like mushroom upside down with the big flange to sit on the forehead. Round is inside and on the smack of the top with a hammer, the charge will push the piston inside the head to provide humanitarian kill.

Anyway, thanks for the input and stories, Bart is still very alive and I hope I don't have to deal with it any time soon, but as I said: I want to know what to do if there is a need.

 

[MossRoad]

That's all it ever took. One trigger pull so I'd guess that single shot .22 was a "Sufficient Weapon" Think I've still got it too.:thumbsup:

Just hope you never miss or there is some weird bone structure that causes the bullet to go off track. I've put down lots of animals with my car tires over the years. You know, driving along, see some animal get hit in front of you, flopping around on the road, guts hanging out, no hope. So I run it down, sometimes backup and run it over again to end its suffering as quickly as possible. I think all of us agree that the goal is to cause no suffering and to end the suffering as quickly as possible if it occurs.

 

[CMSporthorses]

Done correctly a .22LR is quite sufficient for horses. The frontal area of the skull is very thin. It's interesting that no posters who have seen the green dream used on horses have seen a bad reaction... maybe it's because you have seen it in only a few horses... or maybe it's just because I deal with lots of livestock, and therfore dead stock that I HAVE seen the failures when they fight it... Believe me, see it once and you WILL recognise that a correctly used rifle is a much surer and more "pleasant" (well, less unpleasant) option... I probably euth about 1/2 dozen horses a year in addition to a few cattle and sheep in a slaughterhouse type situation as we kill our own meat... they all get the .22LR (except the cattle, the .22 hornet for them) and have never had a "failure" to drop on 1 shot.

The vultures won't be effected by the illness of the dead stock, but if you went the lethobarb route you are gunna be picking up a lot of dead vultures and any other wildlife that has a pick....crows and dogs, foxes, feral cats etc, and I suppose you guys would add coyotes and so on the that list...

Sure guys, shooting a horse you love is never pleasant, but letting it suffer while you wait for a vet is also unpleasant and in fact bloody cruel! Better to give a last kindness. And remeber, when it come to the oldies, better a day too soon than a minute too late..

As someone mentioned above, a knife is better than nothing in a "remote" situation and exanguination is allegedly rather painless method other than the small incision to open a carotid or femoral artery. Not nice but better than a slow and painful death... just remember that the amount of blood in a horse will create a lake... One method I was taught for use in an emergency in a "public" situation where a gunshot was not possible, waiting for drugs was cruel and a pool of blood would be a PR nightmare, was an artery opened internally via the rectum... never had to use that and hope I never do, but can see a place for it.

This is a horrible topic, but an important one all horse owners should be prepared to deal with, unfortunately it's just an area I have a lot of professional experience with...

 

[czechsonofagun]

Thanks for the reply, CM. It is always educating to read experience of somebody who deals with the situation relatively often.

 

[Tul01]

"Sure guys, shooting a horse you love is never pleasant, but letting it suffer while you wait for a vet is also unpleasant and in fact bloody cruel! Better to give a last kindness. And remeber, when it come to the oldies, better a day too soon than a minute too late."

I absolutely agree CMS.

My wife's family does pet cremation (incl up to horses) and say what you will it is my opinion growing up on a med size dairy 100+ cattle that far too many people wait far too long, in the name of love for their animal.

Regardless any death always serves as a reminder of who we are and our place on this planet.

Brent

 

[Dallas_Lilly]

Stay away from any pistol with a hollow point bullet, they sometimes do not penetrate through the skull and the animal will not die, then you have a real mess on your hands.

I have only had to put down two horses, both of them with .243, no problems.

My best friend does mobile slaughter for livestock and when he cannot get his slaughter trailer into where the animal is I come in with the tractor. Have watched him slaughter 20 or so animals, beef to lambs, with 22 mag solid points.

Stay away from the hollow points and you will be fine. It takes a something, I don't know what it is, to be able to kill a pet, even if it is suffering. I have done it but hate doing it.

 

[JeremyL]

I first came to TBN because of tractors. I have remained a regular because of threads like this. I type with tears in my eyes after reading each entry here. There is wisdom here. The contributions are practical, personal, sentimental, fact-based, and presented altruistically for the benefit of all. I am tired of almost everybody trying to make money off of everything; how refreshing that TBNers give of there experience, wit, and advise just to be helpful.

We have an aging horse with health problems which is why I was interested in this topic. It is an awe-some responsibility and ultimate act of love to give death humanely at just the right time for an animal who loves you and depends on you totally. Putting down your animal is tough, but remember that Nature generally serves up death with brutality, not like in the movies.

A "tractor" website that is filled with life, death, compassion, generosity, and practical discussion of calibers and bone density. Gotta love it.

Thanks.

 

[LBrown59]

OH man does this bring back memories. When I was a kid my father decided to butcher a cow that we had raised for that purpose. He tied the cow to the big walnut tree and then shot it in the head with a 38. -- nothing -- the cow didn't drop it just stood there and screamed out a loud MOOO. I wasn't able to watch. My father went over to the neighbors and borrowed a 30-06 and that did the job. So yea if you're going to use a gun be sure you can do it with one shot.

As I can recall a .22 was used for the killing when butchering hogs and beef. Can't ever recall when more than one shot was required.

I had a similar experence 62 years ago back when i was about 7 years old .
Mom and dad had decided get and raise a couple of hogs.
When it came time to butcher one of them dad got out the old 22 single shot rife his did had given him several years before I was born.
I was in the house in the bed room cause I could not bear to watch .
Heard the shot and instantly the most horrifying squealing sound I'd ever heard.
Seamed like forever before the gun was reloaded and the second shot finally ended that chilling sound.

 

[Soundguy]

I got a QH that is 30.. he's in good health and still spry.. but I know it's probably not going to be but maybee another 5ys before I'm digging a real big hole somewhere...

not looking forward to that..

soundguy