Alternative to rendering man?

[MissMilly]

Unfortunately I think my old guy is on borrowed time. He fell down once, and while we got him back up, I’ve already made the decision that if it happens again we are going to put him down immediately.

It is breaking my heart to think of his body going to the rendering plant. Usually I would beg to BO to quietly bury him in the back field, but the ground is frozen solid and will be for quite some time. My very limited knowledge makes me think digging a hole is impossible. Is this correct? I have access to some pretty major equipment, but it’s zero degrees here.

Is there an alternative for what to do with his body? Anyone had a horse cremated?

I know it’s a bit ridiculous, but I just can’t get over his “final arrangements”. Any advice is much appreciated.

[2DogsFarm]

Cremation is certainly a possibility, but it is expensive.
And finding a pet crematory in your area could be difficult.
Alsoi be advised the cremated remains of such a large animal are going to end up needing more than a coffeetable-sized urn.

Even if the ground allowed digging, BO may not legally be able to bury a horse on the land. Some counties have laws regarding the water tables that preclude this.

Tell yourself what is left behind is just a shell.
I lost 2 to a trailering accident and expediency had to let both go to landfill.

It is not ridiculous for you to feel badly, but you need to do what works best for you at the time.

[Mango20]

Cremation is expensive - I think last time I looked it was 50 cents/pound, and you have to get the horse to them somehow.

I’ve had two horses composted over the last few years. It just is a nicer thought to think of them quietly composting under a pile of stuff instead of rendered. In my case, it was cheaper, too.

Here are some resources for PA: https://mhcuhp.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/horse-disposal-pennsylvania.pdf

If you are close to MD, you might be able to get the composters to come get him: Bloom Valley Farms in Union Bridge, MD (bloomvalley@gmail.com, 410-840-2005) provides carcass pick-up and composting services for central MD.

[crosscreeksh]

FWIW - A backhoe CAN dig through frozen ground/snow/ice. I just had two put down last weekend. Digging was not an issue. Cheapest, most traditional way to go if it is legal where you are. ps…you don’t ever want to see a rendering truck pick up YOUR horse.

[Desert_Topaz]

Backhoes can definitely do frozen ground. Another option is the landfill and some have separate animal burying areas. It can be very inexpensive (I paid $12. Cheaper than the backhoe.) Not all landfills have this service, so you need to call around. You can also donate to a vet school or a zoo or animal sanctuary with big cats and/or wolves.

[clanter]

never used it but out city has a flat fee for removal

g. Class F, dead animal removal (owner request)
Under 30 pounds $10.00
Over 30 pounds $20.00

We have used a local pet cemetery which provides humane treatment of the body and choice of individual grave or mass grave

[SMF11]

[QUOTE=Desert Topaz;8011725]
You can also donate to a vet school or a zoo or animal sanctuary with big cats and/or wolves.[/QUOTE]

I have no real world experience with this, but I believe this option is only available if you trailer a live horse to the animal sanctuary. And the horse – obviously – cannot be chemically euthanized.

[cowboymom]

We had one die a few weeks ago and a backhoe was a possibility. If you have access to equipment, look into it.

None of the other options were great, ours ended up just being hauled off into the hills for the coyotes which doesn’t really bother me but I wouldn’t have minded to have him buried at home. We just didn’t have time to make the arrangements.

[Socprof]

The last one we lost I had cremated. I have the land to bury him, but for a variety of reasons just couldn’t. I have nothing but praise for the young man that picked our guy up, and their office people. Pony returned in a nice wood box in three days. The box hangs out in the living room with his pictures. Somehow it sounds a little creepy when I type this, but it really made losing a family member less sad. If you need contact info, I’m happy to pass it along. It was more expensive than having him hauled out, but not much more than the cost of a backhoe.
(Appx. 900lbs - $1500)

[IronwoodFarm]

Wow, I don’t pay anything near $1500 for a backhoe. That’s a crazy high price. I hire someone locally to dig the hole on my own land – $250.

If I were the OP, I would talk with the BO about the burial. If it is okay, then I would schedule the euthanasia. Get the backhoe guy to come out and dig the hole prior to the deed, then have him bury the horse. It is SO much easier having it scheduled and not scrambling for a backhoe at the last minute. I have been in that position, too. The planned way is so much better.

[SillyHorse]

Fortunately, I haven’t been faced with this kind of decision. I just wanted to say I’m sorry, MissMillie. It’s tough.

[BeeHoney]

I would urge you to try to reconsider your thinking.

Yes, a backhoe can dig through frozen ground, but burying a 1200 lb. animal with long legs and arranging an awkwardly shaped body in a grave makes burial difficult and a little gruesome–you aren’t gently laying a body to rest. Speaking as someone who has done this, burying horses results uneven ground over the grave afterwards–I wouldn’t recommend doing it in a pasture area. Lastly, renting a backhoe, digging a hole, putting a rigor mortis stiff/frozen horse in it takes a reasonable amount of time and effort (or money). It would be a major favor to ask of a BO–may be better to save your favors for living animals.

I have cremated horses before, back in the days when the state lab would do it for a nominal cost, and it was emotionally very nice to have the ashes of a special horse. However, nowadays the cost is significant and you also have to pay someone to come pick up the body and transport it.

On the whole, having the renderer come pick up the carcass isn’t much different, either way the horse is gone. The render I have used handles the bodies quickly and respectfully. And either way, the most precious thing you have left is your memories with that animal. Save your money and your effort for the living–donate the money to a rescue in your horse’s name or take in a new special horse that is in need. Cut some hair from the tail and have a bracelet made to remember your old guy from.

[merrygoround]

Most towns around have companies that do excavation work. I have found that these men are very considerate, come as soon as possible, and have no problem dealing with frozen ground.

Even in pastures the ground settles back in place.

[Bluey]

Burying is illegal in places, because of contamination of the ground and possibly water supply.

It really was traditional to do so, but any more it is not any more considered a good way to dispose of 1000# of dead horse.

Here we have a rendering plant that picks cattle and handles horses also.

We also have a bone pile, but chemically euthanized animals can’t be disposed of there, it is illegal, because whatever eats them may also die.

Here there are some individuals that take them to the land fill for vet clinics.
Ask your vet clinic what they do, may be something you can live with or have other options you don’t know about in your area.

Such decisions are very personal, do whatever feels right to you.

[Lady_Eboshi]

[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;8011714]
FWIW - A backhoe CAN dig through frozen ground/snow/ice. I just had two put down last weekend. Digging was not an issue. Cheapest, most traditional way to go if it is legal where you are. ps…you don’t ever want to see a rendering truck pick up YOUR horse.[/QUOTE]

THIS. We got through 6" of frost last weekend, and he didn’t even need the “breaker” tool. Can be done. Failing that, compost in bedding and wait for better weather; dairymen do it all the time.

[GottaQH]

[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;8011714]
FWIW - A backhoe CAN dig through frozen ground/snow/ice. I just had two put down last weekend. Digging was not an issue. Cheapest, most traditional way to go if it is legal where you are. ps…you don’t ever want to see a rendering truck pick up YOUR horse.[/QUOTE]

Bad as that was decades ago, worse was last year when the rendering truck pulled up and the effin vet was late!

[ryansgirl]

You aren’t being ridiculous - you’re being smart and doing the right thing…planning ahead. I’ve seen too many people not plan ahead and then they kind of get into a bind.

I cremated my old TB - I had him put down at the equine hospital and there is a crematorium on-site that does full-body (a lot of places can’t do horses due to their size so they’ll do just parts if you want ashes back). It costs $1900 - not cheap but worth it in my mind. The people who run the crematorium will do pickups if you can’t get your horse to them. We have another guy who will pick up the deceased horse and bury them on his property - he covers a huge area and is always in demand. He charges about $700 if I recall correctly and I believe it includes pick-up. He even does it in winter - he had holes pre-dug just in case. Very compassionate man as are the operators of the crematorium.

Sorry you you have to go through this but glad to hear you are thinking ahead and doing what is best. :sadsmile:

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=SMF11;8011753]
I have no real world experience with this, but I believe this option is only available if you trailer a live horse to the animal sanctuary. And the horse – obviously – cannot be chemically euthanized.[/QUOTE]

Yes. And most major zoos (ie public institution/AAZA-accredited types) won’t take strange horses anyway. The animals are on controlled diets that don’t generally include meat of dubious origins. Where and what gets fed has to be tracked and recorded. And they’re not usually equipped to mechanically destroy and process them, either. (Most zoos DO have guns and can shoot animals, but it’s an emergency measure.) A cat sanctuary or private collection/zoo might, ditto hound packs if you know of one that does it, but SMF11’s right, you’d probably have to trailer them in live and trust to the marksman they hire to put the horse down correctly.

[cowboymom]

There is no ‘renderer’ where I live; not even an option. Cremation is cost prohibitive. Burying is a very viable option everywhere I’ve been.

It’s a bit of a regional thing, clearly.

[RMJacobs]

We have buried two horses on our land–one four or five years ago, and another last November. It’s legal to do so here, and while I feel that the remains are not the animal I loved, and therefore what happens to remains is not a big deal, it’s just easier. And I must confess I do say hi to all the critters (not just the two horses, but one dog and various hamsters and gerbils) that we’ve buried here when I pass by the graves.

The first one we had to bury didn’t cost us anything. We were having a new well drilled, and the well driller had his backhoe here and offered to dig the hole. My husband did the rest of the work with a tractor.

For the second one, we looked into renting a backhoe, but then made a deal with the well driller again, even though he was no longer doing any work for us. I’m pretty sure he charged us around $150–not bad at all. I know it was a little less than what it would cost us to rent a backhoe ourselves. Again, husband did the rest of the work with a tractor.

Since both horses were euthanized, we could control where it happened, and just did it near the hole.

Any other option beyond burial on our land was pretty expensive.

Rebecca