Spin off.. Maybe it's time for equine burial insurance

[AnastasiaBeaverhousen]

I know there are types of equine insurance, but I have not yet heard of any insurance or prepaid burial plans for equines.

I have to admit that both times I had my horses euthanized I didn’t have to worry about the burial site because both of them took place with people who were kind enough not to charge me for it .

However, I know that it isn’t like that for almost everyone else who boards.

I also didn’t have any kind of plan.

So maybe there may be some equine insurance out there to cover end of life costs .

After reading the thread about being priced out, it seems like there is a definite need for it.

[ProfAmEq]

Not a bad idea! So, I just self insure. I’ve got 1500 bucks set aside for the possibility in my horse budget and I don’t touch it. If I could pay a little bit every year on a policy I might buy it, but I’ve found insurance companies do not really like to insure inevitabilities. Kinda one of those things that would probably exist if they could make money on it? Who knows, maybe it exists!

[B_and_B]

Self insure on that one. It is a known cost. I have no interest in going around with the insurance company about the cost to dig a hole in the ground afterwards. Or, as might be the case with insurance companies, notifying them ahead of time. It is hard enough to find the person with a backhoe…

[SMF11]

Around me, the choices are to have a renderer come collect the body and compost it, which is $450, or have the horse cremated, which costs $2,000.

All but one of my boarders has chosen the compost route. I started out burying the horses on the farm, but between the neighbor selling his backhoe, and my discomfort with all the euthanasia chemicals going into the ground, I’ve stopped offering that service. But, the cost can be known and planned for.

(I board retirees, so quite a few horses have died here).

[Djones]

Save and set money aside.

Some landfills may still accept large animals? It’s awful, but I’ve known a few horses hauled to the dump. The cost was getting a backhoe or some such to get the carcass in the bed of the truck.

[furlong47]

IMO before getting any animal (even something smaller like a dog or cat) the amount necessary for euthanasia and disposal (or cremation, burial, whatever) should be socked away in savings as a bare minimum.

[Simkie]

In addition to having the dollars to handle the event, there’s also just a plan on what to do. Are you burying on site? What’s involved with that? Is there a rendering service? Or is cremating what you want?

There’s a big range of costs, so understanding the landscape can help with planning.

[SLW]

One is buried here. Going forward I will use a local company that removes the remains for $700.

[ProfAmEq]

With my last, I donated the cadaver to the vet hopsital where she was being treated. I’m not sure I’ll have that opportunity going forward, so I’ll have to use a removal company and the body will likely go to the dump and be composted. I’m not sentimental about ashes and don’t have land to bury mine on.

[Cowboy_Girl]

There is apart of every landfill that accepts medical waste. If your area has a vet school you can bet the local landfill has portion set aside for animals.

[Simkie]

@Cowboy_Girl

There is apart of every landfill that accepts medical waste.

That may be true in your area, but it’s not true everywhere.

[walktrot]

For years I knew we would bury my horse on the farm where he lived. It frittered out partly because the state laws changed, and the number of horses that had already been buried there. I figured cremation was the choice, although it was at least $2000 and I’m not sure if that included transportation of the body. If you want ashes returned you have a 50 pound box - all or nothing.

We now have Compassionate Composting and I will be getting some of his compost back in a few months. My plan is to plant a small tree. A few close frineds would also like some. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it is basically above-ground burial. It was $800 cash total and I can have as much or as little compost as I would like.

They came about 30 minutes after he passed and called to confirm. We had him in an area behind the barn where they could back their trailer without damaging the property. I coudln’t be there - it was too much, as it was with my mom. But friends were and said they were impressed with how gentle, kind, and careful they were, stroking and talking to him, taking their time. They spent about 15-20 minutes loading him. They use the ramp that is used to rescue downed horses and load them into a trailer. I’m glad I made this choice.

[ClassyJumper]

This is off topic but my sister recently had to let go of her senior dog and used this service www.lapoflove.com

I wish I had known about it before and will 100% contact them in the future when the time comes. Dogs and cats only for this one but would be nice if someday there was a similar type of service for equines.

[fordtraktor]

There pretty much is, most equine vets.

Last time I had to put my dog to sleep my horse vet actually did an in-home euthanasia for me. He does small animals too at his office, but this dog was much more comfortable at home. Another reason I love my vet…he truly cares about all my creatures.

[cnd8]

I guess I just consider burial an incidental expense and I’d cover the costs associated with it from my own personal savings.