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Post by RuthE on Apr 25, 2007 9:26:13 GMT 1
A much-loved horse on our yard had to be pts a few days ago, she was chronically ill, the warmer weather was making her condition worse and she clearly would have suffered if left to try to cope with the summer. Organising everything turned into quite a nightmare for the yard. To cut a long story short the person who used to collect fallen stock (and did so just 6 months ago) no longer does this (something to do with DEFRA I believe). The hunt couldn't collect until late May, and finding someone who could do it was quite a task. On top of that one thing I didn't realise before was that only some of the vets in the large equine-only practice (in Newmarket) that we use are allowed to pts. Then once collection was arranged the vet who had been booked decided that he was going away and the horse could wait for a week or so!!! Another vet was luckily found at short notice. Neither vet or collector wanted to even see the horses passport, not even to check the ID of the horse (so why do we have horse passports exactly? Oh yes, it is a horse tax isn't it). So, all of this made an already difficult time even worse. It also raises a huge welfare worry. If it is difficult for a reasonably large yard with good contacts to get everything organised then it will be worse for the one-horse ower, and the costs are going up and up. Responsible owners will continue to foot the bill and cope with the organisation, but what about less responsible ones? Are very ill or very badly injured horses going to be dumped all over the place?
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Apr 25, 2007 11:29:27 GMT 1
Having recently been in this situation, and with various rumours abounding about the exact position relating to horses/fallen stock, when my situation indicated euthanasia was the most likely outcome, I spoke to a lady involved in horse rescue for the facts.
Apparently the UK has an exception clause relating to horses that enables UK owners to bury a horse and within specific guidelines and with permission from the local council's Animal Welfare Department.
I phoned them a few days before my mare was pts, explaining the situation and the most likely outcome. I had to speak with an animal welfare officer, who was very understanding and explained that, if the horse was classed as a pet, and not part of a business or asset of such, then yes, it could be buried. Obviously any grave had to be deep and not interfer with any water course, or be buried where it might cause a health hazzard etc.
The local hunts obviously cannot feed a carcass of an animal that has been euthanaised by lethal injection to hounds, therefore that would have to be collected and incinerated by them, IF they are prepared to do that. Locally they will, but charge (I was told) £300.
My mare had been under the vet for several weeks and, without going into details, at a cost that one could have purchased a fit, young horse for, therefore my funds were already stretched. In the end, it cost me £100 to hire a man with a JCB to dig her grave and attend to the burial matters.
As you say, Ruth, I was a little surprised that, when the vet came to euthanaise the mare, he didn't ask to see her passport. In fact, at no time during her treatment was I asked for it to record the treatment/drugs prescribed etc.
A few days after the mare was pts and buried, the Animal Welfare Officer called on me when I was out and left a card for me to telephone her... Have you ever tried getting hold of a particular individual in a council office? In the end I spoke to one of her colleagues and explained what had happened. That the mare had already been pts and as a result of GI tract tumours etc. That person said they would pass on the message and ask the AWO to phone me if necessary. I've heard nothing more since!
I ordered grass seed to cover the grave and area disturbed by the JCB, and seeded that yesterday, as we'd finally had some rain.
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Rosalyn
Wildcat Team Member
Posts: 197
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Post by Rosalyn on May 12, 2007 8:20:25 GMT 1
still leaves a worry many keep there horse on rented land what then ? so sorry for your loss my mare went to the hunt kennels 8 years ago she loved hunting and we did endurance I still think of her she was 28 and I had her for 20 of those years Rosalyn
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