Rough Day Tomorrow

[Rick]

We have to take my wife's horse to the equine hospital in Salado to be put down.

He's more than 30 years old and has been having health issues that she has been nursing for a while. We're at the point where nothing is helping him.

Last year we had to say goodbye to our tiny dog named Minnie, and tomorrow, a giant horse, appropriately named Big Boy.

We've all had to deal with putting our pets down and it's never easy.

[sojourner truth]

I had to put down our dog 2 Fridays ago and it is never easy saying goodbye to a trusted friend. My question is, what does one do after the euthanisation. I know we had our fur baby cremated and we have the box with her ashes in a special spot. But a horse. It is entirely possible to cremate a horse, but the question does remain. Is there some agency that takes care of that issue. I only ask because we are fans of the Dr. Pol show and see a lot of larger animals put down, and I always wonder what the owners do.

Again, my prayers for you and your wife in this time of loss. ST

[Rick]

People with access to a backhoe will often bury them on their property. We have the land, but no backhoe.

The vet has a company that will dispose the horse.

It's suppose to cost around $400 for euthanasia and disposal. I doubt if I could hire or rent a backhoe for that.

We've had several dogs cremated, but with Minnie, we buried her in the side yard by a cedar tree.

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Sorry to hear that Rick. I rented a forklift for a day for $250. You might be able to get a backhoe for under $400.

[Rick]

Thanks.

I don't know what the vet fees will be, but I think they charge $75 extra just to come here.

Plus, I'd have to learn how to use a backhoe to dig a deep hole.

[Ludwig]

Back on the farm when a cow, horse, or any critter over 15 pounds died, we moved the carcass down-wind and as far as possible from the house and let nature reclaim them. I pretty much continue to follow that tradition. I grieve the loss of a pet but I don't extend that grief by keeping its remains or cremains around.

[Rick]

It actually went better than expected. Afterwards, he looked so peaceful. Wife handled it as well as could be expected. It clearly was time for him.

You always wonder if there was something else we could have tried, but even the vet said it was time.

We see our animals every day, so it's often hard to realize the decline. We've used that vet for years, so she saw how bad he had gotten.

Brazos Valley Equine hospital is top notch.

[sojourner truth]

Good luck bud. My wife still hasn't gotten over the loss of her dog. She will just burst out crying at times when she looks somewhere the dog used to lie. Even when she eats breakfast she laments about how her crumb helper is no longer there.

Not sure if your wife had a schedule with your horse, but those times are the hardest to get past. Good luck, and all our condolences. Believe me, I feel your pain.

[Ludwig]

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Back on the farm when a cow, horse, or any critter over 15 pounds died, we moved the carcass down-wind and as far as possible from the house and let nature reclaim them. I pretty much continue to follow that tradition. I grieve the loss of a pet but I don't extend that grief by keeping its remains or cremains around.

We also did not need a veterinarian to help us put a critter down when it was needed. We had rifles of a variety of calibers to meet that need.

[Rick]

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Good luck bud. My wife still hasn't gotten over the loss of her dog. She will just burst out crying at times when she looks somewhere the dog used to lie. Even when she eats breakfast she laments about how her crumb helper is no longer there.

Not sure if your wife had a schedule with your horse, but those times are the hardest to get past. Good luck, and all our condolences. Believe me, I feel your pain.

Thank you.

Most important, even though she is sad, she is content with the decision. She told our daughter that he just didn't have any more fight in him.

They cut a good amount of his mane and tail hair. The last one we had put down I put it in a frame with a picture of her riding on it.

I'll come up with something for her and our daughter since daughter rode him the most.