Latest from Horse & Hound in Equine-euthanasia

‘A welfare document first’: new equine euthanasia guidance for vets will help owners of insured horses

Eleanor Jones — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:21:30 +0000

The publication of revised British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) guidance for euthanasia of insured horses has been welcomed as an “important and much-needed step forward”.

The guidance was initially written in 1996, and updated in 2009, to set out the circumstances in which putting horses down would meet the requirements of all-risk mortality cover policies. Ian Beamish, who led the BEVA group working on the revision, said the aim was to clarify and ensure consistency, but also to take into account changes to attitudes on equine welfare and suffering in the last 17 years.

“The veterinary surgeon’s primary responsibility is undoubtedly to ensure the welfare of the horse, regardless of whether the horse is insured,” Mr Beamish said, echoing the statement in the introduction to the document. “This is a modernised version of the outdated 2009 guidelines, with a carefully revised list of conditions and their prognoses, updated language, and revised protocols on grounds for euthanasia.

“It is important to note that although vets may advise euthanasia, we may not advise on the insurance policy conditions; this is a matter for the insured and insurer to discuss.”

The guidelines cover protocols for definite, suspected or absent grounds for emergency euthanasia and also for chronic disease or pain in which there is negligible prospect of recovery.

BEVA euthanasia guidance: three scenarios

“Realistically, there are only three scenarios you can have,” Mr Beamish said.

“There’s the horse that justifies emergency euthanasia there and then to minimise its suffering. There are horses that do not require euthanasia; the owner is probably saying they want to euthanise the horse on financial grounds, normally. Then there are horses where you may think it justifies emergency euthanasia, but you’re not sure, or you may want to seek more evidence – a second opinion, or further investigation.

“We’ve really tried to make it, not quite black and white, because there is a section of grey, but at least a fairly uniform grey section that people can work through. So they can come to their conclusion and in hindsight, be able to look at how their decision-making pathway came about. And that’d be very clear for anyone that wants to scrutinise the decisions made.”

Mr Beamish covered the difficulty of chronic cases such as laminitis, adding that the nature of these conditions at least gives time to seek a second opinion or more information, and for conversations with insurers.

“What we all want to try to avoid is making an irreversible decision and then in hindsight, having that muddied water of, ‘Did my vet make the right decision? Should my horse not have been euthanised?’” he said. “And was or is there a payout from the insurers? Based on that, we’re all trying to make it as simple a process as possible, and to be able to be reassured that we’ve made the right decision.”

Making decisions under pressure

The guidance had input from equine insurers, and Mr Beamish stressed that it is a “welfare document, first and foremost”.

“It’s there to enable [BEVA] members to make decisions under pressure in what are invariably stressful times,” he said.

“Insurance considerations shouldn’t influence our decision-making. You’re trying to assess an animal based on the clinical evidence in front of you, based on that horse’s welfare and what should happen next. The fact that’s an insured or not insured animal shouldn’t affect how you go about making that decision.”

The guidance has been written as a resource for vets but BEVA expects it will be a “valuable reference document” for owners, insurers, trainers and event organisers “seeking to better understand potentially complex scenarios”.

SEIB Insurance Brokers equine claims adjuster Leanne Palmer told H&H: “The recently revised BEVA guidelines are an important and much-needed step forward.

“SEIB supports progress that promotes the welfare of the horse and the new guidelines provide a clear framework for the insurer, the veterinary surgeon and the owner to work together to make timely and well-informed decisions in high-stress situations.”

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‘Horses are in good hands’: new research shows post-surgery equine deaths are declining

Becky Murray — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:33:12 +0000

The number of equine deaths associated with general anaesthesia has declined in the last 20 years, data has shown.

Researchers – who formed the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities Community Interest Company (CEPEF CIC) – have published their latest phase of the enquiry, CEPEF4, into general anaesthetic-related horse deaths since the 1990s. The work, published in 2025, involved analysis of data from 47,000 procedures across 93 veterinary practices and hospitals, in 23 countries and four continents.

The aim was to build on the work of the original studies published in 2002 and consider the seven-day outcome for horses following general anaesthesia. Key findings include the fact that the death rate in otherwise healthy horses – those who underwent anaesthesia for an elective procedure rather than for emergency abdominal surgery such as colic or caesarean section – has decreased from 0.9% to 0.6% since CEPEF2 in 2002. Whereas 33% of deaths in these cases previously related to cardiac arrest, this figure has dropped to around 12% in the last 20 years. This decline has been attributed to a change in some of the drugs used, new techniques and improved monitoring in equine general anaesthesia. The new data found that, in those non-colic cases, the main causes of death were fractures occurring during the recovery period (35%) followed by post-anaesthetic colic during the seven-day period (20%).

As expected, mortality in compromised patients was higher but decreased from 7.8% to 4.2% in the last two decades. The main reasons for this are the improvements in perioperative management of colic by both referring vets and the specialised treatment provided in referral hospitals.

Lead researcher Miguel Gozalo-Marcilla of the University of Edinburgh told H&H that even with this reduction in death rate, risks of anaesthetising a horse are still much greater than a dog. For example, horses are more prone to complications owing to their size and the fact of being prey animals, especially in the immediate recovery period after general anaesthesia. When they recover from a general anaesthetic, horses are more at risk of panicking and try to stand, which can lead to fractures. Good management of anaesthesia during the operation, maintaining a healthy blood circulation and respiration will reduce the likelihood of disaster such as post-anaesthetic myopathy which may lead to catastrophic recovery.

“The reduction in deaths is mainly because the drugs and techniques we are now using are safer, vets are better trained in monitoring and stabilising the more compromised patients pre-operatively in an adequate manner, apart from providing better pain management,” said Dr Gozalo-Marcilla.

“We also know more about certain risk factors – a compromised patient with colic, a pregnant mare, a very fat or skinny horse or if the anaesthetic is longer than two hours, all increase the risk of the horse not surviving the seven-day period. We were also able to identify some protective factors too, like giving a little sedation before the recovery phase to reduce the risk of the horse panicking.”

“The results are promising but there are still some unanswered questions; particularly around post-operation recovery, the critical phase. We can let a horse recover on its own, or ropes can be used to support them, but there’s still no evidence as to which is better – and whether we should be ventilating patients. We want to know how we can reduce this 0.6% death rate further.”

Dr Gozalo-Marcilla said the message to owners is that general anaesthesia in horses is very high risk – more so if a horse is unwell going into it – but that “things have improved massively in 20 years”.

“Things have changed for good, we know there have been improvements and when owners send their horses to a referral setting, they are in good hands,” he said.

Horse Trust director of research and policy Jan Rogers told H&H: “The Horse Trust was pleased to be able to fund this study, which drew data from nearly 48,000 cases across the world.

“The results are reassuring, that there are fewer horses lost under general anaesthetic than was shown in a similar study 20 years ago and that good information is available about the causes of the losses that did occur. This means we can continually improve by monitoring and supporting patients better and by careful use of pre-medication and sedation during recovery – all of which can help to lower risk factors and inform clinical decisions and patient safety.”

The CEPEF CIC are: Dr Miguel Gozalo-Marcilla (University of Edinburgh), Dr Polly Taylor (Taylor Monroe, UK), Dr Mark Johnston (Vetstream Ltd, UK), Prof Regula Bettschartt-Wolfensberger (University of Zürich, Switzerland), Prof José Ignacio Redondo García (Universidad Cardenal Herrera – CEU, Spain).

The authors would like to thank as sources of funding the Association Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), Kate Borer-Weir Memorial Fund and the AVA Trust, and the Horse Trust.

“Also, the open-mindedness, hard work, honesty and diligence of the personnel, ambassadors and every single user of each collaborating centre who submitted the cases for the standing sedation study,” said the authors.

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Extended grief after the loss of an animal can affect people as much as a human bereavement, research shows

Becky Murray — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:02:54 +0000

Experiencing extended and extreme grief following the death of a pet can affect some people as much as a human bereavement, a study has shown.

The paper, published in scientific journal Plos One, has looked at whether prolonged grief disorder (PGD) can occur following the death of a pet. The psychiatric condition, of which symptoms include intense emotional pain, feelings of guilt or sorrow and difficulty of accepting the loss, may only be diagnosed if someone is still experiencing these feelings 12 months after a human bereavement – but researchers of Maynooth University, Ireland, said not including pets in the criteria could be “significantly misguided”.

Data was collected from 975 UK adults, who answered questions on their bereavement experiences – including which had caused them the most distress. Of those who had lost both a human and a pet, 21% said the death of the pet was the most distressing.

Of all of the respondents, 84 people met diagnostic requirements for PGD; 7.5% following the death of a pet; similar to the rates of those who met the criteria following the loss of a close friend (7.8%), a grandparent, cousin or aunt/uncle (8.3%) or sibling (8.9%).

The researchers said the results show people can experience “clinically relevant levels of grief after the death of a pet” and that PGD symptoms “manifest in the same way regardless of the species of the deceased”.

Researcher Philip Hyland highlighted that the vast majority of people who suffer a bereavement adjust and cope, but told H&H that of the small percentage of people who develop PGD, one factor can be the closeness of the relationship to the deceased; the condition is seen more following the death of children or spouses.

“When that relationship is lost it affects the person enormously, because of the closeness but also the void that’s left day to day. If you think about that in terms of pets, those attachments are incredibly close and people feel responsible for them, and so when that’s gone that’s very hard to adjust to,” said Professor Hyland, adding that he believes evidence is growing for pets to be included in PGD guidelines.

“Human relationships are complicated, people can invariably argue or betray each other – but relationships with animals are just so pure, they’re the most perfect distillation of love and positive relationship that I think you can find.

“If somebody is suffering there are treatments available, and the idea that they either wouldn’t seek them or they wouldn’t be provided, just because they lost an animal and not a human is awful. Why shouldn’t we offer people help?”

There were limitations to the research in that animal owners “face unique challenges” such as euthanasia decisions – and Professor Hyland believes this would be an area to study.

“We know from humans that the cause of death can affect the likelihood of developing PGD,” he said.

“With pets and euthanasia, owners take advice from vets and other people, but ultimately they have to make a decision to end their pet’s life. They can experience guilt and shame or question if they made the right decision, and I wonder to what extent that unique position might influence their likelihood of developing PGD.”

Professor Hyland said there could be scope to include animals’ being included by employers who allow staff leave after family bereavements.

“Whether someone has lost a person or an animal, if they’re suffering or in tremendous distress why wouldn’t we try to support them?” he said.

Read the paper in full

Equine and small-animal welfare charity Blue Cross offers support for owners through its free pet loss support service.

“People often struggle to talk about their emotions when it involves the loss of a beloved animal – even with family and friends,” Blue Cross pet loss support manager Annalisa de Cateret told H&H.

“For many, their pets and horses are truly part of the family, and for some their only family. Losing them can be a devastating, confusing and lonely experience so it’s good that this topic is being looked into and spoken about more.”

Contact the service on 0800 096 6606, by email plsemail@bluecross.org.uk or webchat at www.bluecross.org.uk/pls.

Do you think companies should allow their employees time off following the loss of an animal? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your thoughts to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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Making the hardest decision when you care for an elderly bonded pair of horses

bethany.stone@futurenet.com (Bethany Stone) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:30:18 +0000

Helpful information for owners considering an end-of-life plan for an elderly horse who’ll leave behind a close companion, including whether it’s appropriate to let them both go together rather than leaving one to grieve for the other

It’s a joy to behold an equine partnership grow to an advanced age. However, when end-of-life considerations come into the picture, owners face contemplating the wellbeing of not just one, but two horses. In such cases, an owner might consider putting down two horses together.

Dr Imogen Burrows MRCVS, president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), says euthanasia is always a painful decision for a horse owner, no matter the circumstances. “The moral stress on owners is huge, because it’s the choice to take away the life of someone you love,” she says.

Dr Burrows reminds owners that equine euthanasia and welfare compromise are separate issues.

“Performing euthanasia is not a welfare issue, but delayed euthanasia creates a significant impact on welfare,” she continues.

“In some situations, such as the acute issue of a fractured leg, or an owner’s wish to avoid surgery in a colic case, the decision to euthanise is reached more swiftly. With chronic illness, such as arthritis or laminitis, the path might not be so clear-cut.

“The same is true when the time comes to euthanise one of an elderly bonded pair of horses.”

We asked Dr Burrows to share her advice for owners facing this very difficult situation.

Jump to:

The trouble with old adages – how to determine if your horse has a good life
Assessing physical and psychological health
Making the decision to euthanise, and what to do next
How to manage a horse who loses his companion

The trouble with old adages and defining a good life

Dr Burrows agrees euthanasia is best enacted “a day too early than a minute too late”.

“A veterinary surgeon never wants euthanasia to be forced on owners because we missed the opportunity to intervene sooner,” she says.

However, she worries that some old adages might compromise welfare if adhered to too closely.

“Every owner wants their horse to experience a good life,” she continues. “Many talk about putting a horse to sleep at the point he has more bad days than good. But we need to look closer at what we are actually saying.”

“When there are more bad days than good…”

Dr Burrows uses a graph analogy to explain the pitfalls of this commonly used phrase.

“Imagine the graph has a straight line parallel to the X axis halfway up the Y axis. This depicts the halfway point between positive and negative experiences and represents what we call a ‘neutral life’.

“In any life, you’re never going to have all positives and no negatives. But you’d expect a ‘good line’ to wave up and down over this neutral straight line, overall spending significantly more time above the neutral line than below. Furthermore, any time spent below the negative line ideally stays closer to the neutral zone than its corresponding positive reflection.

“A curving line that’s 50/50 is really a neutral life, neither good nor bad, which overall reflects neither a good nor bad lived experience. Once we get to the point where there are more bad days than good – the cut-off point that the adage suggests – we have really entered a life not worth living, which is absolutely not what any owner wants.”

Dr Burrows advocates a more acute awareness of a horse’s life experience.

“When we consider our elderly horses, we need to pinpoint when a good life descends into a life worth living, which is still a positive place to be. However, we don’t want that to transform into a neutral life or, God forbid, a life that is no longer worth living.”

Dr Burrows advises owners to give psychological conditions the same weight as physical when assessing a horse’s welfare. (Image credit: Alamy/Zoonar GmbH)

The full picture of health: physical and psychological

According to Dr Burrows, key physical factors that influence the decision to euthanise include a lack of effective pain control or exhaustion of treatment options, whether due to the severity of illness, financial constraints, ethical or other personal reasons.

“However, psychological suffering is also significant, real and evidence-based,” she adds.

“If you have a horse who is fundamentally physically healthy, but kept socially isolated in a stable without the freedom to express natural behaviours, their negative experience and subsequent suffering is as significant as that of a horse with freedom, forage and friends that is living in severe, unrelenting pain.

“I would be reluctant to pick one suffering over another and say: ‘that’s worse’.”

Dr Burrows says the significance of psychological welfare opens up the conversation about putting down two elderly horses together. She adds that it’s especially complex when one horse is medically healthy, while the other is not.

“The question becomes: would they cope psychologically, and would their welfare be compromised, even though their physical health is sufficient to maintain life?”

Understanding your horse’s lived experience

So, how can we successfully monitor an advancing horse’s life experience? Dr Burrows says the owner is best placed to understand their individual horse. She adds that far more vets now ask owners to tell them about their horse’s personality.

“We ask about positive welfare indicators. What do they do when they’re happy? How do they behave?

“When these behaviours start to change, we must ask if the horse is experiencing a degree of welfare compromise and start discussing their quality of life.”

Dr Burrows says recognising horses as individuals empowers owners to truly observe their animals.

“In the latter stages, this can be something we avoid almost subconsciously,” she adds. “Because, at the heart of it, we know the animal isn’t as healthy or happy as before, or the pain control isn’t as effective as it once was.”

Putting down two horses: making the decision and what to do next

Dr Burrows reminds owners that some vets may have a moral or ethical objection to putting down two horses together if one is elderly, but medically healthy.

“To ensure the owner is supported appropriately, they might recommend another colleague steps in to manage the case,” she explains.

She adds that equine charities provide great assistance in facilitating difficult conversations with owners regarding euthanasia, and can be a helpful ear to turn to for vets and owners alike.

Dr Burrows says: “Owners who reach the incredibly difficult decision to euthanise a pair of equine companions can face challenges from the very places and people from whom they really need the most support.”

She finds the double euthanasia process goes best when owners have people to assist with logistical and emotional support.

“Having two people who can help hold each horse at the same time is essential. Both horses are sedated and prepared for euthanasia before being put to sleep in turn. Some owners may prefer that the horses be put to sleep simultaneously, requiring two vets; others rather one after the other so they can be there for both.

“There is no right way, just the right way for the owner and horses at the time.

“Critically, open, honest, and non-judgmental discussion about the euthanasia process between the vet and owner before the time is essential.”

If a horse is to lose a companion, there are steps you can take to ease the process for them. (Image credit: Alamy/ Graham Leese)

How to manage a horse who loses his companion

If putting down two horses together isn’t appropriate for your circumstances, there are actions you can take prior to the event to help the surviving horse acclimatise.

“It can be thought of a bit like the weaning process,” Dr Burrows explains. “You could start by feeding them in different places. Then, try turning out in adjacent paddocks for short stretches and separating the partnership gently for periods of time.

“Gradually adding a suitable third animal can help the horse who’ll be left behind buddy up and feel supported.

“Critically, you don’t want them to have to feel that they are alone.”

Dr Burrows says the time taken for the surviving horse to process the loss of his companion may vary. However, the emotional response is typically very consistent between horses.

If the horse to be euthanised is strongly pair-bonded with another, it usually benefits the buddy to see the deceased horse.

“Most will come over and sniff the animal and soon resume grazing. This usually indicates they’re ready to leave and grieve separately. However, prepare for them to call and show distress.

“In specific cases, such as mares and foal, donkeys, or highly pair-bonded animals, they may benefit from remaining with the body for several hours, even overnight. It is usually best to remove the live animal from the area, then collect the deceased.”

You know them best

If you find yourself facing the decision to put one or two companion horses down, assess whether their lived experience is good or neutral, considering both their physical and psychological health equally to help inform your decision.

“As their owner, you understand their personalities. With honest observation, you will be best placed to see early changes to their quality of life, keeping their life the good one they deserve,” says Dr Burrows.

You do not have to make difficult choices about your horse’s care alone. There is advice and support available to help you decide the right steps for you and your horse.

BHS Friends At The End – 02476 840517
Blue Cross care team – 0300 790 9903
World Horse Welfare advice line – 01953 497238

For unlimited access to expert advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Advice for horse owners who are really struggling financially – where to find helpful information if you can’t make ends meet

bethany.stone@futurenet.com (Bethany Stone) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:47:07 +0000

Do you feel like you can’t afford to keep your horse? Or perhaps you know someone in this situation? Online searches for “putting horses down for financial reasons” has increased by 133% in the last year, so the sad reality is that there are many people in this situation.

Many kinds of hardship – joblessness, the cost of living crisis or unexpected vet bills – could leave horse owners struggling financially. Saving money on horse costs can help to a point, but extreme financial pressures can leave owners facing painful decisions, such as feeding themselves and their family or their horse.

“More owners are reaching out for help and advice, especially as rising hay prices and bedding costs are being passed on to the consumer and the average price of livery increases,” explains Amanda Berry, head of equine operations at HAPPA.

Although she reports that the cost of living is having a “huge impact” on owners’ circumstances, Amanda adds that calls to HAPPA cite other personal difficulties, too.

“We are currently receiving a higher-than-average number of calls and emails from owners wanting to relinquish ownership. Ill health is the top factor, whether their own or a family member’s, rather than financial difficulties.

“Divorce and redundancy are also contributory factors for owners reaching out for help.”

Anne Whitehorn, welfare operations manager at Redwings, says the charity receives between 25 and 30 requests to take in horses a month.

“Priority for our very limited sanctuary spaces is given to those who need our specialist care, so sadly Redwings is unable to offer homes on request,” she said. “However, we are available to talk through owners’ circumstances and signpost options as best we can.”

The rising cost of hay and haylage is just one of the many financial challenges to owners this winter. (Image credit: Alamy/M J Perris)

Can I get financial support?

Unfortunately, there is no fund available for owners in financial hardship, says Fran Windle, UK support officer at World Horse Welfare.

“Although we cannot directly contribute financial support, our advice line is available in office hours on 01953 497238,” explains Fran. “Our friendly team will happily discuss a situation and offer advice and guidance to anyone struggling to care for their horses.

“Owners can also request a call from one of our team using the form available on our Help for Horse Owners page.”

Anne adds that advice for horse owners struggling financially is available from Redwings’ welfare line.

“We offer a non-judgemental ear that people often say is a great help in itself. Anyone wishing to call Redwings’ welfare line can do so on 01508 481008 or 01508 505246. Or, send us an email at welfare@redwings.co.uk.”

Will a charity take my horse on?

Amanda adds that charities’ limited resources mean they cannot take every horse on, and must prioritise cases in which the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is enforced.

“Charities that belong to the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) each have their own intake criteria,” she explains. “It is worth contacting each one individually and finding out if they have room.”

She recommends seeking advice from an equine charity.

“For those who want to relinquish ownership of an ex-racehorse, it is worth contacting Retraining of Racehorses (RoR). They provide funding for vulnerable thoroughbreds who began in the racing industry.

“HAPPA is a registered RoR centre, and can assist anyone who wants to rehome an ex-racehorse.”

Additionally, she suggests Horses 4 Homes, which facilitates the safe rehoming of equines.

“It aims to safely and effectively rehome and loan horses via its online listing and application platform.”

Fran echoes Amanda’s advice.

“World Horse Welfare and other charities will be very happy to provide advice and support,” she tells H&H.

“The Blue Cross Home Direct Scheme can help owners find new homes for horses if they are no longer able to care for them.”

Horse charities offer advice for horse owners struggling financially by phone, email or on their websites. (Image credit: Lucy Merrell)

How can I rehome my horse?

Horse owners struggling financially might consider loaning out their horse.

“When rehoming privately, ensure that it is undertaken responsibly and is done with a written agreement in place to identify both parties’ responsibilities,” says Amanda.

“Remember that as the lawful owner, you have a secondary responsibility to ensure a duty of care. Ensure that you keep in touch with the loanee and can visit to evidence that the horse is cared for responsibly.

“Also consider they might ask you to take the horse back at short notice.”

The charities advise owners who wish to sell or give away their horse to consider the risks.

Amanda advises that a horse with a job is much easier to rehome.

“For a horse that has a value and is in work, or is field sound and able to be a companion, then the option to sell on the open market is a sensible choice,” she says.

For some horses “free to a good home” may mean an insecure future. (Image credit: Alamy/Tim Gainey)

When it comes to giving horses away, Fran advises extreme caution.

“Be very mindful that as soon as the horse is out of your care, you have no control over their future wellbeing,” she warns. “We would always advise researching any potential new home very carefully – especially for a non-ridden horse.”

She says if a situation sounds too good to be true, alarm bells should ring.

What if my horse is elderly, sick or injured?

Owners in financial hardship might experience the devastating situation in which their old or ill horse’s specialist care is far beyond their means.

Difficult as it might be to think about, Fran says that euthanasia may be better for some horses than an uncertain fate.

“Sadly, we see too many cases where horses who can’t be ridden are passed along until they end up in a really poor situation.”

Anne shares these sentiments. “If the horse is older and has underlying health conditions, then euthanasia might be the best choice to make for them.

“Sometimes owners need reassurance from someone else that euthanasia may be the most appropriate choice for their horse. Hearing this from us can help relieve some of the pressure they feel when considering this as the kindest option.”

The BHS Friends At The End scheme offers support horse owners when it is time to say goodbye to their beloved equine companion. They provide free, confidential support to horse owners, carers, sharers, and loaners before, during and after the death or loss of a horse so that you don’t have to go through it alone.

Equine advice and support lines for horse owners

If you’re currently struggling to cover the costs of your horse’s care, then there is advice and support available to help you decide the right steps for you and your horse at this time.

BHS Friends At The End – 02476 840517
Blue Cross care team – 0300 790 9903
HAPPA – 01282 455992
Mare and Foal Sanctuary – 01626 355969
Retraining of Racehorses helpline – 01488 648998
Redwings welfare line – 01508 481008
World Horse Welfare advice line – 01953 497238

For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘Critical’ that owners know their cover when horses have to be put down to avoid additional heartbreak

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 12:49:57 +0000

It is critical owners understand what they are covered for, insurers and vets agree, to avoid adding disappointment to the heartbreak of losing a horse.

Surgery specialist vet Judith Findley, of Donnington Grove Veterinary Group, said the practice has noticed an increase in clients struggling to understand their policies, and not realising that they will not always be covered if a horse is put down.

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) guidelines for paying out for equine euthanasia state: “That the insured horse sustains an injury or manifests an illness or disease that is so severe as to warrant immediate destruction to relieve incurable and excessive pain and that no other options of treatment are available to that horse at that time.”

The guidance states that this “essentially deals with the emergency situation, for example on the racecourse, event or at a road accident, where immediate action must be undertaken by the attending veterinary surgeon”.

“The decision to advise an owner to destroy a horse on humane grounds must be the responsibility of the attending veterinary surgeon, based on his or her assessment of the clinical signs at the time of examination, regardless of whether or not the horse is insured,” it adds. “The veterinary surgeon’s primary responsibility is to ensure the welfare of the horse.”

Deteriorating condition

For less urgent cases such as chronic illness or lameness and a horse’s condition “deteriorating to the point at which euthanasia will be required”, it is “essential to keep insurers informed of the situation and to mutually agree or negotiate an appropriate course of action, if necessary involving their veterinary adviser”.

“Such cases may require a second opinion on behalf of the insurers before euthanasia is undertaken,” the guidance states.

Dr Findley told H&H that more people may be putting horses down owing to the financial situation and cost of living.

“We’ve had more people than usual who have thought they were going to get a payout, then be shocked a few weeks later when they don’t,” she said.

“I think there’s a lack of understanding of this from owners, both that the guidelines exist, and what they mean when you’re in that situation.”

She said a good example might be a case of colic, when surgery would be an option but the owner decides it is not the right one for the horse, whether owing to its age or another health condition.

“So they choose to put the horse to sleep, then realise that because there was a treatment option and they chose not to take it, they won’t get the payout,” she said. “And even if you tell the owner, it’s at a point when they’re so distressed, they don’t really take it in.”

Dr Findley said it is an emotive topic, and it can be shocking to owners to find out that even if they and vets agree euthanasia is in a horse’s best interests, this does not mean a payout is guaranteed.

“It would be good for people to think about it in a non-emergency situation, plan and understand what the policy covers and what it doesn’t,” she said.

Answering questions

BEVA chief executive David Mountford said vets can sometimes be blamed if a mortality claim is rejected.

“It’s critical that owners know what they are insuring against before they take out a policy,” he told H&H. “Insurance companies generally do a good job of explaining the policy terms and should be able to answer any questions that owners have before commitments are made.”

Laura Swinnerton, head of underwriting and product development at Peliwica Insurance, told H&H the company has to stick to the BEVA guidelines for an “all risks of mortality” policy.

“They exist to protect the animal as much as anything,” she said. “They ensure that horses aren’t put to sleep for owners’ financial gain.

“We understand that this can be a very distressing time for horse owners contemplating losing their best friend but we have to adhere to the guidelines, as do all insurers. We recommend all owners read the terms and conditions of the policy carefully, and ensure they understand, to avoid any further distress at such a difficult time.”

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Equine mortality insurance explained – everything you need to know, from what it covers to how to make a claim

bethany.stone@futurenet.com (Bethany Stone) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:30:40 +0000

When saying a final goodbye to a beloved horse, finances are likely the last thing on an owner’s mind. But if you need to make a claim and aren’t sure how, you might benefit from having equine mortality insurance explained.

Equine euthanasia, whatever the grounds, is never an easy decision. While nothing can make up for the upset of a horse’s life ending, owners with insurance may at least recoup their investment if they make a prompt, accurate claim that fulfils an insurer’s stipulations.

“The death of a horse may be an unfortunate reality at some point for owners. Of course, it isn’t one you want to have to think about,” says Francis Martin, CEO of Insurance Emporium. “However, equine mortality insurance offers policyholders financial reimbursement in the unfortunate event that their horse dies or is put to sleep by a vet on immediate humane grounds as a result of an injury, illness, or condition.”

If you’ve never had equine mortality insurance explained, you might feel unnerved at the prospect of claiming. It falls under the part of an equine insurance policy that covers death, theft or straying, which allows the policyholder to insure the value of their horse in case of death or euthanasia on humane grounds following an accident, sickness or disease. The value paid out can vary from insurer to insurer.

“It is important to check the policy. Typically, equine mortality insurance is a market value policy as opposed to an agreed value policy therefore it is important to keep the value accurate and up-to-date,” explains Harriet Walker, operations manager at KBIS.

Agria’s senior product and underwriting manager Alexandra Gilliam says successful claims for death and loss of use can pay a horses’ market value or sum insured, whichever is less, with no limit on the sum insured for death, theft or straying. She also notes owners of veteran horses can expect changes to the death and loss of use value insured as their horse ages.

“At Agria, once the horse is 16 or older, the sum insured reduces by 20% each year to a minimum of £500. However, no matter how old a horse gets, there is no change to the level of veterinary fee cover provided, for which we have no upper age limit.”

The scope of cover will vary between insurers. Harriet adds: “It is worth noting to check the cover is for accidents, sickness and disease as there may be some factors that would mean the cover is limited to accidental external injury only.”

Equine mortality insurance explained: mortality cover vs loss of use

It’s important to understand the difference between cover for death, theft or straying and permanent loss of use. Death cover will only pay out if the horse dies/is put down for incurable suffering with no available treatments. Meanwhile, loss of use cover concerns itself with the activities the horse was insured for or doing.

“Loss of use insures the horse if, due to injury, condition or illness, they can no longer be used for the activities that they are insured for and currently participating in,” says Harriet.

“In other words, the horse has a condition where he does not necessarily need to be put to sleep, but must be retired or can only be used for a lower-level activity.”

Francis Martin adds that owners may find different levels of loss of use cover. “Complete loss of use covers the event that your horse cannot undertake any functions for which it was vetted and insured, and you elect to have it put to sleep. Claims for complete loss of use might compensate the policyholder the sum insured or market value, whichever is less.

“Partial loss of use differs in that the horse can still undertake other equestrian activities than what it was intended for, or you elect to breed from or retire it. Claims might pay out a percentage of the sum insured or market value, whichever is less.”

According to H&H veterinary consultant Dr Karen Coumbe, there can be confusion between mortality and loss of use cover for those who’ve never had equine mortality insurance explained. The best thing to do is to review the policy thoroughly.

“The short answer is that mortality or death cover is much more limited,” she explains. “There is a huge variability in policies and the insured’s understanding of their level of insurance cover.”

Dr Coumbe adds that loss of use cover is more costly, and less commonly purchased, although you will have more cover. “It increases the premium as you are insuring the value of the horse against two possibilities: death and loss of use,” confirms Harriet.

When should I inform the insurer?

In any equine euthanasia case, the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has clear guidelines on humane destruction which, as Dr Coumbe explains, are “crucial to the decision-making process”. The guidelines are extensive and supply information for humane destruction that covers a range of possible circumstances.

The guidelines also advise vets on their role in an insurance claim, as well as the insured’s.

“While the owner has the primary responsibility for the claim, the vet is integral to the whole process,” says Dr Coumbe. “Most equine hospitals have office staff whose role is to specifically assist owners in resolving their claims; a lot of administration is needed.”

But at what point should an owner notify their insurer?

“Wherever possible, it is always best to notify insurers before euthanasia,” Dr Coumbe advises. “For instance, with serious colic, there may be a debate as to whether surgery is the correct course of action. In most cases, all possible treatment options must be explored prior to a claim being considered.”

Alexandra Gilliam confirms: “In a non-emergency we ask that the policyholder contact us to ensure that the horse really does need to be put down, and that those reasons fall under the BEVA guidelines.

“Our team may also ask to speak with your vet before making this decision.”

That said, the structure of the claiming process hinges on the nature of the euthanasia case.

“If a horse is suffering and there are no treatment options available, it may be euthanised immediately and the insurance sorted afterwards,” explains Dr Coumbe. An example would be a horse with a broken leg, however, even then some fractures are treatable.

“In an emergency where the horse is suffering acutely and immediate euthanasia is necessary for the horse’s welfare, we completely support the vet’s decision to act immediately and without consultation, in line with the BEVA guidelines,” echoes Alexandra.

The BEVA guidelines are currently being updated. There will be further details once this process is completed.

Will the insurer pay out?

Claiming can be an admin-heavy undertaking with numerous documents to submit and requirements to satisfy.

“The key thing is keeping the insurers informed in advance, supplying all notes and invoices and being scrupulously honest, as per any insurance claim,” Alexandra advises.

“A claim for death is reviewed on a case-by-case basis,” confirms Francis Martin. “It is unlikely to be assessed until a fully completed claim form, detailed veterinary account (report) and complete medical history is received.

“You may also be asked to provide your horse’s passport, proof of purchase and in certain situations a valuation.”

Under what circumstances is an insurer likely to pay out?

“Typical scenarios would include a horse being put down through a catastrophic injury or an acute colic,” explains Alexandra. “Cover under an Agria lifetime policy would mean that if you had previously claimed for colic treatment while insured with us and your horse dies of colic years later, you will still be insured if you have death, theft or straying and loss of use cover. This would not be the case under most annual policies, where colic and death as a result of the colic would have been excluded after 12-15 months post claim.”

Anthony Burnett, equestrian underwriter at SEIB, adds: “A policy won’t pay out if, for example, there are further treatment options available. Or, in the case of non-emergency euthanasia, the insurer’s prior agreement isn’t sought.

“More general reasons would be if the cause of the mortality was pre-existing, or if it’s excluded under the policy.”

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Is a post-mortem examination required?

For Dr Coumbe, it’s another case of reading the small print. “The insured should check their policy, as many will not pay out without a post-mortem examination,” she advises.

She adds that the factors necessitating the scale of post-mortem – or indeed whether one is required – will vary.

“It depends on the condition, the circumstances, and the geographical area, as well as the value of the horse. Sometimes it is a simple veterinary practice procedure. Others require a specialist pathologist to do a very detailed examination with samples being collected.”

Anthony Burnett reiterates Dr Coumbe’s comments on checking policy wording.

“It does depend on the individual policy or insurance provider. On SEIB’s horse insurance policies, a post-mortem isn’t generally needed if the vet is certain of the cause of death/diagnosis. If they aren’t, a post-mortem report would be needed as part of the supporting evidence submitted on the claim.

Who pays for the exam? Again, it all hinges on circumstance.

“The cost of the post-mortem will generally be at the policyholder’s expense,” says Anthony. “Although some policies will cover this cost if the mortality claim is accepted.”

Equine mortality insurance explained: case study

H&H regulars will be familiar with Hovis, our long-standing equine columnist, who suffered a severe and inoperable colic in February. His insurance policy included coverage for vet’s fees and death.

“Our case was very much an emergency. At eight in the morning Hovis was fine. By two in the afternoon, I was saying goodbye to him on the operating table,” explains his owner, Karen Thompson.

Karen said she had always told herself she wouldn’t opt for colic surgery for 23-year-old Hovis should it arise, but the suddenness of Hovis’ condition – and the reassurance of knowing she had cover in place for vet’s fees – meant she and her vet decided to rush him to the local equine hospital to give him every chance of survival.

“When we arrived at the site, I was given a clipboard with a consent form to sign with an estimate at the bottom showing the kind of bill you’re likely to run up,” Karen tells us. “They were the kind of numbers that make you think ‘thank goodness I’m insured’.”

Hovis was checked in and taken away immediately for surgery, at which point Karen began lodging a claim.

“They were brilliant,” says Karen. “The woman on the line just kept repeatedly saying ‘you absolutely don’t need to do this now – you’re in the middle of it.’ Without setting any kind of deadline, they just told me to call again when I was through it.”

Minutes into the surgery, a hospital vet confirmed the damage was too severe and Hovis couldn’t be saved.

Karen called the insurer back the following day and picked up the claim precisely where she had left off.

“They were very careful to ask only what was necessary to ensure the claim was legitimate. I was not expected to give any gory details and they gave the option of answering questions via email if talking about it was too painful.”

“It’s a bit of a comfort”

Once Karen had given details of the attending vet and equine hospital, and confirmed which bill she wanted to apply her policy’s excess to, the claim was handled totally by the vets. Aside from Karen’s voluntary excess, the company covered both vet bills. Karen also received the sum Hovis was insured for within 10 days of claiming, and a contribution towards his cremation. Correspondence from the insurer stated the vets had confirmed euthanasia on humane grounds.

Karen felt her case was handled with swiftness, professionalism and sensitivity. Additionally, she felt that vet fee cover was as important, if not more so, than cover for death.

“Insurance is a personal choice, but of all the places you can save money, I wouldn’t compromise on my cover,” she said.

“I have the comfort of knowing I tried everything for Hovis. I’ll never have to live with the feeling that maybe he could have been saved. I was faced with an awful decision, but I never had to worry about whether I could afford it.”

Referring to her policy’s death cover, Karen adds that the sum paid out felt like a “bit of comfort”.

“I wasn’t expecting anything, and I’m nowhere near wanting another horse,” she says. “But having that bit of money you can put to one side for a new friend when you’re ready – and it maybe it’s a strange way of looking at it – almost feels like a gift from the horse you lost.”

She adds: “I truly believe you get what you pay for. It can be tempting to go for a cheap policy and assume you’re covered. I’d always be cautious and ensure I knew what I was covered for.”

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Work on equine euthanasia to help owners facing the hardest decision

Becky Murray — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 18:33:31 +0000

More work has been carried out on equine euthanasia to help owners through difficult decision-making.

In a study published in scientific journal Animals and funded by the Horse Trust researchers explored veterinary and equine charities teams’ experiences around helping horse owners with end-of-life decision-making. The aim was to understand what approaches people in different roles take, the barriers around euthanasia discussions and decisions and the emotional impact on those providing advice.

The work is part of a larger project by the University of Nottingham looking at how owners and vet teams can be supported through euthanasia decisions, and a follow-up to researcher Amelia Cameron’s review of end-of-life decision-making models in dogs, cats and equids (news, 23 June 2022).

The participants of the latest study shared their experiences, and Dr Cameron told H&H different approaches to euthanasia decision-making were preferred based on each situation.

“Vets talked about valuing continuity of care and a collaborative approach with owners, but this was in cases of chronic decline when they had built up a relationship over time, and in those situations a shared decision could be made with the owner,” she said.

“In emergency situations, there is less opportunity for that and it is more likely the vet has to take the lead and might be dealing with a distressed owner.”

Dr Cameron added that financial limitations were brought up by participants.

“Colic surgery was a common example, where the cost of surgery might not be fully covered by insurance, and when the owner doesn’t have the money to cover it, it leads to euthanasia decisions instead of treatment and with that people can experience emotional burden,” she said.

The paper concluded that having discussions with owners about their preferred role in decision-making would be valuable when approaching difficult decisions.

“Sometimes owners prefer to be led by the vet and have options explained to them, and in other cases owners might want to be more independent in this decision-making and it’s recognising that the owner has important knowledge of their horses and knows them well,” said Dr Cameron.

“Obviously it’s not very nice to talk about these things, but it can be useful to know what the options are, how much these things cost, because a lot of people might not be aware or think about this if they have not been involved in euthanasia decisions before.”

As part of the next stage of the project, euthanasia guidance resources are currently being trialled in some vet practices, following which a paper will be published on this.

Read the full study here.

A spokesperson for the British Horse Society (BHS) told H&H that knowing when to put your horse down is an “extremely difficult and emotional decision”.

“We support any study that helps horse owners during this challenging time and that advocates for preparing resources that can assist with the decision-making,” he said.

“We’re pleased to already offer such resources via our emergency care plan, which enables horse owners to pre-plan for end-of-life care. We recognise that time can be of the essence and having a clear plan will help owners make informed decisions and provide an authorised person with their wishes.”

The spokesperson added that through the BHS Friends at the End euthanasia support scheme more than 75 volunteers have received specialist training from vets and bereavement counsellors to offer assistance to owners before, during or after euthanasia.

“While they aren’t there to take the place of a vet, they do offer an extra pair of hands and ears, which goes a long way during what is an incredibly challenging time,” he said.

Owners can email friendsattheend@bhs.org.uk for more information, or visit bhs.org.uk/fate.

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‘Better a day early’: quality-of-life discussion could aid vital euthanasia decisions

Becky Murray — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:05:04 +0000

Earlier discussions between vets and owners about equine quality of life could aid difficult euthanasia decisions, it has been agreed.

In May the Animal Welfare Foundation hosted the panel discussion Euthanasia: better a day too early than a day too late? to tackle the “complex difficulties” in euthanasia decision-making and how these affect the animal, owner and vet.

RSPCA head equine vet Roxane Kirton presented a case study of 25-year-old gelding Jay who had been taken into the charity’s care during a prosecution case. Jay was treated for poor body condition, musculoskeletal issues and dental problems, and had further treatment at a second and third veterinary intervention. His condition worsened and he was put down.

When the audience was asked at which stage Jay should have been put down, more than half voted for the second intervention.

Jay’s case generated discussions on quality-of-life tools, and Ms Kirton said there are validated and “good” tools for helping with euthanasia decisions for small animals such as cats – but although there are multiple published welfare assessment and quality-of-life protocols for equines, none are specifically designed and validated to help make decisions for horses who are chronically ill or geriatric.

“They still provide some useful assessment criteria and approaches, but the main limitations identified with most of them are their failure to sufficiently prioritise the subjective mental state of the horse over time, and a lack of appropriate integration of the assessment criteria into one overall grade to help with decision-making,” she said.

“Of the options available it’s been suggested that the five domains model likely provides one of the better conceptual frameworks for assessing quality of life. But there are still challenges in applying this framework as a quality-of-life assessment tool in practice.”

The panel discussed having a scale when it comes to euthanasia decisions; the bottom end “a poor life not worth living” to the upper end, “a good life” – and the question was raised about where vets should “draw the line” with chronic degenerative conditions.

Animal researcher Peter Sandøe said the problem is that it is “not an absolute scale”.

“It’s so difficult to draw that line because it looks like we have ‘poor’ and ‘good’, but in reality it’s a continuous scale where we ourselves have to decide what’s poor and good,” he said.

Vet Suzen Gregersen, who runs an at-home end-of-life service for cats and dogs, said drawing the line is a “grey area”.“I always say there is no right time of euthanasia, but there is a best time. And the best time is when everybody agrees, and the animal is in what I call in its ‘window for opportunity’ for either more palliation or for euthanasia,” she said.

“But unless there is a partnership between the family and the vet, then it’s hard to say it’s the right time because it needs to be a two-way street.”

Mr Sandøe added that he believes that quality-of-life tools are “great if they are seen as decision support tools” – rather than something to make the decision for people.

“These tools are really good to alert people to aspects that they wouldn’t see otherwise, but at the end of the day I think giving the decision to a tool is in a way cheating yourself and pretending that there is an objective answer to something for which there will always only be a personal answer,” he said.

The session was concluded with the panel members discussing whether it is better to euthanise “a day too early or a day too late”. Largely the panel agreed it was better a day too early, but that quality of life needs to be talked about from an earlier stage.

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There till the very end: owner of 33-year-old mare put down calls on others to do right by older horses – rather than rehoming

Eleanor Jones — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:51:51 +0000

A rider who had her 33-year-old mare put down after 30 years together has urged others in the same situation to do the right thing – rather than rehome or neglect elderly horses.

Belinda Morris was heartbroken to lose thoroughbred Smartie, whom she bought as a three-year-old, but was there to ensure her welfare until the very end.

Belinda told H&H the mare had been an expensive but cherished field ornament, who came in every night “because she liked to”, since she retired aged 27. Smartie still had her teeth and was eating and doing well, but then went wrong behind.

“As they get older all sorts of problems arise, rather like us,” Belinda said. “They are just better at hiding it.”

Belinda, who worked in racing for over 25 years and has owned horses all her life, said Smartie was a tricky, quirky mare.

“A lot of people didn’t like her because she was so marish but you just had to understand her,” Belinda said.”Like all horses, you have to get inside their heads. I did everything with her.

“When my daughter was growing up and had ridden a horse who knocked her confidence, she’d come home and say ‘Can I take Smartie out?’ She was really good at looking after you – when she chose to! And my daughter would come back feeling a lot better about herself.”

Smartie had one arthritic hock, Belinda said, but it was the other hind leg that was the issue that led to the decision, after consultation with the vet.

“I phoned [cremation service] Cremtor, which was the hardest part; ‘it’s really happening now’,” Belinda said. “She came out the next morning and did it.

“What was horrible was, both she and the vet said what good condition Smartie was in; they see so many horses in shocking condition, and it shouldn’t have got that far. How can you do that?”

H&H has reported on delayed euthanasia as one of the biggest welfare issues facing the national herd, and Belinda agrees.

“People might hope something happens so you don’t have to make the call,” she said. “If it does, maybe you’re lucky – but the horse isn’t. That was my biggest fear. I’m glad, or not glad but relieved, that it happened like this; she was a truly beautiful mare, and she didn’t deserve that.

“The lady was so empathetic and you want someone kind for those last moments. I’d had Smartie so long, I wanted to be there till the very end.”

Belinda said she recognises that everyone’s situation, and every horse, is different, and that putting a horse down has a high price tag.

“But you have to do what’s right by the horse,” she said. “I’m so tired of seeing adverts for old horses for sale, ‘as a companion’, and you think what’s going to happen to that horse, and how could you do that? I think we’ve become a throwaway society, and that includes animals.

“I’d rather starve for a month myself, and do the right thing for my horse.”

Belinda said her main message to those delaying making the call when it would be best for the horse is “don’t be selfish”.

“I think that’s what it comes down to,” she said. “It’s hard but it is better a day early than a day late.”

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Is it right to give horses ‘one last summer’? Vets discuss what good welfare really means

Becky Murray — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 18:33:56 +0000

“Dilemmas” around turnout, euthanasia and restrictive grazing have come under discussion by experts as they navigate what “good welfare” really means.

At the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress (13–16 September), animal welfare specialist Madeleine Campbell chaired a panel discussion comprising vets Imogen Burrows, Becky Smith and Isabella Wild, and animal welfare researcher Jo Hockenhull, to tackle the theme: “Good health or good welfare? Why can’t we agree what good welfare means?”

Professor Campbell opened the discussion by highlighting that in vets’ everyday working lives, they come up against “welfare dilemmas”, and one current issue is that there are numerous definitions of welfare, and debate on whether there is a difference between welfare and wellbeing.

The aim of the session was to discuss how a lack of agreement on what good welfare means can affect vets’ ability to serve the best interests of horses under their care – and vets and nurses in their daily practice.

The panellists presented case studies during which they considered the difference between health and welfare, and the moral decisions involved in each.

One was a horse with a history of laminitis, who was kept on restricted grazing with no animal companionship. From a health perspective, the horse was deemed to be doing well as he had had no recent laminitic episodes, but the question arose whether keeping him alone was good for his welfare.

“Welfare is not just that physical state,” said Dr Hockenhull, researcher at the Bristol Veterinary School. “I’d be thinking what effect is the restriction on that pony’s diet having on its mental wellbeing, and desire to perform behaviours such as foraging.

Another case study opened the floor for debate on palliative care for horses, and whether it is reasonable for vets to give this when it is known that the end point is euthanasia. An example was provided of giving an owner a couple of days to come to terms with a euthanasia decision.

“Do we have responsibility towards owners as well, to enable them to have some time to come round to what’s going on, or should we be euthanising the animal there and then?,” asked Professor Campbell.

The topic of giving horses “one last summer” was raised and the ethics surrounding this.

“We see it all the time when owners say, ‘Can we have one last summer?’ So we’re providing palliative care to the arthritic horse by putting them on bute until the mud kicks in,” one attendee said. “But is that right? The horse is lame, sore, and just in the same way we’d pop a paracetamol, we’re saying it’s fine, carry on – and when the mud kicks in, we’ll put them to sleep.”

Imogen Burrows, who chairs the BEVA ethics and welfare committee, said she had dealt with a case where the owner of an ataxic horse felt pressure from others on their yard to delay euthanasia.

“Why do we have this thing of one last summer? If this issue happened in October, would we wait until the following September?,” said Dr Burrows.

“We have a job to go in and assess that horse, and we have to remember we are assessing the welfare of that horse as to whether that summer is worth it.”

A hypothetical case study looked at a high-level competition stallion given one hour of turnout per day, and the welfare concerns attached to this.

Many attendees had dealt with similar cases where owners raised concerns about the risk of competition horses’ injuring themselves in field accidents, and it was agreed that giving these owners positive examples of studs and riders that regularly turn out horses, such as Carl Hester and William Whitaker, can be beneficial.

“There’s some amazing stuff going on, but it never gets shouted about and people aren’t hearing that it can be done, and done well. These horses are still performing at a high level, but their basic needs are being met,” said Dr Hockenhull.

“It’s having that evidence and these people telling their stories, whether they are an influencer or a big name in the sport, and the more we can drip-feed from different levels and have that evidence to tell people about, the better it’s going to be.”

A recurring message was the usefulness of objective frameworks and measurement systems, such as the five domains system, and quality of life assessment tools, to help vets have difficult discussions with owners and clients.

“Having these frameworks, whether it’s the domain models, pain score models, or whatever it is, helps with engaging that conversation and not making people feel judged and they know we’re trying to optimise everything and work together,” said Dr Burrows. “To align health and welfare is a really hard juggle, but by opening the doors to the conversation it’s the best we can do.”

‘Hearts and minds’: how changing owner behaviour can help our horses

Becky Murray — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:36:15 +0000

Vets can play a key role in changing owners’ behaviour around equine welfare decisions.

Human behaviour change was one of the key topics at the British Equine Veterinary Association’s Congress (13-16 September), during which Sarah Freeman of the University of Nottingham gave a plenary lecture on “Changing hearts and minds”.

Professor Freeman highlighted key equine welfare concerns – namely, lack of biosecurity, delayed euthanasia, lack of owner knowledge and welfare needs, fear and stress from use, obesity – and how these can be addressed with a three-step approach: by using evidence-based medicine to determine the best clinical approach; understanding the factors that may influence owner decisions; and looking at how vets share information and improve awareness of welfare issues.

“The most striking thing about these five areas is that as vets we have the knowledge and skills to be able to address these issues, and yet they remain a major problem,” she said.

“The challenge for us as a profession is communicating the importance of these issues and how they should be tackled, to owners and to the wider equine community.”

Professor Freeman told H&H conversations need to take place between vets and owners about where each owner is on their “journey to change” – understanding what the problems and barriers are, such as owners’ finances or past experiences, and then tailoring the conversation for that individual.

“For example, if a vet wants an owner to implement an obesity management system, but the owner doesn’t know how to body condition score, doesn’t recognise that their horse is obese, or doesn’t understand the diseases associated with that, then having a conversation in which they say ‘You need to do this, this and this’, isn’t going to go anywhere,” she said.

“It’s about understanding where people are in terms of readiness to change, what they understand, and making sure the conversations are at the right level.”

Professor Freeman added that there is sometimes a need for owners to be able to discuss the advice they have received from their vet with others.

“Our work in the past looking at where owners get their information found that most of the information comes from their coach, or livery yard owner, and there’s a lot of word-of-mouth information. Sometimes this is great, but sometimes it’s not up to date. But what we can’t do is dismiss it, we have to say ‘What do you know, or what have you heard?’ and talk about it,” she said.

“It’s a cycle of giving information, talking about it, and giving them time to think about it. Maybe the owner needs to go away and talk about it with other people, and look things up. And then you can come back and recycle that conversation.”

During her lecture Professor Freeman said “the art of veterinary science is to deliver the information and evidence of the science without judging an individual’s circumstances or decisions”.

“We need to give them space to question and consider and reach a shared final decision which holds the horse’s health and welfare as the central focus,” she said.

World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers told H&H “just having a clear and powerful case for improving equine health and welfare is not necessarily enough” when it comes to changing owners’ behaviour.

“In so many cases it also requires owners to change their behaviour in how they care, manage and train their horses. This is especially true for challenging issues such as equine weight management, biosecurity and delayed euthanasia,” he said.

“There is a rapidly growing research base behind human behaviour change science that as a sector we need to engage with far more effectively. Change is often not easy but if it improves the health and welfare of our horses then it is certainly worth it.”

‘The kindest thing you ever do’: rider speaks out on the euthanasia of her ‘dearest friend’

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 19:51:31 +0000

A rider who had her “dearest friend” put down before the decision was taken out of her hands has shared her and Oscar’s story in the hope it might help others.

Rebecca Butler made the call for 29-year-old Oscar last Friday (17 February) after 12 happy years. She told H&H that to see her horse “quietly go to sleep and lie down on the grass in his favourite patch was a dignified and fitting end to a long-term companion”.

“It may be a cliche but that was my way of saying thank you to him,” she said.

Oscar had been fully retired for a year owing to his “ageing joints”, and he had been well and happy. Rebecca said an article by H&H this month, on not judging horses’ quality of life by the fact they are still eating, prompted her to get in touch.

“That resonated,” she said. “Oscar was a real pie and chips man and lived on fresh air but for the past two weeks I’d been giving him quite a bit more food but had noticed he was looking a bit poor.

“I knew him, and I’d seen a couple of mornings that he’d fired his bed everywhere and thought he’d struggled to get up. Hence my decision. I felt the last thing for either of us was for him to go down and be unable to stand.

“I feel very strongly that we need to make the decision before it’s made for us; we owe it to our horses and ponies, because they can’t tell us.

“I’ve spoken to people and they’ve said ‘You’re so brave’ but I’m not very brave, I just knew it was the right decision for him.”

Oscar this month, aged 29 (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Rebecca said she had thought at Christmas the time might be coming, so warned her husband not to try to talk her out of it when the time came.

“On Thursday, I asked my husband to come with me to the yard to move the hay feeder as I thought that’s where I’d like it to be done, in his field, and of course Oscar came cantering over,” she said. “My husband said ‘He’s fine!’ I said ‘He’s not, and if we don’t do it tomorrow, we’ll have to do it in two weeks’ time. And when I put his headcollar on and he had to walk across the stones, I could see him thinking ‘Actually, I wish I hadn’t cantered’. You have to know them.”

Rebecca said the whole process was “as calm and compassionate and fitting as you could have wanted”.

“If you do it at the right time, it can be a calm experience. It’s very sad but it can be dignified and calm,” she said. “I asked my husband to go away as I knew he’d be upset and I wanted to be calm and normal, chatting to Oscar. Everyone connected could not have been kinder and more compassionate.”

Rebecca paid tribute to the “cheekiest, twinkliest” horse who was also her best friend, and the years of fun they had had together.

“He was the kind of character that made the decision even more difficult, and he was family,” she said. “It’s a very personal decision and of course one size doesn’t fit all, and quality of life is a very tricky one. But if you don’t do it at the right time, it could be a very stressful experience. And from a selfish point of view, what horrible memories I could have had, let alone what he’d have gone through, if I hadn’t made the decision.

“Everyone is different but I’m a normal person and if I can do it, I absolutely believe anyone can.”

Rebecca urged others to have a contingency plan; for who will do the deed and how; she recommended talking through procedures with the vet to find out how it will work, and arranging in advance what happens afterwards, as this can be expensive.

“Don’t be afraid to have that conversation with your vet; I don’t think there’s a vet in the land who wouldn’t be happy to have it,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for support – if anyone is struggling I’m happy to help – and definitely have a plan.

“I would urge anyone with a horse or pony nearing the end of their life, please make the decision before it is made for you. There are an awful lot of cliches but they’re true, and the biggest one is that it is the kindest thing you ever do for them.”

‘But he’s still eating’: experts warn against judging horses’ welfare based on food intake

Eleanor Jones — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 20:21:30 +0000

THE fact horses are “still eating” should never be used as the determiner in quality-of-life assessments, experts agree, although many still use this as a main marker.

Sarah Voss, assistant teaching professor in equine internal medicine at Cambridge University, raised the issue as she said it is something she often sees.

“If they’re not eating, that’s bad and I’m worried, but if they are, it doesn’t mean it’s good; it doesn’t exclude pain or poor welfare,” she told H&H.

“I think it can be very easy to look for the positives as an owner as you’re keen for evidence the horse might be able to recover or that something can be done but the most common one I hear is ‘He’s still eating and drinking’. Then we have to discuss the other evidence.”

Dr Voss pointed out that, as prey animals, horses are “hard-wired” to appear in good health even if they are not, as predators will pick off weaker animals.

“They have so many compensating behaviours,” she said. “There’s something called sham eating, all part of the determination not to appear weak. Donkeys especially do it but horses too; they’ll have their heads down, in grass or hay or a bucket, but if you watch them, they’re just pushing it around.”

Dr Voss said pain-scoring systems exist, and much progress has been made in methods of determining welfare and quality of life. She advises seeking expert advice on a horse’s wellbeing from experts. Lucy Grieve, chair of the British Equine Veterinary Association ethics and welfare committee, agrees.

“The ability to quantify quality of life is a known problem,” Ms Grieve told H&H. “It’s important to get an impartial person, who’s not emotionally attached, who’s got the experience to know whether or not that horse has had enough. It could be your farrier, your vet, other experienced horse owners; people who will be honest.”

Ms Grieve said that when she was in practice, the “but he’s still eating” was something she frequently heard.

“There’s huge variation in how people see their animals’ quality of life,” she said. “Some will say if the horse can’t jump or compete and won’t be happy in the field, they’ll put him to sleep, which is fine, and better than neglect, but there’s the other extreme, which is this. I think owners can misinterpret signs as the horse being fine when its quality of life is questionable. It’s hard; we shouldn’t criticise people as it’s not ignorance or naivety; it’s hard to quantify when a horse has had enough.”

Ms Grieve agreed that horses are “programmed to look normal”, so will keep eating when dogs or cats might not.

“There was a pony with a prosthetic, and they were saying ‘He’s happy; he’s eating’, when the pony had the most obvious grimace, and was rocking back on its other feet,” she said. “The fact it’s eating doesn’t mean it’s OK. We have to be more careful how we judge; ‘He’s still coming for his food’, a lot of people say, but that’s not an indicator, it’s much more complex than that.

“Get impartial advice, from trusted sources, and be conscious that euthanisa is a welfare-friendly, ethical process that will always be better than the potential alternatives. It will always be difficult, but their ability to keep going is not a good reason to delay the decision only you can make. Better a week early than a day late.”

Sam Chubbock, Head of UK support at World Horse Welfare, told H&H there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration when assessing any horse’s quality of life.

“Ongoing assessment of the possibility of illness and/or pain is an essential part of horse care, and the individual horse’s quality of life is a key factor in these assessments,” she said.

“Many people understandably feel uncomfortable considering euthanasia as an option, and we know there are often feelings of guilt as well. However, euthanasia is often a very responsible decision and is not the worst outcome possible, so should not be thought of only as a last resort. While it is true that quality of life will vary from horse to horse, delaying euthanasia can lead to owners wishing they had been brave enough to make the decision earlier. There is lots of advice out there, and anyone concerned about this aspect of horse care can contact our advice line and talk to one of our compassionate, knowledgeable team.”

Far worse fates than death: racehorse trainer speaks out on humane euthanasia

Eleanor Jones — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 07:48:11 +0000

A racehorse trainer who gave two of her horses a peaceful end at home having tried everything to give them happy lives says there are “far worse fates than death”.

Ted and Passato were put down on 28 July, and dual-purpose trainer Jo Davis told Horse&Hound the decision “broke me”.

“I’ve seen so many horses so let down by humans and if I’d thought for one second I could give those horses a good life until they died, [putting them down] wouldn’t even have been considered,” she said.

Jo explained that Passato, “the horse who did most for me in my career”, was injured, so he went to Jo’s mother for retirement.

“Her horse had died and the other one was on his own so I thought it was perfect,” she said. “She started telling me he was getting separation anxiety, and I thought, ‘Don’t be silly,’ but I used to go and get them in, and he’d go insane if he couldn’t see the other horse. He’d barge about and lose his mind. Mum kept him for five years because she adored him, but then he mowed her over. She’s 75, and I said, ‘We’ll have him back here’.”

Jo tried different fields but Passato ran back and forth along the fence so much, his chest bled. When he came in during the heatwave, he “climbed the walls, screaming and screaming”.

“I thought, ‘You can’t live like this,’” Jo said. “I loved and worshipped that little horse, and if I could have let him live out his days, I would have done.”

Ted had been sent to what Jo thought was a home for life, two and a half years ago, but she had a recent email saying he had bronced his rider off and they did not want to keep him.

Jo, who said the horse had always had potential to be sharp, took him back and put work into him, then sent him out hacking – and he came back on his own.

“[The rider] said she’d never sat anything like it,” Jo said. “Spinning, planting, running backwards, shaking. He didn’t know what he was doing until he fell over; he’d clearly gone, mentally, and I thought, ‘That’s my answer.’

“You feel like you’ve failed them by not being able to save them. But it’s the right thing.”

Jo added: “It’s our duty to give our horses the most stress-free life; we fail them when we keep them alive for our feelings.”

A life well lived

Welfare experts and vets have spoken in the past of the importance of a life well lived for horses, that quality of life far outweighs length, and that delayed euthanasia is a major welfare concern, and equine euthanasia should be considered a positive welfare option.

“I think people need to take responsibility, and there are a lot worse fates than death,” Jo said. “I won’t sugar-coat it; this broke me, my horses are my world. I’d have found every excuse but I thought, ‘I have to deal with this’. The horses came in and had food, and were given sedative and led out quietly one by one. It broke me but they’re in a better place now, and I truly believe that.”

Jo said she felt she had to post on Facebook as she believes there is a recession coming, and “people need to understand that there’s worse than death, and they need to do right by horses who are chronically lame, or skin and bone, or otherwise gone past the point of having a happy life, or dangerous ones they pass on because they can’t deal with them”.

“These things happen and it’s OK to feel rubbish, and to make this decision. It’s a good option, even if it feels like the worst one, and it’s done in a dignified manner and the horse knows nothing.”

She added: “Good night boys and Passato my old friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, you gave me so much and I owe you so much, I’m sorry.”

A British Horseracing Authority spokesman told H&H: “On some occasions, horses cannot be rehomed at the end of their racing career. On those occasions euthanasia may be considered the most humane outcome for a horse to prevent it falling into neglect or living an unsuitable lifestyle. These decisions are never taken lightly, but are an important part of responsible ownership.”

She added that there is guidance, introduced in 2020 as a recommendation from the Horse Welfare Board’s welfare strategy, to ensure euthanasia is only used in the right circumstances. This states that it should only be an option when all other options have been considered and euthanasia is in the horse’s best interests. It says that when possible, it should be at home or in “suitable surroundings”.

“For this reason we strongly recommend against unnecessary transport of horses for slaughter when euthanasia could be carried out at home,” she said. “It is about showing respect to the horse in return for the service he or she has given to their owner and connections, and about giving dignity to the horse at the end of its life.”

World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers told H&H: “We thought Jo’s post was a welcome, brave and honest account of the heart-breaking decision all horse owners need to be prepared to make to truly put the wellbeing of their horses first. Euthanasia can be the right choice to protect the welfare of a horse who is suffering mentally or physically, or who would likely suffer if passed onto someone else.

“Rehoming older horses, or ones that have health or behavioural issues, is not only challenging but a real gamble for that horse’s future wellbeing. More often than not it is the kinder and more responsible option to put a horse to sleep in familiar surroundings rather than to rehome them unwisely or too optimistically.

“This is an emotive issue, and any negative reaction to Jo’s decision is likely arising from a well-meaning but misguided belief that good welfare is about quantity rather than quality of life. Horses ‘live in the moment’ and providing them with good moments and minimising negative ones is a key aspect of providing them with a good life, which is a key aspect of responsible ownership. More information on end of life matters can be found our End of Life page.”

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Euthanasia: easing the burden of the final and most important decision

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 15:26:03 +0000

WORK under way on creating a model for shared decision-making on equine euthanasia should help owners — and benefit horse welfare.

A review of end-of-life decision-making models used for dogs, cats and equids, conducted by PhD student Amelia Cameron of the University of Nottingham, found that although there has been work relating to domestic pets, there is very little concerning horses.

The review, essentially researching and collating all available evidence and research in the area, was funded by the Horse Trust and published in Vet Record.

Professor Sarah Freeman, who supervised the project, told H&H the research came after her previous studies on the horse-human relationship found that many owners suffered long-lasting guilt after a horse was put down. The idea of shared decision-making is that all those involved with a horse have input, so the owner does not feel alone in making the call.

“Shared decision-making has been around in human medicine, in terms of critical care, for a while but it’s relatively new to veterinary medicine,” she said. “And what has been done is mostly about dogs and cats; no-one’s thought about making those decisions for horses.”

Prof Freeman said, as H&H has previously reported, that delayed euthanasia is a major equine welfare issue. She added that a number of the UK’s leading equine charities have “excellent” support available for horse owners considering and after end-of-life decisions.

“But when you ask people, the majority, over 80%, haven’t heard of them,” she said. “Those who had accessed them said they were very useful but most people don’t know the support is there. We’re not talking about it, and the title of Amelia’s PhD is Let’s Talk about Euthanasia. It’s about trying to break down the barriers and to get people to have the conversations.

“We need to talk about when the time is right and how to support people, and that’s really what this project is trying to do.”

Prof Freeman said the next step is to develop a model that would enable all those involved in a horse’s care, including yard owners, farriers and sharers, for example, to discuss the issues affecting the decision. The aim is to have two main impacts, on horses and on owners.

“It will still be a difficult decision but if you’re going through it with others, it’s an easier process and if you’re supported afterwards, that’s much better,” she said. “And from the horse’s point of view, making the decision at the right time, and on the right evidence, will be very important for their welfare.

“Delayed euthanasia has come up a number of times as one of the biggest welfare issues and we hope by opening the conversations, people will be better able to say ‘Actually, I’m not sure my horse is ok’, and hopefully avoid some of the horses who are left too long.”

British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) president Huw Griffiths told H&H he often tells clients who are considering when is the right time to put a horse down: “This is the most difficult, yet the most important, decision you will make for your horse.”

“As highlighted in this report, the key elements are those of collaboration, communication, and in my opinion empathy,” he said. “My role as a vet is to protect the welfare of the horse and this includes how and when the horse is euthanised. My oath is to protect the horse’s welfare during the entirety of its life, including its death. However, I also have a duty of care to my client, and this is where collaboration and communication are so important. As is the trust between the vet and the horse owner.

“BEVA has created various member services to support our membership through this sensitive process. There is never a “one size fits all” in veterinary medicine. The best outcomes are an intricate hybrid of evidence base, tailored to an individual situation. Our guidelines provide a framework for vets to best achieve the most appropriate and least stressful outcome.

“The recent publication refers to a lack of evidence in the literature on veterinary decision-making models, particularly in relation to equine euthanasia. While I always support and encourage evidence, which is the cornerstone of good veterinary medicine, our horse owners are blessed with some of the most caring veterinary professionals in the world, and our horses benefit hugely from this on a daily basis. Nonetheless, end-of-life decision making is an emerging field and is gaining increasing interest. I support the paper’s authors and hope that this area will continue to receive further research attention, which will help vets dealing with all companion animals to understand better how to get the most out of shared decision-making.”

Better a week early than a day late: the hows and whens of equine euthanasia

Eleanor Jones — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 18:58:00 +0000

EQUINE euthanasia is “absolutely” a treatment option and a positive welfare decision, experts agreed, as they spoke on how and when to make the call.

Vet Suzanne Green and field officer Penny Baker spoke at a World Horse Welfare webinar on end-of-life decisions on 13 April.

Key themes were the importance of having a plan for euthanasia, and ensuring anyone caring for others’ horses knows the owners’ wishes.

World Horse Welfare research and education officer Alana Chapman, who hosted the session, said seven in 10 owners will have to make end-of-life decisions, and a similar number of horses are put down aged seven to 10 as those aged 26 to 30.

“This really is a topic that affects every owner,” she said.

Ms Green explained that “euthanasia” means, literally, “a good death”.

‘I think we’re very privileged to be able to end animals’ suffering,” she said. “It’s never an easy decision but the main message is that it’s absolutely a good welfare option.”

Ms Green said although horses can live to 30-plus, a long lifespan is not a measure of welfare, and “it’s better to put down at 10 than have a miserable horse for 30 years”. She added that as horses have no concept of time, a four-year-old has no concept that it “should have” had a longer life.

She covered quality of life as the issue to consider in end-of-life decisions; if a horse has poor quality of life owing to age, injury or unmanageable pain, for example, although some situations such as severe colic or leg fractures will “take the decision out of our hands”.

She added that owners’ circumstances may change, maybe through redundancy or having to care for a family member, and they may be no longer able to afford the cost of a horse.

“If a horse isn’t viable to be sold, absolutely consider euthanasia,” she said. “Rather than rehome an older horse or one with problems; then you know its welfare is taken care of.”

Other circumstances in which euthanasia could be the best option were injuries that would need months of box rest, for horses who will not cope with this, and “dangerous” horses, as “you don’t owe them your life”.

Ms Green covered assessing quality of life. After an injury, will the horse recover to be a field ornament, and will he be happy in a field, or does the owner need him to return to ridden work?

“There’s no right or wrong answer and you have to take your circumstances into account as well as the horse’s,” she said. “Can you afford the treatment? Plenty can’t but don’t want to put to sleep, and that’s when you can fall into the trap of compromising welfare.”

Ms Green defined good quality of life as a life worth living, free of pain and discomfort, enriching and enjoyable. She said good markers are whether the horse can lie down and get up easily, walk, trot and canter in the field free of pain, and graze. Also, a horse who cannot enjoy more than half the things he used to, such as turnout and hacking, may not have good quality of life. Losing condition despite increased feeding, recurring laminitis or colic, lack of appetite and lameness despite painkillers are also red flags.

Marking on a calendar a horse’s good and bad days can also reveal whether he has more of the latter, in which case euthanasia may be the right option.

“Euthanasia is often the final good thing you can do for your horse,” she said. “It’s a selfless act, because you love them, not because you don’t. Don’t think you’ve failed your horse by making the decision.”

Ms Baker spoke of the support for people considering an end-of-life decision, including from World Horse Welfare, the British Horse Society and the Blue Cross.

In response to a question on preparing other horses for the death of a companion, she said owners could consider arranging another animal to be a companion in advance.

“The decision has been made to let companions go together, even if one has no medical issues, to save it going through a stressful time,” she added. “The person who knows best how a horse will react is its owner.”

Ms Baker added that she does not advise having horses put down in front of their companions, but has “never had a bad experience” when allowing horses to sniff a companion’s body.

“If the horse that’s been put to sleep just disappears and its friend doesn’t know, it will normally call for it,” she said. “We’ve always had a good reaction from letting them see the body, in terms of them accepting it.”

Both speakers agreed that if an owner feels unable to be present when a horse is put down, this is no problem.

“As owners we’re guilty of putting ourselves under such pressure, we feel ‘I’ve got to be there’ and if not, it’s a fault, and I really want to dispel that myth,” Ms Baker said. “When you’re going through that grief, putting yourself under pressure to be there if you can’t deal with it is the worst thing you can do. The horse won’t know; you can say your goodbyes and maybe arrange for someone else to be there. There’s no shame in that.”

Asked how owners would know when is the right time to make the call, Ms Baker said: “I can’t tell you how true the phrase ‘better a week early than a day late’ is.”

There is support available to owners considering end-of-life decisions, including from the British Horse Society, which had a “Friends at the end’ scheme, and on the World Horse Welfare website. Blue Cross also has advice and people to talk to about the decision.

Paralympian who had to put down dangerous horse speaks out about horses being given away or sold cheaply

Becky Murray — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 20:03:57 +0000

A Paralympic medallist and her daughter who had to put their horse down despite their best efforts have spoken out about horses being given away for free or sold cheaply, and urged owners to think about what the worst-case scenario could be.

Last week H&H reported vet Natalie McGoldrick’s experience where she was called to an emaciated mare, who had recently been sold for a “bargain” price as a seven-year-old, but was found to be elderly and in poor health, and had to be put down. Natalie urged owners to “do the right thing“ by their older and unrideable horses, when they cannot provide suitable long-term care or retirement homes.

Lauren Criddle and her mother Deb who was part of the London 2012 gold-medal winning para dressage team, agree with Natalie and have shared their experience of a KWPN gelding they bought in 2013 – who ultimately had to put down two years later when he was unrideable and dangerous.

Lauren and Deb told H&H they heard from a friend about the well-bred seven-year-old, “Boston”, who was being sold for £1,000. Although Lauren and Deb were “taken aback” by his low price given his breeding, they decided to view him .

“When we turned up Boston was at the back of the stable, which was full of poo, and he just looked broken. He had no hay, was windsucking constantly and you could see every one of his ribs. We knew something wasn’t right, but we felt so sorry for him we decided to take him,” Lauren told H&H, adding that the seller agreed to lower his price to £500.

When Lauren and Deb went to collect Boston the following day, he had been turned out overnight and punctured the front of his hock on barbed wire fencing. Deb called a vet before taking Boston home, and in the end paid the seller £400 for him.

Boston was given six months off while they tried to put his weight back on and he eventually became a “happier” horse. But on bringing him back into work, although he showed talent, he became unpredictable but vet checks, including X-rays, did not reveal any problems.

“To start off with he was so jolly, and we could have put Mum on him he was so good. But the fitter he got the more erratic his behaviour became,” said Lauren.

“Some days he was fantastic and he was like a £20,000 horse, but other times he was neurotic and would just flip. He really scared me on a few occasions, he would bolt, rear, and put us and him in danger. We decided to send him away to another professional trainer to see if it might help but it didn’t really make a difference.”

Two years after buying Boston, Lauren and Deb made the decision to put him down when he started showing the same erratic behaviour on the ground, as well as under saddle.

“I’m glad we gave him the chance, but we don’t regret putting him down because it was the right decision. We just wish we could have done more for him, but sometimes you can’t when they’re like that,” said Lauren.

Deb added that it was clear Boston was very unhappy.

“When he got to the stage he was, it was a no-brainer and the right choice. We had done everything we could to help him, but you can only do so much and then you have to make the right decision. We would never have put someone else in our position by selling him,” she said.

Lauren and Deb have shared their experience to make people think before giving away older or unrideable horses for free or cheaply.

“We don’t know if Boston had a neurological issue, or if he’d been beaten badly in his early years and was traumatised, but it’s hard to believe a horse of that breeding wasn’t in a loving home at one point in his life and for whatever reason ended up where he did,” said Lauren.

“More and more I see posts of horses on Facebook that say ‘free to good home’, and you’ll see posts from people saying they’ve sold a horse for £500 as a companion and now it’s at a dealer and the owner is surprised that someone would drug it up and sell it on. But there’s people out there willing to do anything for money, especially in the horse world.

“I’m fed up of seeing these posts – the other day there was a 20-year-old broodmare who could no longer be bred from, being offered for free and the person got offended when it was suggested she put her down. We don’t regret buying Boston, but I think when you take on a horse for free or for very little money there’s probably a reason and you have to weigh up whether you’re willing to take on a problem and give that horse a chance. It might work in your favour, but there’s a big chance it won’t.”

Lauren believes there are a number of reasons why people try to give horses away.

“I think some are not brave enough at making the decision to put them down, or it might be about the fact they’ve already lost money, and in some occasions maybe they’ve been shamed by others about making that difficult decision,” she said.

“It’s not to to say that giving away a horse for free is always wrong, if you know who they are going to and that they are going to have a good home – but giving away a horse that is injured, old or dangerous, when that horse might end up being sold on is wrong.”

Deb said owners need to consider the “very worst” that can happen when giving a horse away.

“Once that horse is out of your hands, there is no control. You don’t know it’s not going to end up in the worst-case scenario, and surely it’s better not to put your horse through that? A percentage might go to good homes, but I can’t see that being the case for many. You still see so many for free posts, it’s heartbreaking,“ she said

“No horse should end up in the situation Boston did, there should be a clear chain of responsibility. All of us as owners have to take this on board that putting them down when the time is right is part of the process, and it is our moral obligation. They are our friends, and we should do more for them.”

‘No horse should have to end its life like that’: vet urges owners to stop giving away older and unrideable horses

Becky Murray — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 21:03:59 +0000

A vet who put down an elderly mare who had been sold for a “bargain” price, has urged owners to stop giving away older and unrideable horses, and to “do the right thing”.

Natalie McGoldrick, owner of South Coast Equine Vets, was called out to a collapsed mare on Monday (21 March). Natalie was told the owner had bought the horse seven weeks ago as a seven-year-old, but the mare was discovered to be in her 20s and suffering from poor health. The emaciated mare was unable to get to her feet and was put down.

Natalie told H&H no horse should have to end its life like that.

“This mare was in a place she didn’t really know, she couldn’t get up and she was terrified. There is no dignity in that,” she said.

“That afternoon I kept thinking about her. At some point that mare gave something to someone, and for her to basically end her days on the floor like that, was devastating.”

Natalie said buyers should be aware when horses are advertised cheaply.

“In this mare’s case the owner thought she was getting a bargain – but nothing in life is a bargain. She came to them in very poor condition and continued to deteriorate. It can be very difficult to turn these horses around when they are emaciated,” she said, adding that sellers should also be aware of people looking for cheap horses.

“It’s not always the case, but quite often if someone’s looking for a very cheap or free horse there’s a high chance they can’t afford the vet fees, the feed, and everything that goes with keeping a horse. Everyone knows it’s not the initial outlay in the horse world, it’s the management and looking after them.”

Natalie added that owners have to remember if they sell or give horses away, they no longer have a say in what happens to them.

“I’m sorry but you don’t give them away for free. It comes as no surprise they often end up in the wrong hands.”

Natalie has urged owners to “do the right thing” with older and unrideable horses, and to consider euthanasia if they are no longer able to care for them.

“I’m not saying as soon as a horse isn’t rideable, put them down. But if you genuinely cannot afford to keep your older horse, you should really think about putting that horse down – there are fates worse than death,” she said.

“We have the privilege of being able to give an animal a very dignified end, and that’s a much kinder option if you’re considering giving your horse away or selling it for a few hundred pounds to someone you don’t know.”

‘The hardest act of love you’ll ever carry out’: advice on dealing with the death of a horse

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 20:03:09 +0000

Honesty and knowing that whatever is felt is valid are two key issues when helping children — or adults — deal with the death of a horse.

H&H spoke to Blue Cross pet bereavement manager Diane James, after the subject had been raised recently online. Parents often struggle with how to break the news to a child that a horse or pony has died, or will have to be put down, and Diane said the key is to be honest with them.

“The most important thing is being honest and open from the start,” she said. “About what’s going to happen, without being too gory, and keep them involved. But you know your own child best.”

Diane said reaction often changes with age; younger children are often better able to cope, but teenagers can be introverted, and will talk about it to their peers rather than adults.

“It’s similar to any loss, human or animal,” she said. “It also depends on the relationship between the animal and child, but every person is different in how they react and feel.”

Diane said this includes the fact some people may be able to move on fairly fast, whereas others take longer, or may never feel they want to have another horse.

“They might feel guilty, and that they’re replacing the horse, but they’re not,” she said. “Or they might feel they’re dishonouring the horse they’ve lost. Others might be able to go out the next day and buy another horse and that’s the right thing for them; no one should ever feel guilty as it’s what’s right for you or your child.”

Diane added that there are great similarities between the ways people grieve for animals and other humans.

“But there’s a difference with animals, like often there’s guilt because we make that decision for them,” she said. “Sometimes the burden of what we’ve done goes with us, and sometimes I think we delay it because we love them, which isn’t always the right reason.”

Diane added that it is important for children and adults to realise that “however you’re feeling is normal”.

“It’s important to normalise it,” she said. “Every one of us is different but it’s normal to feel sad, angry, happy, guilty; all those emotions are perfectly normal.”

She added: “Most people who have loved and lost have reached the conclusion that it’s the best thing but there are always people who prolong an animal’s suffering, thinking it’s in their best interests.

“When people ask us for an answer, as they often do, we always say ‘Speak to your vet’. As much as we love our horses, we need to make sure we’re doing the best for them.

“I feel for all of us who have gone through it; it’s the hardest act of love you’ll ever carry out, and the toughest decision you’ll ever make.”

10 horse hair and ash keepsakes to remember your horse by

georgia.guerin@futurenet.com (Georgia Guerin) — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 13:00:14 +0000

Losing a horse is one of the hardest things an owner ever has to go through and you’ll always miss them, but ash and horse hair keepsakes are a nice way to treasure their memory. Whether you’re considering an item of jewellery, keyring or ornament, a horse hair or ash keepsake will allow you to keep your loved one with you.

Most sellers will stipulate a minimum amount of hair that you need to provide, which they’ll then clean and incorporate into your chosen keepsake. Having an ash or horse hair keepsake made is a very personal service, so keep an eye out for reviews that praise good communication as well as finished product.

Horse hair and ash keepsakes

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Horse Hair Silver Heart Pendant

RRP: From £75 |

This solid sterling silver pendant is available with an optional chain.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Horse Hair Bracelet

RRP: From £22 |

This braided horse hair bracelet is available in two thicknesses and with optional charms.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Imprinted Teardrop Necklace

RRP: From £155 |

Rather than including your ash or hair sample, this pendant uses the ash’s imprint. There is also the option for engraving.

In the UK? View now at notonthehighstreet.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Charm Keepsake

RRP: £49.99 |

These resin charm beads with sterling silver core can be customised with any colour glitter or ink. You can choose to use hair or ashes and the bead fits on most bracelets, including Pandora.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Ashes And Opal Ring

RRP: £60 |

Available in a choice of nine opal colours, which are then inlaid with the supplied ashes.

In the UK? View now at notonthehighstreet.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Floral Horseshoe

RRP: £21 |

With a choice of different flowers and glitters, you can create a really personal keepsake with hair or ashes.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Framed Hair Horseshoe

RRP: £29.99 |

Available in nine different designs, this resin horseshoe with hair is framed with the horse’s name in Scrabble pieces.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Braided Bracelet With Snaffle And Charms

RRP: From £60 |

This braided horse hair bracelet is complete with a snaffle, choice of charms (wings, horseshoe or heart) and optional name tag.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Heart Ornament

RRP: £20 |

These hearts allow you to create a keepsake from the smallest amount of hair, and give the option for added glitter or foils.

In the UK? View now at etsy.com

More euthanasia discussion needed as equine mental health not taken into account H&H Plus

Becky Murray — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 09:59:33 +0000

The study indicated that welfare issues concerning emotional state or behaviour are at risk of being omitted from end-of-life decisions. H&H speaks to researchers and welfare experts to find out more

RESEARCH has suggested the need for more conversations around equine euthanasia as a new study shows owners are not considering horses’ emotional or behavioural issues as much as they should.

The preliminary study, Attitudes of the equestrian public towards equine end of life decisions, by equine behaviourists Catherine Bell and Suzanne Rogers of the Equine Behaviour Training Association, published this month in Animals, aimed to understand what factors owners consider when making the decision to put a horse down.

The survey, which was completed by 160 people, contained 30 scenarios based on the “five freedoms” – a welfare framework that considers hunger, discomfort, pain, ability to express normal behaviour and fear, and can be used to inform end-of-life decisions.

Results showed participants were most likely to consider euthanasia for physical issues such as lameness, and only a small number of responses included consideration of ethological or mental health factors such as depression or stress following the loss of a companion, suggesting welfare issues concerning emotional state or behaviour are at risk of being omitted from end-of-life decisions.

Dr Bell told H&H the results did not surprise her but added that it is concerning if owners are not factoring in emotional issues at all.

“We’re not suggesting the minute your horse looks a bit miserable you should be putting him or her down but at the same time if your horse has looked miserable for a long time, even if there is no physical reason, this is something that should be looked at,” she said.

“An awful lot of horses are in these chronic low-level welfare situations, where euthanasia is not the obvious decision but it probably should be considered, even if it’s not necessarily carried out, because an alternative solution can be found.”

Dr Bell said she believes the topic of euthanasia should be discussed more.

“We put the results on social media and received comments from owners who had put down horses without an obvious physical issue, and experienced negativity from people perceiving them to have put down a healthy horse. But actually it was an unhappy horse with a poor quality of life and that’s what people should be thinking about,” she said. “It’s not always a catastrophic physical factor that makes the decision obvious.”

Social scientist Tamzin Furtado, whose work includes looking at horse-human relationships and human behaviour change, told H&H it is interesting that owners focus on horses ’ physical over mental health, but agreed this was not surprising.

“We do consistently find that,” she said. “I guess partly it’s a bit more tangible to say a horse is five tenths lame than saying a horse is five tenths depressed. But also a horse might be depressed because of its physical health, so often it’s hard to extricate ‘is the horse in pain, or depressed, or are these age-related changes?’”

Research has shown that delayed euthansia remains one of the biggest welfare concerns affecting horses in the UK and Dr Furtado said the “key” is to look at how owners can be helped to make decisions.

“Every horse is an individual so you can never have a scale that will work in every situation. It’s the most difficult decision we have to make as owners so we need to look at how we can help people to do that in a way that is respectful of their individual horse and gives them objectivity,” she said.

“Euthanasia is that difficult thing that no one wants to think about it in advance. Even when it comes to surveys on the topic, people often don’t want to take part in them unless they’ve had experience of it before – they don’t want to think about it, which is understandable but hard because you need to prepare.”

World Horse Welfare’s head of welfare support Sam Chubbock told H&H previous research has shown that only one in eight horses die of natural causes, so in most cases a decision to euthanise will have to be made.

“In these cases, physical decline is an obvious area to assess, but a horse’s mental state is just as important to consider and we need more research on how to best assess this,” she said.

“Making end-of-life decisions at the right time is a heavy responsibility for owners, and World Horse Welfare welcomes any research around this complex and important topic to support owners.”

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Progress made on ‘essential’ horse welfare projects by the racing industry

Lucy Elder — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 18:29:19 +0000

Progress into “essential” projects set out by the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board is being made, one year on from its launch, despite Covid challenges. H&H finds out more

PROGRESS into “essential” projects set out by the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board is being made, one year on from its launch, despite Covid challenges.

The whip, euthanasia and the ethics of using horses in sport were among the key headlines from the five-year strategy , which the industry hopes will serve as a “blueprint” for thoroughbreds before, during and after their racing careers.

While it has racing at its heart, the ripple effects will be felt across the equestrian world.

Horse Welfare Board chairman Barry Johnson gave H&H an update on the 20 recommendations and 26 “key projects”, ahead of a full announcement on funding and progress which is due in coming weeks.

“We were relieved to see the industry unanimously accept [the strategy on its launch] and it was all systems go in March to get set in, then Covid happened and that completely put the mockers on it,” he said.

A euthanasia code of practice, covering the whole thoroughbred industry and all stages of a horse’s life, has now been developed complete with a “decision-making tree” to help those involved in a horse’s care make informed decisions at a difficult time.

Mr Johnson explained the board was able to continue with ongoing projects, such as data collection and predictive risk modelling for jump racing. The research, funded by The Racing Foundation, into the funding of aftercare of racehorses has also been started.

A review of whip use in racing, which was set to be carried out in 2020, will now happen this year.

Mr Johnson explained the release of the euthanasia code was not something they announced as such, but it is something the equine industry “need to have”.

H&H has previously reported on research highlighting delayed euthanasia as one of the biggest welfare concerns affecting horses, and Mr Johnson added the code walks people through what to consider in terms of equine welfare when facing difficult decisions.

“I don’t think of this a ‘five-year’ strategy as [knowledge around] horse welfare is constantly evolving, it is different now to where it was 10 years ago, and in 10 years’ time it will be different again,” he said, adding improving welfare is a continuous aim. “Everyone who works with horses wanted the best for the horse, so everybody is pulling in the same direction.”

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How the human-horse relationship affects our most important decisions H&H Plus

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:09:36 +0000

Two connected studies looked into the unique relationship between horses and humans, and how this affects decisions from purchase through to euthanasia. H&H speaks to the researchers to find out more

THE unique nature of the human-horse relationship, from financial purchase to family member to euthanasia, has been explored in research that it is hoped will help all parties in future.

A qualitative study on the influence of the human-horse bond on key events in equine lifetimes, and the follow-up cross-sectional research on buying and euthanasia decision-making, both funded by the Horse Trust, has been published in Vet Record.

Principal author Sarah Freeman, a professor in veterinary surgery at the University of Nottingham, told H&H the initial study comprised in-depth interviews with owners. This raised issues that were then taken further, to the wider equestrian population.

Prof Freeman said one finding of interest was that riders were good at asking for advice in some areas but less so in others, such as whether a horse they were considering buying was right for them, and the right price.

“That’s definitely thought to be an area we can encourage people to have conversations in,” she said. “Many people will ask the vet if it’s healthy, but not whether it’s the right horse, at the right price. If it’s not, that can be a very difficult situation to extract yourself from.”

Prof Freeman said the research found that many less experienced owners had “a real shock” when they found out how much keeping a horse costs, in money and time.

“When you start asking people to add up everything, it’s clear it’s a major, major commitment,” she said. “The average annual cost was £9,215, but it went up to £14,000, and there was a perception of social pressure to buy everything and do everything. If you’re more experienced, you might know you don’t need this or that, but it can be really hard when you’re trying to be a ‘good owner’, and everyone’s pushing and marketing.”

Prof Freeman said the team was aware in advance about how difficult it is to make decisions about euthanasia, but something that came out of the study was “responsibility grief”, when people feel guilty for putting a horse down.

“Some people said they felt they’d murdered their horses, because they made that decision,” she said. “The horse-human relationship is a strange one because you buy a horse and it’s a financial decision, it becomes like a family member or best friend, and then you have to make that decision to euthanise it; no wonder it’s so traumatic for people. We spoke to amateurs and professionals, and thought for a pro with a string of horses it might be different, but it wasn’t; the guilt and grief was just the same.”

Prof Freeman said the researchers were concerned about long-lasting guilt, especially when this affected future horse-buying. The team is now looking at shared decision-making models, where all the team involved with any horse can have a group discussion about its best interests, so the owner does not feel they have made the decision alone. The work is also taking in quality of life, to investigate whether end-of-life decisions are being made at the right time.

“I’m really glad there’s more research into these areas,” she said. “I think how the horse-human relationship affects our decisions is really important.”

Researcher Harriet Clough told H&H she was interested to find out how many respondents kept or planned to keep their horses for life.

“So I was surprised by how many people didn’t really seek advice when buying horses,” she said. “They kept it to themselves, which is maybe a reflection of how personal a thing it is; it’s a lifestyle rather than a hobby. Many people who had lost their horses missed that lifestyle, as well as the horses themselves.”

Ms Clough believes the shared decision-making model will be helpful, adding that some respondents said they felt judged for putting horses down.

“There are lots of things we can do with this research, which is really exciting, and it’s good to get it out there,” she said.

“I’d love to see people talking more about it; about how much it costs to keep horses, and the decisions they have to make, without feeling judged. These decisions are part and parcel of owning a horse and we should be able to talk about them.”

Horse Trust head of research and policy Jan Rogers told H&H the charity funds research that is “directly applicable to the wellbeing of our own and, in fact, all horses”, and that it assesses industry priorities as well as scientific rigour in choosing the projects it funds.

“Harriet Clough’s work identified some important decision-making points in horse ownership, purchase and euthanasia, both of which are pivotal for horse wellbeing,” she said.

“That over 80% planned to keep the horse they bought for life makes it surprising that 38% didn’t seek advice before they bought that lifetime friend. How can we make it easier for people to access the advice that they may ultimately find could have helped?

“This euthanasia project is important because it supports a previous study, Horses in our Hands, published in 2016 by Sue Horseman at the University of Bristol and funded by World Horse Welfare. This identified delay in euthanasia as a top welfare concern. Understanding the horse-human relationship and how vets can work with owners to support timely decision-making in the interests of horse wellbeing at end of life is one of the recommendations of this study.

“This piece of research is now under way with many of the same researchers as a logical next step to help owners make good decisions at this difficult time.”

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Equine euthanasia: Advice on making the toughest call for an elderly or infirm horse H&H Plus

Horse & Hound — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 08:00:05 +0000

The toughest decision is often the kindest with an elderly or infirm horse. Kieran O’Brien MRCVS offers advice on making the hardest call

Recent research found that less than one in 10 horses die of natural causes. For the remainder, a conscious and often agonising decision to end the animal’s life must be made by the owner.

A critical illness, such as incurable colic, or a major irreparable injury will carry an inevitability which eases the decision-making process. In the case of an old or infirm horse who is slowly but progressively declining, however, the call must be made in cold blood.

Often, owners want us, as vets, to nudge them towards a conclusion. This is not difficult if the horse is clearly suffering, yet in more marginal cases a frank conversation must be had in which together we weigh up all aspects of the horse’s life – both now and in the future. Euthanasia may then be decided upon or postponed until a later date. But the horse’s welfare must come first; when his life is becoming a burden, it is time to act.

We can objectively assess a horse’s quality of life by asking the following questions:

Is his life reasonably normal? He needs to be able to graze for most of the day, to get up and lie down unaided, and to walk and trot easily in the field – in the company of other horses who are respectful and do not bully him.
Is he maintaining body weight? A gaunt, angular appearance is often part of the ageing process. If a horse is correctly fed and provided with rugs or shelter in cold weather, however, he should still have reasonable fat and muscle cover.Failure to maintain body condition in old age usually reflects significant dental disease. Uneven, worn out or missing cheek teeth can make it difficult for a veteran to chew hay; in some cases, he may stop eating it altogether. Such a horse may show cyclical changes in body weight, gaining condition in summer and autumn when grass is easily chewed, but losing weight over the winter while principally living on hay.There are now many special soft feeds that allow horses with dental disease to thrive, if they are fed in a sufficient quantity based on nutritional advice. Failure to gain or even maintain body weight, despite this, is an ominous sign and may herald irreversible decline.Other causes of weight loss in elderly horses include parasitism and Cushing’s disease. The latter can be treated with medication, but in some cases this may cost more than the owner is able or willing to spend.Incurable cancer affecting the abdomen or chest can cause subtle but progressive decline. In the later stages, this may be accompanied by other signs such as coughing, loose faeces or recurrent colic.
Is he in pain? Although “stiffness” is regarded by many owners as a benign and inevitable consequence of old age, most elderly horses are stiff because they have joint pain. Consequently, many show a life-changing improvement when given painkillers such as phenylbutazone (bute).Signs of arthritis in an older horse include variable lameness, a reluctance to have his feet held up by the farrier, unwillingness to lie down and difficulty in rising after periods of recumbency. These are often more obvious in the winter months, when an arthritic horse is typically less active – standing immobile while sheltering from wind and rain or eating hay while at pasture, and stabled for part of the day. If he is still being ridden, short days and bad weather can mean less exercise.Arthritis is a progressive disease and physical issues may eventually respond poorly to medication. Repeated difficulty in standing up should prompt urgent consideration of ending the horse’s life. If ignored, he may be found unable to stand after a long, painful struggle and must be euthanised in situ.

A peaceful end

The term “euthanasia” derives from the Greek words for “a good death”, since it brings relief from pain and is carried out in a way that does not in itself cause additional distress. Horses are humanely destroyed by shooting, or more commonly nowadays by lethal injection. A vet may give the horse light sedation to allay any stress.

Shooting is highly effective if done skilfully (by a vet, hunt kennelman or knackerman, with a firearms licence) and death is instantaneous, although there may be significant bleeding from the nostrils. The lethal injection most commonly used is a combination of an anaesthetic and a drug that causes cardiac arrest. The process is slower and less traumatic to witness. The horse sinks to the ground unconscious after about 30 seconds, and within a further two minutes his heart will stop – enabling the owner to give him a final hug and say a few words of farewell.

It is understandable to feel apprehensive about being present. Since this anxiety may be communicated to the horse, it may be wise to say goodbye beforehand and then depart, leaving a trusted friend to assist.

If the horse was closely bonded in a pair, allow the remaining companion to approach and sniff the dead body, where practical, leaving him to spend time with it if he wishes. While some bereaved horses will then happily lead a solitary life, others will require a new friend. Ideally, introduce a companion to the pair a week or two beforehand so that the three form their own herd.

Planning ahead

Making a euthanasia plan well in advance will ease the emotional burden when the time eventually comes. Talk to your vet about the technique and its implications, and consider disposal of the body and the associated costs.

You may decide that the body will be taken away by fallen stock operators, for rendering or incineration, or to use a hunt that offers a casualty recovery service. Some owners arrange to keep all or part of the ashes or to bury the horse on private land, where legislation permits. Research the options so that you understand the logistics involved and can budget accordingly.

Many of us form particularly strong bonds with our treasured companions and are heartbroken when we lose them. Whether the end comes suddenly, or after some difficult decision-making, being prepared will make it easier to give your horse the good death that he deserves.

One winter too many?

The colder months can be especially challenging for the retired horse. Since recognising a decline in an animal’s condition can be difficult when you see him on a daily basis, it may be wise to ask a vet or an experienced friend for an objective opinion on his quality of life and whether it is fair to put a him through another winter.

If it is time for a dignified end, it is vital that a horse is formally identified prior to euthanasia. His passport and microchip should be checked by the vet and a consent form signed by the owner.

Any horse destroyed on humane grounds must meet certain criteria to satisfy the requirements of a mortality insurance policy. Contact your insurance company in advance; they may ask for veterinary confirmation of his identity and the reason for euthanasia, and, in some cases, a post mortem.

Help is at hand if you need advice and support. World Horse Welfare offers a Just In Case information pack and an end-of-life helpline, while the British Horse Society Friends At The End initiative can put you in touch with a trained volunteer to assist you through the process.

Ref Horse & Hound; 8 October 2020

The Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 11 – Laura Collett | Equine euthanasia | News round-up

Carol Phillips — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 05:30:59 +0000

Welcome to the 11th weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, in which we chat to British five-star eventer Laura Collett about the ponies and horses that have made her into the rider she is today, the recent return from injury of her current superstar Mr Bass, her comeback from a serious fall in 2013 and much more; our news team talk about the recent NAF Five Star British Showjumping National Championships at Bolesworth, the rules surrounding motorway travel in the heat and the return of sport in Scotland and Wales; while vet Ricky Farr MRCVS explains everything horse owners really need to know about having horses put down before facing the situation in real life.

Episode 11 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our exciting new audio service, is now live. We would love to hear your feedback on this week’s episode, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

In an exciting development, we have decided, for a limited time, to make each episode available for all H&H fans to listen to 24hrs after its early release to our H&H Plus members. Search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your prefered podcast app and click subscribe to be notified about each new episode. This will allow more listeners to make The Horse & Hound Podcast an essential part of their week on Friday morning.

In episode 11, successful five-star British event rider Laura Collett shares memories of some of her most special ponies and horses of her career so far with our podcast host and magazine editor Pippa Roome. We kick off by hearing about the recent return of Laura’s favourite Mr Bass, who has been off games since picking up an injury at Badminton 2019, before looking back at the “fairy tale” story of the brilliant event pony Noble Springbock, Laura’s relationship with Rayef, who took her to her first Badminton, and a number of other special horses along the way. Laura also talks about what she looks for in an event horse and her comeback from a serious fall at Tweseldown in 2013.

“I don’t remember anything from that day, so when I came around from my coma I didn’t have a clue what had happened. Right from the second I woke up, all I wanted to do was get back on a horse… There was a lot of talk: would I get back on? Would I want to compete again? I thought they were all ridiculous ever even questioning that” – Laura Collett

Pippa is joined by senior news writer Lucy Elder and news writer Becky Murray to chat about this week’s top stories including how the NAF Five Star British Showjumping National Championships went, what rules drivers need to be aware of in case they get stuck in stationary traffic in high temperatures on a major road, and the steps that are being taken to enable equestrian sport to restart in Scotland and Wales.

“There is often quite a bit of confusion about whether horsebox drivers are allowed to use the hard shoulder or not if they are stuck – if you have an emergency situation, then call 999” – Lucy Elder

We also hear from equine vet Ricky Farr MRCVS of Farr & Pursey Equine, who this week is tackling the challenging subject of equine euthanasia and explains what owners need to know and think about before facing this difficult experience first-hand.

“Owners really need to know what to expect because one day it is going to happen to you” – Ricky Farr, MRCVS

We hope you will enjoy our new episode.

H&H Plus podcast: episode 11

What did you think of this week’s podcast? Let us know by emailing pippa.roome@futurenet.com

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Equine euthanasia: what you really need to know

Carol Phillips — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 08:00:27 +0000

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(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Equine euthanasia: Methods | Location | Close companions | Disposal | Insurance claims

Sadly having a horse put down is something most owners will experience at some point. It is important to understand what to expect during equine euthanasia and to consider your options in advance so you have a plan of action to follow if you need it in an emergency, rather than trying to make these decisions at what is likely to be an emotional time.

Methods of equine euthanasia

Euthanasia is a method of providing a humane, painless and rapid death. A horse is normally euthanised either using a lethal injection, or by shooting in Great Britain. Only a vet can administer the lethal injection, while a vet, hunt kennelman, knackerman, or licensed horse slaughterer can dispatch a horse by shooting if they hold the correct licenses. Many owners have a preference for which method to use, but the particular circumstances being faced at the time should be taken into consideration to ensure the welfare of the horse and the safety of all involved in the process. The owner normally will be required to sign a consent form prior to euthanasia being carried out. In an emergency, verbal consent may be obtained initially.

Lethal injection

When a horse is put down by injection, typically an intravenous catheter is placed in the jugular vein to aid the safe administration of the required amount of the appropriate medication. Sometimes, but not always, vets will sedate the horse before giving an overdose of anaesthetic-type drugs. If the horse is standing when the drugs are administered, it will collapse to the floor and become unconscious with death occurring shortly afterwards. The horse may appear to gasp once to twice during the process. The horse’s eyes will remain open.

Shooting

Two methods are available to dispatch a horse by shooting: a free-bullet humane slaughtering pistol or a captive bolt stunner. The latter is not normally used in horses.

The horse may be sedated prior to being shot to reduce the likelihood of sudden unexpected movement of the horse’s head interfering with the procedure. Sometimes a bucket of food to encourage the horse to keep its head still. The muzzle of the humane slaughtering pistol is placed close to the horse’s forehead and the trigger pulled, sending the bullet into the horse’s brain stem. The horse will die instantly, fall to the ground with its legs extended and a significant amount of blood may pour from the nose. While on the ground the horse’s legs may move and the horse may appear to gasp. These are involuntary movements caused by muscle reflexes that occur after death. The eyes will remain open.

If the captive bolt stunner is used, the horse is rendered unconscious by firing the retractable bolt into the brain. A rod is then inserted into the hole made by the bolt to destroy the brain, causing death. This procedure is called pithing. It is rarely used and is generally not considered to be a method of choice, but may be an option when it is not safe to use a free bullet.

Where should euthanasia of a horse take place?

Most horses are put down at home or at a veterinary clinic. While it may not be possible to choose the location in an emergency, if your horse is at its normal stables and you are able to plan, then consider the location of other animals, how easy it will be to access the site to remove the body and how likely it is for people to come across the body while it is awaiting collection. If you are on a livery yard then other liveries should be advised. If you have close neighbours, then it would be wise to let them know too, especially if their property has a sight line over the area where the procedure is going to take place.

Whether or not you want to be with your horse at the end is a personal preference, but the people involved in the procedure are professionals who will want to ensure it goes smoothly. Do discuss it with them and they will be able to advise you. If you feel you will be able to remain calm and relaxed at this difficult time then your horse may find your presence reassuring, but if the emotions are overwhelming, it may be better to say your goodbyes and walk away. Never let the horse be aware of your distress. Someone must be available to confirm which horse is to be put down to avoid any tragic yet avoidable cases of mistaken identity from occurring and to sign the appropriate consent documentation. You are likely to be required to present the horse’s passport to confirm the horse’s identity.

If you wish to have a horse slaughtered at a licensed abattoir, then the horse must be fit to travel, be accompanied by its passport and not have received any medication in the past six months. To be slaughtered for human consumption, the horse must not have been signed out of the food chain in its passport and must have not received certain medications at any time – these include some common drugs such as phenylbutazone.

Allowing other horses to see the body

Opinions are mixed about whether a horse that is a close field or stable companion should be given the chance to see the body after the horse has been dispatched. Some feel this helps a horse that may be distressed by the sudden loss of its companion to understand that they will not be returning, but it is not a cut and dried situation. Some horses can be extremely spooky at the sight of their lifeless companion on the ground – particularly in cases where there has been significant blood loss – while others will ignore the fallen horse completely. If you want to give a horse the chance to view the body then do so with care and do not force the horse to approach if they appear unwilling to do so. Equally upsetting is the way that others will apparently ignore the fallen horse completely.

Disposal

The methods of disposal of the body will depend on how the horse was put down and its health status immediately prior to being dispatched.

Cremation: there are a number of companies that will collect the horse’s body and cremate it. This service can be used following any method of euthanasia regardless of health status. Many companies offer the optional return of ashes in a casket, while some will return tail hair or horseshoes cleaned and mounted. If it is important to you that your horse’s body is transported alone and is cremated individually, do check that the company has the appropriate facilities in order to do so and also check the costs, which can be high. Some crematoriums can only handle smaller pets, and have to send large animals off-site so it is worth doing your research to ensure you are getting the service you expect.

Incineration: If you simply wish to have your horse’s body disposed of, and do not require the ashes returned to you, some companies offer a basic collection and incineration service, which is typically cheaper than cremation. It is possible that the horse’s body may be broken up prior to being incinerated. Some hunt kennels offer incineration for fallen stock in their area that is not suitable for feeding hounds.

Hunt kennels: Some hunt kennels offer a collection service for horses that were not put down by lethal injection or were suffering from a disease that renders the body unsuitable for hounds.

The National Fallen Stock Company: NFSCO is a ‘not for profit Community Interest Company’ that provides a nationwide service for the collection and disposal of fallen stock around the country, including horses, through around 100 fallen stock collectors.

Burial: At the current time, pet horses can be buried in Scotland and Wales while in England you’re allowed to bury horses whether they are pets or not. However, before going ahead you need to contact your local trading standards office and the Environment Agency as there are strict rules about groundwater that need to be adhered to.

Insurance considerations for equine euthanasia

Many owners of horses that are insured for mortality are surprised when they try to claim on their insurance after having a horse put down and find their claim is rejected. If a horse is insured, unless the horse has to be euthanised immediately on welfare grounds, the insurance company should be contacted prior to the horse being dispatched. It is important that you discuss your horse’s insurance situation with your vet beforehand.

In most cases mortality insurance will only pay out if all avenues of treatment have been exhausted and the horse’s health makes field retirement impossible. If as an owner you believe the right thing to do for the horse’s welfare is to have the horse put down, even if your vet is in agreement with you, this does not necessarily mean you will be able to claim on your mortality insurance for the value of the horse.

You should check the small print of your insurance policy to see what evidence your insurer requires for a claim to be paid, but most follow the BEVA guidelines, which state: “That the insured horse sustains an injury or manifests an illness or disease that is so severe as to warrant immediate destruction to relieve incurable and excessive pain and that no other options of treatment are available to that horse at that time”.

In cases where the horse is to be put down as the result of a chronic injury or disease, while you may be able to claim if you have a loss of use or permanent incapacity insurance policy, a mortality insurance claim would require additional evidence that may include that the horse is living in significant pain, that there is no recognised or appropriate treatment available, and it is not possible to alleviate their suffering via pain-relieving drugs – or that the horse is likely to die within the insurance period as a result of the condition.

In long standing cases, such as ongoing lameness, insurers should be advised as early as possible. Each case will be judged on the individual circumstances and is likely to require negotiation between the owner and insurer. Insurers may request a second veterinary opinion before agreeing for a horse to be put down. If the owner has the horse put down without their insurance company’s agreement, that is likely to invalidate the claim. The best advice is to speak to your insurance company early, keep them abreast of all developments and request permission to have the horse euthanised in writing prior to going ahead with the procedure.

Further reading:

Financial ombudsman: Horse is put down without insurer’s consent

BEVA: Euthanasia gudiance

BEVA: A Guide to Best Practice for Veterinary Surgeons When Considering Euthanasia on Humane Grounds: Where Horses are Insured Under an All Risks of Mortality Insurance Policy [PDF]

Gov.uk: Fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals: Equines

H&H’s hunting editor says fond farewell to ‘the horse of my heart’ H&H Plus

Catherine Austen — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 08:00:18 +0000

H&H’s hunting editor Catherine Austen says a final goodbye to her trusty hunting partner of more than a decade...

Molly Austen, whose expressive outlook adorns this page, went to heaven earlier this month.

It’s strange, knowing she isn’t here any more. She wanders through my thoughts, and I can still feel the velvet of her nose and see the softness of her eyes when I fed her a bagful of carrots and apples for the last time early that morning. If I breathe in, I can still catch the familiar smell of her.

It was perfectly planned and peacefully carried out, with the assistance of two very kind friends and the wonderful kennel staff of our hunt. I shall miss her enormously, and the past couple of weeks have been difficult.

I am quite sure, however, that putting her down in her own field on a beautiful, sunny June morning after a two-month holiday stuffing her face with lush grass alongside her best friend, Roy, was the right thing to do.

She was 21, and her old legs weren’t going to stand up to the sort of life she so enjoyed living – jumping and galloping at the front of the hunting field. It is up to everyone to make the best decisions they can for their horses, and each case is different. I’m sure lots of horses can retire quite happily, but I am equally as sure as I can be that she was not one of them.

Catherine and Molly following the Cottesmore at Launde. (Image credit: Nico Morgan)

She was a horse who thrived on the exact routine and standards of a top-class yard; even in her latter years it took very little to upset her. When she was happy, she was a dream to look after, but when things weren’t exactly how she wanted them, she would box-walk, pace the fence line, stop eating and generally create havoc.

But she was the one constant in my life for the past 13 years. She was there before boyfriends and after them – my remedy for a painful break-up was always, always to go hunting as soon as possible and as much as possible.

She was there when I went freelance and moved out of London – my mother, having done the majority of looking after her for a number of years, was on the phone sharp-ish to ask when I was coming to get her…

And, of course, she was my hunting partner. At first, at times, it was extraordinarily awful – I know I put her on a pedestal but my glasses are not yet completely rose-tinted – and even last season she was quite capable of being utterly infuriating.

Being 16.2hh and blue roan meant that her tantrums never went unnoticed, but then, as an ex-boyfriend caustically pointed out, people could always say, “Oh, what a lovely colour!” when completely at a loss as how to find anything nice to say about her.

Her kindness and affection

However, the things I will always remember are: the first time she jumped a really big Chargy hedge with the Ledbury. The feeling she gave me when jumping a pair of locked gates as the second fence of the day with our now-home pack two seasons ago. The way she would stop messing about and stand, stock-still with ears pricked, when hounds spoke. How she forgave me endless examples of bad riding and continued to jump and gallop regardless. Her kindness and affection.

I laugh when I think of our two trips to the Beaufort in recent seasons. On the first she almost drowned me (honestly) by taking an enormous leap into a deep river quite unnecessarily and quite contrary to instructions.

She was totally unfazed by our near-death experience and never paused at a puddle from the moment she eventually climbed out up the bank.

A season later, she flew over the Great Somerford hedges and behaved immaculately all day; like the sort of horse you would actually pay money for.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

It took her years to “get” autumn hunting, with its slower pace and tempo, but last season we had a lovely time, beetling off together in the dark before the rest of the yard was up. It is my view through those pricked, dark ears as the sun came up and the mists faded that I shall carry with me.

Thank you, Molly, and please do not disgrace me with the hounds of heaven before I get there.

Ref Horse & Hound; 18 June 2020

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‘Respectful to the end’: new online euthanasia service aims to help owners

Becky Murray — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 13:23:04 +0000

A new facility for services and information on “end of life decision making” has been piloted in Scotland.

The Equine End of Life Service, created by the National Fallen Stock Company, a not-for-profit organisation, is a website offering information on different options for equine euthanasia, removal and disposal.

National Fallen Stock Company chairman Michael Seals said: “End of life decision-making for any horse owner is emotional and challenging, and we hope that our simple and straightforward information service and facility will help.

“Our intention is to provide a smooth, sympathetic and stress-free service to horse owners and their vets at a most difficult and stressful time. The staff in the office are horse owners and understand the sensitivity. We’re very conscious of the fact its not like dealing with farm animals, and there is a very strong tie to these pets.

“Our strap line is ‘Respectful to the end’ because that’s what we strongly believe in – we want to give owners, horses, and everyone involved respect. It gives a more human approach to it rather then a clinical collection and disposal of an animal”.

The service offers access to “experience, skilled and sympathetic” euthanasia and collection professionals by using a network of independent, licensed collectors that the company works with.

“They abide to the highest welfare standards, and biosecurity levels are strictly upheld at all times. The website platform also acts as a postcode-based quote generating service, with staff helping with the logistics and payment for the chosen service,” said a spokesman for the National Fallen Stock Company.

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Charities are “fully behind” the service including the British Horse Society, Blue Cross, The Horse Trust, World Horse Welfare and the Donkey Sanctuary.

Scotland’s chief veterinary officer, Sheila Voas, said the concept and website are “really good” and she is “delighted” the pilot is running in Scotland.

The company aims to roll out the service to the resk of the UK in summer. Further information can be found at www.equine-endoflife.co.uk.

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‘Retired horse, free to good home’: H&H asks the tough question…

Carol Phillips — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 12:08:31 +0000

OPINION

While browsing through my Facebook feed, from time to time I come across a post that reads something along the lines of…

“I’m devastated to be writing this, but my much loved horse is looking for a new family. Sadly is no longer able to be ridden, but would make an ideal companion. Change in circumstances means I can no longer keep him. Free to good home.”

So this ‘much loved’ horse has done the job you wanted him for, but now, whether through medical reasons or old age, can no longer be ridden. And so rather than taking responsibility for this animal at every stage in its life, including when he leaves this world, you’re going to give him away into the care of a third party and an unknown future.

I ask you a hard question – is this really in the best interests of your horse, or are you simply passing on your problem to someone else?

Now I know lives can change in a heartbeat, and I accept that while you may have hoped to be in a position to provide your wonderful horse with a long and happy retirement, you may find it’s not possible.

But in reality, the majority of cases like this are where an owner CAN still afford to keep a horse – but only ONE horse. So when the current horse is no longer able to work, they want to replace him with another that they can ride.

I personally don’t have a problem with that. If you are in this situation, to me your options are:

A: you find the money to continue to provide the retired horse with the essential care that is required to ensure their ongoing welfare, and get a new horse you can ride, whether that is a new purchase or on loan;

B: you accept that you can only afford one horse and so continue to care for your retired horse and enjoy occasional rides on other people’s horses when they come up (you may be surprised how many people will be grateful for help keeping their horse(s) exercised, particularly during the winter);

C: (and I know this will be unpalatable to some), you have the horse you can no longer ride humanely euthanised and you get a new one you can ride.

What, in my humble opinion, you should NOT do is pass your retired horse on to a third party, who may or may not have their best interests at heart.

We’ve all heard the stories of horses that are unfit for work being taken on by individuals promising that they will have a long and happy retirement, only for the horse to be filled with bute and sold on to an unwitting buyer, or being stuck in a sale ring to make a quick buck a matter of days after being collected from their former loving homes. Do you want to run the risk of finding out that has happened to your horse?

If you are genuinely in the position where you can no longer afford to keep the horse, then I would still ask whether giving the horse away, into the care of a third party and an unknown future, is really a responsible thing to do?

Whether a horse is age five or 25, there are worse things than being humanely dispatched from this earth in surroundings that the horse knows and with the people who have provided him with many lovely experiences in the past. Yes it’s incredibly hard for the owner to make that decision, but surely that is better than the alternative described above?

And for everyone who is saying, ‘but surely there is a charity somewhere that would take the horse’, I’m afraid you are deluding yourselves. The charity centres are fit to bursting with real welfare cases. They do NOT have space to take on any horses that do not fit that description.

It’s really hard when you find yourself in this position. I know, I’ve been there, more than once. Only you can decide what’s best for you, and your horse. Personally, I’ve chosen A, B and C at different times in different circumstances. But every time I’ve found peace with the decision I made because every time I’ve put the horse first, and that includes the time I chose option C.

If you would like to share your views on this topic for potential publication in Horse & Hound magazine, then email hhletters@futurenet.com including your name, nearest town and county.

5 pieces of advice for coping with the grief of losing your horse

Horse & Hound — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 07:25:03 +0000

When a horse dies, it can be as traumatic and raw for the owner as losing a best friend or family member. But there are ways to lighten the sense of loss, says animal communicator and intuitive healer Zoë Henderson

1. Give yourself permission to mourn

Sadly, the attitude of some people is that ‘it was just a horse, why are you so upset?’ This is ignorant and unhelpful. There is no such thing as ‘just a…’ when it comes to our animals — who may have been our friends, our companions, our teachers, and our carers and healers. You have every right to be distraught at the loss so allow yourself to mourn, to grieve and cry.

2. In memoriam

Do something of service in your horse’s name. Perhaps a donation to an animal welfare charity, paying for a park bench, or having a tree planted in a public space or wildlife sanctuary. You might also like to have something personal to keep like a piece of jewellery made from your horse’s hair, or getting a horseshoe made into a special keepsake.

3. Watch for messages

In the first few days and weeks after your pet’s passing, you may notice a flash in the corner of your eye that reminds you of a swishing tail, or you may get a hint of their smell. It is not unusual for special memories of our equine partners to return in this way.

4. Write them a thank you letter

Get a pen and paper and write your horse a letter thanking them for all the joy and laughter they brought to your life. Write about the funny times and the sad times, write about their habits, their likes and dislikes. Write about the times you remember most fondly and about how they came into your life. Write about the lessons they taught you and how they enriched your life. Keep writing till you’ve nothing left to say. Hide the letter in the bottom of a drawer and read it again many months later when the grief has subsided.

5. Release the guilt

Some people feel terrible guilt when a horse passes, especially if it involved euthanasia. I assure you that there is nothing to feel guilty about. Our animals are much wiser about life and death than humans.

About the author

Based in Englefield Green near London, Zoë Henderson is an intuitive healer, animal communicator and the author of Hands On Forever, a book that tells the story of her life and healing gift as well as offering tips on how the reader can heal themselves and loved ones. Find out more at intuitivehealer-horsewhisperer.com

Do horses grieve for a lost companion? H&H explains…

Becky Murray — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 12:23:26 +0000

When the time comes that we say a final sad farewell to an long-standing equine friend, we might feel a range of emotions from sadness, loneliness, sorrow, perhaps even anger as we grieve for them. However when a horse loses a companion or field-mate, do they also feel this loss? We asked veterinary behaviourist Gemma Pearson MRCVS for her thoughts on the matter.

“Unfortunately there are not many studies looking at loss in horses specifically, because obviously it is a very hard subject to study,” explains Gemma. “Probably what you would see is a form of separation anxiety, so rather than ‘loss’ as in the death of another horse, we would see similar behaviour to what happens when one horse is removed from the other after a period of time together.”

Is it possible for a horse to know their companion has passed away?

“It’s one of those things we don’t have enough evidence to really say yet, but in my opinion innately they understand that something is wrong or something has changed,” says Gemma. “I think the challenge at the minute is it’s just not an area that anyone hugely understands. I think you have to give horses the benefit of the doubt and accept that there will be some sense of loss for them, and try and cope with that for them as well as you can. Be sympathetic to them and make sure the horse is happy and comfortable in other aspects of its life.”

Does it help to let a remaining field-mate see the body of a horse that has died?

“I think this is a very individual thing. If a horse was just removed and never seen again then the remaining horse might show some anxiety about where their companion has gone,” says Gemma. “Where the horse is put to sleep and the body is left for the other horse(s) to see it, how much understanding there is is impossible to say, but I think there may be some understanding there.

“Whether or not to do this is entirely the owner’s opinion and what suits their circumstances. If they are going to let the horse see his former companion’s body, it is important to give the other horse enough time to realise that something significant has changed, not just walk them up, let them sniff and walk them straight away again.”

If you do choose this route, you should be prepared that it can be an upsetting scene to deal with.

“Sometimes the live horse knows something is wrong so they often snort and look fearful at the fact the companion’s body is laying there passed away,” continues Gemma. “I think if you can leave them a bit, and they adjust they might then go and graze again, but for some clients it can be a very traumatic thing. It’s very individual – it’s about meeting the needs of the individual horse and the individual owner.”

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“Horses have an innate need to socialise with other horses,” says Gemma. “People have to consider very carefully if it’s fair to keep a horse by itself or not, whether temporarily or long-term. Keeping them with other horses would always be preferable and certainly there are lots of rescue centres with companion horses looking for homes. If it’s really not possible to get another horse, then another animal would make a better companion than not having any companion at all. If the remaining horse is unable to socialise with other horses for whatever reason there can always be a degree of stress so another animal is better, but it’s never going to be as good as another horse.”

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The 5 most difficult decisions you’ll ever have to make as a horse owner

Horse & Hound — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:55:55 +0000

Horse owners and vets face difficult decisions everyday. Vet Roger Lee lists the toughest choices an owner will ever have to make and shares his advice to simplify the dilemmas

1. When is the right time to put an old horse down?

This has to be one of the hardest decisions that owners face because horses and ponies become members of the family. Nonetheless, part of our responsibility as owners is to know when a horse’s quality of life has deteriorated to the stage where daily life is too much of a struggle.

Two of the biggest health problems for old horses are weight loss and arthritis. Dental disease and a reduced ability of the gut to process food means older horses eventually lose weight and muscle strength. Weakness combined with stiff, painful joints, makes it increasingly difficult for them to get up — a problem which becomes significantly worse in cold weather.

This means that many owners choose to give their horse a final summer and then put them to sleep in the autumn. Properly done, equine euthanasia is extremely quick and totally painless — and crucially the horse has no idea of what is being done.

I always advise owners that it is better to put a horse down while it is still enjoying life. Most people who know their horses also know instinctively when the time is right. If we wait too long, we risk keeping an old horse going for our sake, not theirs.

2. Do I send my horse in for a colic operation?

Over 80% of colic cases get better with just painkillers and gut relaxants, but this still leaves an unlucky minority that won’t recover without an operation.

Colic operations must be done quickly before the damage to the intestines is too great, so owners have to decide straightaway whether to send the horse for surgery or not.

Colic surgery has improved a lot in the past 30 years and is now a highly advanced speciality with success rates of around 70 to 80%. Send a horse with a surgical colic in early enough and there is a very good chance it will return home again.

Given that the only other option is putting the horse down, why might you decide not to operate? The reasons, as so often, come down to age and cost.

For older horses and ponies, particularly those retired or with other health problems, a major emergency operation may simply be too much to put them through.

The process is also expensive. The initial operation alone will typically cost three to four thousand pounds. If days of intensive care are needed afterwards, or even a second operation, the cost can be much higher — far above what even insured horses are covered for.

For some owners this simply isn’t affordable, particularly as there can never be a guarantee of success.

Following surgery, although there is a prolonged period of box rest — typically three months — there is almost no other aftercare or wound management needed, so cost after surgery is rarely a factor. Most horses tolerate box rest at home pretty well, despite their owner’s concerns.

3. When should a horse “pass” a vetting for purchase?

Few of us are perfect physical specimens, so why should horses be any different? Be it a turned in leg or a filled joint, a sarcoid or a small cataract, every horse will have a few defects that show up on a pre-purchase vetting — especially as it gets older. But does this mean the horse should “fail” a vetting?

The key point is that vets are assessing a horse’s suitability for its intended job and will recommend, or not, going ahead with the purchase based on what they find – it’s not as clear-cut as the horse passing or failing – and this is when the vet’s experience and judgement are crucial.

Clearly a child’s first pony does not need to move like a dressage horse. Allowances need to be made for age, too — a 16-year-old equine is not going to trot off after a flexion test like a six-year-old. A splint will be a big problem for a show horse, but not for an eventer. A young horse may be sound now, but have such poor conformation that it is unlikely to stay sound as its work increases.

The vet has to weigh up all these points and then advise the buyer. A number of findings that may individually appear insignificant can still add up to make a horse too big a risk.

Finally, remember that a vetting is just one person’s opinion on one day. It is not, and can never be, an absolute guarantee that a horse will do the job perfectly. For that you need a crystal ball.

4. Do I send my horse for an MRI scan?

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging — a powerful, non-invasive way of viewing the tissues of the body. In veterinary medicine it is particularly useful for imaging horses’ feet, because the hard hoof capsule makes it impossible to see or feel what is happening to the many important structures inside.

X-rays will show the bones, but with MRI we are able to get incredibly detailed images of everything else — including tendons, cartilage and ligaments.

In up to 90% of all lameness cases the pain is coming from the foot. Prior to the advent of MRI a significant number of these cases were left undiagnosed.

However, as with colic surgery, the drawback to MRI is its cost. The scanners are extremely expensive to buy and install and as a result an MRI scan of two front feet will cost in the region of £1,500.

Whilst an MRI will almost certainly tell you why your horse is lame and how serious the damage is, this is still only a diagnosis and not a treatment. It doesn’t make the horse sound again and unfortunately the inaccessibility of the injured area means treatment options are often quite limited.

Painkillers, steroid injections and time may be the only possibilities — the same treatments your vet is likely to have offered had an MRI not been done. So do you go ahead with an expensive scan that may not change the outcome?

Some people prefer a diagnosis to uncertainty, for others the high cost puts MRI out of reach.

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5. Should my horse have surgery for kissing spines?

Your horse has become reluctant to go forward and has started bucking when you insist. Suspecting it may have back pain, your vet X-ray’s the horse’s dorsal spines — the long, bony “fingers” projecting up from the vertebrae. Some of them appear very close together, with some bony reaction at their edges.

What should you do next? While the X-rays suggest your horse may have kissing spines, they are not conclusive. And nobody wants a major operation that isn’t completely necessary.

The problem is that dorsal spines are not fixed; they move whenever the horse does, so what looks close at rest may be touching when the horse is active. Equally it could be that the back is not painful and your horse is just misbehaving.

Part of the problem is that the clinical signs of back pain are often rather vague, so how can you be more certain that surgery is necessary?

One possibility is to inject a small amount of long acting steroid around the suspect dorsal spinous processes (DSPs). If the horse performs significantly better you have proved there is genuine back pain present. If the improvement is not maintained then you can go for surgery.

These days the operation to remove kissing spines is often done with the horse standing and it has roughly an 80% success rate, while the development of the keyhole technique in which the ligament between the dorsal spines is cut, rather than removing sections of bone is a far less invasive option.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound’s Ask The Vet magazine

9 things no one tells you about losing a horse

Becky Murray — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 12:35:10 +0000

The best listeners in the world and the only cure you know for a bad day, you can’t imagine life without your trusted horse. Sadly tragedy can happen and we heartbreakingly lose that special friend. Here the things you should keep in mind...

1. Sometimes having a horse put down isn’t always a black and white decision

A terrible accident can mean the decision is made, but what happens when the decision isn’t so clear? You could be facing making a decision on a horse that is going to have a lifetime of unsound, field rest. With the help of your vet, have faith that you will arrive at the best decision for your horse and you should never feel guilty for this. This isn’t your fault.

2. The hardest decision can be having your horse put to sleep, but the next agonising decision can be whether to stay with them while they make their last journey

This is a completely individual decision and there is no wrong answer. Some owners can take comfort in being there until the end but others might prefer to say their goodbyes beforehand. Never be afraid to do what feels right for you.

3. It’s ok not to be brave

Losing a horse can be as heartbreaking as losing a family-member. You don’t have to put on a brave face. It could take a long time to process things, you may have hundreds of questions, you might feel angry or that you didn’t do enough. Everyone deals with loss in their own way; you may want to hideaway or keep yourself busy and surrounded by people. You won’t forget your special friend, but with time you will feel better and know that you did your very best for them.

4. What happens after you’ve lost your dear friend?

You might quickly feel ready to fill that huge horse-shaped hole in your life. Looking for your next companion can help you move on and give you something positive to focus on. Horses can have a way of finding us and there is no time limit on how long you should wait. Guilt should never be felt for moving on to your next horse, it doesn’t mean you don’t think about the horse you lost or that you loved them any less.

5. Alternatively maybe your heart needs some time to heal

A friend may offer you a ride of their horse, or try to be helpful and tell you of a horse that they know would be just perfect for you… however it’s ok to take a break. It could be weeks or months or longer. It might be that you just aren’t ready to jump back onboard yet and that is perfectly acceptable.

6. After the sad loss of a horse your confidence can take a knock

You can doubt yourself as an owner after such a tragedy, perhaps wishing you had done things differently or blaming yourself. You might be scared history could repeat itself. Speak to friends, your instructor, or the yard owner and remember what a brilliant horse owner you are.

7. Memories of your horse can be painful for a long time

Photographs or even their headcollar can trigger all sorts of emotions. These memories will with time become happy ones. When you feel up to it you could look at having a photo-collage made, or even a keepsake bracelet of horse hair.

8. Going into your horse’s stable after the loss can be very hard and feel very empty

It’s ok to ask for help and support while sorting their belongings or cleaning out the stable… and this doesn’t need doing immediately. Take the time you need before approaching this tough task.

9. Dealing with people after a loss can be especially daunting

Everyone wants to be there for you and try to say the right thing, often leading them to say entirely the wrong thing in the process! Your horse friends will ask kindly what happened. Non-horse folk perhaps won’t understand quite so easily. You could hear, “It was only a horse!” or “Can’t you get another one?” which can be very testing at a difficult time. Often people don’t know what to say in these situations and don’t mean harm. Try and take some comfort that you have felt the special bond with such a beautiful animal and though you will never forget, you will be able to look back at all the happy times.

‘The hardest decision’: euthanasia survey to provide support for owners

Rachael Turner — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 07:25:34 +0000

Owners seeking advice on when to put a horse down could soon benefit from more support thanks to new research.

A euthanasia survey is being conducted by Liane Preshaw of The Horse Trust and is open to owners, as well as vets and farriers.

The survey asks respondents which factors led them to put the horse to sleep, including aspects of the animal’s health or welfare that contributed, and how confident the person was with their decision.

Results will be collated to find out if there is a common understanding between owners and professionals of the signs that indicate a horse’s quality of life has been sufficiently compromised to give grounds for equine euthanasia, as well as any other situations that justify putting a horse down.

“Having a horse put to sleep can be very difficult and emotional, and in many cases it will be the hardest decision an owner will have to make,” Ms Preshaw told H&H.

“The Horse Trust frequently receives phone calls from owners about euthanasia.

“The circumstances vary from case to case, but there is often no clear answer. This can lead to feelings of guilt.”

In some cases the choice to put a horse down can be relatively straightforward due to serious injury or ill health.

However, the situation can become complicated if the horse’s welfare state is acceptable but the owner is unable to continue caring for the horse.

Overseas, owners may choose not to put their horse down for cultural or religious reasons.

Ms Preshaw hopes that the survey will provide information about the most common behavioural and physical signs that professionals and owners consider important when making the choice.

“If an explicit set of criteria can be considered, then the decision-making process becomes much more consistent,” she said.

Horse owners told H&H the lack of information on euthanasia made the process more challenging.

Elizabeth Graney had to make the decision this year with two of her elderly horses — one has Cushing’s and the other was injured after being kicked.

She chose not to put the horses down as they still have a good quality of life.

“The options are rarely clear and if you are new to an area, the lack of contacts can make it very difficult too,” she told H&H.

“More information on this subject would be welcome and a directory of contacts would be helpful — from hunts to vets.”

Becky Murray from Aberdeenshire had two of her horses put down this year.

“Both horses were relatively young and were put down for completely different reasons, it was heartbreaking,” she said.

“I was fortunate to have fantastic vets who really helped me through the process, but I had so many questions, and didn’t know what to expect. I think it is after the event that is hardest — dealing with the loss.”

Support for owners

The British Horse Society (BHS) set up its Friends at the End scheme in January 2013. The free service provides support for owners making the decision to euthanise their horse in non-urgent cases.

Friends at the End offers counselling and information as well as volunteers who can be present while a horse is put down.

It is seeing a significant uptake and is now helping several owners a week.

Gemma Stanford of the BHS told H&H: “Coming into the winter the number of people we help increases.”

The same year the service was launched, the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSC) — a not-for-profit business set up by Defra for the collection and disposal of dead farm animals — launched a survey to find out if owners are aware of the options available.

The survey was completed by more than 800 owners and asked them about their experiences when it came to disposing of a horse which had died or been put to sleep.

It found that just over half of respondents (55%) who had experienced the death and disposal of a horse had planned in advance the method they would use to put their horse down. The findings were shared with equine organisations and vets, and were used to improve the NFSC’s own website and services.

Ms Preshaw’s survey will be open until 13 December and a report will produced

by June 2016.

To complete the survey visit: www.horseandhound.co.uk/euthanasia-survey

Euthanasia around the world: ‘quality of life should be the priority’

Rachael Turner — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 07:25:01 +0000

Cultural and religious barriers can be overcome to allow horses to be euthanased humanely throughout the world according to equine professionals.

In the UK and Ireland it is the responsibility of the owner to decide if and when a horse should be put down.

However, many countries in Europe only allow horses to be euthanased on veterinary advice. These include France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

There are also areas across the world where equine euthanasia is rejected for cultural or religious reasons.

“The anthropology of euthanasing animals is a passionate and complex issue,” said vet Josep Subriana.

“Religion is often mixed with tradition and in some areas like west Africa, the belief of animism — that all living things have a spirit or soul — is also a factor.

“Generally speaking, Islamic, Sub-Saharan, Buddhist and Hindu countries tend to be more reluctant to euthanase, along with less developed countries or areas — but in these places it is not always linked to religion.”

Mr Subriana added that providing free euthanasia services can encourage owners to consider it as an option for their animals.

“Sometimes offering economic compensation to those who have had their horse put to sleep can be effective,” he said.

“Education is also important, encouraging people to see euthanasia as a compassionate act that is in the animal’s best interest.”

This year videos emerged of amputation of parts of the lower legs of Middle Eastern endurance horses (pictured, top).

Comments accompanying the Kuwaiti post state that amputation allows owners to avoid euthanasia in cases of traumatic leg injury.

Roly Owers of World Horse Welfare said: “When handled carefully and with the best interests of the animal at heart, it is possible to overcome these delicate issues. Above all else we have to be a strong voice, stating unequivocally that an animal’s quality of life has to be the primary driver for making decisions around euthanasia.”

Ref: H&H 3/12/15

Sarah Jenkins: Gentlemanly behaviour

Sarah Jenkins — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 07:55:39 +0000

What a gent that Carl Hester is, to withdraw one of his two rides from the national dressage championship grand prix freestyle to give another rider the opportunity to compete.

I doubt allowing Michael Eilberg (pictured) to make the most of this opportunity and take overall honours was part of his plan, but Carl has claimed quite enough national titles.

It was, too, fantastic to see Michael, whose rise to the top has seemed inevitable since he took up dressage seven years ago, add national champion to his European and World accolades.

What were they thinking?

I’m loath to criticise media, knowing the challenges and realities they face, but for the Daily Mirror to capitalise on a pixilated image of a racehorse being shot last weekend was dumbfounding.

For the RSPCA to come out in support of the vet and racecourse rather demonstrates quite how off the money the paper was.

As humanitarian causes go, the prompt euthanasia of an animal with this sort of injury doesn’t feature. Compare this to the suffering experienced by animals — equines including — during live export, and there you’ve got yourself a cause.

Buying from Ireland

In more positive news, the hunting season is now upon us and the claim: “He hunted in Ireland”, instils confidence like no other. But how many lack the assurance to purchase from the emerald isle?

Knowing who to trust, and where to start, is daunting enough. Take heed from H&H hunting editor Polly Portwin, who de-mystifies the process on p24 of this week’s magazine (25 September).

This column was first published in H&H magazine on 25 September 2014

Tabloid causes shock and outrage in equestrian world

Amy Mathieson — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 11:55:10 +0000

Racing fans and welfare charities have criticised the actions of the Daily Mirror after the paper published photos on its front page of a racehorse being put down (20 September).

The piece, headlined “Shot in the head… a tragic end for a £1.3m champion”, was accompanied by graphic images after Wigmore Hall broke a leg at Doncaster (13 September).

The photographs were supplied to the paper by campaign group Animal Aid.

BHA seeks meeting

Robin Mounsey of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said the organisation was “appalled” and that it was seeking a meeting with the paper’s editor, who has so far defended the decision to print.

“All that the images show is a vet doing his job and carrying out an act of humanity to prevent an animal from suffering,” said Mr Mounsey.

“They show the same actions whether the incident was occurring on a racecourse or at home in a field.

“Animal Aid is not a welfare organisation, nor is it a charity. It campaigns for the banning of horseracing, despite the disastrous effect that this would have on the thoroughbred horse as a breed, and on the rural economy.”

The organisation added that over the past 15 years, the equine fatality rate has fallen by one-third, to just over 0.2% of runners.

Welfare groups react

The piece shocked welfare charities too.

The RPSCA’s David Muir told The Guardian he could not see that the racecourse or the vet had done anything wrong.

And Roly Owers from World Horse Welfare said the pictures were “deeply shocking”.

“Sadly many major injuries, such as Wigmore Hall’s, cannot be successfully treated, in part because of the sheer weight of a horse. Immediate on-course euthanasia, by a veterinary surgeon using a gun or by injection, is the kindest option.

“Promoting a discussion about horse welfare in sport is certainly a legitimate aim, but it is difficult to see how the publication of these photos could serve to achieve this.

“All the article appears to have done is to very publicly sensationalise a tragedy for a horse and those who cared about him, and to vilify a legitimate and humane method of euthanasia.”

However, he added that any racecourse fatality was “deeply regrettable” and should never be accepted simply as an inevitable side-effect of sport. Therefore, every effort should be made to learn from any death.

Upsetting to connections

Trainer Michael Bell said he found the decision to publish the photos “disgusting”.

“Many tears were shed afterwards. ‘Wiggie’ had been a favourite in the yard for six years — he never wanted for anything,” he said.

“I cannot overstate how upsetting the publication of these pictures is. Did those responsible for the decision take into consideration the feelings of those close to the horse before publishing?”

H&H readers took to the forum to express disgust for the piece.

“This shouldn’t be front page news,” wrote one.

Another added: “His connections shouldn’t have to have this on a tabloid front page — it is just incredibly insensitive.”

This news story was first published in H&H magazine on 25 September 2014

Homes for companion horses ‘very limited’

Caroline Bankes — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 08:15:09 +0000

Equine charities are warning that the number of long-term companion homes available for horses is “very limited” in the current market.

Re-homing charity Horses4Homes told H&H that there is a small market for companion ponies, but the chance of finding a new home as a companion for a thoroughbred is “incredibly remote”.

Of the 180 horses Horses4Homes re-homed last year, only 6% found homes as companions. Of these, 58% were ponies.

Companion horses that owners do not want ridden for health or behavioural reasons currently account for 20% of the horses listed with the charity.

World Horse Welfare’s Sam Chubbock said: “In this market, it can be incredibly difficult to find companions good homes, particularly if they have any quirks or health issues.”

Rebecca Evans, re-homing manager at Horses4Homes, said if owners cannot justify the expense of looking after a horse that can no longer be ridden, the best option may be to put it down.

“Euthanasia of any animal is difficult, but owners must have the courage to put their much- loved, unrideable horses to sleep rather than run the risk of that horse being sent to an inappropriate home where its welfare needs may not be met,” she told H&H.

Ms Evans, who worked for The Horse Trust before setting up Horses4Homes last year, also warned owners not to offer companion horses for loan on social media sites, as she has had reports of horses being misrepresented.

“For horses that can be ridden there are new homes out there, but for those that are difficult to handle and can’t be ridden it’s practically impossible,” she added.

Ms Chubbock warned that owners should take great care to re-home responsibly, by vetting any new home and checking references.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (21 August, 2014)

Horse owners embrace free euthanasia support service

Horse & Hound — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 08:00:26 +0000

Vets will tell you that “better a week too soon than a day too late” is the best policy when it comes to putting a horse down.

But concern that this does not always happen — which can result in much-loved horses becoming welfare cases — inspired the British Horse Society (BHS) to set up its free Friends at the End scheme in January.

“Sadly, many of the welfare calls we receive are about old and much-loved horses who have been left to go on for too long and are now suffering,” said BHS head of welfare Lee Hackett, who has overseen the training of around 100 Friends at the End volunteers.

“I have lost track of the number of people who, after the event, say they wished for the horse’s sake that they had done it earlier.

“We launched the scheme to make a horrible time easier for people and horses.”

The scheme provides support for owners making the decision to euthanase their horse in non-urgent cases. It is seeing a significant uptake, helping more than 50 people so far this year.

Friends at the End is designed to give owners support, ranging from counselling and information given over the phone to a volunteer being present while a horse is put down.

Feelings of guilt

Emma Ball said the service helped her deal with the feelings of guilt she experienced when deciding to euthanase her 10-year-old novice eventer, who was suffering from navicular syndrome and unsuitable as a companion animal.

“Lisa [a BHS friend] made me feel less guilty and that it was OK to make this decision, which was hugely comforting,” she told H&H.

“I still felt like I was murdering my best friend, but the actual process was compassionate, dignified and peaceful, with no trauma or stress for my horse,” she added.

More than 100 BHS volunteer welfare officers have undergone the training to be “friends”.

The training involves sessions with a clinical vet, to discuss the euthanasia options available and a counselling skills course with a non-clinical vet, who specialises in bereavement.

Knowing when to say goodbye

David Gibson used the service after contemplating for six months whether to euthanase his mare Lady Jane, 26, who was lame.

“She was my first horse and we had history,” he told H&H. “She wasn’t terribly lame, but it was sad watching her struggling to keep up with the other horses and I didn’t want to wait until she was crippled.

“Friends at the End supported me a great deal psychologically, so I knew exactly what to expect.”

Mr Gibson was supported by BHS friend Lisa Draper — who attended Lady Jane’s euthanasia. She feels that many owners are unprepared for the experience.

“People become alarmed when they see the carcasses in the truck if they have no experience,” said Ms Draper.

“Preparing owners for things like this or the noise of the gun can be reassuring. And sometimes it’s not just about losing a horse — it’s a whole network of friends, activities and lifestyle.”

Contact friendsattheend@bhs.org.uk or tel 02476 840517

The full version of this story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (20 June 2013)

Horse owners’ input sought on euthanasia survey

Charlotte White — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:33:21 +0000

Charities fear that many horse owners are neglecting to plan for their horse’s death.

Horses are suffering by being kept going too long, or are being passed on to sometimes inappropriate homes at the end of their lives, they say.

Now the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo) — a not-for-profit business set up by Defra for the collection and disposal of dead farm animals — has launched a survey to find out if horse owners are aware of the options available for their horses.

“Owners become emotional and may not be able to weigh up their options with a clear head,” said a spokesman for the NFSCo.

“We hope to find out if owners have considered their options in advance and what means they have used or would choose.”

The NFSCo service is available for horses, too, but is rarely used.

The survey is open to all horse owners.

The British Horse Society (BHS) has also found a glut of owners unprepared, either mentally or financially, to put their horse down when the time comes.

In January, the BHS launched Friends at the End, a network of 100 welfare officers around the country trained to advise owners considering equine euthanasia.

Lee Hackett from the BHS said they have been inundated with calls from the public asking for help — so much so that they will be training more of these “friends”.

“We know there are horses out there that are being kept alive longer than is ideal because their owners cannot bear to think about it,” he said.

“Putting a horse to sleep can also be expensive.”

To take part in the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M6GQNBR

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (21 March 2013)

New BHS initiative to advise horse owners considering euthanasia

Charlotte White — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:33:52 +0000

The British Horse Society (BHS) has set up a new network of volunteers to assist horse owners struggling with the difficult decision of whether to have their horse put down.

Lee Hackett of the BHS’s welfare department said the charity regularly receives calls about “old, much loved horses” whose owners seem unable to take the plunge and have them euthanased.

Owners put off the moment for many reasons, he said, and it can be even more difficult if the horse is not old but has a chronic injury or behavioural issues.

He said: “More and more people simply cannot afford to have field ornaments, yet often the horse is not suitable to be sold on. Some people assume a charity will be able to take the horse on, but this is hardly ever the case.”

So the BHS has trained 100 of its network of welfare officers around the country to act as advisors to support owners who are considering euthanasia.

The decision is in part a response to the increased numbers of neglected or abandoned horses referred to charities.

British charities simply do not have the room to take in any more horses.

All the “Friends at the End” have undergone training with bereavement counsellors as well as in horse welfare.

And they can even be there for your horse’s final moments and hold him, if you feel you can’t.

For more information, contact the BHS welfare team on 02476 840517 or email friendsattheend@bhs.org.uk

Fallen stock charges to increase in 2011

Horse & Hound — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:38:55 +0000

Hunts may be forced to review charges for handling fallen stock in 2011 as rendering plants and collectors increase prices.

Many hunts provide a service to farmers, putting down stock or collecting dead animals and horses for a small fee, and much of the meat is used to feed the hounds.

But the remainder is sent to rendering plants.

One plant in the south-west — PDM — has raised its prices by £30 a tonne to cover fuel increases and environmental charges, and hunts fear other companies will follow suit around Britain.

The Masters of Foxhounds Association director Alastair Jackson said: “The increasing costs of disposal means that it would probably be cheaper to feed hounds on standard pet food rather than flesh from fallen stock, but hunts provide a service to farmers and horse owners and no one wants that to change.”

The Wiltshire-based Avon Vale hunt sends its waste to JL Thomas of Exeter — part of the PDM Group.

Kennel huntsman Nick Bycroft said: “We produce between three and four tonnes of animal waste per week — that’s an extra £400 each month.”

Derbyshire’s Barlow hunt reviews its fallen stock charges every six months.

Chairman Fraser Wakerley said: “Cost increases are inevitable, but we will try to keep these to a minimum.”

And Somerset-based Mendip Farmers’ huntsman Richard Standing estimates he is spending an extra 50% on waste disposal this season.

Collection charges by the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo) — of which hunt kennels account for 5.7% of registered collectors — will also be reviewed next year.

A spokesman for the PDM Group said: “Energy costs have forced us to review our charges.”

This article was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound, 18 November ’10

Ask H&H: horse put down without permission

Horse & Hound — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:50:22 +0000

Q: Last August, having owned my horse for two years, I decided to sell him. I had no luck selling him, so asked a former employer and proprietor of a riding school if he wanted to use him in the school.

It was verbally agreed that he could use him if he thought he was suitable, otherwise I would make alternative arrangements. My horse’s passport was left at the yard with him so vaccinations and so on could be recorded. I did not give anyone permission to change the owner’s name on the passport.

Three weeks ago, the proprietor of the riding school had my horse put down without my prior knowledge or permission. I am considering taking legal action against the school as, presumably, the passport must have been produced when the horse was put down. Surely I ought to have been contacted before he was put down? Or is it possible that someone could have changed the details on the passport without my knowledge?

SF, East Sussex

ALTHOUGH the Passport Regulations state that the person in possession of a horse’s passport must make it available to a vet administering medicine to a horse, it is possible for a vet to administer medicine without seeing its passport where it is not available, according to solicitor Lucy Jay of Travers Smith.

“Their overriding duty is to alleviate suffering wherever possible by administering appropriate medicine. And, even where they are shown a passport, they are only required to satisfy themselves that the horse is the one described in it, and to complete certain parts of the passport (where applicable), such as vaccination records,” she explains.

“Passports are not ownership documents. Instead, they are identification documents intended to ensure that horses who have been treated with veterinary medicines not authorised for use in food-producing animals cannot be slaughtered for human consumption.

“Under the regulations, a horse cannot be sold for slaughter for human consumption or be consigned for such slaughter unless it is accompanied by a passport. But this requirement only applies to horses intended for human consumption,” adds Lucy.

So, contacting you before your horse was put down would not have been part of the vet’s remit. Similarly it would not have been necessary for the riding school proprietor to change the ownership details on your horse’s passport.

As the horse’s owner, it is your duty to inform the passport authority within 30 days of its death, stating the cause and other relevant details. The riding school owner should give you this information along with your horse’s passport.

With regard to your legal position, Lucy states: “There appears to be no written contract between you and the riding school relating to the loan of your horse.

“Where an oral contract exists, this can be difficult to enforce, as you would need to argue that the contract contained an implied term that the horse would not be put down without your consent.

“The success of this argument would in turn depend upon the circumstances in which the horse was put down. For example, your case would be weakened if the vet who put the horse down advised that immediate euthanasia was the only option and the riding school had tried (unsuccessfully) to contact you.

“You would also need to show that you had suffered a financial loss as a result of the horse being put down without your consent. If the horse was so badly injured prior to being put down that it had no value at that point, you would have suffered no loss.

“I would strongly advise that written agreements are put in place in all circumstances where horses are loaned. Such agreements should specify what is to happen in the event that the horse requires emergency veterinary treatment, and may provide that the horse may be put down on the advice of a vet where it is not possible to contact the owner,” she concludes.

Information

For legal advice contact Travers Smith

Tel: 020 7295 3000 www.traverssmith.com

This Q&A was first published in Horse & Hound (31 August, ’06)

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When the audience was asked at which stage Jay should have been put down, more than half voted for the second intervention.

“Of the options available it’s been suggested that the five domains model likely provides one of the better conceptual frameworks for assessing quality of life. But there are still challenges in applying this framework as a quality-of-life assessment tool in practice.”

The panel discussed having a scale when it comes to euthanasia decisions; the bottom end “a poor life not worth living” to the upper end, “a good life” – and the question was raised about where vets should “draw the line” with chronic degenerative conditions.

Animal researcher Peter Sandøe said the problem is that it is “not an absolute scale”.

“It’s so difficult to draw that line because it looks like we have ‘poor’ and ‘good’, but in reality it’s a continuous scale where we ourselves have to decide what’s poor and good,” he said.

“But unless there is a partnership between the family and the vet, then it’s hard to say it’s the right time because it needs to be a two-way street.”

Mr Sandøe added that he believes that quality-of-life tools are “great if they are seen as decision support tools” – rather than something to make the decision for people.

The session was concluded with the panel members discussing whether it is better to euthanise “a day too early or a day too late”. Largely the panel agreed it was better a day too early, but that quality of life needs to be talked about from an earlier stage.

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There till the very end: owner of 33-year-old mare put down calls on others to do right by older horses – rather than rehoming

Belinda told H&H the mare had been an expensive but cherished field ornament, who came in every night “because she liked to”, since she retired aged 27. Smartie still had her teeth and was eating and doing well, but then went wrong behind.

“As they get older all sorts of problems arise, rather like us,” Belinda said. “They are just better at hiding it.”

Belinda, who worked in racing for over 25 years and has owned horses all her life, said Smartie was a tricky, quirky mare.

“A lot of people didn’t like her because she was so marish but you just had to understand her,” Belinda said.”Like all horses, you have to get inside their heads. I did everything with her.

“When my daughter was growing up and had ridden a horse who knocked her confidence, she’d come home and say ‘Can I take Smartie out?’ She was really good at looking after you – when she chose to! And my daughter would come back feeling a lot better about herself.”

“I phoned [cremation service] Cremtor, which was the hardest part; ‘it’s really happening now’,” Belinda said. “She came out the next morning and did it.

“What was horrible was, both she and the vet said what good condition Smartie was in; they see so many horses in shocking condition, and it shouldn’t have got that far. How can you do that?”

“The lady was so empathetic and you want someone kind for those last moments. I’d had Smartie so long, I wanted to be there till the very end.”

Belinda said she recognises that everyone’s situation, and every horse, is different, and that putting a horse down has a high price tag.

“But you have to do what’s right by the horse,” she said. “I’m so tired of seeing adverts for old horses for sale, ‘as a companion’, and you think what’s going to happen to that horse, and how could you do that? I think we’ve become a throwaway society, and that includes animals.

“I’d rather starve for a month myself, and do the right thing for my horse.”

Belinda said her main message to those delaying making the call when it would be best for the horse is “don’t be selfish”.

“I think that’s what it comes down to,” she said. “It’s hard but it is better a day early than a day late.”

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Is it right to give horses ‘one last summer’? Vets discuss what good welfare really means

Professor Campbell opened the discussion by highlighting that in vets’ everyday working lives, they come up against “welfare dilemmas”, and one current issue is that there are numerous definitions of welfare, and debate on whether there is a difference between welfare and wellbeing.

The aim of the session was to discuss how a lack of agreement on what good welfare means can affect vets’ ability to serve the best interests of horses under their care – and vets and nurses in their daily practice.

The panellists presented case studies during which they considered the difference between health and welfare, and the moral decisions involved in each.

“Welfare is not just that physical state,” said Dr Hockenhull, researcher at the Bristol Veterinary School. “I’d be thinking what effect is the restriction on that pony’s diet having on its mental wellbeing, and desire to perform behaviours such as foraging.

“The other concern I’d have would be relating to his social life; not only is he the only horse on that property, he can’t see or hear any other horses, which raises massive concerns for a social species kept in that level of isolation.”

Another case study opened the floor for debate on palliative care for horses, and whether it is reasonable for vets to give this when it is known that the end point is euthanasia. An example was provided of giving an owner a couple of days to come to terms with a euthanasia decision.

“Do we have responsibility towards owners as well, to enable them to have some time to come round to what’s going on, or should we be euthanising the animal there and then?,” asked Professor Campbell.

The topic of giving horses “one last summer” was raised and the ethics surrounding this.

Imogen Burrows, who chairs the BEVA ethics and welfare committee, said she had dealt with a case where the owner of an ataxic horse felt pressure from others on their yard to delay euthanasia.

“Why do we have this thing of one last summer? If this issue happened in October, would we wait until the following September?,” said Dr Burrows.

“We have a job to go in and assess that horse, and we have to remember we are assessing the welfare of that horse as to whether that summer is worth it.”

A hypothetical case study looked at a high-level competition stallion given one hour of turnout per day, and the welfare concerns attached to this.

“There’s some amazing stuff going on, but it never gets shouted about and people aren’t hearing that it can be done, and done well. These horses are still performing at a high level, but their basic needs are being met,” said Dr Hockenhull.

“It’s having that evidence and these people telling their stories, whether they are an influencer or a big name in the sport, and the more we can drip-feed from different levels and have that evidence to tell people about, the better it’s going to be.”

A recurring message was the usefulness of objective frameworks and measurement systems, such as the five domains system, and quality of life assessment tools, to help vets have difficult discussions with owners and clients.