Please Dont hat eme for this.?

Question

My best friend has ottb, he has knee chips in three legs and a fracture in the other, he can never be ridden again and is pretty bad off. My friend cannot afford to pay a vet to put him down so they are looking for a slaughter house, I personally dont agree with this but they ar eso far in debt they'll never get out, unless any of you want a pasture mate, he is located in Va Beach.

yes a horse, only 4, i raised him, and my dad gave him to her, we are only 15 there is nothing I can do, and I personally have 5 horses, 4 of which im seeling. I DONT FEEL RIGHT ABOUT SLAUGHTER! But her g-ma has taken over, She called me crying, we have worked with so many horses saving them from slaughter, but we can only do so much. I feel really bad.

Kerry---Woah. I love TBs and have raised and trained them with my dad, I have one who won 5 times and multipole seconds, now retrained for jumping by me, and has the mind of a QH, Seriously, odnt diss tbs.

Kerry--Also, I Helped raise the damn horse from a weanling, He was never abused, and my dad tried to send him off to an aution, he woulda gone good cuz he is Seatle Slews grandson, but my bf begged my dad for him.

Sorry to sound mean but you guys dont seem to get it. THE SHELTERS WONT TAKE HIM!!!!!!! She has called almost every shelter, I am working with the SPCA and the my mom is considering paying to put him down. But SHE COULDNT AFFORD him in the first place, she just wanted him and her gma didnt fight.

Answer 1

By the sound of it the best thing is to have him put down one way or another.
My friends horse fractured her leg but the vet failed to tell her/see it. The horse was out on her own for a while (vet said this was ok!)
My friend came up one day and found her horses leg literally split in half (sorry to be so grusome).
A different vet said this was probably due to the horse putting pressure on a fracture.
I don't know if this is an option but would a local hunter do it for them?
Some people think shooting horses is more humane than putting them to sleep with drugs and is cheaper.
A slaughter house doesn't sound very nice but, apart from having to travel him there, is usually just the same as putting him down with a gun (but check this first if you want to go down this route!)
Hope this helps a little and sorry about your situation :(

And Kerry you don't sound very sympathetic to someone asking for help on this issue. I fail to see how any of those sports are an abusive discipline? Slating a horse's upbringing (even though it obviously has people that care about it) does not help the situation and is really insensitive!

Can I ask how the horse got the fracture etc?

Answer 2

The closest slaughter house and auction is HOURS away from VA Beach.

1) Getting him up there is going to cost you as much in gas and trailering as euthanasia.
2) Even a horse trader is not going to spend money on this guy to haul him up there for you.

So obviously going to slaughter is not even a possibility. And if it is, then you tell these folks that the $100 they'll spend on gas, they won't evevn get back from the slaughter house with the current meat prices world wide.

THEN you call one of the awesome vets in the area, such as Dominion Equine. Dr John & his awesome gang may not be able to do this for you w/o charging you, but they may be able to work out a payment plan. They may also know of someone who is willing to rehab the horse & take it for free.

Calling a vet and explaining the situation costs you nothing other than 10 minutes of your time.

If he's bad off enough that he needs to be put down, then being a pasture mate is not an option. You must have a medical decision here-- is he going to be comfy as a pasture ornament? Or does he need to be put out of his misery? GET A PROFESSIONAL Opininon.


I'm really not sure why your friend thinks a slaughter house is going to be any cheaper than a vet (or a good hunter w/ a shot gun.) you're going to have to haul him up there, pay for gas and trailering, etc, plus give him enough drugs to ensure he doesn't die on the trip from pain fo standing, etc, ... then hope they take him at the market w/ that many drugs in him... you can see how this is a good arguement NOT to send him to slaughter.

Secondly, even if you DO put a horse down, with VABeach law beign what it is, you have to pay for the city to dispose of the remains OR send the remains to the incineration plant out in Smithfield/Surry so you can keep the ashes. Again, this is a costly proceedure.

Either way, humane euthanasia or slaughter house, your friends are going to be shelling out some money here on this horse.

No, I don't agree with the slaughter house idea. And, honestly its just as costly as a vet bill. Only difference, most vets are willing to let you do a pyament plan when it comes to things like this. And a vet may be able to place this guy with a home that needs a pasture-mate.

*shrug*

Answer 3

I hate to be the cranky adult, but I'm confused. If the horse's owners have been able to feed and house the horse, and spend the money on a vet to diagnose the chips and fracture, then why can't they afford to destroy the horse? And if they could feed the horse when it was sound, what has changed?? Horses aren't toys that you toss when broken!!

I really, really hate the "it's expensive" defense. Even kept as cheaply as possible, horses are not cheap to own. Unless they've got a truck and trailer to get it where it's going, that'll cost money too.

I'd also like to know how the horse came to be in such condition. In my experience it's pretty darn hard to get three "knee" chips (do we mean 2 knees and a hock??) and a fracture in the same horse! If he had a genuine accident, fine, but I don't get it. Bone chips don't happen overnight.

And seriously, are they absolutely certain that the horse is permanently lame? Sometimes a condition can seem hopeless but time and therapy (and therapy can be as simple as ice and proper bandaging) can fix them. One of my TB's has a bone chip in one knee. I had the option of taking it out, but didn't, and he's just fine. I ran the risk of the chip getting 'stuck' in the joint, but the gamble paid off. I didn't have the expense and risk of surgery and my horse is still 100% sound now at 15. Then there's my broodmare who fractured her coffin bone. Yup, still standing and riding sound if I so desire to rebreak her. It healed well enough that she did not need to be destroyed, but it did take time. What's more is that the idiot I got her from thought she was hopelessly lame, but didn't know why. It was because she was standing in mud, barefoot. The woman let her grow way too much heel and nearly no toes, with bad heel flares on both fronts to boot. Time and proper trimming, and shoes for a little while brought right 'round.

I'd take him but I'm full to the gills. One more horse and I'd need to make a stall in the house.

DON'T let people like this "Kerry" person bother you... She sounds fairly ignorant and intolerant. There is nothing abusive about hunter/jumper, western events or polo. She's just trying to get you mad. And there certainly is nothing wrong with buying a off the track thoroughbred. I currently own FOUR TB's. 3 are off the track, one unraced. And I've had 3 other OTTB's grace my life. I dare any one to find 7 other equines of any breed are are more talented, calm, forgiving, athletic, or intelligent as my TB's. Some of the best Grand Prix Jumpers "back in the day" were TB's, many off the track. Off the top of my head, they include: Gem Twist, Jet Run, Snow Bound, Touch of Class, Bonne Nuit, and Idle Dice. Yes, Touch of Class was off the track. Think about that for a minute!

Answer 4

I've heard that euth can run 500$. My sympathies to you and the horse.

My advice is this, contact a carnivore rescue, as stated above, or find a hunter, friend etc. willing to do the right thing who knows how to properly shoot a horse, and put him out of his misery.

Thumbs down away, but euthanasia doesn't always work well, there can be complications and it is expensive. A high caliber rifle shot to the brain is effective and quick.

If I were in your friend's situation that is what I would do before I EVER let my horse anywhere near a slaughter house.

And if I really were in a bind and could not find a carnivore resuce, zoo, etc. and could not bury the carcass, I would contact a cat/dog rescue about them taking the body to a processor (like a deer) and turning it into animal food.

I'm sorry for your pain and the suffering of your friend.

Sometimes love and loyalty aren't carrots and blankets. Sometimes it is ensuring a painless end for a friend, even if by your own hand. It is obvious that you care about the horse and his being free of suffering.

I hope it works out in a way that brings you relief.

Answer 5

Tough situation your friend is in and you are a good friend to assist - but the real situation is that you have a horse that needs to be put down as humanely as possible. Options are:
1. Euthanasia by Vet
2. Slaughter house - this will entail having to transport the horse who is obivously in pain to the slaughter house and then put in a holding pen until they get around to him.
3. Rendering plants - for a fee will come out and pick up your horse - they will also put it out of its misery before they load it onto their truck.
4. Find a Vet that is willing to come out and do it at a reduced cost or free or will allow small payments to be made.
5. Do you have any hunters in the family like the other poster suggested that would be able to do this for you - only issue is you now have a carcass to get rid of.
6. Check with the local wildlife service to see if they have any programs available or the Zoo (highly unlikely the zoo would do this but worth a try)
7. Humane Society or a horse rescue group may have alternative suggestions.
This horse, due to the leg issues would NOT make a good Pasture mate - now if someone would want to take the time to invest in this horse and spend a ton of money to get him comfortable and over his injuries is one thing but to offer him up as is as a pasture mate is not a good idea - he would suffer even more.
8. SELL your saddle, horse equipment, anything to raise the money quickly to have the horse put down in the most humane way possible and then really have them search their heart and soul the next time they consider getting a horse and if they would be able to financially take care of it.

Answer 6

A lot want to know how this horse got the 3 chips and a fracture if you had it since it was a weanling...how old was it when your dad gave it to your best friend? Sad situation...I agree...have someone shoot it for you...doesn't sound like it could really be a pasture mate if he is in that much pain and has gone long without medical attention...VA Beach has tons of animal shelters couldn't you call one of them? I hope your friend figures something out soon before the horse gets a terrible infection and dies a even more horrible death.

Answer 7

They should not choose slaughter. There are no slaughter houses anywhere near VA Beach, so the horse would be in for a prolonged torture getting to one.

Have them find a way to dispose of the horse locally. They should try to give him away to an individual or rescue group as a pasture mate, if not should euthanize him, or even the gunshot option would be much more humane than days or weeks of torture on his way to a foreign slaughterhouse.

Answer 8

About the carnivore rescue...None of them want live prey especially something as large as a horse. Too dangerous.
As a biologist I can assure you of that. Few predators can safely take down an animal the size of a horse.

Even african lions would have trouble and unless they were raised in the wild would find it very difficult indeed. Captive raised animals do not have the skills necessary for such large prey.

To clarify a misunderstanding. Yes they will take the horses but they will kill them before feeding them to the cats or other carnivores. The post was in response to another poster who thought they would feed the horses to the cats live.

Answer 9

Is there any sort of humane society in your area? I'm not sure how they deal with horses but it is an idea. Also, if there are 4-H clubs in your area, it might be wise to contact them, as most members are usually caring towards the welfare of a horse and it is likely that one of them or someone they know is looking for a pasture mate.

Also, if he is able to be a "pasture mate" then why does he need put down? Can't your friend keep him as that?

Answer 10

with all the slaugher laws going through right now it would be very difficult to find a slaughter house... she would probably have to take him out of the country which would cost just as much as putting him down. i like the idea of the person who suggested sending them to the big cat place. There are alot of anti-slaughter and welfare places that would probably help defray the cost of euthanasia that you could try. if there isnt a way to euthanise or ship him somewhere (like the cat place) then get someone (preferably a professional shooter) to shoot the horse. shooting a horse may sound barbaric but it is a cheap alternative and if the shooter knows what they are doing it is just as fast and painless as euthansia