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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYour first step when your horse dies should be to give yourself a bit of time to grieve. Horses are kept for many reasons, including as work animals, for show and athletic competition, and often, for pleasure riding and companionship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the owner of a horse, it will understandably be quite difficult to deal with the death of such a close companion. Give yourself a moment to come to terms with the fact that you have lost your animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you knew your horse was sick or injured, you may have chosen to have it euthanized, either by a veterinarian or your own (typically, by shooting it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By law, when a horse dies, either via a planned procedure or not, its carcass must be disposed of in a timely fashion. A post-mortem examination may be required if it is unclear how or why the horse died. This is especially true if you have other horses to whom various diseases may be spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the veterinarian was the one who carried out the euthanasia, talk to them first when your horse passes away. Often, you can arrange for carcass disposal through the veterinarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Do Farmers Do With Dead Animals?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are several ways that farmers can handle dead animals, regardless of whether they’re dealing with cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, or some other type of livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For animals that have to be euthanized due to an injury (not necessarily a communicable disease), often farmers will choose to simply butcher the animal and then eat or sell the meat. This produces little to no waste and requires less effort, sometimes, than having to bury an animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, for animals like horses, that’s not going to be an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, a farmer must turn to other options to get rid of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some common options include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Burying<\/li>
- Cremation<\/li>
- Landfilling<\/li>
- Rendering facilities<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What Do Ranchers Do with a Dead Horse?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/horses-5499465_1280-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere are a few ways in which ranchers can get rid of dead horses. Here are some of the most common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carcass Removal Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For most people in most areas, there are services that will come and remove the deceased horse for you. Although this will likely cost some money, it is often the easiest in terms of emotional weight and logistics. Often, the service will take the horse away and either bury or cremate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you live in an area where burying a horse is not legal, then a carcass removal service might be your best bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are some areas in which hunts are still active in which a local hunt kennel might perform the euthanasia for you and then collect and dispose of the carcass – this is typically provided that the horse has not received certain drugs prior to its demise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cremating or Incinerating a Dead Horse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Burning is a common method of disposing of a horse’s remains. In this method, a horse’s carcass must not be burned via open-air burning – this can threaten air quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You’ll want to check with your local Environmental Protection Agency and Forest Services to find out what’s allowed in your area. In some cases, you might have to have a permit in order to dispose of a horse’s body in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can You Bring a Horse to the Landfill?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It might sound odd, but in some places, you can actually bring a horse’s body to the landfill. This isn’t allowed everywhere, but it’s worth calling your local landfill to see if this is something that can be done in your situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should I Call a Rendering Facility?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n