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Perhaps the kindest thing you can do for a horse that is extremely
ill, severely injured, lame, or dangerous is to have your veterinarian
induce its death quickly and humanely through euthanasia. Your decision
to have your horse euthanatized is a serious one, and is seldom easy to
make.
What should I do?
Your relationship with your horse is special and may be different
with each horse you have. When you acquired your horse, you assumed
responsibility for its health and welfare. Owners are sometimes faced
with making life-or-death decisions for their animals. Such a decision
may become necessary for the welfare of your horse and your family.
Although a personal decision, it need not be a solitary one. Your
veterinarian and your family and close friends can help you make the
right decision. Consider not only what is best for your horse, but also
what is best for you and your family. Quality of life is important for
horses and people alike.
How will I know when?
If your horse can no longer experience the things it once enjoyed,
cannot respond to you in its usual ways, appears to be experiencing
more pain than pleasure, is terminally ill or critically injured, or if
the financial or emotional cost of treatment is beyond your means, you
may need to consider euthanasia. Your veterinarian is best qualified to
examine and evaluate your horse's condition and to discuss with you
potential disabilities and long-term problems.
Because your veterinarian cannot make the euthanasia decision for
you, you need to understand your horse's condition. If you do not
understand the diagnosis or the implications for your horse's future,
ask to have them explained again. Rarely will the situation require an
immediate decision and usually you will have some time to review the
facts before making one.
Once the decision for euthanasia has been made, you may wish to discuss
the final disposition of your horse's body with your veterinarian and
your family. Your veterinarian can provide information about burial,
removal, cremation, and other alternatives.
What if the horse is healthy?
If your horse has become dangerous, unmanageable, unserviceable, or
difficult to maintain, euthanasia may be necessary. Some undesirable
and abnormal behavior can be modified, so it is important to discuss
these situations with your veterinarian. Economic, emotional, and space
limitations may also force an owner to consider euthanasia for a horse
if a suitable home cannot be found. Discussing all possible
alternatives with friends, family, and your veterinarian will help you
feel more comfortable with your decision.
How do I tell my family?
Family members may be aware of the horse's problems. You should
review the information you have received from your veterinarian with
them. Long-term medical care can be a burden that you and your family
may be unable to bear emotionally or financially, and this should be
discussed openly and honestly. Encourage family members to express
their thoughts and feelings. Even if you have reached a decision, it is
important that family members, especially children, have their thoughts
and feelings considered.
Children have special relationships with animals. Excluding or
protecting children from this decision-making process because they are
thought to be too young to understand may only complicate and prolong
their grief process. Children respect straightforward, truthful, and
simple answers. If they are prepared adequately, children usually are
able to accept an animal's death.
How can I say goodbye?
Saying goodbye is an important step in managing the natural and
healthy feelings of grief, sorrow, and loss. Your horse is an important
part of your life, and it is natural to feel you are losing a friend or
companion, because you are.
Once the euthanasia decision has been made, you and other family
members may want to say goodbye to your horse. Spending some special
time with your horse may be appropriate. Family members may want to be
alone with the horse. Once all the necessary information is available
and the decision has been made, it is best not to wait too long before
having your horse euthanatized. Farewells are always difficult.
Will it be painless?
When the horse is euthanatized, death will be quick and painless. If
the horse is standing when the death-inducing drug is given, the horse
will become unconscious and unable to sense fear or pain while still
standing. After the horse has fallen to the ground, unconscious, death
will ensue.
How can I face the loss?
After your horse has died, it is natural and normal to feel grief
and sorrow. For some people, spending some time with the horse after
euthanasia is helpful. The grieving process includes accepting the
reality of your loss, accepting that the loss and accompanying feelings
are painful, and adjusting to your new life that no longer includes
your horse. By understanding the grieving process, you will be better
prepared to manage your grief and to help others in the family who
share this loss.
The stages of grief
There are many stages of grief, and not everyone experiences them
all or in the same order. You may experience denial, anger, guilt,
depression, and acceptance and resolution.
Your first reaction may be denial—denial that your
horse has died or that death is imminent. Denial may begin when you
first learn the seriousness of your horse's illness or injuries. Often,
the more sudden the death, the more difficult the loss is to accept.
Anger and guilt often follow denial. Your anger may
be directed toward people you normally love and respect, including your
family and your veterinarian. People coping with death will often say
things that they do not really mean, perhaps hurting those whom they do
not mean to hurt. You may feel guilty or blame others for not
recognizing the illness earlier, for not doing something sooner, for
not being able to afford other types of or further treatment, or for
being careless and allowing the horse to be injured.
Depression is also part of the range of emotions
experienced after the death of a special animal. The tears flow, there
are knots in your stomach, and you are drained of all your energy.
Day-to-day tasks can seem impossible to perform. Sometimes you may even
ask yourself if you can go on without your horse. The answer is yes,
but there are times when special assistance may be helpful in dealing
with your loss.
Eventually, you will come to terms with your feelings. You can begin to resolve and accept
your horse's death. Even when you have reached resolution and
acceptance, feelings of anger, denial, guilt, and depression may
reappear. If this does happen, these feelings will usually be less
intense, and with time will be replaced with fond memories.
Although the stages of grief apply fairly universally, grieving is
always a personal process. Some people take longer than others to come
to terms with denial, anger, guilt, and depression, and each loss is
different. If you understand that these are normal reactions, you will
be better prepared to cope with your feelings and to help others face
theirs. Family members should be reassured that sorrow and grief are
normal and natural responses to death.
They may not understand
Sometimes well-meaning family and friends may not realize how
important your horse was to you or the intensity of your grief.
Comments they make may seem cruel and uncaring. Be honest with yourself
and others about how you feel. If despair mounts, talk to someone who
will listen to your feelings about the loss of your horse. Talk about
your sorrow, but also the fun times you and the horse spent together,
the activities you enjoyed, and the memories that are meaningful.
The hurt is so deep
If you or a family member have great difficulty in accepting your
horse's death and cannot resolve feelings of grief and sorrow, you may
want to discuss these feelings with a person who is trained to
understand the grieving process. Your veterinarian certainly
understands the relationship you have lost and may be able to suggest
support groups and hot lines, grief counselors, clergymen, social
workers, physicians, or psychologists who can help.
Should I get another horse?
The death of a horse can upset you emotionally, especially when
euthanasia is involved. Some people may feel they would never want to
own another horse. For others, a new horse may help them recover from
the loss more quickly. Just as grief is a personal experience, the
decision of when, if ever, to bring a new horse into your life is a
personal one. If a family member is having difficulty accepting the
horse's death, getting a new horse before that person has resolved his
or her grief may imply that the life of the deceased animal was
unworthy of the grief that is still being felt. Family members should
agree on the appropriate time to acquire a new horse. Although you can
never replace the horse you lost, you can obtain another to share your
life.
Remembering your horse
Death is part of the lifecycle. It cannot be avoided, but
understanding and compassion can help you, your family, and your
friends manage the grief associated with it. Try to recall and treasure
the good times you spent with your horse. You may also wish to
establish a memorial of some type or contribute to a charity in honor
of your horse.
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This information has
been prepared as a service by the American Veterinary Medical
Association. Redistribution is acceptable, but the document's original
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