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Following the sad events at Warwick on Tuesday with regards Artful Lady I was discussing with someone how horrible it must be to drive home the horsebox with no horse in it.
But what would have happened to Artful Lady after being put down, what usually happens to horses killed in action? Do connections ever take the horse home with them? Are there any facilities for cremating horses?
A very sad situation, feel very sorry for the connections of Artful Lady.
You can indeed have your horse cremated, I used a crematorium in Cambridgeshire, although it is certainly not a cheap option. You are given the option of group or individual cremation and can have the ashes returned in a (rather large) box if you wish.
My horse was not a racehorse however, although I would think each owner would have a similar choice to the usual horse owner (abattoir/hunt kennel/crematorium or burial if somewhere suitable can be found).
Not sure what the rukes are re burial; as a working animal I think it’s illegal to bury them now, but if they’re a pet it’s ok.
Q: What happens to racehorses who are put down on the racecourse?
A: Unless a horse dies of natural causes, for example, following a heart attack, the standard procedure in the unfortunate event of severe/untreatable injury being sustained is for a veterinary surgeon to administer an injection which humanely puts the horse down. On account of the chemicals involved with such a practice, horses put down by injection are not eligible for either human or animal consumption.
However, of more relevance to the debate regarding horsemeat, is the fact that no horse may enter the human food chain unless it is slaughtered at an abattoir itself. No horse that dies or is killed away from a licensed abattoir is eligible for human consumption.
Each racecourse is required to have its own arrangements in place with suitably licensed organisations for the removal and disposal of carcasses of horses that have been put down. However, it is not uncommon for owners to either request a post mortem or, in some cases, to make their own arrangements for the disposal of the carcass, as was the case of Synchronised, the 2012 Gold Cup winner who sadly incurred a fracture while running loose in last year’s Grand National.
Q: Why are thoroughbred horses sent to abattoirs?
A: There are only five abattoirs licensed to slaughter horses in the UK. Specialist abattoirs have the facilities and expertise to put animals down humanely. This is often the most appropriate way to conclude a horse’s life. Indeed, as highlighted by both the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare, of much greater concern from a welfare perspective are the 6,000 non-thoroughbred horses highlighted as being at risk of neglect this winter.
Q: How many thoroughbred horses are sent to abattoirs
A: It is estimated that there are about 1,000,000 horses in Great Britain, of which around 100,000 are thoroughbreds of various ages, some of who have raced, some who are retired and some of who have never raced. Of the 9,000 horses sent to abattoirs each year, just under 1,000 of those are thoroughbreds.
>>….Andrew tells me that an owner has five options when it comes to disposal.
It can be left for the owner to bury on their own property subject to EA and Defra regulations, or go for zoo meat, straight for rendering, or the most costly – burial at pet cemetery or cremation.<<
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