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EQUINE EUTHANASIA
Euthanasia is not something anyone enjoys talking about, but if you have horses or other pets it is a subject that will most likely need to be addressed at some point. Researching options and selecting the most appropriate situation can minimize the stress and pain for both you and your horse when that time comes. It’s better to approach this topic and the decisions you will need to make, when all your animals are happy and healthy.
Talk with your veterinarian about the options for your horse. There are several humane options, but you need to be prepared for how they are handled and what to expect. Horses are highly intuitive creatures and will sense that you are upset. While a feeling of sadness and stress is normal, knowing what and how things will happen does minimize stress for everyone.
Think about how you might react during the euthanasia. Do not feel guilty if you cannot be there in the final few moments; say your goodbyes, step away, and have an experienced person hold your horse for the veterinarian.
The location where your horse is euthanized may be influenced by your plan for the body. The area may need to have access for large vehicle collection or be close to a burial area if that is an option. In Polk County, you can bury your own horse on your property as long as the entire body is two feet below the ground. If you’d prefer to have the body taken away, work with your veterinarian to get the phone numbers of people who offer this service.
FEATURE | e q u i n e
STUDENTS AND STALLIONS
It is best to form a plan and keep it with your horse’s paperwork or where your horse is stabled. This plan should contain emergency contact details if you are unavailable and what method of disposal of the body is preferable. The World Horse Welfare Charity has produced a comprehensive “just in case” owner plan pack with pertinent information. Options can be discussed with your veterinarian
to help you decide what’s best.
Useful links:
http://www. flsenate.gov/Laws/ Statutes/2012/823.041
http://www. worldhorsewelfare. org/Just-in-Case
by DR. KATIE HENNESSY
BIO: Dr. Katie Hennessy graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 with a degree in large animal health and equine medicine. She completed an advanced internship at The Equine Medical Cen- ter of Ocala and is currently the owner and practicing veterinarian at Polk Equine. Her expertise ranges from small and exotic creatures to large animals, specializing in equine medicine.
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stallions and mares,” maintains instructor Joel Mcquagge. “There’s no better program in the country.”
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Champion Breeds from 14th Annual Performance Horse Sale
by ERIKA ALDRICH
HORSES ARE ALL-AROUND GOOD, but a great horse is akin to magic. That magic could be found
in spades at the recent 14th Annual UF Performance Horse Sale. The sale was a culmination of the educational
efforts of the UF Equine Sciences Program. “The school has been very blessed with donations of high-end
With horses
Students get a well-rounded education in the breeding, training, and the sale of horses, Mcquagge reports. “It allows students to have an end-goal for their horses and to put together a sale; one hundred percent of the proceeds go back into the Horse Teaching Unit.” The same students do the planning and hands-on work of breeding, foaling, training, and selling their horse over a two-year period.
It also gives students of the UF Equine Sciences Program the opportunity to work with some top-notch animals. With horses registered in the American Quarter Horse Association, the Appaloosa Horse Club, and the American Paint Horse Association, the stock represents some of the best of the best when it comes to the proud lineage of American-bred horses. The dozen-plus horses sold at the annual auction are all-around suited for ranch life, the performance ring, as a hunt seat,
as pleasure horses, and so on. The horses are started under saddle, and have a good amount of training and desensitization for two-year-olds; coupled with their high breeding, UF’s horses are a great deal.
Take, for instance, UF A Certain Krymsun. The two-year-old performance Chestnut gelding was sired by AQHA- registered Certainly Original out of Dam O What a Hottie; both have proud blood lines featuring Western Pleasure Show champions with impressive winnings. Selling for a bid of $2,700, “UF A Certain Krymsun is a bargain to the people who bought him,” Mcquagge continues. “He’s a physical specimen; a truly great horse.”
The enchantment of a truly great horse touches all who work with that animal, and UF’s Annual Performance Horse Sale ensures that the magic will be around for years to come. ag
registered
intheAmerican Quarter Horse Association, the Appaloosa Horse Club, and the American Paint Horse Association, the stock represents some of the best of the best when it comes to the proud lineage of American-bred horses.
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