Have you ever been in a similar situation? If so, please consider sharing your story! I’d also like to know if you found this video helpful. I really appreciate the feedback. Here’s a list of a few of my videos that “keep it real” with horses th-cam.com/play/PLIR-JJucLqwJziOBozWJh8bCHUvaZg7hk.html
This video is very helpful. It helps to show that these things really do happen and that we should plan for them even during the construction of beloved pet's housing. My horse went down under the cover in the pasture. He almost brought the thing down on him and our mule who refused to leave his side (he knocked down one of the main supports) Thankfully my grandpa had made all the fencing around the cover removable, so we were able to get him out with ease. He was still alive when we were removing him, but without the removable fencing we may have never gotten him out., sadly had to put him down about 2-3 hours after getting him out due to him having sat all night with colic. He was put down in his favorite part of the yard with his mama(his owner and my mother) with him and telling him it was okay.
My friends had their mare die suddenly this winter too. Same situation in that she just dropped in the stall overnight. No signs of struggle just down and gone. They use corral panels as stalls, but pretty much had to pull them all out as she was in the back corner stall. Between that and the record snowfall of over 2 feet with unplowed roads they almost weren’t able to get the excavator on site (theirs was off property at a job site and they couldn’t get to it) to dig the grave. Thank god for a good friend who drove his over on unplowed roads! It was just a mess especially since we live in a wildlife area and the body had to be dealt with before the predators found it. Sadly as owners we have to think about these things because sooner or later it happens.
My childhood horse died in his stall when I was 21. Rocky mountain boy so he was a small draft horse. My dad when he built the barn built the stalls in a way that they could be broken quickly but sturdy enough that the boys couldn't push through and hurt themselves. We popped the gate off and broke the 2X4s and was able to get him out just like you could our friend had large equipment to help dig a hole and drag him. It was December but the ground wasn't frozen. It's very traumatic to get that call that says "you need to come say goodbye to your boy" when I was on my way home from work. But he is laid to rest peacefully and happily and I am able to "see him" everyday still since I bought the house.
My OTT died of colic in her stall 2 summers ago. (I was out of town due to critically ill relative) My husband was watching the horses. I called the vet on the way home to came out and perform a necropsy. My husband pulled her out through the stall door. I called dead stock removal and headed home. It was an awful mess. She was left lying in the driveway. Blood trail from the stall, through the barn and onto the drive. I stripped out the stall. Washed down the aisle. Covered her with a tarp and left to return to the hospital. That was a turning point in my marriage. She did not deserve this end.
Our stalls were built so they could easily be broke down for this very reason. We have unfortunately lost two in stalls - on was a heart attack and the other was a neurological event - and we had one pass away in the barn isle as well. ☹️ this is definitely an important thing to consider when building your stalls! Great video Brandi, thanks for always sharing your experiences, even the difficult ones. It is so important for the equine community!
Ugh seriously why don't people think before they post stupid insensitive comments. I don't understand why people think it's ok to post hateful things just because you don't know these people. Everyone becomes an expert behind their keyboards! Seriously people grow up! Also I'm sorry for your loss. And for the hurtful comments people have made. 😟
I really appreciate your honesty and authenticity in these videos. I'm sorry that your mom had to lose a precious friend, but am glad that your dad had made his barn with such precautions in mind. Thank you for sharing. Rest in peace, sweet mare.
I am truly sorry for your lost. I just wanted to say that I am very thankful for channels like yours that show the ups and the downs of horse ownership.
I didn't want to watch this video but finally did. I am so sorry that your mom lost her mare,but the blessing of it being quick. She didn't suffer. You did a marvelous job of posting this with dignity for the horse.
Thank you for covering the hard issues as well as the fun ones. I am 55, and I remember when I was about 12, one of our herd horses died in his paddock. I was in another paddock with one of my horses, grooming, or feeding, or something- and I saw the truck come through the aisle dragging the horse on a towchain. What I remember the most, and still have nightmares about is seeing his head bouncing on the dirt as they drug him away. No one had told me he had died, or warned me they were bringing him out. It was awful, and, so, now, when we have to put a horse down, we try to do it as close to where we are going to bury them as possible.
I had a similar situation happen when I boarded my horse at a large horse farm. Thankfully, it wasn't my horse that passed, but a very old, gray gelding. He wasn't being ridden anymore, but he seemed to be enjoying his retired years. The barn manager found him dead in his stall when he was doing morning feeding. It looked like he had struggled somewhat, as there was a large hole in the bottom of the stall where he may have been pawing or digging. He had been fine the evening before. The barn manager drove the Bobcat through the barn and tied a tow rope around the horse in a way that he could be moved safely without having to break the stall down. He was slowly moved to the outdoor wash stall area, where a pet cremation service truck could pick him up (his owner opted for that). The owner of the barn didn't allow for burial on the property, so options for aftercare were limited. Thank you for sharing this video. It is very helpful to anyone who is considering building a stall barn, and/or for those who already have barns with stalls. It's a tough thing to deal with, but it's good info to know.
Thank you so much for candid post on reality with horse keeping. I found it so informative and your dad was so clever to have designed your barn like this, where you live. I've found this post today, the day I have had to put my beloved brindle whippet Bill to sleep, aged 15. I feel at a loss even though I was prepared for this day as he was so frail. Hugs to you and your horses from Liz in the UK xxx xxx 🐴💕🇬🇧 I have subscribed to your channel now xxx
Great video, Brandi, and thank you for addressing this very important issue. Your love and caring for your horses is just amazing. Love all your videos, and thanks again for the great education I am getting even after a lifetime of being around horses. Wish all horse folks had your foresight and wisdom.
Horses are smart. When they are out in a pasture in freezing weather, they move and run around when they feel like they are freezing. They can't do that in a stall. I do not like putting horses in stalls. I'd rather give them the choice. In or out. but I get why once in a while you have to stall a horse. So sorry for your loss. I know usually you let them all out in the pasture.
Matt's Horsemanship stalls had nothing to do with this animals death. Everything we have been told including the trampled area where the mare was originally found, dying with feed still in the mouth. Tells me that if a necropsy had been done one would find either a ruptured aneurism or a myocardial infarction (heart attack). It’s likely that she had had a smaller event that day which is why she secluded herself from the herd. Then had a larger fatal event that night in the stall. Sucks but at least she went quickly. The symptoms all scream heart. While morbid its actually pretty interesting watching necropsy’s ( my first was at 13-14 years old) one can learn a ton even when it’s not the same species. Heart muscle damage looks the same be it horse, cow, or people! When you cross section the heart the area that was damaged will appear significantly lighter in color as it was devascularized During the actual attack. I personally would have requested a quick necropsy at gravesite. To confirm probable COD as the death was sudden and unexpected.
I agree. Horses are naturally wild spirited animals. Their desire to run is instinctual. Cooped up in a stall is no different then a person being kept in a jail cell. They get stressed/bored/depressed/panic. Let them outside.
The barn we volunteered at, built their stalls so when horses go down or die they can tear down the stalls. So it's easier to take a stall wall down, sadly a HORSE did go down in a stall.
I've been wondering how these kinds of situations are handled for a while now, thank you for sharing your version! obviously not everyone does it this way, but this was still very educational and helpful, and definitely something that's good to know! thank you for keeping it real.
Thank you so much for sharing this information in such a kind way. ❤️ I don’t have any friends or family with horses, and I’m finally starting the process of shopping for my own. I’m in the dark for a lot of these topics, and my husband and I have talked about wtf do you even do in these situations. I can’t imagine the trauma of what your friend went through when you were younger. 💗
Aw man, its the worst when something like this happens.... your dad built a damn good stable/barn. Thats amazing, Ive luckily never had to deal with snow since im in West Tx and it only snows 3-4 times a year. I had a foal die a few hours after birth due to a birth defect and it was horrible, we had just rescued the momma and didnt even realise she was pregnant. Long story short we use to have a relationship with the Rangers where we would rescue and foster horses theyd find that were stolen. So we had her for a few days before she had her foal. Luckily, we got to keep momma and we named her Lucky and she was one of, if not the, best horse we've ever had. She was a blue/grey dapple and I still cry when i think of her, she died 9 yrs ago after we had her for 19 yrs.. bless your mom, i hope shes doing okay. Oh and is your barn heated? Your dad did a damn good job.
Nom De Plume thank you for sharing your story. Our barn is not heated, that would negatively affect the horses natural ability to stay warm and potentially cause them to get sick. They are out 24/7 with access to shelters and are happy and healthy 😊
our barn was built without stalls. they just have a large area to walk in n out of but we did plan for things to go wrong....we have large doors and keep one closed usually. we can open it and expand the doorway to 14ft across to fit a tractor in or scoop out our barn. in our little barn the whole side can be easily removed if need be. we used screws so it's just a drill gun to take it apart and put it back together. learned from the cows and grandpa...always have a way to get them out....even if you never use it!
This video is about my registered North American Spotted Draft horse, Countess, which I boarded here. I just found this video and had no idea it was made. This brings back so much pain.
Love how the barn was built! Will take to my farm manager to see if possible this idea can be incorporated into my barn. Sorry your moms horse passed. It is a devastating time I know. Been there.
Thank you for your sensitive and informative video. Very tastefully done. You have helped educate me on many aspects, with training and kids, and these are so important. Thank you so much.
Amaya Fuller Missy passed in February 2018, it just took me a long time to muster up the courage to edit that video, she was pretty special. My mom has lost a total of 4 horses in 11 months, 2 to old age, one to choke, and now this one. Prior to that, she has only buried 5 horses over the course of 50 some years. Crazy how it all happens at once.
@@VersatileHorsemanship im thinking of having my stalls im gonna have a builder make be ..... just solid divider walls with tube gates as doors for them.. for the two i want to put on other side ..though i did get a prefab.. door panel for the big one .. i already have...ive used as a run in
I'm really sorry for your loss and hope you and your mum are ok. I don't have horses, ride, or work with horses, but I love animals and genuinely think that you're a lovely person so I enjoy your videos. I love seeing your horses happy and learning about them. When any animal dies it's devastating, but I'm glad your Dad built things in a way where this situation didn't end up in a chainsaw and more trauma for everyone involved. People just don't think about these things when building barns, as none of us want to think about the worst case scenario so often it's not until it actually happens that we think about the practicalities. Thinking about these things early really could save a lot of heartache further down the line.
Very good teaching about access and the removable walls. You never know if a horse who is 1,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds needs to be helped or moved. So sorry your moms horse passed. Sounds like she had the best of care. Nice to be able to do a burial and nit just send away to strangers. I learned a lot from your video.
Great idea glad your dad thought ahead, worked on a stud as a teenager, had some 8 month old Colts in preparing for sale, had old cement wall stalls so no chance of removing it, one Colt passed away a we had no way to remove him but in pieces :-( feel your pain, and so glad someone thought ahead when they built your stalls xx
As a horse owner of older senior horses this is good to know. I never want to loose a horse but know it could happen especially with my 29 yr old mare.
My horse that I had the day I was born died in his 30’s in a stall several years after I got married at my parents barn. It was a very tragic thing for me and my dad nearly was unable to get him out of the stall. It was winter but we live in south Alabama so it doesn’t get bit around in the 20’s or low teens most times but very wet. My dad nearly didn’t get him out of the steel pipe stall. It was horrible!
I remember when I was around 4 years old my moms stallion Buddy died in his stall during a very bad storm I remember her dragging him out it was very scary. I can not remember if she had to cut him up but I am very sorry for your loss
Our older, 30+ gelding, died similar to this. He was just off acting and after calling my boss and a vet, I was listening for gut noise and happened to feel his sheath and it was ice. Being a Sunday, no vet was available so it was just me. I gave him a good dose of Banamine and stayed with him til the end. I heard him fall in the stall and opened the door so we wouldn't have to drag him out. He walked out to his pasture, went to his favorite corner, grabbed a mouthful of grass, made his usual lap and then collapsed by the gate. I was right by him with my boss on speaker. At one point he was 'running' while laying there. I played my hand on his nostril and he passed. Hardest thing I've ever been through, but I'm glad I was there for him. RIP Tangy, best babysitter and pony horse ever.
sakay west honestly, what a great way to go. It’s sad to lose them but so much better when they go quietly on their own. That’s such a great long life for a horse and he was lucky to have you there with him at the end.
Thank you, it did give me pause to think about what I would want in a barn /stall, I had to make that very decision to put our beloved older mare down on St Patricks day 2019, without hesitation, I said we have to move her to a place where she can be picked up...easily as there was no access to her if we put her down in the pasture...Thank you for sharing the experience...
I’m so sorry. I do know that you handled sharing the story and information very well. The larger the animal, sometimes it seems the harder it is to take care of or deal with things just like this. When it comes to owning and caring for horses, difficult things definitely come along and need to be handled carefully and quickly. I believe that is why after being in barn management or even being a barn hand and doing all of the hard physical work with animals that tend to be on consistent schedules, we really tend to do and find very VERY effective and efficient ways and methods to get the work done correctly. I know I have learned some really amazing methods and techniques working in big busy training and show Barns over the years.
We lived on a military base and had horses. Our mare had a filly that was about 3 months old when she died. My mom went to feed one morning and found her. Unfortunately, we believe that an mp, or military police, that used to go down after midnight and get into the stalls with the horses. Someone got into hers, spooked our foal, she ran into the fence and broke her neck.. my mom was absolutely devastated.. as we all were
Two of our horses was put in a medium sized pen together,(one was a traumatized rescue) big mistake. The rescue has a history of attacking other horses(not humans or other animals, and they were put together by the mistake of our family friend who was watching them at the time)and this time he was the cause of the others death. And he ran off after. When I found out, the one who died was completely frozen. I was alone at the time and had to do everything by myself. Digging, dragging, catching the other horse, everything... It was really traumatic, so never be afraid to ask for help. I had to do it alone, but you should never have to do that. (The other horse has now been euthanized if you wanted to know)
Gemstone Hawksworth it wasn’t my horse, the owner chose to do it, and wouldn’t listen when we told her that exact thing. I agree with you, but I had no say in what would happen to him.
Thank you for this information! As a fellow horse owner, I really appreciate the honesty and “real-ness” of your channel. If you could show more detail on how the stalls come apart that would be awesome because I wasn’t really understanding the details of it. I’m going to be doing a barn next year and I’d like to have it done the way your dad did theirs. Such a smart way to do it!
You're very strong. I would have been balling my eyes out. I'm already balling and it's not even my horse. My heart hurts listening to this. Very sorry for your loss.
I worked as a tech at a horse hospital a few years after it was built. The entire factory was painted block, all stall fronts and walls were solid block. One day a huge warmblood horse suddenly crashed down in a stall. I mean this guy must have been 18 hands tall. I won’t describe the details of its removal, trust me, it was horrific getting that body out of there. Always consider this possibility when building a barn!!
I work for an equine vet and came to work one morning with a dead horse in the stall. Its made out of concrete with two doors both 4 feet wide. It was also mid winter. We had to turn it on its back and bring it out with a crane to be able to put it on the truck
I found my mare dead in her stall from a broken neck. We have no idea what happened to her but we were faced with this very problem. We had to take the whole front off to get her out, it was a horrific way for a magical girl to die. I had her cremated and I still have her ashes 20yrs later. I am so sorry for your loss. 🙏
My barn was already in place when the property was purchased, but we redid the walls and we are able to take them down in about 10-15 minutes. When we redid the pastures, I made sure all gates were a minimum of 8’ wide so we could get a truck through in case we needed to get in, or if someone dies, we can get them out.
Those of us with large dogs also need to consider those types of "what if" situations. A friend designed his barn with many of the same considerations. All stalls are fronted with 16 foot gates, as a Bobcat is employed for stall cleanouts. The aisle is wide enough for. Hay wagons and livestock trailers to pull through and park, while leaving enough room for the Gator to drive by or a horse to be led. Removeable stall walls allow two pony mares and foals to buddy up, or for 4-5 weanlings to be separated from dams as a group. Half the barn is basically a huge run in.....open to pasture, heated water and round bale feeders...with plenty of room to buck on chilly mornings! And yeah...I saw the result of a horse death in the stall. We removed the gate, used the bobcat to put the carcass on a sled, and hauled out to the back 40. Thats another issue...a natural death can be buried or fed to the local vultures/eagles. A horse that has been euthanized by injection needs a diffetent disposal method.
I know Snow can be very cold weather for any horses and should be plenty straw down bedding leave warm floor and plenty wrap rugs on horses but very sad horses passing you ave much love all horses I respect you .
Coming back to this video 4 years later. I can, luckily, say I haven't had a horse pass in their stall (my mother's invaded the litle 4-stall barn we do have with junk, pallet floors, and more junk, so using for horses ids impossible unless I make an executive decision and at least rip out the aisle "floor" so we can have a dry place to trim feet...)n but we have lost a few since we started owning horses here in my tween years. One big thing I plan to do if I ever get lucky enough to build my own dream barn here, is to simply have the stall fronts be mesh farm gates. I plan for 16x16 stalls, and a 16ft wide aisle, so hopefully should something like this ever happen, getting the deceased out will be as simple as opening the gate and pulling them out, with no need for cutting out wood, due to having channels in the support posts of the barn itself for the divider boards. A *major* factor in my decision for this was actually this video. It's stuck in my head for quite a long time.
Our old 25 year old mare went down suddenly one morning when I went out to feed. We think she had a stroke. She could not get up. It was in mid February in Michigan. Luckily, our stalls had 5/foot wide Dutch doors that swung open and after the vet arrived and euthanized Sheba in the stall, she was drug to her place of burial. It was all very tragic and sudden, but I was grateful we had the large doors to the outside pasture or it would have been hard to get her out and around to bury her. 😪
I use to work at a barn, our stalls were separated by 2x6 slats that could easily be removed, we never had a horse die but we did have one that went down because he was colicky, we were able to get him up and out by taking out the wall.
This is so difficult and why I look for stables that have inside temperature control. I don't know if the horse had proper layers on. Wool is a good insulator.
Inside temperature control? Like a heated barn? We are in Michigan, if we heated our barns it would mess with the horses natural ability to regulate their body temps. We’d have a lot of sick horses!
😢 so sorry 💔 I found my mare in the paddock like that, mouthful of grass, she died suddenly and eating ( which she loved). Thank goodness we don't have those extreme temperatures in NZ's north island.
My condolences to you and family during this difficult time. Your father is a very smart man to have the foresight to think of uncertainties. I have a question, burying a horse on property: do you have to check with State/county laws to do this? Are there regulations? What if you have well water? Is solar heat good for these weather conditions to prevent onset of certain deaths? Take care! Xxxx
Believer Y’shua thank you! Yes we have to follow county guidelines. Our county allows burial but needs to be a certain distance from residence, water, etc.
My trainer had to sadly cut a horse up (just limbs) because it passed in a stall. I couldn’t even imagine having to do that but, sadly it has to be done, they need to be moved. Luckily you didn’t have to do that. I’d definitely try all I could to remove the wall before I had to make that choice. Great design on your dads part
Dear Brandi l just found you on You Tube in Sept 2019 and watch some of your videos even little Manzer that was sick. This topic l’m sure you know about great race horses when they passed. A fellow was filming Claireborn farm where Secretariat is buried At one time they used to buried the head,tail.front hooves and his big ♥️ heart in ground with a tombstone. They used to do to all well known great champions at on time in the days but no more. The Great Man ‘O War (1917- 1947) had a beautiful memorial service broadcast on radio He was embalmed and lay in a open coffin lined wig Riddle’s black&gold racing silk. Today his burial site is at Kentucky Horse Park His grave is marked with a beautiful stallion statue of him beautifully lighted at night. ❤️🌹🐎🌹❤️ Son: War Emblem Grandson : Seabiscut
I lost an animal in the winter of 2017. I could not get her in the ground I unfortunately just let her stay frozen in an empty paster before I could bairy her a few weeks later. definitely something to think about.
I never even thought about this! What a great idea and definitely important to consider. I couldn't imagine having to cut up a horse's body with a chainsaw. That must have been so traumatizing for your friend! :(
PaintHorsePrada that’s why I decided to make my channel “real” and show what goes on in my daily life with horses. There are so many things that people honestly don’t even consider until it happens and then they don’t know how to deal with it. I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of emergency phone calls and knocks on the door. I am thankful for the experience I’ve gained but I’d rather share my stories then to see someone else learn the hard way.
This is never a pleasant task. I wd have tied the legs together as much as possible, use canvas ratchet strap if you have them; tuck the head near to the front legs, tie in place. roll it until its on its back, hold in place (need 1 or 2 people to help if possible), so its feet are facing upward, then use quad or something to drag it out thru the stall door, then to outside of the stable main door. I called a rendering plant when mine passed away, they come and pick it up, no digging a grave etc required.
I lost a 5 year old mare during Hurricane Irma, two pine trees fell and hit her in the head, instant death. The flooding was so bad that we couldn't bury her or have the body removed. The water was at least 6 inches deep and she was quite far away from any gates, even a 4-wheel drive truck could not have taken her body out. The buzzards found her and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I was having some health issues that I was dealing with, I tried to get my friend that has a landscape company to dump a load of mulch over her, but he couldn't get there because of the flooding and all the pine trees that came down during the hurricane. I just pray that the next time a hurricane comes that I am able to evacuate my animals. We went through the eye of Hurricane Wilma, then Irma and that was the only animal that was killed, although I lost 4 goats later because of the flooding.
My dog had been put down a couple of months ago due to having 2 tumours and cancer All I had to do is just think about the happy times we had together and I wrote a letter to him saying I will always love you till.the day I die I put it in his box because we decided we should get him cremated and that means they burn him and they give us his ashes in money of him All you got to do in a time like this is just think about the happy times you had together. I'm really sorry to tear all of your tradgic events and i hope you can be happy because if you put any animal down it is the best thing because that means they don't have to be in pain any more.
We had a horse die in a stall a few years ago due to a heart attack. She was laying right in front of the door so we were able to flip her onto her back and drag her out to her place a burial
Sorry for ya'lls loss' I found my 9 yr old tb gelding dead when l went out to feed in the morning. I was so sad to lose him. At first we thought he might 've been shot because of the massive blood loss. This happened in Feb. 2019. We had 60 mph winds, so we had to wait till neat day to turn him over to look for a gunshot wound.. To our relief, there wasn't one. So we think it was like an anurism or burst vessel or artery. From the sign, we figured it happened in a couple minutes. I also chose to bury him on the farm where he died. I have 3 buried here now. You did everything in a respectful manner with your folks mare .
@@VersatileHorsemanship He actually died on Memorial Day weekend. I came down to do chores after work and JD wasn't there. I called for him and I sware for God he called out to me in his last breath 😢🐴 I too had our pictures of better times, my hair and his hair buried in our pasture together forever 😇
So sorry for your loss. :( But a very smart way to build a barn! Thanks so much for sharing! Luckily our stall fronts come apart easily as well, but where to take the body is the hardest part, as these areas there is a lot of rock. Luckily there are some spots on my property I could probably bury a horse, and wouldn't be surprised if there are horses already buried here, as my property was part of a much larger farm at one point.
What do you do when your horse dies at another stable instead of yours? How do you get them back to your ranch and maintain some dignity for the horse? I am so sorry for your loss and tell your Mom I feel bad for her too. I cannot believe it gets that cold where you live. I live in the mountains of Virginia and we don't usually get any colder than the teens..... rarely in the single digits.
joan4115 Thank you! It definitely gets cold here. we’ve had friends who have moved their deceased horses on a car trailer. They used a winch and covered the horse with a tarp. I know others who have euthanized their horses in the horse trailer so they could easily move them to their final destination.
Being frozen can presumably have an advantageous aspect, in that her body is less likely to become dismembered while moving her into a burial place. Be sure to leave a dug hole without piles of soil in the way of a hauling strap or her path into the burial place.
Its true, things like these need to be spoken of. When you work with animals and you have animals death is a part of that in sickness, old age and accidents. I'm sorry for your loss and still thankful for the video, thank you. I have been planing on build my own barn and i hadn't thought about this, now i know its good to be ready. I haven't had to bury a horse but my sister's cat lost his life during winter and oh boy. There wasn't any other choice than make a fire on the ground and try to melt it little by little.
Sanna Tenhunen thank you, unfortunately it can be a big emotional and physical burden if not thought about in advance. I don’t think a lot of people really think about it. I’m sorry to hear about your sisters kitty. Our Critters play such an important part in our lives no matter how big or small they are.
We just found out that a Thourobred we used to own just had kidney failure yesterday and I was wondering how the horse farm was going to handle this, Such a sad time for sure.
@@VersatileHorsemanship I explained to my mother that the horse does not look at us and feel sorry if we had died,but we have a way of showing our grief when they die.I am really bothered by the fact that he is gone and I dont like the feeling and just wonder why I let it bother me so much,is it major anxiety or is it normal to feel this way.
Thank you so much for addressing this very important topic. I found this to be quite informative/helpful. It's something many find it difficult to even think of the inevitable, let alone what to do. I do have a question regarding the other horses sharing a barn, be it with one, or more, what are the reactions / their spirits when one of their own passes on?
It has been found that animals are like us, they miss and grieve their companions (family) like we do. Also like us it takes time for them to heal and recover to move on
Have you ever been in a similar situation? If so, please consider sharing your story! I’d also like to know if you found this video helpful. I really appreciate the feedback.
Here’s a list of a few of my videos that “keep it real” with horses th-cam.com/play/PLIR-JJucLqwJziOBozWJh8bCHUvaZg7hk.html
This video is very helpful.
It helps to show that these things really do happen and that we should plan for them even during the construction of beloved pet's housing.
My horse went down under the cover in the pasture. He almost brought the thing down on him and our mule who refused to leave his side (he knocked down one of the main supports)
Thankfully my grandpa had made all the fencing around the cover removable, so we were able to get him out with ease.
He was still alive when we were removing him, but without the removable fencing we may have never gotten him out., sadly had to put him down about 2-3 hours after getting him out due to him having sat all night with colic. He was put down in his favorite part of the yard with his mama(his owner and my mother) with him and telling him it was okay.
My friends had their mare die suddenly this winter too. Same situation in that she just dropped in the stall overnight. No signs of struggle just down and gone. They use corral panels as stalls, but pretty much had to pull them all out as she was in the back corner stall. Between that and the record snowfall of over 2 feet with unplowed roads they almost weren’t able to get the excavator on site (theirs was off property at a job site and they couldn’t get to it) to dig the grave. Thank god for a good friend who drove his over on unplowed roads! It was just a mess especially since we live in a wildlife area and the body had to be dealt with before the predators found it. Sadly as owners we have to think about these things because sooner or later it happens.
I've had this happen . Not often but it can happen ..... I'm going to watch your video before answering .
My childhood horse died in his stall when I was 21. Rocky mountain boy so he was a small draft horse. My dad when he built the barn built the stalls in a way that they could be broken quickly but sturdy enough that the boys couldn't push through and hurt themselves. We popped the gate off and broke the 2X4s and was able to get him out just like you could our friend had large equipment to help dig a hole and drag him. It was December but the ground wasn't frozen. It's very traumatic to get that call that says "you need to come say goodbye to your boy" when I was on my way home from work. But he is laid to rest peacefully and happily and I am able to "see him" everyday still since I bought the house.
My OTT died of colic in her stall 2 summers ago. (I was out of town due to critically ill relative) My husband was watching the horses. I called the vet on the way home to came out and perform a necropsy. My husband pulled her out through the stall door. I called dead stock removal and headed home. It was an awful mess. She was left lying in the driveway. Blood trail from the stall, through the barn and onto the drive. I stripped out the stall. Washed down the aisle. Covered her with a tarp and left to return to the hospital. That was a turning point in my marriage. She did not deserve this end.
Hard but very nessecary subject.
Thank you.
When I build a barn, this subject will be addressed.
Our stalls were built so they could easily be broke down for this very reason. We have unfortunately lost two in stalls - on was a heart attack and the other was a neurological event - and we had one pass away in the barn isle as well. ☹️ this is definitely an important thing to consider when building your stalls! Great video Brandi, thanks for always sharing your experiences, even the difficult ones. It is so important for the equine community!
Katie Marie thank you!! You’ll have to fill me in on those 3. I don’t remember those stories.
Versatile Horsemanship LLC I will!
How many horses do you own
Emily Lipsitz I own 14 horses
@@VersatileHorsemanship oh I forgot when is your mare due
Ugh seriously why don't people think before they post stupid insensitive comments. I don't understand why people think it's ok to post hateful things just because you don't know these people. Everyone becomes an expert behind their keyboards!
Seriously people grow up!
Also I'm sorry for your loss. And for the hurtful comments people have made. 😟
Gem-ruby84 Diamond thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it ❤️
Snowflakes will be snowflakes and jerks will be jerks
I really appreciate your honesty and authenticity in these videos. I'm sorry that your mom had to lose a precious friend, but am glad that your dad had made his barn with such precautions in mind. Thank you for sharing. Rest in peace, sweet mare.
Austin French thank you!
@@VersatileHorsemanship when did this horse die
Emily Lipsitz In January
@@VersatileHorsemanship so your mare already had its baby?
Thank you for tackling such important issues and done with such sensitivity
I am truly sorry for your lost. I just wanted to say that I am very thankful for channels like yours that show the ups and the downs of horse ownership.
Brandon Bullard Jr thank you. I’m glad you enjoy it.
Thank you for this! My 40 yr old American Cream died in her stall this evening. 💘
I didn't want to watch this video but finally did. I am so sorry that your mom lost her mare,but the blessing of it being quick. She didn't suffer. You did a marvelous job of posting this with dignity for the horse.
Thank you for covering the hard issues as well as the fun ones. I am 55, and I remember when I was about 12, one of our herd horses died in his paddock. I was in another paddock with one of my horses, grooming, or feeding, or something- and I saw the truck come through the aisle dragging the horse on a towchain. What I remember the most, and still have nightmares about is seeing his head bouncing on the dirt as they drug him away. No one had told me he had died, or warned me they were bringing him out. It was awful, and, so, now, when we have to put a horse down, we try to do it as close to where we are going to bury them as possible.
I had a similar situation happen when I boarded my horse at a large horse farm. Thankfully, it wasn't my horse that passed, but a very old, gray gelding. He wasn't being ridden anymore, but he seemed to be enjoying his retired years. The barn manager found him dead in his stall when he was doing morning feeding. It looked like he had struggled somewhat, as there was a large hole in the bottom of the stall where he may have been pawing or digging. He had been fine the evening before. The barn manager drove the Bobcat through the barn and tied a tow rope around the horse in a way that he could be moved safely without having to break the stall down. He was slowly moved to the outdoor wash stall area, where a pet cremation service truck could pick him up (his owner opted for that). The owner of the barn didn't allow for burial on the property, so options for aftercare were limited. Thank you for sharing this video. It is very helpful to anyone who is considering building a stall barn, and/or for those who already have barns with stalls. It's a tough thing to deal with, but it's good info to know.
thanks for sharing!
Very kind of you to share such a traumatic event and loss. I learned a very valuable lesson, thank you. Tears for your horse...
Thank you so much for candid post on reality with horse keeping. I found it so informative and your dad was so clever to have designed your barn like this, where you live.
I've found this post today, the day I have had to put my beloved brindle whippet Bill to sleep, aged 15. I feel at a loss even though I was prepared for this day as he was so frail.
Hugs to you and your horses from Liz in the UK xxx xxx 🐴💕🇬🇧 I have subscribed to your channel now xxx
Elizabeth Fenn I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for the kind words
I’m so sorry for your loss❤️
My shire horse died today 😣 He was a good horsy
Nima and Nibbles oh I’m so sorry!
@@VersatileHorsemanship it ok i will always remember him 😊😣
Great video, Brandi, and thank you for addressing this very important issue. Your love and caring for your horses is just amazing. Love all your videos, and thanks again for the great education I am getting even after a lifetime of being around horses. Wish all horse folks had your foresight and wisdom.
Horses are smart. When they are out in a pasture in freezing weather, they move and run around when they feel like they are freezing. They can't do that in a stall. I do not like putting horses in stalls. I'd rather give them the choice. In or out. but I get why once in a while you have to stall a horse. So sorry for your loss. I know usually you let them all out in the pasture.
Matt's Horsemanship stalls had nothing to do with this animals death. Everything we have been told including the trampled area where the mare was originally found, dying with feed still in the mouth. Tells me that if a necropsy had been done one would find either a ruptured aneurism or a myocardial infarction (heart attack). It’s likely that she had had a smaller event that day which is why she secluded herself from the herd. Then had a larger fatal event that night in the stall. Sucks but at least she went quickly. The symptoms all scream heart. While morbid its actually pretty interesting watching necropsy’s ( my first was at 13-14 years old) one can learn a ton even when it’s not the same species. Heart muscle damage looks the same be it horse, cow, or people! When you cross section the heart the area that was damaged will appear significantly lighter in color as it was devascularized During the actual attack.
I personally would have requested a quick necropsy at gravesite. To confirm probable COD as the death was sudden and unexpected.
why would horses be out in freezing weather in snow?
i agreeeeeeee
I agree. Horses are naturally wild spirited animals. Their desire to run is instinctual. Cooped up in a stall is no different then a person being kept in a jail cell. They get stressed/bored/depressed/panic. Let them outside.
@@lauraharmour Horses are not dogs/cats. They actually survive well in the snow.
The barn we volunteered at, built their stalls so when horses go down or die they can tear down the stalls. So it's easier to take a stall wall down, sadly a HORSE did go down in a stall.
Nakotas_ Promise_Breyers I’m sorry to hear that, but it’s so good that they were prepared.
I've been wondering how these kinds of situations are handled for a while now, thank you for sharing your version! obviously not everyone does it this way, but this was still very educational and helpful, and definitely something that's good to know! thank you for keeping it real.
Thank you so much for sharing this information in such a kind way. ❤️ I don’t have any friends or family with horses, and I’m finally starting the process of shopping for my own. I’m in the dark for a lot of these topics, and my husband and I have talked about wtf do you even do in these situations. I can’t imagine the trauma of what your friend went through when you were younger. 💗
Aw man, its the worst when something like this happens.... your dad built a damn good stable/barn. Thats amazing, Ive luckily never had to deal with snow since im in West Tx and it only snows 3-4 times a year. I had a foal die a few hours after birth due to a birth defect and it was horrible, we had just rescued the momma and didnt even realise she was pregnant. Long story short we use to have a relationship with the Rangers where we would rescue and foster horses theyd find that were stolen. So we had her for a few days before she had her foal. Luckily, we got to keep momma and we named her Lucky and she was one of, if not the, best horse we've ever had. She was a blue/grey dapple and I still cry when i think of her, she died 9 yrs ago after we had her for 19 yrs.. bless your mom, i hope shes doing okay. Oh and is your barn heated? Your dad did a damn good job.
Nom De Plume thank you for sharing your story. Our barn is not heated, that would negatively affect the horses natural ability to stay warm and potentially cause them to get sick. They are out 24/7 with access to shelters and are happy and healthy 😊
Thank you for making something good out of a sad but inevitable situation.
Never would have thought of collapsible stalls! Sorry for your loss but at least you were able to use it to educate others like myself.
our barn was built without stalls. they just have a large area to walk in n out of but we did plan for things to go wrong....we have large doors and keep one closed usually. we can open it and expand the doorway to 14ft across to fit a tractor in or scoop out our barn. in our little barn the whole side can be easily removed if need be. we used screws so it's just a drill gun to take it apart and put it back together. learned from the cows and grandpa...always have a way to get them out....even if you never use it!
+Helen Hoge-croom exactly! Good plan!
I have dealt with this situation more than once and it’s never easy.
This video is about my registered North American Spotted Draft horse, Countess, which I boarded here. I just found this video and had no idea it was made. This brings back so much pain.
Love how the barn was built! Will take to my farm manager to see if possible this idea can be incorporated into my barn. Sorry your moms horse passed. It is a devastating time I know. Been there.
thank you
was it Rain qho passed?
Every life is unique. It doesn't always go the way we expect. Sorry for your loss, at least your horse isn't suffering x
Thank you for your sensitive and informative video. Very tastefully done. You have helped educate me on many aspects, with training and kids, and these are so important. Thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful!
This winter has not been kind to your herd😞, I just saw the video about Missy yesterday. At first I thought this was another part to that video.
Amaya Fuller Missy passed in February 2018, it just took me a long time to muster up the courage to edit that video, she was pretty special. My mom has lost a total of 4 horses in 11 months, 2 to old age, one to choke, and now this one. Prior to that, she has only buried 5 horses over the course of 50 some years. Crazy how it all happens at once.
@@VersatileHorsemanship im thinking of having my stalls im gonna have a builder make be ..... just solid divider walls with tube gates as doors for them.. for the two i want to put on other side ..though i did get a prefab.. door panel for the big one .. i already have...ive used as a run in
I'm sorry for your loss. I'm not a horse person but I found this video very interesting and informative.
Your videos are always informative and sensitive. Great job!
impunitythebagpuss thank you!
I'm really sorry for your loss and hope you and your mum are ok.
I don't have horses, ride, or work with horses, but I love animals and genuinely think that you're a lovely person so I enjoy your videos. I love seeing your horses happy and learning about them.
When any animal dies it's devastating, but I'm glad your Dad built things in a way where this situation didn't end up in a chainsaw and more trauma for everyone involved. People just don't think about these things when building barns, as none of us want to think about the worst case scenario so often it's not until it actually happens that we think about the practicalities. Thinking about these things early really could save a lot of heartache further down the line.
Thank you for the kind words!
Your poor Mother! I'm so sorry she had to go through that. How very smart your Father is to think ahead that way. And what a talented Man he is!
Thank YOU-
You'll Never Walk Alone
Very good teaching about access and the removable walls. You never know if a horse who is 1,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds needs to be helped or moved. So sorry your moms horse passed. Sounds like she had the best of care. Nice to be able to do a burial and nit just send away to strangers. I learned a lot from your video.
Thank you!
Great idea glad your dad thought ahead, worked on a stud as a teenager, had some 8 month old Colts in preparing for sale, had old cement wall stalls so no chance of removing it, one Colt passed away a we had no way to remove him but in pieces :-( feel your pain, and so glad someone thought ahead when they built your stalls xx
As a horse owner of older senior horses this is good to know. I never want to loose a horse but know it could happen especially with my 29 yr old mare.
My horse that I had the day I was born died in his 30’s in a stall several years after I got married at my parents barn. It was a very tragic thing for me and my dad nearly was unable to get him out of the stall. It was winter but we live in south Alabama so it doesn’t get bit around in the 20’s or low teens most times but very wet. My dad nearly didn’t get him out of the steel pipe stall. It was horrible!
I’m very sorry for your loss!! Blessings from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺😢 🐴🙏❤️
thank you!
Wow i cant believe your high school friend went through that! Thats so traumatizing and heart breaking!
I remember when I was around 4 years old my moms stallion Buddy died in his stall during a very bad storm I remember her dragging him out it was very scary. I can not remember if she had to cut him up but I am very sorry for your loss
I'm so sorry for your loss. Horses are amazing. I totally understand why you wanted to change the position in the grave. That's true love
I am so sorry for your loss❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻😭😭
Our older, 30+ gelding, died similar to this. He was just off acting and after calling my boss and a vet, I was listening for gut noise and happened to feel his sheath and it was ice. Being a Sunday, no vet was available so it was just me. I gave him a good dose of Banamine and stayed with him til the end.
I heard him fall in the stall and opened the door so we wouldn't have to drag him out. He walked out to his pasture, went to his favorite corner, grabbed a mouthful of grass, made his usual lap and then collapsed by the gate. I was right by him with my boss on speaker. At one point he was 'running' while laying there. I played my hand on his nostril and he passed. Hardest thing I've ever been through, but I'm glad I was there for him. RIP Tangy, best babysitter and pony horse ever.
sakay west honestly, what a great way to go. It’s sad to lose them but so much better when they go quietly on their own. That’s such a great long life for a horse and he was lucky to have you there with him at the end.
Thank you, it did give me pause to think about what I would want in a barn /stall, I had to make that very decision to put our beloved older mare down on St Patricks day 2019, without hesitation, I said we have to move her to a place where she can be picked up...easily as there was no access to her if we put her down in the pasture...Thank you for sharing the experience...
Sandra H so sorry for your loss
@@VersatileHorsemanship Thank you...it was a first time experience...Hope not to have to do that again anytime soon...
I’m so sorry. I do know that you handled sharing the story and information very well. The larger the animal, sometimes it seems the harder it is to take care of or deal with things just like this. When it comes to owning and caring for horses, difficult things definitely come along and need to be handled carefully and quickly. I believe that is why after being in barn management or even being a barn hand and doing all of the hard physical work with animals that tend to be on consistent schedules, we really tend to do and find very VERY effective and efficient ways and methods to get the work done correctly. I know I have learned some really amazing methods and techniques working in big busy training and show Barns over the years.
kathy mik thank you for the kind words.
I am so sorry for you loss❤️❤️😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻
Very cleaver way to build a barn! So much thought had been put into it, also I’m sorry for your loss.
We lived on a military base and had horses. Our mare had a filly that was about 3 months old when she died. My mom went to feed one morning and found her. Unfortunately, we believe that an mp, or military police, that used to go down after midnight and get into the stalls with the horses. Someone got into hers, spooked our foal, she ran into the fence and broke her neck.. my mom was absolutely devastated.. as we all were
Awesome teacher , always explain well. Your very kind
Two of our horses was put in a medium sized pen together,(one was a traumatized rescue) big mistake. The rescue has a history of attacking other horses(not humans or other animals, and they were put together by the mistake of our family friend who was watching them at the time)and this time he was the cause of the others death. And he ran off after.
When I found out, the one who died was completely frozen. I was alone at the time and had to do everything by myself. Digging, dragging, catching the other horse, everything...
It was really traumatic, so never be afraid to ask for help. I had to do it alone, but you should never have to do that.
(The other horse has now been euthanized if you wanted to know)
Zara Storm thank you for sharing your story, I am so sorry to hear about all you went through.
Gemstone Hawksworth it wasn’t my horse, the owner chose to do it, and wouldn’t listen when we told her that exact thing. I agree with you, but I had no say in what would happen to him.
I'm so sorry for your loss😥
Thank you for this information! As a fellow horse owner, I really appreciate the honesty and “real-ness” of your channel. If you could show more detail on how the stalls come apart that would be awesome because I wasn’t really understanding the details of it. I’m going to be doing a barn next year and I’d like to have it done the way your dad did theirs. Such a smart way to do it!
So sad. I’m sorry for your loss
Jill thank you!
You're very strong. I would have been balling my eyes out. I'm already balling and it's not even my horse. My heart hurts listening to this. Very sorry for your loss.
I'm very sad for you - sending best wishes xx
I worked as a tech at a horse hospital a few years after it was built. The entire factory was painted block, all stall fronts and walls were solid block. One day a huge warmblood horse suddenly crashed down in a stall. I mean this guy must have been 18 hands tall.
I won’t describe the details of its removal, trust me, it was horrific getting that body out of there. Always consider this possibility when building a barn!!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
This must have been so hard to go through ❤️
Thank you for the advice! I sure will keep that mind when we build our barn! 😀
I work for an equine vet and came to work one morning with a dead horse in the stall. Its made out of concrete with two doors both 4 feet wide. It was also mid winter. We had to turn it on its back and bring it out with a crane to be able to put it on the truck
Sorry you had to go through this but good on your dad for thinking ahead. Very informative information.
I was already subscribed, about to click the bell though. Really enjoying the wealth of knowledge you are sharing.
I found my mare dead in her stall from a broken neck. We have no idea what happened to her but we were faced with this very problem. We had to take the whole front off to get her out, it was a horrific way for a magical girl to die. I had her cremated and I still have her ashes 20yrs later. I am so sorry for your loss. 🙏
Pickled Ginger very sorry for your loss, that’s so tragic
My barn was already in place when the property was purchased, but we redid the walls and we are able to take them down in about 10-15 minutes.
When we redid the pastures, I made sure all gates were a minimum of 8’ wide so we could get a truck through in case we needed to get in, or if someone dies, we can get them out.
DLB Performance Horses very smart
Thank you for talking reality even if it's hard in Ireland we have mostly cement block stables
Thank you for watching!
@@VersatileHorsemanship your welcome💚
Only seen it once, they got the builders in to remove the front of the stall, only because it was bolted to stone walls.
Those of us with large dogs also need to consider those types of "what if" situations.
A friend designed his barn with many of the same considerations. All stalls are fronted with 16 foot gates, as a Bobcat is employed for stall cleanouts. The aisle is wide enough for. Hay wagons and livestock trailers to pull through and park, while leaving enough room for the Gator to drive by or a horse to be led. Removeable stall walls allow two pony mares and foals to buddy up, or for 4-5 weanlings to be separated from dams as a group.
Half the barn is basically a huge run in.....open to pasture, heated water and round bale feeders...with plenty of room to buck on chilly mornings!
And yeah...I saw the result of a horse death in the stall. We removed the gate, used the bobcat to put the carcass on a sled, and hauled out to the back 40.
Thats another issue...a natural death can be buried or fed to the local vultures/eagles. A horse that has been euthanized by injection needs a diffetent disposal method.
I know Snow can be very cold weather for any horses and should be plenty straw down bedding leave warm floor and plenty wrap rugs on horses but very sad horses passing you ave much love all horses I respect you .
hi from australia sorry for your loss your videos are great
George Mantzaris thank you! I’m glad you enjoy them!
Thank you. We are going to be building a barn soon and this was very helpful.
Coming back to this video 4 years later.
I can, luckily, say I haven't had a horse pass in their stall (my mother's invaded the litle 4-stall barn we do have with junk, pallet floors, and more junk, so using for horses ids impossible unless I make an executive decision and at least rip out the aisle "floor" so we can have a dry place to trim feet...)n but we have lost a few since we started owning horses here in my tween years.
One big thing I plan to do if I ever get lucky enough to build my own dream barn here, is to simply have the stall fronts be mesh farm gates. I plan for 16x16 stalls, and a 16ft wide aisle, so hopefully should something like this ever happen, getting the deceased out will be as simple as opening the gate and pulling them out, with no need for cutting out wood, due to having channels in the support posts of the barn itself for the divider boards.
A *major* factor in my decision for this was actually this video. It's stuck in my head for quite a long time.
Thank you for commenting. The whole reason I started this channel was to be educational and to bring awareness to the reality of owning horses
Our old 25 year old mare went down suddenly one morning when I went out to feed. We think she had a stroke. She could not get up. It was in mid February in Michigan. Luckily, our stalls had 5/foot wide Dutch doors that swung open and after the vet arrived and euthanized Sheba in the stall, she was drug to her place of burial. It was all very tragic and sudden, but I was grateful we had the large doors to the outside pasture or it would have been hard to get her out and around to bury her. 😪
I use to work at a barn, our stalls were separated by 2x6 slats that could easily be removed, we never had a horse die but we did have one that went down because he was colicky, we were able to get him up and out by taking out the wall.
This is so difficult and why I look for stables that have inside temperature control. I don't know if the horse had proper layers on. Wool is a good insulator.
Inside temperature control? Like a heated barn? We are in Michigan, if we heated our barns it would mess with the horses natural ability to regulate their body temps. We’d have a lot of sick horses!
😢 so sorry 💔 I found my mare in the paddock like that, mouthful of grass, she died suddenly and eating ( which she loved). Thank goodness we don't have those extreme temperatures in NZ's north island.
I had a old gelding 19yrs old from colic take apart stall
My condolences to you and family during this difficult time. Your father is a very smart man to have the foresight to think of uncertainties.
I have a question, burying a horse on property: do you have to check with State/county laws to do this?
Are there regulations? What if you have well water? Is solar heat good for these weather conditions to prevent onset of certain deaths?
Take care! Xxxx
Believer Y’shua thank you! Yes we have to follow county guidelines. Our county allows burial but needs to be a certain distance from residence, water, etc.
My trainer had to sadly cut a horse up (just limbs) because it passed in a stall. I couldn’t even imagine having to do that but, sadly it has to be done, they need to be moved. Luckily you didn’t have to do that. I’d definitely try all I could to remove the wall before I had to make that choice. Great design on your dads part
Dear Brandi l just found you on
You Tube in Sept 2019 and watch some of your videos even little Manzer that was sick. This topic l’m sure you know about great race horses when they passed. A fellow was filming Claireborn farm where Secretariat is buried
At one time they used to buried the head,tail.front hooves and his big ♥️ heart
in ground with a tombstone.
They used to do to all well
known great champions at on time in the days but no more.
The Great Man ‘O War (1917-
1947) had a beautiful memorial service broadcast on radio He was embalmed
and lay in a open coffin lined
wig Riddle’s black&gold racing
silk. Today his burial site is at
Kentucky Horse Park His grave is marked with a beautiful stallion statue of him
beautifully lighted at night.
❤️🌹🐎🌹❤️
Son: War Emblem
Grandson : Seabiscut
Thank you for sharing this
I lost an animal in the winter of 2017. I could not get her in the ground I unfortunately just let her stay frozen in an empty paster before I could bairy her a few weeks later. definitely something to think about.
being frozen slowed down the decomposition process. It would like being in cold storage for us humans when we die.
I never even thought about this! What a great idea and definitely important to consider. I couldn't imagine having to cut up a horse's body with a chainsaw. That must have been so traumatizing for your friend! :(
PaintHorsePrada that’s why I decided to make my channel “real” and show what goes on in my daily life with horses. There are so many things that people honestly don’t even consider until it happens and then they don’t know how to deal with it. I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of emergency phone calls and knocks on the door. I am thankful for the experience I’ve gained but I’d rather share my stories then to see someone else learn the hard way.
Is there such a thing as heating in barns that can be used in extreme cold? What temp range are horses most comfortable at?
This is never a pleasant task.
I wd have tied the legs together as much as possible, use canvas ratchet strap if you have them; tuck the head near to the front legs, tie in place. roll it until its on its back, hold in place (need 1 or 2 people to help if possible), so its feet are facing upward, then use quad or something to drag it out thru the stall door, then to outside of the stable main door. I called a rendering plant when mine passed away, they come and pick it up, no digging a grave etc required.
It went very smooth for us. We don’t have rendering plants in our area.
Thank you for this information
I lost a 5 year old mare during Hurricane Irma, two pine trees fell and hit her in the head, instant death. The flooding was so bad that we couldn't bury her or have the body removed. The water was at least 6 inches deep and she was quite far away from any gates, even a 4-wheel drive truck could not have taken her body out. The buzzards found her and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I was having some health issues that I was dealing with, I tried to get my friend that has a landscape company to dump a load of mulch over her, but he couldn't get there because of the flooding and all the pine trees that came down during the hurricane. I just pray that the next time a hurricane comes that I am able to evacuate my animals. We went through the eye of Hurricane Wilma, then Irma and that was the only animal that was killed, although I lost 4 goats later because of the flooding.
Starlene Kalinski that is awful! I’m so sorry for your loss, how devastating 😥
This was a really interesting video. Such a terrible loss. Handled very respectfully though.
The way your barn is set up is wise. Plus you have a lot of big equipment.
Dee Clifton we are thankful to have friends with big equipment
RIP Big Mare...
I didnt catch her name.❤
thank you
My dog had been put down a couple of months ago due to having 2 tumours and cancer
All I had to do is just think about the happy times we had together and I wrote a letter to him saying I will always love you till.the day I die
I put it in his box because we decided we should get him cremated and that means they burn him and they give us his ashes in money of him
All you got to do in a time like this is just think about the happy times you had together.
I'm really sorry to tear all of your tradgic events and i hope you can be happy because if you put any animal down it is the best thing because that means they don't have to be in pain any more.
Grace Sirmond thank you, I’m so sorry for your loss
We had a horse die in a stall a few years ago due to a heart attack. She was laying right in front of the door so we were able to flip her onto her back and drag her out to her place a burial
Sorry for ya'lls loss' I found my 9 yr old tb gelding dead when l went out to feed in the morning. I was so sad to lose him. At first we thought he might 've been shot because of the massive blood loss. This happened in Feb. 2019. We had 60 mph winds, so we had to wait till neat day to turn him over to look for a gunshot wound.. To our relief, there wasn't one. So we think it was like an anurism or burst vessel or artery. From the sign, we figured it happened in a couple minutes. I also chose to bury him on the farm where he died. I have 3 buried here now. You did everything in a respectful manner with your folks mare .
I’m sorry
My JD died with grass in his mouth too. It made me feel a little better that he went quickly 😢
Im so sorry for your loss. It is reassuring to know that they went quick.
@@VersatileHorsemanship He actually died on Memorial Day weekend. I came down to do chores after work and JD wasn't there. I called for him and I sware for God he called out to me in his last breath 😢🐴 I too had our pictures of better times, my hair and his hair buried in our pasture together forever 😇
So sorry for your loss. :( But a very smart way to build a barn! Thanks so much for sharing! Luckily our stall fronts come apart easily as well, but where to take the body is the hardest part, as these areas there is a lot of rock. Luckily there are some spots on my property I could probably bury a horse, and wouldn't be surprised if there are horses already buried here, as my property was part of a much larger farm at one point.
8trackheartbeat thank you! It’s always good to have a plan 😊
What do you do when your horse dies at another stable instead of yours? How do you get them back to your ranch and maintain some dignity for the horse? I am so sorry for your loss and tell your Mom I feel bad for her too. I cannot believe it gets that cold where you live. I live in the mountains of Virginia and we don't usually get any colder than the teens..... rarely in the single digits.
joan4115 Thank you! It definitely gets cold here. we’ve had friends who have moved their deceased horses on a car trailer. They used a winch and covered the horse with a tarp. I know others who have euthanized their horses in the horse trailer so they could easily move them to their final destination.
Being frozen can presumably have an advantageous aspect, in that her body is less likely to become dismembered while moving her into a burial place. Be sure to leave a dug hole without piles of soil in the way of a hauling strap or her path into the burial place.
Yes it went very smoothly
Its true, things like these need to be spoken of. When you work with animals and you have animals death is a part of that in sickness, old age and accidents. I'm sorry for your loss and still thankful for the video, thank you. I have been planing on build my own barn and i hadn't thought about this, now i know its good to be ready. I haven't had to bury a horse but my sister's cat lost his life during winter and oh boy. There wasn't any other choice than make a fire on the ground and try to melt it little by little.
Sanna Tenhunen thank you, unfortunately it can be a big emotional and physical burden if not thought about in advance. I don’t think a lot of people really think about it. I’m sorry to hear about your sisters kitty. Our Critters play such an important part in our lives no matter how big or small they are.
How many horses will you get
@@emilylipsitz Maybe two my own and rent stalls for others :)
@@Sankutenku so your going to have two what do you mean rent stalls for the others
@@emilylipsitz Have others bring their horses in :) and they will have to pay a fee for it.
We just found out that a Thourobred we used to own just had kidney failure yesterday and I was wondering how the horse farm was going to handle this,
Such a sad time for sure.
Aw, I’m so sorry to hear that
@@VersatileHorsemanship I explained to my mother that the horse does not look at us and feel sorry if we had died,but we have a way of showing our grief when they die.I am really bothered by the fact that he is gone and I dont like the feeling and just wonder why I let it bother me so much,is it major anxiety or is it normal to feel this way.
I never had one die but I thought one did but he was sleeping out in the paster and would not awnsering cuz he was sleeping
Kinzhorses yeah that happens!
Kinzhorses kind of like this? 😂 th-cam.com/video/-mgLKWGPDSY/w-d-xo.html
They sure can act dead sometimes and it's freaky.
Thank you so much for addressing this very important topic. I found this to be quite informative/helpful. It's something many find it difficult to even think of the inevitable, let alone what to do. I do have a question regarding the other horses sharing a barn, be it with one, or more, what are the reactions / their spirits when one of their own passes on?
They typically go over to investigate. Its a very interesting process to watch. They know and its very heartwarming.
It has been found that animals are like us, they miss and grieve their companions (family) like we do. Also like us it takes time for them to heal and recover to move on