I’m sure many of you in the UK will have heard about or seen the CountryFile episode which looked into fly grazing. If you haven’t, you can watch it on BBC Iplayer here.
It touched on some really interesting and important ideas. Fly grazing is a huge issue in the UK due the impact it has on equine welfare. If a horse is tethered in an area, they can injure themselves on the tether and run out of food and water. However, if they are not tethered, there are also risks. The horses are often in open spaces and can therefore end up on the road, causing accidents. Another issue with fly grazing is that it can be unclear as to whether the animal has been abandoned or not.
Last year, a new law was passed, allowing land owners to cease horses being illegally grazed on their land. This has lead to hundreds of horses being ceased and re-homed, many of these horses were in a poor state. However, many of these horses were perfectly healthy, just in an unsafe environment. It is therefore surprising that half of the horses ceased will be humanely put down. This raises the question; is it okay to put a healthy horse down? And could it potentially be a good thing?
This is a very sensitive subject but I feel like it is one that needs to be raised and discussed more. I personally feel that putting a healthy horse down can be okay, but it really depends on the circumstances. Examples of circumstances I feel humane euthanasia is a reasonable solution are as follow;
- The horse has a difficult temperament and can behave dangerously. Not only can this have physical risks to both the horse and handler, but in the wrong hands this could lead to the horse being mistreated and neglected. There are many homes which may be able to handle this animal, however, finding one of these homes can be next to impossible and there is no guarantee that the horse will never fall into the hands of someone else.
- If a horse has a condition where it cannot be ridden or worked again and the current owner can no longer afford to keep the horse. Many horse owners face this problem where for whatever reason, they can no longer afford their horse, however, they are hard to sell/rehome due to no longer being able to be ridden, despite being healthy and happy. Even if they manage to find a home who will not ride or push the horse in a way it can not physically cope with, down the line it may end up somewhere where it is pushed and suffers because of this.
- If there is no where safe for the horse to go. If a healthy horse has been ceased but there is no where for the horse to go where it will be looked after correctly and safe, it is an option to have this horse put to sleep so that it will not suffer in the future.
All these situations are very sad and I think I would really struggle to be involved in putting a healthy horse down, but I do think when you look at the bigger picture, you could be saving the horse from suffering in the future.
However, even in the case where half the horses being ceased under new fly grazing legislation, I find it hard to be against this new procedure. The UK does have a huge problem with equine welfare, with the majority of horses filling rescue centres having been fly grazed or abandoned.
This new legislation is a start to solving this problem. It is very sad that half the horses ceased are put down and some of these horses will be healthy animals. However, I think when you think of the bigger picture, these horses are being put down so that they will never suffer again. Hopefully this legislation will lead to more horses being ceased before they suffer due to being fly grazed or abandoned, which in turn should lead rescue centres having more space as the majority of their horses should be healthy and ready to re-home quickly.
I do think the process needs to be re-examined and worked on, as the program suggested that some councils and land owners will not cease horses as it costs too much. But I think it is a good start to addressing the problem.
What is your opinion on putting healthy horses down? Do you think this new legislation is a good thing?
Last Updated on 05/04/2019
A difficult one because our nearby rescue centre is full of horses that can’t be rehomed.
If they are putting down a healthy horse that could be, then maybe the rescue centres need to look into what they take. Are they full with horses that can’t be put up for loan?
If a horse has a condition where it can’t be worked or ridden, it’s not healthy in my opinion?
If the owner doesn’t want to keep it or can’t afford to then they should step up and put it down. Owning a horse isn’t just about sitting on them, it’s about responsibility. Do not buy if you can’t say goodbye.
I think its hard to decide what healthy is. We have lots of older horses at home and yes they cab do very light work, but not much more. But I would still say they are happy and healthy. I think it depends on the issue.
Hi, I have an 8-year old mare. She has had laminitis episodes all 6-1/2 years that I’ve owned her despite soaking hay, not grain, not overweight. With special hoof care she gets better, only to redevelop the rotation–was it grass under the fence; was it because someone let her out accidentally in February for a few hours; Or the time she was able to reach through the panel and get at another horses’ grain? Or this time, was it the ‘rest’ from the injured collateral ligament on the left front that contributed to the rotation in the right front? I love this horse, but I am going broke. There is always a hope that she will attain soundness, and a pain free state, but after 6-1/2 years am I being realistic? Am I being fair to her. She does not show excruciating pain, but even in corrective shoes/pads toes as she walks. I am beginning to believe I should put her down. Others say it is not so bad for her. Don’t give up. I am not sure now what is best, but this is a long time.
It’s such a hard decision to make. No matter how bad the injury, there is always a small chance they will get better and live a comfortable life with time. But there is also a chance there will be a lot of suffering before they will better. I would speak to your vet & really look at her quality of life. If she is shut inside most of the time, that’s not much of a life anyway.