Euthanasia in Horses - Discussion

Following on from our paper on the practical aspects of euthanasia by Emma Gordon [Equine Euthanasia, EVP June 2022; 47(2): 41-43] we are offering a discussion in two parts on the issues surrounding any decision for euthanasia. The first part, a bibliographic review appeared on page 55, and the second part given here is on reasons for and considerations to have at the time of a request or need for euthanasia arises.

When owning or caring for a horse we need to consider a range of issues to ensure we can meet the responsibilities of the duty of care. These include having suitable facilities to keep the horse and being able to meet the cost of feeding and maintaining a healthy and happy horse. When owning any animal we must consider the five domains of Nutrition, Environment, Health, Behaviour and Mental State. The owner, or person responsible (PR), must also realise that situations will arise where there will need to be a discussion around euthanasia. Few horses genuinely die of old age. Man has usually intervened prior to that either on welfare or economic grounds. The Animal Welfare Act 2015 recognises the horse as a sentient being. We must treat them with respect and in a way avoids suffering and maximises their well-being. It is our responsibility to take action to avoid or minimise and alleviate any pain or suffering. Horses need to be fit for purpose. They need to be safe for everyone to be around. They need to be reliable and affordable. From time to time there will be a discussion around a situation that a horse is in and when the decision to euthanise should be made. Considering the horses current and future overall well-being, the person responsible should ask, from the horses' point of view: ‘Is this a good life?’ For each reason we may be considering euthanasia there are a range of things that need to be considered that may help in the decision-making process. These reasons for euthanasia and considerations to be undertaken at the time of euthanasia are discussed below.

Old age is often the reason for a talk about euthanasia. The horse's ability to display normal behaviour is important. It should be able to move about, lay down and get up as it wants. It should have suitable feed available and be able to easily eat. It should not have any difficulty urinating or defecating. It is better to make the decision to euthanise when the PR is in control of the situation rather than it becomes an emergency. The quote “Better a week too early than a day too late” should be the mantra for the PR to bear in mind.

An emaciated horse requires immediate action to alleviate the situation. This requires fixing the cause of the poor body condition and providing a suitable feeding plan. If this cannot be done with the PR, or re-homing immediately, then euthanasia should be considered.

Many diseases can be cured but the cost/resources required, as well as the future suitable purpose of the horse, need to be fully understood.

Horses are a herd animal. Isolation and/or confinement can lead to behavioural issues. Occasionally these behavioural issues can lead to a horse being unrideable or dangerous to handle. The Animal Welfare Code states that horses should be kept with at least one other social companion, or at least where they can see or hear other horses. This also raises the question of what to do with the “paddock mate” who is left alone when the main horse dies.

While some behaviours will be tolerated in one situation, they may make a horse unsuitable to re-home. For example, a good racehorse who is professionally handled, but with the knowledge that it randomly kicks out, will not be suitable to rehome to an inexperienced rider or family home. Horses need to be safe, predictable, and reliable to be around.

We need to clearly understand the pathway for any horse

# Prepared for The NZ Equine Health Association by Tony Parsons (Equestrian Sport NZ) and Hillary Milne (NZEHA), with input from Ronan Costello (New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association), Tim Pearce (Equine Research Foundation) and Marty Burns (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing).

that is in a compromised situation to getting it back to being healthy, happy, safe, and suitable for purpose. If this pathway is not clear and fully understood, and achievable by all those involved in the care of the horse then euthanasia must be considered. All the considerations need to fit within the five domains model of animal welfare. There must be adequate nutrition. The environment and health status of the horse, along with it having the opportunity to display normal behaviour, must be considered. Together, all of these should allow the horse to be in a situation of having a positive mental experience.

Many horses are bred for a specific purpose. If the horse is no longer suitable for the purpose, or it’s unlikely it can be returned to that state, and there is no realistic option to rehome, then euthanasia is a sensible choice.

Many horses may have another use or purpose after they retire from the activity they were originally bred for. This may be with the current owner or there may be re-homing opportunities. The pathway needs to be clear and achievable within a timeframe that does not leave the horse in a compromised situation unduly long. Re-homing should not be an opportunity to pass the responsibility of any disclosed, or undisclosed issue on to someone else, without the new PR fully understanding the requirements to care for that horse.

With any injury or medical condition there must be a full conversation prior to starting treatment about the prospects for the horse. Particularly in the case of recovery from injury, there may be significant periods of pain and/or discomfort for the horse and there may need to be major changes to its management. If long term pain relief is required, then the cost and any side effects need to be considered. Not all horses are used to being boxed/yarded which may be required during treatment. Some horses can be difficult/dangerous to handle when confined.

This is an area that is often overlooked when dealing with horses in a welfare compromised situation. Recovery from injury or disease, correcting poor body condition and any management and behavioural issues all require significant resources. The cost of any recovery plan needs to be fully considered by all parties. The experience level and ability of the PR to carry out any plan needs to be considered, as well as their having the time to commit to the care of the horse. The facilities need to be suitable so the horse can be properly managed.

It is often a difficult decision to euthanise a horse but if there is doubt about being able to meet all the requirements in being able to give that horse an on-going good life then the decision to euthanise should be made. Euthanasia must be carried out in a humane manner by a trained person. Both NZ Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing NZ have people involved in re-homing horses. These links may be helpful: https://loveracing.nz/Welfare/Thoroughbred-Welfare/Acknowledged-Retrainers.aspx https://loveracing.nz/News/34369/NZTR-launches-Acknowledged-Retrainers-network.aspx https://www.hrnz.co.nz/industry-information/hero/

Legg KA, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Gibson MJ, Rogers CW. Risk factors for horse falls in New Zealand

Thoroughbred jumps racing. Vet J. 2022; 289: 105915. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S1090023322001307?via%3Dihub

Incidence rates for race-day horse falls in jumps races from 2005/6 through 2018/19 racing seasons (n = 13,648 race day starts) were calculated per 1000 starts. The incidence rate of horse falls in jumps races was 42 (95 % CI, 39 - 45) per 1000 starts. Horse falls in steeplechase races were 1.6 (95 % CI, 1.4 - 1.9) times more likely than hurdle races. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for horses falling at the last three jumps in comparison with the first three jumps was 3.1 (95 % CI, 2.8 - 3.5) for hurdle and 4.4 (95 % CI, 3.9 - 5.0) for steeplechase races. Greater jockey (age, P = 0.02) and horse experience (P = 0.001) were associated with a lower IRR of falls (P = 0.05). Longer races (P = 0.02) and those held in autumn compared to winter (IRR 1.4; 95 % CI, 1.0 - 1.8; P = 0.05) were associated with a higher rate of falling in steeplechase races. A regulatory change enhancing discretionary ability of jockeys to pull up during the race was associated with reduced horse falls (IRR 0.65; 95 % CI, 0.51 - 0.82; P = 0.001). It was concluded that pragmatic rule changes within the industry can have a positive effect on reducing risk and improving equine welfare.

Each year the Beaufort Cottage Educational Trust runs the Gerald Leigh Memorial lectures in Newmarket. The focus of the 2022 lectures was Thoroughbred Reproductive Efficiency. There was an international line-up of presenters, including Dr Charles Love from Texas A&M who gave an excellent presentation on stallion fertility and reproductive efficiency, including reinforcement breeding. Dr Mandi de Mestre from the Royal Vet College London gave two great lectures on early embryonic loss, and umbilical cord torsion (a commonly diagnosed cause of abortion in the UK). Dr Karen Wolfsdorf from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Kentucky gave two excellent presentations on managing the high-risk pregnancy, and management of the barren mare for optimal fertility. These timely topics will be of interest for many equine vets in New Zealand.

All the lectures and discussion panels are available for viewing online at no cost. The presentations are professionally recorded, so you can see the lecture slides and watch the presenter. The sound quality is excellent, and each lecture is 30 to 45 minutes long. If are looking for accessible, free veterinary continuing education in current equine reproduction topics this is great place to start!

1. Go to http://www.nzva.org.nz/ and sign in

2. Click on: > FOR VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS > Branches > New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association [on left] > NZEVA Documents [on left] 3. There you have Current and Archive for E-EVP 4. Or you can View the E-EVP catalogue on SciQuest and download individual pages/articles

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