Letting go with love, your horse's last journey

The decision to euthanize a horse, pony or donkey is, without a doubt, one of the toughest and most emotional decisions you will ever have to make as a horse owner. It is a choice you must consider very carefully, respectfully, and above all, in the best interest of the horse.

During this process, you will need to thoroughly weigh various factors. This includes not only the health and well-being of your horse, the prognosis of its condition, and available treatment options, but also your financial and emotional capacity.

In the run-up to the definitive end, or when the major blow has already proven inevitable, many horse owners grapple not only with intense grief and sometimes feelings of guilt, but also with many questions. These questions can be factual, about how a veterinarian performs euthanasia, whether palliative care might be an option, how much it costs to cremate a horse, and the legal aspects involved. However, by far most questions concern emotional preparation, grief processing, how to help your children with their sorrow when their beloved pony is no longer there, or how your other horses will react.

This book addresses all aspects of euthanasia in horses, ponies, and donkeys in the most objective and clear way possible. It won't bring your companion back, but perhaps knowing more about this topic can slightly soften the edges of grief. The fewer questions you have, the more you can concentrate on what matters most: saying goodbye to your loyal friend.