Topics

Breeding and Reproduction

Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Hoof Care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Nutrition

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Welfare and Industry

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Diseases and Conditions

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

Horse Care

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

Sports Medicine

All aspects of caring for performance horses

All Topics

Farm and Barn

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Lameness

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

Vet and Professional

News and issues for equine health professionals
Magazine
Cover Story

Supporting Your Horse's Immune System

What does it take to optimize the equine immune response and fight off disease?

Also in this Issue

Rhodococcus equi Pneumonia: Rethinking Treatment to Fight Resistance
Skill, Science, and Sensitivity: Unpacking Horse Training Misconceptions
Rehabilitating the Neurologic EPM Horse
Building a Balanced Diet for Your Mare and Foal
Joint Health Matters: Top Therapies for a Successful Season
The Abscess Ruptured, But My Horse is Still Lame. Now What?
Understanding Horse Aggression
Digital Edition

Give a Gift

Subscribe

Manage My Subscription
News

Latest News

Equine Innovators: Improving Joint Health in Horses With Orthobiologics

A Case of Persistent Pastern Dermatitis

Deciphering Multilimb Lameness in Horses

Equine Hoof Care Teams at Work

Smart Manure Management for Small Horse Farms

Florida Mare Tests Positive for Strangles

More News

Disease Alerts

EDCC Health Watch

Event Coverage

2024 AAEP Convention
2024 EquiSUMMIT
2024 Olympics
Features

Latest Features

Managing Your Performance Horse’s Joints

April 9, 2025

Understanding, Recognizing, and Managing Pain in Horses

March 20, 2025

Additional Features

How Much Does It Cost to Own a Horse?

Dealing With Equine Colic: Here are 33 Do’s and Don’ts

Promoting Longevity in Performance Horses

Everything You Need to Know About Laminitis in Horses

How to Feed Your Horse

All Features
Q&As

Latest Q&A

Smart Manure Management for Small Horse Farms

April 15, 2025

Equine Nutrition FAQ Series

Sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition

Learn More

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.
Visuals

Featured Media:

Wound Care Strategies for Healing Wounds in Horses

Tips for Feeding Senior Horses

Quick Links

Webcasts

Infographics

Slideshows
Podcasts

Featured Podcasts

Equine Innovators: Improving Joint Health in Horses With Orthobiologics

Keeping Horses With Joint Disease Fit

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

All Podcasts
Free Reports

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

Free Reports:

View All Free Reports

Quick referenced of horse conditions, diseases and health topics

Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners
Tools

Normal Horse Vital Signs and Health Indicators

Mare Gestation Calculator

Adult Horse Weight Calculator

Additional Resources

Event Calendar
Horse Health Glossary
Get-A-DVM
New Products
Polls
TheHorse.com en Español
StableManagement.com

Euthanasia

Subcategories:

None

Shared Science: Human and Equine Health Similarities

Financial Constraints and Equine Euthanasia

Haylie Kerstetter September 17, 2024

Are you considering euthanizing your horse for financial reasons? An equine veterinarian shares factors to consider.

Not Just Old Age: Why Do Senior Horses Die?

Senior Horses: Living the Good Life

Erica Larson June 22, 2024

Learn how to assess your senior horse’s quality of life and know when it’s time to let go.

Hard Decisions When Pain Meds Aren’t Helping an Older Horse

Alexandra Beckstett December 22, 2022

When a pain medication or strategy is no longer providing a senior horse with relief, the kindest option might be euthanasia.

What Owners Need to Know About Equine Euthanasia

Alina Vale, DVM December 22, 2022

Learn about the AAEP’s euthanasia guidelines and how to cope with the loss of an equine partner.

Long in the Ears: Caring for Mules and Donkeys as They Age

Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA October 26, 2022

Aging mules and donkeys need to be managed just as carefully as horses. Here’s what you need to know.

concussions in equestrians; help for horse owners

Human-to-Horse Bonds Make Tough Decisions Tougher

Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA September 9, 2021

Researchers explored the bonds people have with their horses and how that affects care, ownership change, and end-of-life decisions.

Composting Is a Viable Method of Equine Carcass Management

Alexandra Beckstett August 26, 2021

A recent study suggests composting might be a feasible and environmentally friendly way to manage carcasses of horses euthanized using sodium pentobarbital. Further investigation is needed, the researchers say.

AAEP Issues Updated Horse Euthanasia Guidelines

Edited Press Release March 11, 2021

The chief revision: addition of intrathecal lidocaine hydrochloride 2% with the horse in a surgical plane of general anesthesia.

Firearms Can Be an Effective Option for Euthanizing Horses

Alexandra Beckstett February 2, 2021

As restrictions on disposing horses euthanized with pentobarbital tighten, veterinarians look for safe and effective alternative methods for euthanasia.

Equine Innovators: Dr. Amanda Adams Talks About Older Horses

Michelle Anderson October 26, 2020

Dr. Amanda Adams of the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, describes her senior horse research, which focuses on EMS, PPID, and immune system health.

Study: Biosecurity, Delayed Euthanasia Top Equine Welfare Issues

Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA July 9, 2020

U.K. researchers ranked welfare issues affecting the larger equine population as well as individual horses. This is what they found.

Aboveground Burial for Horses

Alayne Blickle January 10, 2020

Disposing of a horse’s body is becoming more challenging with tightening burial and landfill regulations and fewer rendering plants. Learn about an alternative solution.

Poll Recap: Colic Surgery; will my horse survive colic surgery

Horse Colic Surgery: Making Hard Decisions

Sarah Evers Conrad October 22, 2019

While it can be unsettling to think about all the possible scenarios, planning before colic happens could save your horse’s life.

alternative methods for euthanizing horses; EZL; New Test Could Improve EZL Diagnosis in Working Equids

Vet: Practitioners Need Alternative Methods of Euthanizing Horses

Alexandra Beckstett February 15, 2019

In some scenarios, such as when working in developing countries, veterinarians might not have access to powerful drugs or firearms to euthanize horses, one veterinarian says.

Being Prepared for Equine Euthanasia

Holly Mason, MS, DVM January 29, 2019

Plan ahead when it comes to making end-of-life decisions for your horse.

Owners Put Quality of Life First in Senior Horse Vet Care

Pat Raia July 24, 2018

Survey respondents said a geriatric horse’s ability to lead a comfortable life ranked highest in their veterinary care decisions, and many owners said they’d made numerous accommodations for their animals’ needs.