Had To Dig My First Horse Grave With My BX24

[thavil]

I purchased my BX24 three years ago to perform many duties on our small horse farm. One of the duties I had hoped to never have to do was to dig a grave for one of our horses. Unfortunately, this past Thursday evening, one of my wife's horses had a severe case of colic and she had to put her down after the vet worked on the horse from over an hour.

Digging the grave was harder than I thought it would be with my small tractor but I got it done with the help of a friend that has excavator experience. I learned a lot of technics from him while he was digging and should be able to handle it myself the next time. From start to finish, it took me 5 hours to dig 6' deep and to backfill the hole. Another thing that I learned that night was that my el cheapo magnetic mount light didn't work very well. The magnet wasn't strong enough to stay on the ROPS and the light fell and disconnected the wires. The next day, I ordered the light set from BXpanded that I should have bought in the first place.

 

[snpower]

So sorry you had to perform that somber duty...

 

[bullbreaker]

Tod
Real sorry to hear about your familys loss.
Hope this helps in some way.
Hoofbeats In Heaven, Horse Loss Support

Boone

 

[redsox1]

Last week had to do the same for our dog of eleven years. Sad work but also kind of therapy at the same time. Sort of like taking care of him for the last time.

 

[roadhawk]

Sorry to hear about that. It's a tough thing to have to do.

 

[Deano]

Very sorry to here this Tod.

Give Sheila our condolences.

Dean and Clyde

 

[Just2quickz28]

Sorry for the loss, animals become family members quickly.

I don't think my BX would be able to dig a horse grave on my property when the time does come, since I cant put a shovel in the ground without hitting rocks.

 

[davcog]

Truly sorry for you loss. The loss of pets is as hard as losing family. Small comfort that you could provide a dignified burial. I used my BX 23 to dig graves for two neighbors that lost large breed dogs last year. Dread the day when our two cats pass on.

 

[radioman]

sorry for your loss man.. it had to be the hardest seat time ever.

 

[thavil]

Thanks everyone for the kind words!! Unfortunately, there will be more to come in the future with having 3 more horses, 3 dogs, 3 cats and an african gray parrott (she will probably out live us). Digging will be easier but the losses won't.

 

[tcreeley]

A few years back we lost our 15 year old saddlebred to colic (vet put him down) and within a year our 28 year old Morgan (had him since he was 2). -Colic again and Vet put down. We finally figured out it was the hay off a field that the farmer had fertilized with sludge.

The saddlebred -Apple- was sobering - just lay there - couldn't get up. It was a mercy killing. Tiger the Morgan was a fighter, all night long jumping and trying to roll but I wouldn't let him. He couldn't pass anything- twisted a gut. We got the vet back in the morning. During the winter we found him cast in the barn when we got home from work, and got him over and up. Filled him with mineral oil and finally he passed the crap out. Poor guy - 5 degrees above O, week before Xmas, 7:30 PM and we are holding an IV bag while he stands and shivers. The pony too, they all had the runs and we thought it was the grain. Was the beautiful hay from the sludge field. -I've never since bought any hay from a field that had sludge. Turned it down Sunday- good looking hay but our local sludge guy once used that field.

Like losing a member of the family. I dug the holes - mini backhoe and rented backhoe. Covered with two feet of dirt. Big hole to make room for their legs.

-When my father died I found myself at his gravesite being the only one who could reasonably handle a shovel (everyone helped of course)- and digging a hole for his ashes (some oversight or something). I kept thinking of my horses as I dug his grave. There used to be an old family gravesite on the edge of the farm I grew up on - three stones - three sizes beside a brook.

 

[timswi]

Very sorry for your loss. I had to do the same thing for you 13 yr old Husky/Shepherd. January, midnight and pouring down rain. Dug the hole by 4way flasher. Not fun in many ways.

Had to bury the cat too, smaller hole, but not easier to do....i feel your pain.

I love dogs and cats, but also "hate" them because I know I'll have to face the day sooner or later. Had to put our Great Dane down last fall. He was in the hospital, so I paid them to handle the duties. Couldn't bear to bring a lifeless dog home. God knows what that would have done to the wife (and me).

Have to look into the lights you referenced.

 

[Digdug5240]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[thavil]

A few years back we lost our 15 year old saddlebred to colic (vet put him down) and within a year our 28 year old Morgan (had him since he was 2). -Colic again and Vet put down. We finally figured out it was the hay off a field that the farmer had fertilized with sludge.

The saddlebred -Apple- was sobering - just lay there - couldn't get up. It was a mercy killing. Tiger the Morgan was a fighter, all night long jumping and trying to roll but I wouldn't let him. He couldn't pass anything- twisted a gut. We got the vet back in the morning. During the winter we found him cast in the barn when we got home from work, and got him over and up. Filled him with mineral oil and finally he passed the crap out. Poor guy - 5 degrees above O, week before Xmas, 7:30 PM and we are holding an IV bag while he stands and shivers. The pony too, they all had the runs and we thought it was the grain. Was the beautiful hay from the sludge field. -I've never since bought any hay from a field that had sludge. Turned it down Sunday- good looking hay but our local sludge guy once used that field.

Like losing a member of the family. I dug the holes - mini backhoe and rented backhoe. Covered with two feet of dirt. Big hole to make room for their legs.

-When my father died I found myself at his gravesite being the only one who could reasonably handle a shovel (everyone helped of course)- and digging a hole for his ashes (some oversight or something). I kept thinking of my horses as I dug his grave. There used to be an old family gravesite on the edge of the farm I grew up on - three stones - three sizes beside a brook.

To be honest, I've never heard of fertilizing with sludge. My wife is the horse person and I'm just the hired help to do the manual labor. I do whatever she says to the farm. I'm not sure if anyone around here uses sludge but it's something to start asking when we buy hay from now on.

Sorry to hear about your loses, it's not easy. Ends up, we have since talked to the original owner of the horse and she has coliced twice before. She had a known issue (except we didn't know about it) where her ovaries enlarge when she's around male horses. Her last farm, she was only with mares but we had her with two geldings and one other mare. I guess her ovaries enlarged so much, it cut off all flow.

Very sorry for your loss. I had to do the same thing for you 13 yr old Husky/Shepherd. January, midnight and pouring down rain. Dug the hole by 4way flasher. Not fun in many ways.

Had to bury the cat too, smaller hole, but not easier to do....i feel your pain.

I love dogs and cats, but also "hate" them because I know I'll have to face the day sooner or later. Had to put our Great Dane down last fall. He was in the hospital, so I paid them to handle the duties. Couldn't bear to bring a lifeless dog home. God knows what that would have done to the wife (and me).

Have to look into the lights you referenced.

Thanks Tim for sharing your story. I received my lights yesterday from BXpanded but haven't put them on yet. Looking in the box, it appears to be a nice setup.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Thank you!