Awareness of hospice for horses is growing as we challenge traditional beliefs
I never set out to be a spokesperson for hospice care to a natural death for horses. I always knew that euthanasia didn’t resonate with me, but I had no intention of speaking about alternatives publicly. But listening to the senior horses in my care, and four horse deaths later brought the topic to front and center. Only for the love of the horse and what I learned from them about dying am I willing to stick my neck out.
How My Journey Into Horse Hospice Began
Twenty years ago I got back into horses as an adult through volunteering with a non-profit. I fell in love again with the horses, but I decided that I would never have my own horse. I didn’t believe in euthanasia, and I also knew that horses were big animals. Dramatic things could happen, and euthanasia could come on the table. I took care of that pesky problem by deciding to never have my own horse. Then I could avoid the entire topic. I would enjoy volunteering and being around horses, but never have full responsibility, never have to deal with the end of life.