Auction Sale
Absolutely the worst choice of all. Your horse's future is taken completely out of your hands for the sake of a few dollars. He might end up with someone who will love him as much as you, but there is a greater chance that his value will continue to degrade and he will end up at the slaughterhouse. Once the gavel falls you've lost your horse forever.

Individual Sale
If your horse is valued at $2,000 or more, this is a consideration. You will reclaim some of your investment and you might be able to insert certain clauses into the sales contract that offer a minimum of protection for your horse, such as a first buyback option. Such a sales contract MUST be written by an attorney and may still not hold up in court. Consider what might happen if your horse loses most or all of its value due to a permanent injury or illness. The new owners might decide to take the horse to the auction or might sell it to someone who has no knowledge of horses.

Lease
Far better than a sale, and usually on a temporary basis, a lease will allow you time to reconstruct your circumstances so you can bring your horse home again or allow you time to find a better situation for him. For more detail, read Leasing your Horse

Give It Away
That wonderful child that hangs around your barn, that older couple that says they love your horse, are they an option? Again, once ownership is transferred, you've lost complete control. The child grows up, the older couple becomes too old to care for the horse and your friend's future becomes very uncertain. We never recommend giving a horse away.

Donation
There are a number of options in this area for you to consider, particularly if your horse is healthy. Throughout the United States there are a few Retirement Ranches, hundreds of Equine Rescue and Welfare Organizations, Therapeutic Riding Centers, Equine Related Mental Health Facilities and other places that might provide a home for your horse. For more detail, see Donating your Horse

Euthanasia
Never a pleasant thought, but putting your horse down might be the most humane and considerate action you could take. People who know about horses don't want a horse with physical problems. Rescues such as Habitat for Horses often spend many times over the value of a horse to bring it back to a comfortable condition but still cannot find someone to adopt it.

You may find, after searching long and hard, that there is simply no place for your horse and that the possibility of your best friend ending up in a bad situation or being sent to slaughter is very real. Letting him gently pass away is a far better alternative than an uncertain future that might hold starvation, beatings and a downward slide into the pits of a slaughterhouse.

There are several things to consider prior to the final act, including cremation, burial and rendering. For more details read Euthanasia - The Final Option

Disposal
After euthanasia comes the problem of properly disposing of the body. What are the options? The least expensive methods? For more details read Disposal

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