The death of a horse or pony is one of the most distressing events that an equine owner can experience, and in the immediate aftermath of a loss, understanding what must be done can feel overwhelming. Martland’s Fallen Stock provides a compassionate and professional animal by-product collection service for equine owners across the UK, handling the practical and regulatory aspects of equine carcass disposal with efficiency and sensitivity. Whether you are a private horse owner, a livery yard operator, a stud farm, or a riding school, this guide covers your obligations and how Martland’s Fallen Stock can help.
Legal Obligations for Equine Carcass Disposal
Horses and ponies are classified as livestock under UK law, and their carcasses are subject to the same animal by-product regulations that govern the disposal of other farm livestock. This means that equine carcasses must be disposed of through approved channels – they cannot be buried in a field or garden in most circumstances.
Equine owners must notify the relevant passport-issuing organisation when a horse dies, and the horse’s passport must be submitted following death. In addition to this, the carcass must be collected by an approved animal by-product collector and transported to an approved processing facility. Martland’s Fallen Stock is fully approved to collect equine carcasses and handles all collection documentation, making it straightforward to demonstrate compliance with the regulations.
The Practical Challenges of Equine Collection
Horses are among the largest animals that fall within the scope of the animal by-product regulations, and the practical logistics of equine carcass collection reflect this. An adult horse can weigh between 400 and 600 kilograms, and collecting a carcass of this size requires specialist vehicles and lifting equipment. Martland’s Fallen Stock operates purpose-built vehicles with the appropriate loading systems to handle large equine carcasses safely and with minimum disturbance to you and your property.
For equine owners, it is worth confirming with Martland’s Fallen Stock that access to the location where the horse has died is suitable for the collection vehicle. Horses that die in stables or in enclosed yards may require additional consideration in terms of access and manoeuvrability, and the Martland’s Fallen Stock team will always work to find the most practical solution.
Arranging Collection Quickly and Compassionately
In the difficult hours following the loss of a horse, the last thing most owners want to deal with is navigating complex logistics. Martland’s Fallen Stock understands this, and the team handles the practical aspects of collection with sensitivity and efficiency. When you make contact, the Martland’s Fallen Stock team will need to know the location of the horse, its approximate size and weight, and any access considerations at your property.
Having the Martland’s Fallen Stock contact details saved in advance – before a loss occurs – means that in a difficult moment, you can make a single call and leave the logistics in experienced hands. Martland’s Fallen Stock aims to provide prompt collection that minimises the distress of a difficult situation while ensuring full regulatory compliance.
Supporting Equine Welfare Through Correct Disposal
Beyond the individual obligations of equine owners, the correct disposal of equine carcasses through Martland’s Fallen Stock and the approved processing system plays a genuinely important role in protecting equine health more broadly. Disease transmission between equine premises through inadequate carcass disposal is a real risk, and the regulated collection and processing system provides important protection for the wider equine population.
For livery yard operators, riding schools, and stud farms, establishing a clear fallen stock policy that names Martland’s Fallen Stock as the approved collection provider ensures that when a loss occurs, it can be handled quickly, correctly, and with minimum disturbance to the other animals and people on your premises.
Here are some of the other regional areas we cover. Click a link below to find out more:
Lancashire Fallen Stock Collection Service
Greater Manchester Fallen Stock Collection Service
Merseyside Fallen Stock Collection Service
Wirral Fallen Stock Collection Service
North Wales Fallen Stock Collection Service
Cheshire Fallen Stock Collection Service
