Our Services
Transport
We will carefully collect your cherished companion with our specialized equipment and deliver them to a location of your choosing or to our farm for composting.
Composting
Composting is a sensible way to handle deceased equines and the only option for mortality that recycles our companions in a renewable manner.
Planning
Provide peace of mind while you enjoy your companion. Being responsible stewards means knowing your after-death options and having a plan in place.
Transport
Gone are the days of rendering trucks with their clanking chains and their nonexistent dignity. While they may provide a necessary service for the ag industry, renderers are no longer allowed to collect equine mortality in Minnesota.
We are proud to address this glaring void and offer a gentle collection and transport service. With the help of glides, winches, and a heaping amount of affection, we will load your horse onto our enclosed trailer in a manner befitting the cherished animal they are.
Once the horse is securely loaded, we will transport them to a location of the owner’s choosing. You can rest assured that when it comes time to unload, we will do so with the utmost of care and attention.
Should you choose to take advantage of our composting service, your friend will be brought to our personal acreage and cared for by our family as if they were our own.
Transport glide illustration
Composting
Composting is a logical option for mortality “disposal.” It is legal, can be done year-round, and it is the only option in Minnesota that recycles equine mortality in a renewable manner. The lack of emissions and adverse environmental effects is the cherry on top!
Why Compost?
We must navigate life and loss with integrity.
As stewards of the land and our animals, we have a responsibility to do right by our horses and the environment.
Composting is the only regenerative and environmentally conscious option available to Minnesota horse owners.
Planning
Enjoy the now — even if it’s spent searching for that lost fly mask, horseshoe, or favorite hoof pick.
The first phase of planning involves knowing your options. In Minnesota, the Board of Animal Health governs and indicates that the approved, state-level disposal methods for horses, sheep, goats, etc. include composting, rendering*, landfill, incineration, and burial.
Next you should ask yourself some key questions, such as:
BURIAL Can and do I want to bury?
Do I have the equipment to create a deep enough hole and humanely move the body?
What are the local/state regulations in place that govern where I can bury on my property?
CREMATION
What are the environmental effects of emissions?
What facilities accept horses?
Can I afford to dispose of my horse via cremation?
LANDFILL
What landfill(s) are near to me and do they accept horses?
Do I have a way to get my horse there? How will I get my horse on and off the trailer?
COMPOSTING
Do I find value in the concept of regeneration and the opportunity to recycle nutrients?
How does it feel to consider that the loss of my horse was not insignificant, but rather useful and that something beautiful could come of it?
Would I be interested in collecting some of my animal’s compost? Think of your vegetable and flower gardens… or tree plantings? Let your horse live on!
Knowing you have planned for loss will make your time together that much more enjoyable. Contact us today, while your horse is healthy, to bring yourself that peace of mind.
*rendering facilities will not collect horses in Minnesota
Burial considerations
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The Board of Animal Health regulates disposal in Minnesota. State regulations include:
Bottom of hole must be 5 feet above seasonal high-water level
50 ft from property line and tile drain line
150 ft from water supply well
1,000 ft from lakes and ponds, 300 ft from rivers, streams, and wetlands
not allowed on properties with Karst features, sinkholes, disappearing streams, caves, or flood-prone areas.
Furthermore, “burial in sandy areas or areas within 10 feet of bedrock should be avoided.”
Refer to MN Board of Animal Health’s website for most up-to-date requirements.
Call Gopher State One Call before digging.
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Excavation equipment must be able to create a deep and wide enough hole to accommodate the body and ensure there is at least 3 feet of soil above the body.
Other tools may include webbing straps for maneuvering the body and implements to transport to on-site burial location.
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Conducive weather conditions. Digging a deep enough hole is difficult, if not impossible, during cold weather portions of the year.
Equipment that will provide sensitive transport to the burial site.
Time considerations: animals that die in Minnesota must be disposed of within 72 hours. If you are unable to bury immediately after death, is there a secure and safe location to house the body until burial? Take care to ensure there is no opportunity for scavenging and it is held in a private location.
The information on this page and website is intended to be a starting point for your planning. We do not and cannot guarantee the information shared here. Please consult your local oversight agencies for the most up-to-date information.
Note: Consult your city ordinance for household pets and local animal control for wild animals