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An exploration of the factors that lead to the decision being made to euthanase a horse in the United Kingdom

An exploration of the factors that lead to the decision being made to euthanase a horse in the United Kingdom


Having a horse put to sleep can be a very difficult and emotional time. The decision may be made by one person alone or be arrived at in consultation with a group of people involved with the horse's care and management. Your participation in this survey would be greatly appreciated whether you are a horse owner or a professional working in the sector.

The purpose of this survey is to explore the circumstances that lead to the difficult decision being made to have a horse put to sleep in the UK. The results of this survey will help to inform guidance and advice that can be used to support other people that may have to make this decision in the future. 

If you have recently been involved in making the decision to have an individual horse put to sleep, we would be extremely grateful if you could spare 5-10 minutes to complete this survey. If you have had to make this decision for more than 1 horse, please complete the survey only for the horse that was most recently put to sleep.

This survey has been approved by the Royal Veterinary College's Clinical Research Ethical Review Board (unique reference number 2015 1405). Participation in the study is entirely voluntary, you have the right to withdraw at any time and do not have to answer specific questions that you may find difficult. The data collected will be stored securely and your identity and responses will remain anonymous.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the survey you can contact the primary researcher, Liane Crowther, by emailing lcrowther@rvc.ac.uk or alternatively you can contact her supervisor, Dr Charlotte Burn, by emailing cburn@rvc.ac.uk.

By completing this survey you consent to your responses being used in the research study.