End-of-life decisions are difficult enough where our beloved horses are concerned. But even when a kind, painless euthanasia is carried out in a quiet setting surrounded by loving caretakers, there is still the looming question of what to do with the remains. Under current Ontario law, horse owners are responsible for disposing of carcasses within 48 hours of death, or sooner if decay has set in. This creates a sense of urgency which compounds the grief horse owners endure.
Traditionally, equine remains were disposed of through unregulated on-farm burial if space allowed and equipment was available, or hiring a deadstock company to haul away the carcass for rendering, burial, or composting. More incineration services have become available in Quebec, Alberta and BC, but not in Ontario, where an unfortunate regulatory gap exists. Cremation is not explicitly listed as an approved method for deadstock disposal under Ontario Regulation 105/09, meaning it is not formally recognized as a standard disposal method.
Michelle Seberras and Kelsey Perry-Carlson are seeking to create a clear pathway for licensed equine cremation services to operate in Ontario, one that would make equine cremation a legal disposal method under Ontario’s Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 regarding Disposal of Deadstock. “The licensing pathway for equine cremation in Ontario is unclear and that’s a problem,” says Seberras. “Licenses exist for rendering facilities and for composting operations. The requirements are laid out clearly in the regulations. But for a cremation service focused on returning ashes to families? There’s regulatory uncertainty.”
“This isn’t about safety concerns. Modern cremation facilities can absolutely meet environmental and public health standards, they do it every day for companion animals like dogs and cats. It’s about a gap in the regulatory framework. The rules simply weren’t written with this service in mind.”
Ontario is the second-most populous province for horses after Alberta, with both hovering around the 300,000 mark. Of these, annual losses due to age, illness, injuries and colic are considerable. While there was a cremation facility in southwestern Ontario for a few years, it has since ceased operating, and the closest option for Ontario horse owners is Incimal in Berthiervile, Quebec. The overall cost can run to $5,000 or more, which includes transport costs (often $2,000+), cremation fees, and the return of ashes.
“Equine cremation will never be the least expensive option,” admits Seberras. “The logistics and equipment simply don’t allow for that. But there’s a significant difference between a fair, sustainable price and what some horse owners have experienced in recent years as options dwindled and desperation set in. What we’re advocating for is a regulated, accessible framework that allows for fair market pricing and real competition, because right now there is no real market. When there’s only one option and no regulatory oversight, there’s nothing stopping prices from reaching levels that feel predatory to grieving families.
“Horse owners deserve dignity in how they say goodbye, and that shouldn’t be contingent on how much money they have in their bank account at the worst moment of their lives.”
This is not Seberras’ first foray into bureaucratic red tape. In 2024, she and Juliana Heppler created Eternal Equine, a venture into mobile aquamation, an environmentally friendly, water-based process of dissolving the body in water, which takes less than a day and reduces the carbon footprint. They were under the impression that they had followed all the necessary steps to apply for a permit from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA, which has replaced OMAFRA) – only to discover that they couldn’t get a permit because cremation and aquamation are not even included in the regulations and are therefore not considered a ‘licensable activity.’
To expedite changing that status, Seberras and Perry-Carlson have been contacting elected officials and rallying the troops. “We’ve been focused on direct MPP engagement and building a credible coalition of veterinary and industry voices,” explains Seberras. “I have an upcoming meeting with an MPP, and we have formal letters of support from veterinarians, and we’re working with advisors to identify the clearest legislative pathway forward.” To help supporters follow their progress, the pair have launched an advocacy campaign Equine Cremation Awareness: A Dignified Option on Facebook.
Connie Osborne of the Communications Branch of OMAFA commented, “While there have been no recent amendments to legislation to include cremation, the ministry continues to assess opportunities to modernize its regulatory framework and engages with stakeholders as part of that ongoing work.” Once the wheels are in motion, however, change can still take a very long time, and would depend on the particular regulation. “Timelines for any potential regulatory change can vary widely based on its complexity and the level of analysis required.”
Seberras concludes, “Horses occupy a unique and painful space in our regulatory framework. They are our companions, our partners, our family members, and yet when they die, the law treats them as deadstock.” Fewer disposal options can mean delays in euthanizing horses and inadvertently creating suffering, while “watching a beloved horse age and knowing what’s coming with no dignified option in sight.”
“I hear from horse owners regularly who are carrying real grief, guilt, and dread, before and after loss. No one should have to feel that way. We wouldn’t accept that for any other member of our family, and it’s time the law caught up with the reality of what horses mean to the people who love them.”
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