This is my take on both since I've done both. Chemical is fine for an animal that is already dying. Can be bad for horses like mine that are high energy. The higher they are the harder to drug. I'm the same way.

I put down my old mare last fall. She was healthy and in good shape. I had her shot because I just knew chemical would go bad given her personality.. Distrustful,  hotter than a pistol, can't be separated, if you've ever worked with one you know the type. Couldn't be drugged enough even to do a float.

She died with her nose in the bucket while I held her lead. I turned my back never saw and never looked back. (That's because I was running across the pasture bawling my head off.)






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