Horse cremation in De Pere
Losing a horse is a practical emergency as well as a heartbreak. This guide for De Pere covers the first hours, the truck, the costs and the keepsakes you'll want to save.
- Honest costs for De Pere horse owners
- Individual cremation, confirmed in writing
- Tail, mane and shoe keepsakes
De Pere, Wisconsin
Barns, farms and distance around De Pere
Late-season blizzards and the long freeze leave pasture lanes impassable for stretches, and the March and April thaw turns heavy red clay into a trap for trucks. If you're caring for an old gelding or a retired dairy cow, pick a reachable, level spot near a hard-surfaced drive before any crisis, and line up someone with a tractor or plow who can open it on short notice.
South of De Pere, Brown County opens into some of Wisconsin's most intensive dairy country, with big freestall barns alongside smaller family farms and horse acreages. Because livestock is such a large part of the local economy, rendering and dead-stock pickup are well-established here. Owners who want a horse, calf or goat cremated with ashes returned will usually need a specialty facility, sometimes a fair drive away.
Rural owners around De Pere often have more options than city boarders: space to bury, room to compost, neighbors with the right machinery. What they may not have is a crematory nearby. If you want your horse's ashes back, expect a long haul and budget for it; if you don't, burial or a renderer may be quicker and much cheaper, and you can still keep a tail braid and a shoe.
De Pere is home to about 25,590 people, the 33rd-largest of the 50 Wisconsin communities we cover.
De Pere sits within easy reach of Green Bay (7 miles, a larger centre), Howard (10 miles) and Kaukauna (14 miles). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from De Pere; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
70.7%[1]
The NFDA projected Wisconsin's cremation rate at 70.7% for 2024.
6.6 million[2]
There were an estimated 6.6 million horses in the United States in 2023, down from 7.2 million in 2017.
$600-$1,000[3]
Cremating a 1,000-pound horse was reported to cost about $600-$1,000, depending on location and the price of propane.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
To check the figures yourself, see Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) and Embrace Pet Insurance.
Cremation in Wisconsin, and where horses fit
Cremation is the norm for about 70.7%[1] of people in Wisconsin, so plenty of families have already used a local pet crematory for a dog or cat, and it's the first number they ring when the horse dies. Most will kindly say they can't help, because their chamber is far too small. They'll often know who can, though, so the call isn't wasted.
The Wisconsin percentage above is from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for De Pere, not as a count of pets.
How the season changes your options in De Pere
In January, when lows average around 11°F, a body left overnight can freeze to the ground and set stiff with the legs straight out, which makes loading much harder. If you can, have your horse moved onto a heavy tarp or closer to where the truck will park soon after death, while the body can still be positioned.
Some owners around De Pere cremate in winter and bury or scatter the ashes in spring. It's a gentle compromise: nothing has to happen at a grave while the ground is frozen, and when the weather turns you can choose a spot you'll want to visit. A horse returns a lot of ash, roughly 38.5 lb[5] for an 1,100 lb horse on our estimate, so there's plenty to share.
Horse aftercare prices for De Pere owners
Extension specialists have reported about $600-$1,000[3] to cremate a 1,000 lb horse, depending on location and the price of propane. That's before transport, which is often the second-biggest line on a quote in De Pere because equine crematories are few and far apart. The table shows every main option, since many owners compare cremation with burial, rendering and composting before deciding.
We keep the detailed Wisconsin price table on one page so it stays current: see Wisconsin prices.
Free tool
Horse aftercare cost comparison
Compare equine cremation, burial, rendering and composting side by side.
Burial and disposal rules in Wisconsin
Some places write very exact rules. Minnesota, for instance, wants a buried horse kept 5 feet above the high water level, under 3 feet of soil[7] (University of Minnesota Extension). Others rely on general guidance. Find out which kind Wisconsin has before anyone digs, because a precise rule is easy to break by accident.
To find your county or city office in Wisconsin, start with the official Wisconsin local government directory.
The Wisconsin page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. De Pere's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
A plan you can leave at the barn
- Decide what you want back: ashes, a grave you can visit, or keepsakes only. That one choice narrows the options fast.
- Check what exists near you: a crematory that takes horses, a rendering plant or fallen-stock service, someone with a backhoe, or space to compost.
- Check the rules with your county, state or council on burying or composting at home, and do it before you decide.
- Get two written quotes for your chosen route, both covering pickup from where the horse is.
- Ask the hard questions: will my horse be cremated alone, what tag or record follows the body, and will every bit of ash come home?
- Take keepsakes before collection, whichever route you choose.
- Plan for the ashes: expect somewhere around 33 to 55 lb back from a horse, which no ordinary urn will hold.
Keeping your horse's memory close to home
Cremating one horse or heifer by itself is costly, with the bill driven largely by pounds and miles. Before agreeing, get a breakdown in writing for the farm collection, the cremation and getting the remains back to De Pere, and ask whether a family member may be there when the animal is loaded. Owners who opt for rendering often keep a keepsake anyway, perhaps a show halter or a Brown County Fair ribbon.
run the numbers with the free planning tools, Our services overview lays out every option side by side, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, or compare your instinct with the poll results. More local pages: Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton, the Wisconsin overview and every city in the United States.
Reader polls
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Free tools to help you plan
Horse aftercare cost comparison
Compare equine cremation, burial, rendering and composting side by side.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Questions people ask
Which nearby towns can I compare with De Pere?
The closest communities we cover are Green Bay (about 7 miles), Howard (about 10 miles) and Kaukauna (about 14 miles). Providers based in those places often serve De Pere too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Why does the De Pere page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 70.7%[1] of Wisconsin residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
How does De Pere's weather affect horse aftercare?
July is the hottest month in De Pere, with average highs around 81°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March, November and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
Who collects a dead horse near De Pere?
It depends on what operates locally: an equine crematory, a renderer or fallen-stock hauler, a contractor with a backhoe for burial, or sometimes a landfill that accepts horses. Your large-animal vet will know which of these actually come out to farms around De Pere. Ask them now, while there's no hurry, and keep the numbers in the barn office.
Can I bury my horse on my own land in Wisconsin?
Often yes, with conditions. Rules usually cover depth, soil cover, distance from wells, streams and property lines, and how quickly burial must happen. National extension guidance suggests a trench about 9 ft deep[8]. Check with your county or the Wisconsin agriculture department before digging, and remember that you can't take a grave with you if you ever sell the land.
Is rendering available near De Pere?
It depends on where you are. Only about 50%[9] of US states have rendering plants, most of them in the Midwest, and some no longer accept horses or charge more for euthanized ones because of drug residues. Where it's available, pickup typically costs $75-$200[10]. Ask your vet or the state agriculture office whether a renderer serves De Pere.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Wisconsin's cremation rate at 70.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] There were an estimated 6.6 million horses in the United States in 2023, down from 7.2 million in 2017. American Horse Council - 2023 National Equine Economic Impact Study release, 2023.
- [3] Cremating a 1,000-pound horse was reported to cost about $600-$1,000, depending on location and the price of propane. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] A 1,100 lb horse would be expected to return roughly 38.5 lb of cremated remains (plausible range 33-55 lb). Our estimate: 1,100 lb x 3.5% (range 3%-5%). How we calculate.
- [6] A 1,100 lb horse uses about 73% of a 1,500 lb animal incinerator load, so large-animal units generally cremate one horse at a time. Our estimate: 1,100 / 1,500 x 100. How we calculate.
- [7] Minnesota Board of Animal Health rules require buried horses to be 5 feet above the high water level, covered with 3 feet of soil, and in soils more than 10 feet from bedrock. University of Minnesota Extension - Horse carcass disposal (Martinson & Wilson, reviewed 2022), 2022.
- [8] Extension guidance recommends a horse burial trench about 7 feet wide and 9 feet deep, covered by 3-4 feet of soil, and no fewer than 100 yards from wells and streams. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
- [9] Only about 50% of U.S. states have rendering plants, most of them concentrated in the Midwest. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
- [10] Rendering companies typically charge a pickup fee of $75-$200 to remove a horse carcass, depending on location. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
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