Horse aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis): a water-based alternative

Aquamation is the common name for alkaline hydrolysis. You'll also see it marketed as water cremation or hydrocremation. It's a water-based alternative to flame cremation, and like private flame cremation, it can return your horse's remains to you. It's still uncommon for horses, but a small and growing number of providers offer it. This page explains what it is, how it differs from traditional cremation, and how to find a provider. If you already know you want it, you can browse the horse & equine cremation listings and ask providers in your region directly.

What aquamation actually is

Alkaline hydrolysis uses a heated solution of water and an alkali (typically potassium hydroxide) to gently break the body down through the same chemical process that happens in nature, only far faster. It uses no flame. What remains afterward is the mineral content of the bones, which is dried and processed into a fine, light-colored powder. This is the same kind of "ashes" you receive from flame cremation, often a slightly larger and lighter-colored amount.

Owners are usually drawn to it for two reasons: it's a lower-energy, lower-emission process than flame cremation, and many people find the idea of a water-based process gentler. The end result for you as an owner is the same in the way that matters most: with an individual aquamation, you get your horse's remains back.

How it differs from flame cremation

• Do you get the ashes back? Yes, with an individual aquamation, just as with private flame cremation. A shared or communal process generally does not return remains. This is the first thing to confirm with any provider.
• No flame, lower energy. The process runs at a far lower temperature than a flame crematory and uses no combustion, which is the main environmental draw.
• The remains look a little different. Aquamation typically yields a somewhat larger volume of finer, paler powder than flame cremation. Nothing is burned away, so only the bone mineral is left. Many providers will tell you this up front.
• Pricing works the same way. Like flame cremation, equine aquamation is generally quoted by the animal's weight or as a flat rate by size, with pickup and transport billed separately. There's no national price, so compare providers. See horse cremation cost & what to expect for how to read a quote.

Why it's still rare for horses

Alkaline hydrolysis equipment that can handle a full-size horse is expensive and large, and the practice is regulated differently from state to state. Some places permit it readily, while others are still catching up. Because of that, the providers who offer it for large animals are far fewer than those who offer flame cremation, and the nearest one may be a long way off. If aquamation matters to you, it's worth calling ahead early and asking specifically whether they can accommodate a horse, since many crematories that advertise aquamation only handle small companion animals.

What this directory lists

Most providers in this directory offer flame cremation, which remains the standard option for horses and large animals. Aquamation is the exception, not the rule. So where a listed provider offers it for large animals, that's worth knowing. One example is a public university service: Cornell University's HydroCremation program, which offers alkaline hydrolysis for horses and large animals and is open to the public, not just to its own clinic's clients. You'll find it among the horse & equine cremation listings. We mark each provider with the cremation types they confirm on their own pages, so you can tell at a glance who offers what. When a provider doesn't state it, we keep the record as unknown rather than guess.

Questions to ask a provider

• Do you offer aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis) for a full-size horse, not just small pets?
• Is it individual, so I get my own horse's remains back?
• How is it priced, by weight or a flat rate, and is pickup and transport extra?
• How far do you travel, and what is the timeline from pickup to return of remains?
• How should I prepare if my horse was euthanized with a barbiturate? (Always disclose this.)

Where to go next

Browse the horse & equine cremation listings and contact providers in your region to ask whether they offer aquamation. If you're still weighing your options, see horse burial vs. cremation, and if burial on your own land is one of the options you're weighing, horse burial laws by state gives your state's own rule with the statute cited, including the depth and setback limits that decide whether it is even possible. If you've just lost a horse and need the immediate steps, see what to do when a horse dies. For how this directory is compiled and how we handle confirmed versus unconfirmed details, see About & methodology.

This page is general guidance, not veterinary, legal, or financial advice. Your veterinarian and your local authorities are the right source for the rules and options that apply to you.