Bizarre US Forestry guide resurfaces that details how to blow up a horse

An old how-to guide of how to effectively blow up a horse has resurfaced online, leaving many scratching their heads and confused over how such a situation would ever occur.

The guide, first released by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service in 1995, comes complete with illustrations in case the need to blow up a horse ever actually comes about.

The guide, which was published for Forest Service employees, reveals that sometimes you just have to blow up a horse.

But why? Well, the guide also explains that.

United States Forest Service

Dead animals left in park or recreation areas may attract bears.

Bears may cause more animal carcasses, or could pose a risk to people using the park, so it means that dead animals should be moved by park rangers.

But what if removal isn't an option?

The guide explains that in remote areas or hard-to-access places where removal of the animal is not possible, it might be time for park rangers to reach for their handy 'Obliterating Animal Carcasses With Explosives' guide.

If time is not of the essence, the guide recommends rangers opt for 'dispersion'.

In other words, 'scattering parts of the corpse, rather than obliterating it'.

The guide then explains where to place the explosives on the horse to scatter the remains.

Useful, if you're in that very specific circumstance, we guess.

The guide also advises parks employees to remove any horseshoes the animal may be wearing... to reduce the possibility of flying metal bits of shrapnel.

United States Forest Service

Horse shoes are supposed to be lucky... but not if they're flying at your head, apparently.

According to the guide: "Carcasses that have been dispersed will generally be totally gone within a few days."

Horses that have been 'partially obliterated will generally not show any trace of existence the next day', the guide claims.

If there a real sense of urgency to remove a dead horse, complete obliteration of the once-majestic creature can be required.

That requires a hell of a lot more explosives.

In cases where it's not possible to get explosives underneath the carcass, they recommend laying a hell of a lot more explosives on top of the horse.

How many explosives you ask?

Well the guide says that large animals carcasses can be adequately blown up with nine kilograms of explosives.

However, if you want to 'ensure total obliteration' they recommend 18 to 25 kilograms.

Thanks Forest Service.