Recently the Good HorsePerson received an email asking advice for helping a good friend mourn the loss of her long-time equine companion. While everyone grieves differently, here are a few thoughts about managing the death of an equine partner:
Since it's usually fairly difficult to arrange for a burial site for a horse, it may be appropriate to come up with other mementos to honor the memory and the partnership between horse and owner. You might consider saving a lock of mane or tail to create a piece of memorial jewelry or shadowboxing a pair of the horse's shoes.
Sometimes equine-specific sympathy cards can be found at local tack shops, but if not, Hoofprints.com has a selection of well-written cards to choose from. At the Hoofbeats In Heaven website, you can create a memorial webpage with photos to celebrate the story of horse and rider.
Washington State University offers some tips on how to support grieving pet owners.
Finally, here is a link to a Yahoo Group specifically for those people who are grieving the loss of their horse.
If you've come up with a unique horse memorial idea or have found another web resource, please leave a comment here to share with us all!
