Equine ghosts?

Oti_moo

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Firstly, this is an awesome thread, that has given me Goosebumps and a lump in my throat!

Secondly...I have experienced a number of spooky goings on (thankfully I seem to have grown out of it...) when I was about 8 years old I stayed at a friends house (her house backed on to mine and we knew the previous owners well) and I was woken in my sleep to a very cold hand, that was hanging off the bed, and the bean bag by the side of her bed moving (as if someone had got off of it) I then saw a stooped figure in a shawl distinctively shuffle round to the end of the bed and stop to stare at me panting as I sat up it disappeared :eek3:...I was very upset by this and had to go home immediately, I explained the experience to my mum who asked me to draw a picture of what I saw. She later told me I described to a tee the previous owners elderly mother who had lived and died in that very room!! She was old and walked hunched over, she always wore her shawl and she shuffled because her son had bought her a pair of slippers from Spain that were too big for her but she wouldn't take them off! she also panted due to Emphysema. It was all very scary at the time but I had met her in life a few times so it was easier to accept seeing a familiar face I guess :rolleyes3:

After that I seemed very tuned in to the spirit world for a long time it started effecting my sleep as I would wake up and 'see things' I used to scare the granny out of my mum though by coming downstairs telling her how lovely the woman at the top of the stairs in the flowery dress with blue was, as I'd just had a long chat to her! :D (mum is convinced this was her nan in her signature flowery dress!) I also a not so nice Military person at the end of my bed in Hungary, my Mum and I were staying in a castle and as soon as I walked in the room I had a bad feeling about it but couldn't pin point what, the curtains kept moving with no breeze and it had a hostile atmosphere. My mum and I pushed the 2 very heavy beds together (it took two of us to move it) and made a double bed. In the night I woke up to see a man in army uniform staring at me from the end of the bed, as I woke my mum up my bed moved a good 2 feet across the room!!:eek3: my mum said she also had someone whispering in her ear 'Gilbert' all night when we asked at reception the next day they denied any previous hauntings, my uncle did some research and the Castle was owned some centuries ago by the 'Gilbert' family who were notoriously of bad character, it has since been shut down as a hotel...I wonder if that's what old Gilbert wanted! :D

I also have a horsey one but not mine, my mums actually. My mums horse was tragically killed in a stable fire (suspected arson):( and she naturally found it really hard to come to terms with and was almost torturing herself with how much he must have suffered and how scared he must have been, eventually my dad took her to see someone (hard to explain what they were not past life regression, they kind of put you into a stupor and allowed the spirit world to contact you?!) and she was very sceptical about the whole thing saying it's a waste of time...anyway she went and did it and said it was the most surreal experience of her life, she was in a field on a sunny day (seems to be a theme there with our equine spooks!) and she saw a horse cantering towards her, she said it was my pony of the time but with a different canter (her horses) as she got nearer she turned into Zac and she walked with him for what felt like hours with her arm over his neck and he was talking to her without actually talking, almost like she was hearing his thoughts and he told her he was fine and in a lovely place and he hadn't suffered and had died from the smoke inhalation and hadn't felt the fire at all and not to worry about him etc.

Whether it was really him or a trick of her subconscious telling her what she wanted to hear, either way it did the job and put her mind at rest and helped her accept what had happened.

I would like to think they do live on in spirit our animal companions are often a huge part of our life it would be nice to know they stick around after to keep an eye on us! :eek:
 

fatpiggy

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On the yard where I used to keep my horse, her stable backed on to the indoor arena (shared a wall basically). One Sunday monring I was the only person around (as usual) and the yard gates were closed and bolted as my horse used to enjoy clopping about visiting others while I mucked out. But first she had to have her breakfast and as she was epileptic, the trigger for her fits being her breakfast, I used to feed her in the indoor arena where she could have a fit in ideal conditions - fairly dark if I didn't put the lights on, space, a soft landing and a solid wall to lean on. I watched her taking her first mouthfulls and everything was fine, so I left her to it and started mucking out. There were one or two small holes between the breeze blocks in the party wall so I could hear and see some of the interior of the school. After a few minutes I heard the distinctive sound of shoes ringing on trotting poles, so went to the main window and checked, but she was still munching happily. A few more minutes later I distinctly heard an entire jump being demolished, just the other side of the wall so in a panic rushed round to the doors only to find my horse having a nice snooze on the far side of the school and not a jump in sight, just a couple of plastic jump poles which don't make the same sound anyway - wood gives a distinct musical note when it strikes something. I didn't say a word to anyone for fear of being ridiculed , but about a year later mentioned it to the YO who had showjumpers and she told me one of her horses had been PTS in there.

When it was my horse's turn to go, it wasn't a particularly nice day, windy and grey, but as the vet said he was putting in the final injection and I was telling my old girl she must go and find her little pony buddy who had been PTS 3 years before, a ray of sun came from between the clouds and shone directly on the back of her ears. Even the vet commented on it. I'm sure that was indeed her little old friend opening the door for her. They were joined at the hip in life and the pony adored her.

Now roll on 18 months. Not quite a year ago my old cat suddenly had to be PTS (ironically by the same vet who had met my horse when he was a student some years back) and I didn't rush to replace her, for various reasons. This Easter I was thinking that now it was the time to go looking and wanted a rescue case and preferably a black cat as the sanctuaries struggle to rehome them (I adore black cats). I clicked on the website of the local independent sanctuary and there was a sad-eyed little black cat - with the same name as my horse! My mare was always very caring and gentle with any animal especially if she thought it needed her help and I am convinced she sent this little black beetle to me specially. I did change her name a tiny bit and she has turned out to be an absolute little poppet who makes me laugh again. Every morning as I pass the photo of my old girl at the bottom of the stairs I thank her for sending my new little pal. Curiously, I often find myself addressing the cat in the same way as I did my horse, but never my old cat, and it seems completely natural and the right thing to do. I'd give anything to see my lovely old girl once more, but I think she is happy "up there" with her friend, and this is her way of telling me she is ok.
 

misskk88

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Some lovely stories!

I wish I could see my old loan horse again, so I feel a bit sad that some people have had strong connections with their dreams/visions- The only dream I ever had was of him bucking me off and kicking me in the head- I should explain he would NEVER do such a thing!

The yard I keep my horse at is very old and many of the buildings have been knocked down and rebuilt. It is eery down there in the dark, as being in the middle of nowhere means if the electric cuts out- you are literally left feeling your way in the dark!

The two girls who work there were locking up one night. We leave a radio on when it is just staff and liveries around, and then switched this off at the mains. Walking away from it and back to the house, it suddenly switched back on again. They ignored it assuming they hadn't flicked the switch properly, but it came back on a second time. On walking around to the front yard and house, they were speaking with the YO, when the tack shed door slammed itself open and shut. No reason for it, no wind, no one else around!

There have been other goings on such as the feeling of being followed, foot steps on the yard when it is empty, doors in the house suddenly open when they were closed etc - although I am never there later than locking up and feeding time, I wouldn't want to hang around anyway!

I am a total wimp and have never experienced anything too scary myself, luckily!!! I sometimes in my parents house feel I am being watched and have had a night terror there of someone standing in the corner, all in black, who then ended up walking towards and kneeling beside me. I woke up screaming and it is the most vivid dream I have ever had the displeasure of having. I don't get this anywhere else. The only thing I can think is that it is my nan, who used to live directly next door, and was alway round looking after me.
 

STRIKER

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So speak to them, if you believe there is someone there speak to them, if they wre unhappy about your praence this will usually make them leave happier
 

Urban Horse

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I've made no secret of the fact that for the majority of my working life with horses, I've worked at the bottom end of the market... with those that were unwanted and unloved. One of the worst things about that part of the sector, is that you lose a very large number of those that you become attached to, and anyone considering a career in charity work should always remember that how you treat death is just as important as how you treat life, and while I have helped a few into this world, I've helped so many more into the next. :-((

It ws an open day, quite late in the season and quite late in the afternoon.... the visitor numbers had dwindled as time wore on, and there were only a few stragglers still going round and looking at the horses. The yard I ran was attached to the veterinary unit, we kept horses (both boxed and on the paddocks) that were too ill to be with their friends at their usual homes, but not really ill enough to be in the veterinary unit itself. It was generally believed that altogether we had some 1600 to 1700 horses all told, so there was never any shortage of patients waiting for our attention.

Among the last visitors that afternoon was a small group of elderly ladies and gents, and while they almost all passed quickly through the yard, one lady remained behind. She chatted to the three of us that were on duty that day, asking question after question about each horse's history, what their medical problem was, and the prognosis of each case... some sadly were spending their last few days with us before it was time for them to be put to sleep. The thing about this woman though was that, although her body and face were old (about 70 or so) her eyes were the brightest pale blue and seemed to sparkle from within... in fact they seemed out of place when compared with the rest of her.

After she'd seen every boxed horse she joined us at the entrance to the yard and chatted away... by this time her companions were some distance away, seemingly oblivious to the fact the she was no longer with them. We were keen for her to go so that we could get on the feeds and medications, and of course so we could get home. Finally she turned to us and asked "Is there anything you want?", to which our youngest lad said "Well yes,more pay would be nice!" The lady smiled at us and simply said "You might be men of straw, but to these horses you're worth your weight in gold!", and with that she started the journey to catch up with her companions... which was the strangest part of all. The three of us turned our backs on her for what just seemed like a few seconds or less, and by the time we turned back, she had already reached her party... it seemed she'd covered the distance (over 100yds or so, on a grass walkway) so quickly as to be almost impossible. To say that we were stunned would be an understatement.

That winter I was with the other chap that had been with me on that day, he was some years older than i, and was completely sane, sensible and down to earth... a sort of rock that you could rely on. We sat in the feed store chatting when, out of the blue, he asked if I remembered 'the elderly lady', to which I replied that it would be almost immpossible to forget her... then he said "Do you think the horses sent her to say 'thank you' to us?" I really didn't know how to answer that, and frankly all these years later I still can't answer that question... Could the gratitude of 1600 horses produce the image of an elderly lady, or did she come from somewhere higher... appearing in that form so as not to alarm us. I still don't know, but a few days after her visit, I sat down and wrote this (unusual for me 'cos I don't do poetry)...


For those that have given up, I am hope.
For those that are in peril, I am sanctuary.
For those that are hungry, I am food.
For those that grow weary, I am a warm straw bed.
For those in pain, I am medicine.
For those that are lost, I am shepherd.
For those that have no words, I am justice.
For those that live in fear, I am a warm hand and calming word.
For those that are alone, I am friend.
For those that seek guidance, I am leader.
For those that seek knowledge, I am teacher.
While for those that wish to share, I am student.

For those whose teetering legs carry them to their first sunrise,
I am all these things.
And for those who have reached the end,
I am the hooded angel of death.

But above all these things, I am love.

To man, I am but a man of straw…
To horse, I’m worth my weight in gold.
For I am horseman, nothing less, nor nothing more…
 

Chris&TheBoys

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For those that have given up, I am hope.
For those that are in peril, I am sanctuary.
For those that are hungry, I am food.
For those that grow weary, I am a warm straw bed.
For those in pain, I am medicine.
For those that are lost, I am shepherd.
For those that have no words, I am justice.
For those that live in fear, I am a warm hand and calming word.
For those that are alone, I am friend.
For those that seek guidance, I am leader.
For those that seek knowledge, I am teacher.
While for those that wish to share, I am student.

For those whose teetering legs carry them to their first sunrise,
I am all these things.
And for those who have reached the end,
I am the hooded angel of death.

But above all these things, I am love.

To man, I am but a man of straw…
To horse, I’m worth my weight in gold.
For I am horseman, nothing less, nor nothing more…[/I]

This bought a tear to my eye. Beautiful, thank you :)
 

debbielinder

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About 6 years ago my auntie had recently taken over a riding school livery yard. There's a indoor school and at one end is our private yard. The indoor has doors at each end that are locked of a night. One morning we came in about 7 and a livery who had her horse on our little yard came running across the car park frantic saying she couldn't believe we had locked a horse in the indoor over night she'd heard it galloping around whinnying kicking the walls. When we opened up nothing there she was scared senseless. There used to be CCTV in there and before we moved on they used to turn horses out in there and often a big chestnut horse could be seen in with the herd but they never had a big chestnut. If we ever have to have horses pts it tends to be done in the indoor school so could be several horsey ghosts in there.
 

LittleOwl

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Not horse, but cat related. I've often had a strong feeling of cats hopping on my bed in their certain way after they've gone and turned over to see if its just one of the other cats on my bed and my door is closed.
We lost our cat of a lifetime (I'm not sure if thats a phrase people use but I'm sure I'll never have one quite like him again) last August and his friend who we still have often goes to sit on his grave. We put him there as its a spot he liked to sit on, so maybe our other cat likes it for the same reason he did, but he adored the cat we lost and it brings a tear to my eye every time I see him sitting there.
We lost a kitten yesterday and I woke up to the sound of him meowing this morning but I'm sure it was just a dream. Maybe its because we don't like the idea that they're completely gone
 

catembi

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Yep. Catembi (in avatar) was PTS in 2007. I had a new horse, Adrian, & was poo picking. Adrian was wandering over, then he suddenly stopped & put his ears back & did a face at... nothing. Catembi was there, just for a fleeting instant. It was as if Adrian was saying, 'go away - she's *mine* now'.

The equine communicator that I use says that animals can't always tell the difference between living creatures & ghosts, & that Adrian had seen Cat before & wondered who he was.

T x
 

Marymary

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3 years ago I lost my lovely boy, was awful as it was down to the incorrect treatment he was given by our then vet. Anyway a few days after he was PTS I was sweeping in the yard - they are internal boxes and my others that where in all started shouting and became restless..I looked up turned round and there he was standing by his box :( it totally freaked me out and was so upset.

Fast forward about 3 weeks later we had builders on the yard , we hadnt mentioned we had lost my horse and I was having lunch one dinner time when they came rushing to the kitchen to tell me 'your black cob is out on the yard' I didnt have any other black cobs apart from the one I had lost ..the builders where then totally freaked out and where adamant it was him.

Shortly before he died we had finished our new arena , everything had always worked well in it no silliness or spookiness, since Jack went we have had trouble with everything spooking at a particular corner , the other side of that corner behind a bank is the field Jack went out in a lot. I always make a point of saying Good morning etc as I approach that corner now for the first time each day and then I never have any trouble at all.
 

Hvickery

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we had a beautiful Contender horse put down and still have his ashes at our yard. A few times I have walked in the yard and he has been standing looking at me but as you walk closer, fades away. It's not spooky to me, more like he's checking up on his yard, he was a real character.
 

*hic*

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Early this morning as I opened the dining room door, my little grey tabby cat sneaked out and ran up the stairs. She died earlier this year.
 

Alexart

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One of my cats jumped on the kitchen table once while my sister and i were doing our homework, my parents were standing cooking supper, we just stared at him, he leapt off the table and over the dog gate and onto a table by the kitchen door, he knocked the vase off it and raced off upstairs. He'd been pts a year before! I've had a few cats jump on my bed in the night and start faffing about, only for me to suddenly realise the door is shut and there is no cat in the room!:D Horse wise I haven't seen anything but one of my TB mares had a massive pulmonary or aortic rupture a week ago right in front of us and went from being fine and trotting about to dead in under 4 mins. I've watched the 4 remaining horses we have and they take it in turns to stand by her grave, and in a rain storm last week they were standing in a row just down from where she's buried with a big gap between her 2 best buddies, it was like the missing soldier type thing so I'm sure she's still about.
I've seen people ghosts too, I forgot my car keys at our last house and went back to the front door and i happened to glance up to my sisters bedroom window and there was an old lady looking down, we knew the 500 year old cottage was haunted though as the cats used to walk around and stare at things on the stairs instead of going straight up, and you'd often get a very strong smell of lavender.

I think the creepiest place I've ever been was the old vicotorian mental asylum in carlisle just before it was demolished, we bought some cast iron radiators from there, but when I first went to pick them I took my dog. I've never seen such strong reactions in an animal, he growled at empty hallways, some of the rooms we had to drag him past as he wouldn't budge and just kept staring into the empty cells, he refused to go into the bathrooms - mind you all the hair stood up on my neck too - he went bonkers in the main hall and was growling, barking and whining as if people were poking him, we left pretty quickly as it just felt like there were lots of people watching you, he was a usually very chilled out dog who never batted an eye at anything!!
 

ROLEXLOVER127

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well this is a very old forum but I still wanted to say something! About six months ago I saw a dun or buckskin horse ( no buckskins / duns) in One of the fields at my stables we have 8 mares ( in our herd ) and there were 9 horses and just today I spoke to the barn owner about it and she said it was her old horse belle

Once when I was the barn getting my hat after turning out the horse I was riding and I heard the sound of horses eating and walking around in their stalls when ofc all the horses were turned out .


my final thing is I quite often Hear a horse and cart go by in the middle of the night and the sound of men shouting

But they are all my Equine paranormal activity things
 
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