Horses mourning?

[pippixox]

Hi
What is everyone’s experience of horses mourning? My three were a close mini herd. They saw socks being put to sleep this morning and were apparently calm. No calling. This afternoon I’ve put them back out and my old boy suddenly took off across the big winter field calling out. He was standing still by the fence instead of grazing when I left 30 mins ago. He has my mare who he has been with for 7 years but he has been close to socks’s for the past 3.5 years since he joined them.

I guess this is an inevitable part of the grief process. Calling for what he has lost even though he saw him go. Made me burst into tears for the first time since socks went at 10am. As it’s heartbreaking to see your remaining horses upset.

 

[blitznbobs]

I always let my horses see the dead body ... they seem to get over it quicker - usually after a day or two they seem back to normal.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm sorry for your loss. My experience is that horses do mourn lost friends, even if they've seen the deed done and been allowed to sniff the body afterwards. It's heartbreaking for us as owners, but they do get over it in time.

 

[Asha]

When Harry was PTS his sister was by his side, and his mum and friends where at the gate watching. They all sniffed him when he had passed. They stayed with him for a bit, and the next day all had a mad gallop around the field. After a couple of days they settled down but his mum really was very depressed for a good 2 weeks. The others where fine ( even his sister who was also his best mate) . I hope your boy brightens up soon.

 

[Snowfilly]

Sorry for your loss. Most of ours have been a bit subdued for a couple of days afterwards, calling and occasionally fence walking. In general, they recovered better if the horse had been sick or elderly beforehand; I think they understand illness and death better than we give them credit for.

We had a stallion who was totally besotted with his favourite mare, who was PTS after a foaling mishap. He stood guard over her body all night and we had to lead him away before she was collected. He didn't eat for several days, lost weight and took several months to recover his 'sparkle' although he hadnt reacted to the death of the elderly gelding he'd been living with previously.

I think like humans they process things differently and feel different levels of grief. I hope you and your herd find peace soon. Xx

 

[pippixox]

I hope so too. I knew he would miss him. My mare will too a bit but she has always been more aloof. Just adds to the heart break and now paranoid he will injure himself! But more likely to get worked up if I brought him back in really so felt he was safer out like normal tonight.

 

[vmac66]

Sp sorry for your loss.
When I had my horse pts his field /stable mate was very upset. He started box walking and wood chewing. As he wasn't my horse I didn't think to let him see the body. He immediately attached himself to my mare when she arrived a few days later although it took a while before he stopped being stressed.

 

[oldie48]

Bisto was very quiet and stood at the gate for long periods when I lost my old tb who had been his companion for three years. Little Fatty and Bisto became very close friends and when I lost Bisto recently, although LF saw the body he just wasn't himself and strangely seems more dependent on me. He'd always been a bit feral really. I feel so sorry for him as Rose clearly loathes him. I'm sure your two will settle quite quickly I wish I could say the same for Rose and LF!

 

[paddi22]

we had to pts sleep a mini this evening and i was wondering this very thing. i took her away to be pts in a horsebox (for handiness sake to take the body away) and now im wondering should i bring her little partner in tomorrow to see the body?

 

[pippixox]

My old boy Gilly literally saw socks fall when put to sleep and saw him go onto the truck, so I think although it may help with finality- they don't think they are coming back from a trip somewhere- it won't stop the grieving. As of course they know for sure their friend is dead.

trying to remind myself why I have horses right now.

 

[Araby]

Sorry for your loss. My Arab has always been a stress head alone in the field or alone in the stable block. I lost his companion after two weeks of being stable bound (kept them both in to keep each other company). In the end it was a rush to horsepital, I had no choice but to leave him in stable block alone, he was fine, turned out the next morning (after loosing the other at horsepital) and he was calm, subdued, smelt my coat, squealed (same as I had on when I was when the other when pts), was then fine on his own in the field for ages (subdued), now has a new companion, and back to normal, I take out the companion and he hoons back and forth as he always did when alone. There is no way he knew what happened to his friend, kind of a sixth sense, smelling my coat I think confirmed it, but he was different immediately.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I am so very sorry for your loss. Yes IME they do grieve and in some cases it is painful to watch, but in others they just take it as a very natural and everyday occurrence. We had specifically bought a donkey companion for an elderly field pasture ornament to keep him company in the retired or generally ill/injured beyond much more help field. The old retired horse and the young donkey were bosom buddies for 5 years. Came the day for the deed......much stress wondering how the donkey would cope when the big guy went...all field companions allowed to witness vet PTS and old chap left overnight for all to be allowed to sniff and investigate before digger burial the following morning.

Donkey immediately gave a loud bray as his king collapsed to the ground,then shuffled over to stand next to my fairly newly introduced mare to the herd and never seemed to give much thought from that day on about the tragedy Long live the Queen the King is dead and all that .

however, and this is really odd. In that herd I had a youngish cob type I had only owned for about 6 months, and the deceased old one had bullied him almost mercilessly since the day the young horse arrived. The poor youngster was beside himself with grief...nudged the body and whinnied and strutted for hours...planted himself on top of the burial mound the next morning and would not shift for 48 hours....shouting, pawing the mound and very, very distressed. he did eventually come around but that extreme reaction has stuck with me to this day.. I really do believe that we do not know even one percent of how the herd hierarchy works despite all the long and learned papers published about it.

 

[dogatemysalad]

I have a mare that came to me as a very distressed and fearful horse. My big gelding befriended her and he became her rock. When he died, it was as if a light had been switched off. She became very depressed and a few months later, tested positive for cushings. Two years later, this spring, she lost another close friend and again, its hit her for six. Horses, by nature are very stoic and practical and tend to get on with life, but it doesn't mean they don't grieve with the same intensity as humans.

 

[exracehorse]

When I had Spirit pts, his field buddy Indy went on hunger strike. And into deep depression. Just stood by the water tank 24/7. She never saw him shot by the hunt. This was done away from her eyes. Despite there being other horses in adjoining fields, she deteriorated emotionally. I bought another horse three months later and I threw her in with him. Crossed fingers that he wouldn’t kick the hell out of her and I swear to God, her eyes lit up and she was smiling. And started eating again.

 

[tankgirl1]

I'm very sorry for your loss. This is something I worry about as my 2 are very strongly bonded. They are out in a herd in the day and 24/7 over summer, and share a stable over winter. I always wonder if I should start getting them more used to being apart, although neither of them are elderly. I think when the time comes I will let them see the others body in the hope they will understand xx

 

[YorksG]

My old Appy saw her friend (sis's big mare) shot and winched away, she had the two youngsters in the field next to her, but did not settle, so two days later we put her in the same field, with electric fence between them, two months later, when she remained sad and shut down and appeared still stressed, her physical health problems deteriorated and we made the decision for her to go as well we think her grief just made her already compromised system fail. I am sorry for anyone who has their own grief over their horses and the added worry of grieving horses.

 

[pippixox]

I’m at least grateful he has my mare so he isn’t alone.
It is unfortunate that my friends horses who were in the field next door are now in mostly for the winter. Although I am pretty sure it would not have stopped his behaviour last night as it is sadly pure grief, despite his girlfriend with him still.
Reminds you what thoughtful animals they are, and the importance of friends and company for horses

 

[SEL]

Pippixox and Paddi - sorry to hear about both your ponies. My friend's gelding went down with terminal colic grieving over the loss of his favourite mare 48 hours before. It was awful.

I dread the day I have to make the call with one of mine. They are so, so close and the mare lost her dam a few days after she was born so already has huge insecurity issues.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi
What is everyone’s experience of horses mourning? My three were a close mini herd. They saw socks being put to sleep this morning and were apparently calm. No calling. This afternoon I’ve put them back out and my old boy suddenly took off across the big winter field calling out. He was standing still by the fence instead of grazing when I left 30 mins ago. He has my mare who he has been with for 7 years but he has been close to socks’s for the past 3.5 years since he joined them.

I guess this is an inevitable part of the grief process. Calling for what he has lost even though he saw him go. Made me burst into tears for the first time since socks went at 10am. As it’s heartbreaking to see your remaining horses upset.

My boy grieved a long time for his mum, he viewed her prior to injection, then nuzzled her after. He went within himself for a long time. He had his girlfriend with him in the field, but his bond with his mum was so strong as he was weaned here with his mum, grieving is one of those things that hit each individual in a different way. Time heals but the memories and bond never breaks, when I got my new mare ( an Irish Draught) like his mum, he realised this time he was the dominant member and the ID was under him, but he never once chased her like he did with many other new comers. I suppose she reminds him of his mum, so this little fur baby will relax more in time. Just watch closely and hope he gels more to one of the others.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The drama diva mare, who was looking on from her stable when the maxicob was PTS, went ballistic as he dropped. She was a picture of misery as she sniffed him afterwards, she knew. She was then unfortunately on her own for a few days, and was seemingly calm and not too distressed. However, when the friend who had been with us as support on that day turned up a few days later she raced to the gate shrieking at her, we think she thought she was bringing him back?

The RSPCA were über helpful and fast tracked a yearling pony filly for me to foster (I've fostered from them before so they already knew me). Drama diva mare was ecstatic to meet her and immediately adopted her as surrogate daughter. So much so that when her real grown up daughter came back from backing livery later on she chased her off to protect the new 'baby'!