Keeping a hoof when horse is gone

I once stayed in a horsey bed-and-breakfast (very posh country house) and the family ponies and hunters' hooves, mounted on plinths, were lined up along the mantelpiece above the fireplace in the breakfast room. Not my cup of tea but each to their own.
 
Ooh dear, I couldn't have had my horse's hoof hacked off - it might hurt him. Irrational thought I know, but it would have felt like mutilation.

I have the ends of my horse's brindle and wavy foal tail from the very first time I trimmed his tail and I have a lock of his mane which I snipped off when he died, but I couldn't have asked for his hoof to be removed.

I keep pondering on getting a piece of jewellery with a bit of his foal tail and adult mane embedded, but it's still too bitter/sweet to face doing.
 
I have a friend (now in her 70s) who has a hoof from her first hunter which has been made into a rather posh ashtray. I must admit I have always thought it rather odd but each to their own, the horse certainly doesn't need it any longer.
I can't really understand the objections about it, other than from an aesthetic pov. Most of us have our horses cremated, or donate them to the hunt/zoo, so removing a hoof first is only saving that part of the body before the finality of the process.
 
My friend's mum has her old horse's hoof. It's basically just the hoof wall and sole if I remember correctly. I think the horse died maybe in the early 90s or so, so not that long ago. Not my thing but each to their own! :P
 
It was very much a Victorian and Edwardian thing with the nouveau rich and the gentry. These days we have high quality photographs and film/video to remember our animal friends by. I actually have one of my horse's teeth which she left in the feed bucket for me one morning. Is that any different really? It makes me laugh when I hold it. I also have a big bag of her last winter coat as it dropped out. Some of her body hair, some from her white sock. Sadly it lost her beautiful smell very quickly but it is still nice to hold it and run it through my fingers. I don't know what I will do with it still after 2 years. I had planned to use some to have an artificial diamond made but the price has rocketed lately and I'm still considering. Of course I have a tress of mane and tail hair, but not long enough to make a bracelet with unfortunately, and the last full set of shoes before I took them off and maintained her feet myself.
 
Beausmate said:
My old horse grows a fantastic winter coat, it is a lovely colour and very thick and soft. I must admit to vaguely considering having him turned into a rug, should he pass during the winter... :)
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One of my ponies has such a beautiful, soft winter coat that I have told her that I'll turn her into a coat when she dies.
 
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