At 23:04:13 on 13.11.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
A girl i know lost her horse 3 weeks ago and has just got a new one, she was really upset when her horse was put to sleep but the grieving was very short, she tried a horse out the week after, now i always worry about the day grenville leaves me and although i can't imagine myself without a horse, i can't imagine myself without grenville, honestly i am not sure i would be able to get back on a horse after i lose him, love just doesn't cover how i feel about gren and i know everyone is different so i was wondering what everyone else would do or has done when they lost their first horse, did you sell or did it pass away? Did you buy another horse or just ride occasionally? I'm just curious lol i am in one of those wierd moods :P

At 23:07:44 on 13.11.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Oh forgot to mention i am going to pay however much it costs to get grenville cremated, i don't want him to go to the hounds or the glue factory, he will get cremated and i will scatter some ashes on a race course, some on the yard, and keeps some in a special box with one of his shoes and his name plate on, i also want my ashes scattered with the remaining ones of his. I have it all planned out, is this wierd me planning it all? Every time a horse dies that i know i get really upset and have nightmares of him dieing and get really determined that he will still be with me after life, hahaha yeah i'm definately in a wierd mood

At 14:33:10 on 14.11.11, kibby wrote:
I'm not sure how I'll go when Phil goes. I haven't thought about it much with her only being 10. All of my other horses have passed away when I'd already handed them on and had got myself new a new horse. I didn't sell any of my ponies. Just gave them to younger kids to learn to ride. So it was always very sad but I had my horse to help me through. I guess thats sort of what competitive riding is about. More often then not you have retired that horse and have already got a ne horse.

At 14:43:35 on 14.11.11, kibby wrote:
Of course I'm not saying I don't get upset. Cause I do whenever I hear about one of my old horses. My last horse wannie is going to be a tough one to move on with when she passes.

At 17:50:00 on 14.11.11, Flicka wrote:
One of my mares got kicked when I was riding her and had to be shot, luckily I was hunting so she was put out of her misery really quickly. I have to admit Jess, I was just like your friend, and had to get another horse straight away. I was so upset it seemed the only way to take the pain away. Unfortunately I was in no rational state to choose another horse which is why I got Millie who has been so difficult and so unlike my other mare that we've had quite a roller coaster ride together!! After I lost my mare I became very nervous, always worrying that another of my horses would get fatally injured. I know that may seem silly to some people but even though the feeling isn't quite so acute it's always there. I would have loved to have had her buried at home but am actually pleased that she ended up being fed to the hounds as before she died she was having a fantastic time and it seems a natural part of the cycle of life in the animal kingdom. I've heard you can get a horse cremated and made into a diamond-not sure how I feel about that?

At 18:45:28 on 14.11.11, Dazzle wrote:
We all grieve in different ways and you cannot judge how someone else is coping with the loss of a horse by actions you may disagree with. When your horse dies it leaves an incredible hole in your life. Just beause someone has gone out and bought another does not mean that it has replaced the horse that has gone. It can never do that, I still think about Tally my first horse nearly everyday. When Grenville goes, and I hope that is not for a very, very long time would he want you to be without a special friend? I don't think so. Think of all the things you learnt from him and how you could pass this on to another ex-racer. Now that would be a great memorial to Grenville.

At 21:08:09 on 14.11.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Yeah i am definately getting him cremated and i am keeping some ashes with me :) i know we all grieve differently i just hope she hasn't made the wrong decision getting a new horse so quick and although i would love to get another horse when grenville passes i highly doubt i will be able to and i certainly won't be able to go back to our yard again, although grenville isn't old i worry about him because he is on bute regularly for his arthritis which he has in 3 legs and he has had an op on his back, this all developed in just over 3 years so i cant help worry, its like i am watching him deteriorate slowly infront of me and it seems to be speeding up, i'm sorry for how you lost your mare flicka that must have been aweful, at least i can prepare myself for grenvilles passing, i think i would probably part loan once he goes for a good few years before thinking about a new horse, i want to move to africa too so it wouldn't make sense to buy another horse, i grieve quite badly when i lose a pet and grenville is more than that i will probably be depressed for months lol and although i wish he would live forever it isn't going to happen :( also kibby you are much more competitive than me, i wish i was more competitive i think i would enjoy it lol :) i bought grenville without competing in mind it was just for someone to love :)

At 21:53:43 on 14.11.11, Goldilocks wrote:

Mia has served loyally for years. Never really "friends" Mia was a worker. She done as she was asked. Was dependable, and mostly quite brave. We had some good times, we had some great times but we never had bad times. She had her "issues", I understood them and never asked of her what I thought she could not do. We were partners, equals. I rode down the aisle on her side saddle, I will never trust a horse as much as I trusted her. But one day I pushed her too far. I misjudged how much she could do. I took her to the Suffolk Show for ladies hunter. The show was too busy, the arena to big. At the end of the class it was too much, she flipped out and through herself over backwards on top of me (ladies hunter is side saddle for those who do not know). She was never the same again. I gave her a 8 months off. She was checked all over and although her body recovered, her mind never did. So at the tender age of 18 I let Mia retire. She lives a life of luxery. I bought her a little shetland, Blue, to keep her company and she spends her days grazing being "a horse". I now have Mr Covers my young man with so much potential and so much still to give, we are friends.I can't imagine the day Mia leaves me, I think she will go on forever. But at least one day when she does leave me, I know she would have had the best life I could have given her, as she gave me the best rides she could have given me.

(Click here for larger view)

At 07:46:44 on 16.11.11, Flicka wrote:
Thanks for sharing that moving story and I love the photo-you couldn't have got a more perfect shadow on that hay bale!! Have you got a photo of you side-saddle at your wedding? Is it in the Why Women Love Horses Group conversation 'Would you have your horse at your wedding?" I'll go and look. It just takes one bad judgement call doesn't it but as many horses may say, we're only human! When my horse got kicked I felt very guilty and there were a lot of what if's and if only I hadn't....If anyone is having trouble getting over the grief of losing their horse you may find the link worth a read. A really nice expert answer to a girl who can't get over it and everyone else thinks she should! She needs to come to Trot ON!
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/expert.q.a/11/15/grieving.pets.death.raison/

At 23:23:26 on 19.11.11, Grassilakes wrote:
I didn't get another horse for 10 years. I was offered a grey during this time but I couldn't he was so similar to Oliver, my first love and he was a grey.