# Experiences of companions dying?



## Kristyjog (Nov 11, 2013)

We had to put down our 34yr old in February. He went into kidney failure and there was no turning him around. My husband lead him through the barn and up our hill where the vet put him down. We've had him 22 years and other horses in the barn normally call to him while hes being rode or walked out of the barn. He was the herd leader. They did their normal calling to him as my husband and vet lead our old guy to the top of the hill. Once our old guy was put down everyone calmed down, didn't look for him or calm for him. They couldn't see the process but somehow could sense he was gone. Since then they've had to reorganize their pecking order. They all have separate stalls but are turned out in pairs daily.
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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

I believe an animal's grieving process is alot less complicated and a lot shorter than a humans. When someone we know/love dies, it is not necessarily the fact that they are gone that makes us the most upset, it's the memories. Thinking back on all the times you've spent with them, and all the times you will nolonger get to spend with them and the things that they will nolonger be around to see.
I do not believe that animals think like this. They live in the now because such passionate love and sympathy is a weakness in the wild. A foal is not going to stay behind if its mother dies or lay down and give up. It's going to wait until it knows for sure that she is not getting up ever again and then it will leave and adapt.
When you wean a foal, they are over it within 24-48 hours. Mares often even less time but it always helpes if they are seperated with other horses. It's instinct to adjust, which is why it always annoys me when you see 2 horses put up for sale but they must go together because they've been together forever.
It's companionship & the safety of the herd that they crave, not an individual horse and although yes, they can develope personal preferences towards one another, they forget about eachother and move on alot quicker than humans do.
That is one of the things that seperates our species


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## aureliusandoinky (Nov 28, 2013)

I had two horses when I was younger and we had to put one down due to a broken leg. The younger horse was stalled that night and broke out, and in the morning he ran to us in a panic, whinnying and calling. I doubt this would have happened had he another pasture mate, but all the same, he was in distress from her loss and was alone.


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## SpicedGold (Aug 2, 2011)

I believe horses do feel emotions, but I'm not sure how much they understand concepts like dying. They certainly feel something, though.

A retired mare at my stables passed away recently. She stayed in a herd of three, the other two horses are young. The day Princess passed, she just collapsed in her paddock in front of the two youngsters. 

We managed to get her up again, and she was moved closer to the front of the stables to keep an eye on her. She went down again, stayed down, and passed very peacefully. I work with both youngsters, so I went to their paddock to 'tell' them (at their owner's requests). Both horses came to stand with me, with their heads down. One rested her muzzle in my hand, strange behaviour for her. The other pushed her head under my arm and just stood there.

They both went down to Princess's grave to see her laid to rest, and both horses were a bit off for a day or two. Since then, they have gone back to normal.


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## gssw5 (Jul 30, 2013)

I don't like to personify our human emotions onto my animals but I have witnessed my horses behavior when they have lost one of their herd members and have no other way to describe it then grieving. 

Two years ago we had to put my 25 yo gelding down and my other two geldings who were both 15yo at the time, had been raised with him and pastured with him his entire life mourned for the loss of their buddy for about a month. Everyday they would go out to the grave and just stand there for about 5 minutes. They would sniff around then leave, but everyday at the same time they would be out there. Then one day I noticed one of them did not go out there, but stood watch from across the pasture while the other one did. After that day neither one of them went back out like they had been. I have no idea what was going on in their brain but I called mourning.

Then last year I had to put one of my mares down, she had a tragic accident and it was very sudden. After the vet euthanized her I took each horse up to her body and let them sniff her and see she was dead. All of them went to her nuzzled her and then walked away, except for one. He had a very violent reaction he started pawing her, biting her, pushing her and was just freaking out. When I tried to lead him away he planted his feet and did not want to leave. I let him stay with us until the backhoe covered the hole, when I let him go he proceeded to dig in the spot she was buried. The entire scene was a bit disturbing. I finally removed him from the pasture and gave him valarian root to settle him down. For about a week he went out everyday and pawed at the ground, again not sure what was going on his head but I call it working through the stages of grieving.

In the wild they probably don't grieve they don't have time, they have to focus on survival. I am thinking our domestic animals feel safe and comfortable in their surroundings so they react differently.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

As a last resort, animals will attempt to get the dying or dead animal up. Elephant bulls have be known to attempt to mount a dying female as he hopes it will rouse her to her feet. When my little mare had to be put down, the two geldings were put in an adjoining field. Her body was hauled on a sled (winter) to her burial site. My mistake was not letting the horses deal with the loss of their boss mare. This has caused a real upset in their her dynamics. A month passed before allowing them into that field. One gelding focused his attention on the driveway where he knew she'd gone, then let out a gut wrenching call that was his soul crying out in pain. Then he was fine. I never want to hear that sound again.


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