What is your favorite poem,quote or story to share with someone who has lost a horse?
Somewhere, somewhere
In timeâs own space,
There must be some sweet pastured placeâŠ
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow,
Some paradise where horses go.
For by the love that guides my pen,
I know great horses live again.
1 Like
Horribly apposite as I have just today assisted with having the last of âmyâ lovely old boys PTS and emailed the following to his owner (in addition to the Rainbow Bridge poem, of course):
ONLY THE BEST
God saw you and you were getting tired And a cure was not to
be
So he put His arms around you and He whispered âcome to meâ
A golden heart stopped beating Hard working hooves went to
rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best
Donât Cry For The Horses"
Brenda Riley-Seymore
Donât cry for the horses
That life has set free
A million white horses
Forever to be
Donât cry for the horses
Now in Godâs hands
As they dance and they prance
To a heavenly band
They were ours as a gift
But never to keep
As they close their eyes
Forever to sleep
Their spirits unbound
On silver wings they fly
A million white horses
Against the blue sky
Look up into heaven
Youâll see them above
The horses we lost
The horses we loved
Manes and tails flowing
They gallop through time
They were never yours
They were never mine
Donât cry for the horses
They will be back someday
When our time has come
They will show us the way
On silver wings they will lift us
To the warmth of the sun
When our life is over
And eternity has begun
We will jump the sun
And dance over the moon
A ballet of horses and riders on the winds
Of a heavenly tune
Do you hear that soft nicker
Close to your ear
Donât cry for the horses
Love the ones that are here
Donât cry for the horses
Lift up your sad eyes
Canât you see them
As they fly by
A million white horses
Free from hunger and pain
Their spirits set free
Until we ride again
Message from a Horse Spirit written by Katie Graham, aka
Coyote
Where am I, now that I am gone from your life?
Leaving you lonely and sad, for that I am sorry.
But this is a warm place, and the pastures are green.
And now I know just how much you loved meâŠ
Everyone here shares the kindness of your heart.
What am I doing, now that I have left your care?
Racing with wide-eyed foals, orphaned no longer.
Breathing crisp morning air with wise old work horses, now
grown young and strong again.
Looking at mountains through the eyes of the blind who can
see.
Carrying on my back all of the folk who never had the chance
to know the warmth of my sweet horse breath or the thrill of
a gallop, but always yearned for it.
Visiting little girls who dream of beautiful steeds, flying
over fences and racing past the finish line, keeping them
safe, giving them hope.
Saddest and sweetest of all, greeting the ones who cross
that Rainbow Bridge.
Some were wild and free on the earth, and they remain wild
and free.
Some were loved and cared for, and they will be well loved
and cared for here.
And some of the horses trotting over that Bridge were
neither free nor loved.
Those are the greatest joy to greet, for now they have the
greenest grass and the freshest water, and they will never
be sick or in pain or alone ever again.
And they will always be loved.
So cry for me as humans do, and then move on to tend to the
mortal horses who need your care and kindness.
And take care of the children; help them find their dreams,
nuzzle them for me.
I will be waiting for you when you come to pass that Rainbow
Bridge,
We will piaffe through the clouds and leap the lightning
bolts, and then trot on home together to those green, green
fields,
How can I bear to lose you, my precious gentle one,
to know that you will not be here when my day is done.
So much of my heart, my love, have I given up to you,
how then can I stand the pain now that your life is through.
My sorrow overwhelms me, the tears so freely flow,
how can I carry on my life, with a heart thatâs laden so.
Then the answer comes to me from the stillness in my soul,
remembering the love we shared will help to make me whole.
Iâll hold you in a special place, so deep within my heart,
and in these loving memories, weâll never be apart.
You will not be so far away, your presence I will feel.
Iâll wrap myself in memory and slowly I will heal.
The years we shared, the little joys, the laughter and the
tears,
my love for you will never die, but strengthen with the
years.
So fare you well, my precious love, I gently let you go,
and pray for all the Godsâ there be that you will always
know,
I loved you so, my little one, that love will never cease,
I gave you warmth, I gave you love, and now I give you
peace.
MY GRANDEST FOAL
(author unknown)
Iâll lend you for a little while
My grandest foal, He said.
For you to love while sheâs alive
And morn for when sheâs dead.
It may be one or twenty years,
Or days or months , you see.
But, will you, till I take her back,
Take care of her for me?
Sheâll bring her charms to gladden you,
And should her stay be brief,
Youâll have treasured memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay,
Since all from earth return.
But, there are lessons taught on earth
I want this foal to learn.
Iâve looked the wide world over
In my search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd lifeâs lanes,
With trust, I have selected you.
Now will you give her your total love?
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate Me when I come
To take her back again?
I know youâll give her tenderness
And love will bloom each day.
And for the happiness youâve known!
Forever grateful stay.
But should I come and call for her
Much sooner than youâd planned
Youâll brave the bitter grief that comes
And someday youâll understand
For though Iâll call her home to Me
This promise to you I do make,
For all the love and care you gave
Sheâll wait for you, inside Heavenâs Gate.
Another one, I donât remember the words, but it was in an Arab magazine from many years ago. It was in the form of a letter from the deceased horse to the owner, who apparently was thinking she wouldnât ever have another horse because he was âher one and onlyâ. Gist of the letter was, âDonât you DARE not want another horse â I invested a lot of time in training you and I donât want that effort wastedâ.
I actually LOVE the first one! Itâs one of my favâs and I have in on the headstone of a horse I lost that was VERY VERY dear to me!
I also have a sculpture of him that was made for me with this poemâŠ
âSome horses come into out lives and quickly go, others stay a while make hoofprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same.â
a poem
Beverly posted this in 2000, on FOLâ
If you bury him in this spot, the secret of which you must already have,
He will come to you when you call-
Come to you over the far, dim pastures of death,
And though you ride other, living horses through life, they shall not shy at him, nor resent his coming.
For he is yours and he belongs there.
People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
Who hear no nicker pitched too fine for insensitive ears.
People who never really love a horse.
Smile at them then, for you shall know some thing that is hidden from them,
And which is well worth knowing.
The only place to bury a horse is in the heart of his master
This poem has helped me so many times-------
Ann
This one is my favorite:
Crossing the Bridge
I stood beside your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying; you found it hard to sleep.
I whinnied to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
âItâs me, I havenât left you. Iâm well, Iâm fine, Iâm here.â
I was with you at my grave today; you tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that Iâm not lying there.
I walked with you toward the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I put my head against you, nickered and said, âItâs me.â
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know that I was standing there.
Itâs possible for me to be so near you every day.
To say to you with certainty, âI never went away.â
You sat there very quietly, then smiled; I think you knew.
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
Iâll gallop across to greet you, and weâll stand there side by side.
I have so many things to show you, thereâs so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey outâŠthen come home to be with me.
1 Like
This one brought waterworksâŠI can just imagine Hizzhonor the NOT Spoiled Arabian SAYING thisâŠand meaning every snort.
My favorite is The Fiery River Under The Rainbow Bridge
my favorite
A Parting Prayer
Dear Lord, please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.
Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.
Bless the hands that send her to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing her from pain and suffering.
Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.
Let her remember me as well
and let her know that I will always love her.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow her to accompany those
who will bring me home.
Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.
And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.
Amen.
- written by Kim Crenshaw, March 1998 for Brandy, beloved companionCovertside had this poem that made me actually cry. I think it was âHark, Old Horse.â It was about how true and fast the horse was and they would meet at the gate again in the afterlife. It is on my fridge in the stable - more for the hunter, but if it is something you want Iâll go get it.
[QUOTE=xeroxchick;4007959]
Covertside had this poem that made me actually cry. I think it was âHark, Old Horse.â It was about how true and fast the horse was and they would meet at the gate again in the afterlife. It is on my fridge in the stable - more for the hunter, but if it is something you want Iâll go get it.[/QUOTE]
I kept that one too - and also cried when I read it. I think Carla⊠canât remember her last name nowâŠbegins with H⊠wrote it.
Yes - itâs a keeper.
It would be nice if this thread could be saved in Favorites.
A fellow COTHER sent me this one when I lost Trav. Itâs one of the 2 I have on my facebook page, the other is âGrandest Foalâ and I cry every time I read them.
Author Unknown.
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
when their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
is a place where beloved creatures find rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
til The Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
for here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed.
Their bodies have healed with strength imbued.
They trot through the grass without even a care,
til one day they whinny and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes sharp and alert.
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the herd.
For just at that second, thereâs no room for remorse.
As they see each otherâŠone personâŠone horse.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart
has turned to joy once more in each heart.
They nuzzle with a love that will last forever.
And then, side-by-side, they cross overâŠtogether.
This definitely brought a tear to my eyeâŠ
HARK! OLD HORSE
Hark! Old horse.
Please meet me at the gate.
Hounds are leaving kennels soon,
And we will not be late.
Step up. Old horse.
Carry me to the meet.
Our years together count for much,
Though youâre no longer fleet.
Trot on. Old horse.
I know you hear the horn.
The hounds are in the valley now,
The fox is in the corn!
Kick on. Old horse,
My soulmate and my friend.
Our years together hunting are
The best thatâs ever been.
Leap up. Old horse.
Take the bit and fly!
I still trust you like a brother,
Even though the fence is high.
Walk on. Old horse.
Weâll soon be hacking in.
Your nicker rests beside my heart.
Our souls entwine within.
Hark! Old horse.
The years reveal our fate.
If we should part before we wish. Please meet me at the gate
[QUOTE=greysandbays;4006170]
MY GRANDEST FOAL
(author unknown)
Iâll lend you for a little while
My grandest foal, He said.
For you to love while sheâs alive
And morn for when sheâs dead.
It may be one or twenty years,
Or days or months , you see.
But, will you, till I take her back,
Take care of her for me?
Sheâll bring her charms to gladden you,
And should her stay be brief,
Youâll have treasured memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay,
Since all from earth return.
But, there are lessons taught on earth
I want this foal to learn.
Iâve looked the wide world over
In my search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd lifeâs lanes,
With trust, I have selected you.
Now will you give her your total love?
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate Me when I come
To take her back again?
I know youâll give her tenderness
And love will bloom each day.
And for the happiness youâve known!
Forever grateful stay.
But should I come and call for her
Much sooner than youâd planned
Youâll brave the bitter grief that comes
And someday youâll understand
For though Iâll call her home to Me
This promise to you I do make,
For all the love and care you gave
Sheâll wait for you, inside Heavenâs Gate.[/QUOTE]
I know this is an old thread, but I remembered this thread since it was a month before we put down my old man.
Anyway, thanks for posting this. My trainer lost her almost 3 year old today and this poem reminds me so much of them. It brought tears to my eyes.
this is a poem i wrote about my lovely horse, who i lost at the end of last summer. even though some months have passed i can barely cope, and all i live for is the memory of her. we were told to write a poem in higher english about your home and this is what i wrote.
home to me is a place to flee,
a place thats safe and sound.
the smell of sweet grass and hay,
and to hear her hooves hit the ground.
if i saw her now iâd stand and sway,
her beauty mezmorizing
her brown eyes hyptnotising
and if i could lay with Gem on a warm summerâs day
iâd be the happiest i could be,
for she is home to me.
I donât know where I got this or who the author is, but it touched my heart:
and he looked deep into my eyes
and he said YOU have always been the center of my universe, I have loved YOU always.
I pressed my head into his and assured him that I was here as I had always been here.
and he looked deep into my heart
and he asked me âHow much do you love me?â
and I stroked his face smoothing closed his eyes and I replied
âWith all my heartâ
and then, he looked deep into my soul
and he asked me
âDo you love me enough to let me go?â
And I held him close and replied softly⊠YES.
I started a collection
after seeing a couple of these threads here on COTH. Iâll paste what I have below. But be forewarned, itâs long. And some of the abovementioned works are included. I have tried my best to get the authorâs name as well.
Iâll lend you for a little while
My grandest foal, He said.
For you to love while heâs alive
And mourn for when heâs dead.
It may be one or twenty years,
Or days or months, you see.
But, will you, till I take him back
Take care of him for me?
Heâll bring his charms to gladden you,
And should his stay be brief
Youâll have treasured memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return,
But, there are lessons taught on earth
I want this foal to learn.
Iâve looked the wide world over
In my search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd lifeâs lanes
With trust I have selected you.
Now will you give him your total love?
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate Me when I come
To take him back again?
I know youâll give him tenderness
And love will bloom each day.
And for the happiness youâve known
Forever grateful stay.
But should I come and call for him
Much sooner than youâd planned
Youâll brave the bitter grief that comes
And someday youâll understand.
For though Iâll call him home to Me
This promise to you I do make
For all the love and care you gave
Heâll wait for you, inside Heavenâs Gate.
âThis It Be Rightâ by BuddyRoo on COTH
Better a week too soon than a moment too late, they say.
Better while the eyes still sparkle than wait til they dull.
Better while the good days outnumber the bad.
Better when itâs hard for us than hard for them.
It will never be easy for us.
As stewards of these great creatures,
We have the opportunity to give one final gift.
Peace.
We grant them peace in lieu of our own.
But granting peace, the end, when we wish for more time?
Eventually becomes a gift to ourselves.
Knowing that we gave a final gift to one we cherished.
Knowing it will leave an empty spot in our hearts.
Doing it anyway. Because we DO love. And âthis it be rightâ?
That is what makes us human.
For the love of my horse, I know who I am.
And I know love.
This it be right.
Random poem from COTH
âAnd when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
Iâll gallop across to greet you, and weâll stand there side by side.â
âI have so many things to show you, thereâs so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey outâŠthen come home to be with me.â
The Horseâs Prayer:
Author Unknown
To Thee Master
I offer my prayerâŠ
Feed me, water and care for me, and when the days work is done, provide me with shelter, a clean dry bed and a stall wide enough for me to lie down in comfort.
Always be kind to me. Talk to me. Your voice often means as much to me as the reins. Pet me sometimes, that I may serve you the more gladly and learn to love you.
Do not jerk the reins, and do not whip me when going uphill. Never strike, beat or kick me when I do not understand what you want, but give me a chance to understand you.
Watch me; and if I fail to do your bidding, see if something is wrong with my harness or feet.
I cannot tell you when I am thirsty so give me clean, cool water often. I cannot tell you in words when I am sick, so watch me, that by signs you may know my condition.
Give me all possible shelter from the hot sun, and put a blanket on me, not when I am working, but when standing in the cold. Never put a frosty bit in my mouth; first warm it by holding it a moment in your hands.
I try to carry you and your burdens without a murmur, and wait patiently for you long hours of the day or night. Without the power to choose my shoes or path, I sometimes fall on the hard pavements which I have often prayed might be of such a nature as to give me a safe and sure footing.
Remember that I must be ready at any moment to lose my life in your service.
And finally, O Master, when my useful strength is gone, do not turn me out to starve or freeze, or sell me to some cruel owner to be slowly tortured or starved to death; but do thou, my Master, take my life in the kindest way. And your God will reward you here and hereafter. You will not consider me irreverent if I ask this in the name of Him, who was born in a stable.
Amen
May I go Now?
Do you think the time is right?
May I say good-bye to pain filled days
And endless lonely nights?
Iâve lived my life and done my best,
an example tried to be.
So can I take that step beyond
and set my spirit free?
I didnât want to go at first.
I fought with all my might.
But something seems to draw me now
to a warm and loving light.
I want to go. I really do.
Itâs difficult to stay.
But I will try as best I can
to live just one more day.
To give you time to care for me
and share your love and fears.
I know youâre sad and afraid,
because I see your tears.
Iâll not be far, I promise that,
and hope youâll always know
that my spirit will be close to you,
wherever you may go.
Thank you so for loving me.
You know I love you too,
thatâs why itâs hard to say good-bye
and end this life with you.
So hold me now, just one more time
and let me hear you say,
because you care so much for me,
youâll let me go today.
By Susan A. Jackson
Unk by UNK
How can I bear to lose you,
my precious gentle one,
to know that you will not be here
when my day is done.
So much of my heart, my love,
have I given up to you,
how then can I stand the pain
now that your life is through.
My sorrow overwhelms me,
the tears so freely flow,
how can I carry on my life,
with a heart thatâs laden so.
Then the answer comes to me
from the stillness in my soul,
remembering the love we shared
will help to make me whole.
Iâll hold you in a special place,
so deep within my heart,
and in these loving memories,
weâll never be apart.
You will not be so far away,
your presence I will feel.
Iâll wrap myself in memory
and slowly I will heal.
The years we shared, the little joys,
the laughter and the tears,
my love for you will never die,
but strengthen with the years.
So fare you well, my precious love,
I gently let you go,
and pray to all the Godsâ there be
that you will always know,
I loved you so,
my little one, that love will never cease,
I gave you warmth, I gave you love,
and now I give you peace
âSomewhere behind the rider youâve become, the hours of practice youâve put in, the coaches that have pushed you, the fences youâve hit, the bones youâve broken, the hard falls youâve taken, the long distance, the short distance, the chip, the strides, the equitation, the sweat, the tears, the blood, the blisters, the ripped jeans, the wool jackets on 100 degree summer july days, the lame horse, the crazy horse, the âare you serious?â horse, and everything in between⊠Somewhere behind all this is the little girl who fell in love with the horse, the sport, and the idea and never looked back. Ride for her.â
"Somewhere behind the rider youâve become,
the trainers who have pushed you,
the people who believed in you,
the long hours of schooling,
the accomplishments youâve made,
the ribbons you didnât win,
the falls youâve taken,
the tears youâve cried,
the broken bones,
the crushed confidence,
and the horses youâve given your heart toâ
is a little girl who fell in love with the sport and never looked back.
Donât cry for the horses
That life has set free
A million white horses
Forever to be
Donât cry for the horses
Now in Godâs hands
As they dance and they prance
To a heavenly band
They were ours as a gift
But never to keep
As they close their eyes
Forever to sleep
Their spirits unbound
On silver wings they fly
A million white horses
Against the blue sky
Look up into heaven
Youâll see them above
The horses we lost
The horses we loved
Manes and tails flowing
They gallop through time
They were never yours
They were never mine
Donât cry for the horses
They will be back someday
When our time has come
They will show us the way
Do you hear that soft nicker
Close to your ear
Donât cry for the horses
Love the ones that are here
by Brenda Riley-Seymore
SomewhereâŠSomewhere in timeâs Own Space
There must be some sweet pastured place
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
Some Paradise where horses go,
For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again.
~Stanley Harrison
Iâll lend you for a little while my grandest foal, He said.
for you to love while heâs alive and mourn when he is dead.
It may be one or twenty years, or days or months, you see,
but will you, till I take him back, take care of him for me?
Heâll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief,
youâll have treasured memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
but there are lessons taught on earth I want this foal to learn.
Iâve looked the wide world over in my search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd lifeâs lanes, with trust, Iâve chosen you.
Now will you give him total love, not think the labor vain,
nor hate me when I come here to take him back again?
I know youâll give him tenderness and love will bloom each day,
and for the happiness youâve known, forever grateful stay
But should I come and call for him much sooner than youâd planned,
youâll brave the bitter grief that comes, and someday, understand.
The House Dogâs Grave (Haig, An English Bulldog)
Iâve changed my ways a little; I cannot now
Run with you in the evenings along the shore,
Except in a kind of dream; and you, if you dream a moment,
You see me there.
So leave awhile the paw-marks on the front door
Where I used to scratch to go out or in,
And youâd soon open; leave on the kitchen floor
The marks of my drinking-pan.
I cannot lie by your fire as I used to do
On the warm stone,
Nor at the foot of your bed; no, all the night through
I lie alone.
But your kind thought has laid me less than six feet
Outside your window where firelight so often plays,
And where you sit to readâand I fear often grieving for meâ
Every night your lamplight lies on my place.
You, man and woman, live so long, it is hard
To think of you ever dying
A little dog would get tired, living so long.
I hope then when you are lying
Under the ground like me your lives will appear
As good and joyful as mine.
No, dear, thatâs too much hope: you are not so well cared for
As I have been.
And never have known the passionate undivided
Fidelities that I knew.
Your minds are perhaps too active, too many-sided. . . .
But to me you were true.
You were never masters, but friends. I was your friend.
I loved you well, and was loved. Deep love endures
To the end and far past the end. If this is my end,
I am not lonely. I am not afraid. I am still yours.
Robinson Jeffers, 1941
If it should be that I grow weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep;
Then you must do what must be done,
For this last battle canât be won.
You will be sad, I understand;
But donât let grief then stay your hand.
For this day more than all the rest,
Your love for me must stand the test.
Weâve had so many happy years;
What is to come can hold no fears.
You donât want me to suffer so
The time has come, please let me go.
Take me where my needs theyâll tend,
But please stay with me 'til the end
To hold me close and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree,
It was a kindness done for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering Iâm saved.
Please do not grieve that it was you
Who had this painful thing to do.
Weâve been so close, we two, these years;
Donât let your heart hold any tears.
DONâT CRY FOR THE HORSES
Unknown Author
Donât cry for the horses that life has set free,
A million white horses forever to be.
Donât cry for the horses, now in Godâs hand,
As they dance and they prance in a heavenly band.
They were ours as a gift, but never to keep,
As they close their eyes forever to sleep.
Their spirits unbound, on silver wings they fly,
A million white horses against a blue sky.
Look up into Heaven, youâll see them above,
The horses we lost, the horses we loved.
Manes and tails flowing, they gallop through time,
They were never yours, they were never mine.
Donât cry for the horses, theyâll be back someday,
When our time is gone, they will show us the way.
Do you hear that soft nicker? Close to your ear?
Donât cry for the horses, Love the ones who are here.
