We’ve all had horses move in and out of our lives. And every time they do, they leave a special hoof print on our hearts. Whether they were sold on to a bigger and brighter future, or they left you to gallop across the rainbow bridge, there are so many ways we can honour their memory.

Tattoos

There are some very sweet tattoo ideas out there that are perfect for an everlasting tribute to that special pony in your life. From full, complete portraits, to smaller more subtle designs.

Full portraits can be stunning and striking. What better way to remember them is there than by having a photograph to take with you wherever you go? Just make sure you do your research on your artist, as horses are known to be quite difficult to draw.

 Does your horse have unique markings on their face? Maybe it’s their ears that you love most? Why not get just a simple outline of these?  Even better, these can be quite small and subtle, which means more room to add to the collection later!

Does your horse have a unique brand, like the one most Standardbreds have? You could have that replicated on yourself.

Horse Hair Jewellery

Horse hair jewellery is a gorgeous way to carry a piece of your horse wherever you go, and look good doing it. There are so many options now, and most places can work with what you’ve got in some fashion. From earrings and bracelets to necklaces. You can get brooches made, or even keyrings. Are you a fan of your Pandora bracelets? Why not get a charm made out of your horse’s hair? And there’s plenty of room for more than one charm on there, too, I’m sure!

Photographs

Okay, okay, so I may be a bit biased here. But hiring a professional photographer to come and do a photoshoot of you and your horse together is the perfect way to create wonderful memories that you can look back on, year after year.

Photographs are versatile, from digital files to prints, canvases and photo albums, there is so much you can do with the photos that capture the partnership between you and your horse.

Horseshoe art

If your horse has shoes, chances are you have more old shoes than you could poke a stick at. But what about creating something special out of them? Check out pinterest for some cute ideas on how to decorate your horses’ shoes and make them into a statement piece. Or, if you’re not feeling particularly creative yourself, you could even send your horse’s shoes off for someone else to preserve a special memory for you. Some people can make a gorgeous tree of life within the horse shoe, symbolising new beginnings, love and growth.

You could make a dream catcher, decorate it with beads and wire, or some people even create gorgeous statues out of them.

Plant a memorial tree

If you’ve lost a horse, young or old, planting a tree is a lovely way to honour the memory of your love, and have it continue to live on and grow. If you’re someone who’s fortunate enough to have your horse on your own property, sometimes looking out into an empty paddock can be heart breaking. You could plant a tree in your horse’s favourite spot to chill, and as it grows, let the sight of it fill your heart with the memories of seeing them in that very spot. If your horse was buried, instead of a grave stone, mark their resting place with a new tree, maybe like the one they used to stand under during their mid-morning snooze? Just make sure it’s well protected if you have other horses in the area, lest they get a little peckish and eat your heartfelt tribute for dinner.

You might like to choose a colourful tree which represents your horse well. You can find some recommended memorial trees here.

Urns & keepsakes for your horse’s ashes

Sometimes it can be hard to lay your horse to rest on a property that’s not yours, or some places aren’t able to accommodate a horse burial at all. Thankfully, pet cremations have come a long way in recent years and there are plenty of places that offer private pet cremations, and these includes horses as well. These places will usually have the means to take care of transportation and you can be rest assured that the ashes you receive back are your horse’s.

Most crematoriums will have a beautiful selection of urns to choose from, so no matter where you go, what house you end up in, you can keep your heart horse close.

There is also a lot of lovely jewellery you can have made with your horses ashes available, so you can keep them close to you. From special lockets that hold a portion of ashes within them, to gorgeous resin art, there’s bound to be something lovely that suits your tastes. Some places are even able to create jewels and stones out of ashes.

Soul Pendant from Patch and Purr

Urn from Etsy

Shadow Box

A shadow box is a large, deep frame, where you can mount one or more items and display them. Can’t bear to throw away some of your horse’s things, even though you know you won’t ever use them again? Does looking at them bring back fond memories of all the wonderful times you had together? Then the shadow box might be just the thing for you.

Things you could display in the shadow box are limited only by your imagination, and the size of the box you buy. You could put in a horse shoe, their halter or bit, a lock of the hair. You could include the first and last ribbon you ever won together. And maybe some of those gorgeous photos you got from that photoshoot.

Display those memories proudly, and whenever you need a little help remembering those good times, you can simply look to your wall or mantle.

Whatever you decide, however you choose to remember and honour your horse, remember that the absolute best way to do it is to make sure you look after yourself first. If you’re having a hard time don’t be afraid to reach out to a trusted friend, or consider talking to a professional. There are counsellors that specialise in pet loss and grief. Our grief is only left over love that we didn’t have the time to express. With these beautiful memorial ideas, it’s hard not to smile and remember all those good times together.

If you’d like to see ways that Sydney equestrians have immortalised their best friend, you can view photographs via my portfolio.