02/09/2026
💔 GRIEF HAS NO ONE WAY — AND THAT IS TRUE FOR ANIMALS TOO 🐴🌈
Recently, we lost a very much loved, older pony from our herd.
As heartbreaking as his passing was, something else deeply touched me — watching the other horses grieve.
It reminded me once again just how important it is that we allow animals the time, space and freedom to grieve in their own way.
We often expect animals to simply carry on after losing a companion. We remove the body, return to their normal routine and assume that because they cannot tell us how they feel, they don't understand what has happened.
But they do.
And just like us, every animal grieves differently.
I watched one of our horses experience what looked very much like anger. There was frustration, agitation and a completely different energy within them.
Another seemed to experience disconnection. Almost as though they had withdrawn from the world around them, processing the loss in their own way.
And then there was another who simply wouldn't leave the body.
For hours upon hours, they stayed beside their friend.
Standing quietly.
Watching.
Waiting.
Heartbroken. 💔
There was no rushing them.
No telling them it was time to move on.
They were simply given the opportunity to say goodbye.
And perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts we can give an animal who has lost someone they love.
The opportunity to understand.
The opportunity to see, smell and process the loss.
The opportunity to grieve.
Animals don't all show grief through obvious sadness. Some become quiet. Some withdraw. Some become unsettled or angry. Some may search for their companion. Some change their eating or sleeping patterns. Some become incredibly clingy, while others seem to disconnect completely.
None of these responses mean they are grieving incorrectly.
They are simply their way of grieving. 🐾
As humans, we sometimes want to fix grief. We want to make it better, make the pain go away and get everything back to normal.
But grief isn't something that needs fixing.
It needs space.
It needs patience.
It needs understanding.
And animals deserve that same compassion.
When we allow them to grieve rather than immediately distracting them or expecting them to "get over it", we are acknowledging that their relationships matter.
Because they do form deep bonds.
They have friendships.
They have family.
They have memories.
They miss one another.
And they feel loss.
Watching our herd grieve has been incredibly painful, but it has also been a profound reminder of how deeply animals feel and how much we can learn from simply being present with them.
Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is not try to take their grief away.
Sometimes we just need to stand beside them and say, in our own way:
"I know. I understand. Take as long as you need. I'm here." ❤️
🌈 Let animals grieve. Let them process. Let them say goodbye.
Their hearts are far bigger and their emotional worlds far deeper than we sometimes give them credit for.
And sometimes, in allowing them to grieve, we honour not only the life they have lost — but the beautiful relationship they shared.
Murphy was 38yrs old and such a wise soul. He was a huge part of our herd who are all feeling his loss. Of course we are supporting them all giving healing when you ask for it 🐴❤️🐾
