Pony Power

09/17/2025

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DO HORSES GRIEVE WHEN THEY LOSE A COMPANION?

Many horse people sense it. Now, recent research provides more evidence that yes — when a companion horse dies, many horses exhibit grief-like responses that can last for months.

This study examined behavioural changes in horses following the death of a companion. Of 325 owners who responded to the study survey, many reported noticeable changes in their surviving horse’s behaviour after the loss.

What the study found:

• Within the first 24 hours after the death of a companion, most horses showed changes in behaviour: heightened arousal (≈ 89 %), altered interaction with other horses (~78 %), changed behaviour toward humans (~78 %), increased alertness to environmental stimuli (~73 %), and more vocalisation (~69 %).

• Many horses continued to show shifts in behaviour, mood, or social engagement up to six months after the loss.

• The strength of the bond matters: horses in close “affectionate” relationships showed more pronounced changes — especially around feeding, interacting, or being around others.

• Whether a horse could stay near the body of the deceased companion also influenced how certain behaviours (like vocalisation, excitement about feeding, or interaction) evolved over time. Those unable to access or witness what happened showed more persistent distress, especially heightened vigilance and arousal over time.

Grieving the loss of a companion has real welfare implications. Grief isn’t just a nice sentiment or a human emotion we project onto horses — for survivor horses, loss can cause real, lasting effects that have long-term impact. Mood, appetite, energy, social behaviour, and interest in human interactions can all be disrupted.

The way death is handled on a yard makes a difference. Allowing time and presence with the deceased, recognising behaviour changes early, and offering extra care can help reduce the impact:

• Watch for changes in the first 24 hours and beyond: look for changes in feeding, sleeping, social behaviour, mood, vigilance and interaction with people.

• Be aware that healing takes time: six months or more is not uncommon.

• If possible, allow surviving horses to be near the body or to witness (if safe and feasible). This seems to reduce some prolonged stress.

• Give the surviving horses an opportunity to acknowledge the loss: presence near the body, opportunity to witness or experience what happened (safely and appropriately) seems to help.

• Provide extra care, enrichment, predictable routine, and gentle handling — especially for horses with strong bonds.

Remember that grief is individual. Some horses bounce back quickly, others need more time. Both deserve care and compassion.

Study: Ricci-Bonot et al (2025). Grief-like distress responses in horses after the death of a conspecific. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

09/15/2025

✨ Maslow had his big pyramid. Food, water, shelter at the bottom. Safety, love, self-esteem stacked above. And at the top? Self-actualisation—the magical land where you paint sunsets, run marathons, or finally start that podcast no one asked for.....😅😉🤣

🐴 Horses have their own version. Not a pyramid, but the Five Freedoms:
– Freedom from hunger & thirst
– Freedom from discomfort
– Freedom from pain & injury
– Freedom to express natural behaviour
– Freedom from fear & distress

Here’s the kicker: both lists say the same thing. You can’t expect a horse to be a calm therapy partner if he’s sore, thirsty, or stuck alone in a stable. And you can’t expect yourself to write your magnum opus when you’ve skipped lunch and the Wi-Fi’s gone down.

Maybe wisdom isn’t about pyramids at all. Maybe it’s about field management.
Feed yourself. Stay safe. Find your herd. Only then can you gallop toward the big, starry-eyed stuff ✨️

At Equimotional, we treat horses and humans the same way:
🌱 No pushing past unmet needs.
🌱 No pretending you’re “ready” when you’re still hungry, tired, or lonely.

Because self-actualisation isn’t about climbing higher.
It’s about grazing peacefully—belly full, herd around you, ready to shine. ✨

09/13/2025

Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center is a non-profit 501(c3) organization offering assistance to children and adults with special needs. All of our instructors are certified by the Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship, Intl. (PATH) and provide lessons to all riding levels and abilitie...

09/13/2025

Two women leading the way in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

09/09/2025

A federal judge and the Bureau of Land Management haven’t determined how they will remedy an appeals court’s decision that declared the agency's plans for eliminating whole horse herds illegal.

08/18/2025

08/18/2025

08/18/2025

It seems that, while there is one part of us which very much wants healing, repair and wholeness, there is yet another part of us who does not and who resists this out of fear at every step. And so, much of the time, we are left feeling this push-me-pull-me kind-of back and forth, as we proceed along on our healing journey.

And yet, both parts are valid and both parts serve a vital purpose. Therefore, it greatly benefits us to value, honour, respect and yes, love both parts.

For when we can do this and see each part as having necessary roles, both of which are in-service to us despite how opposite and contradictory they seem and feel, then gradually we can inch our way forward to greater wholeness, change and healing of our wounds.

We can begin to tip the balance but in a gentle, compassionate way.

And we can further aid the healing process by saying YES to everything which brings healing; saying Yes to ourselves, our worth, our value, our well-being and yes to receiving healing. Consciously reaffirming these Yes's again and again each day.

We might just then find that, over time, the fearful, contracting part of ourselves is able to relax a little more and be able to trust the scary change which healing inevitably brings to our lives.

And this is how we gently birth ourselves forward with love, care and tenderness for the two parts of us who otherwise would remain forever locked in battle.

With love.

©Angela Dunning
The Horse’s Truth
www.thehorsestruth.co.uk
Find more articles & resources here: https://buymeacoffee.com/angeladunning

Art: ‘Love Knot’ by Susan Leyland.