When your horse dies, it's good to get horse loss support from your family, friends or professional loss groups.
Expect lots of emotions
It's not easy to prepare for death, but you should know that some of the emotions that will accompany your grieving process are totally normal. When you first lose your horse, you may have a hard time accepting that your horse is gone. Sometimes it takes a while for a person to really feel the loss of an animal. If this is happening, prepare yourself for the inevitable by seeking out horse loss support before you really feel the effects of your horse's death.
Also, be prepared to feel extreme sadness or anger. We don't have to tell you that a pet horse is almost like a family member. So when they die, it can be extremely painful. However, many people experience anger as well as sadness. Sometimes their anger is directed at the animal and other times it’s directed at themselves for not being able to "prevent" the death. Good horse loss support from family will help you work through these emotions.
Use your family
If you have a tight family, the most accessible horse loss support group is your family. Your family probably knows you better than anyone else. This will allow you to freely express your emotions. Your family can also tell you if they think you're teetering on the brink of depression and need to get some professional help.
When looking for horse loss support, talk to family members that knew your horse. You'll be able to reminisce about your horse together. Talking about your horse in a positive light might make you feel better about accepting his loss.
Check out some support groups
Not everyone is close to their family. Don't worry, if you're not close to your family, you can find horse loss support at a loss support group. Ask your vet if he or she knows of any such group. It's a good idea to ask about the specifics of the group before you go because many loss groups are geared toward human loss.
If you can't find a horse loss support group in your area, get on the Internet. There are many on-line support groups. People talked to each other about loss through support rooms. If this doesn't work for you, you can call a psychiatrist for one-on-one horse loss support.
Put up a memorial
As silly as it sounds, a memorial attributed to your horse can be a good horse loss support. A memorial will remind you of your horse the way your horse was before it passed. Sometimes it's better to use this horse loss support after you've had time to go through the grieving process.
