My loving husband, seeing this coming, conspired with my brother in Maine. My brother was able to get tail hair from Bay without my Mom knowing and mailed it to Lisa at ‘Crazy4PonyTails‘ . My husband talked with Lisa and picked out the pendant and the crystals. I wish the photo showed the detail better but the cell phone isn’t cooperating. Thanks again to my hubbie and bro…
It sounds like many of you have lost well loved horses. My condolences. How did you chose to remember? Was it with photos, a lock of hair, a piece of tack or that favorite memory in your head? What would you recommend?
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Last August I lost my 14 yo mare from incurable lameness..she was my best friend..I’d had her with me since she was a baby..After she died, my 2 friends who were with me at the time, sneaked a piece of her tail, before she was buried, and had it made into a beautiful bracelet, with silver mountings, and her name engraved, and they presented it to me on the morning of my filly’s first show, who I had bred from that mare…I was shocked..it is something so special to me, and I wear it with pride. I loved that mare.
I have the MEMORY of my first mare, Freedom, and I galloping through the pasture with both our manes flying as we became one with the wind. She was kicked one day by another mare and it broke her hip and they had to put her to sleep. I was recuperating from twisted ankle myself and did not get to see her again. I now have since learned to make horsehair jewelry also. It is an art that I am still learning as there are so many braids and weaves. . . and the horse hair is not the easiest material to work with. You necklace is beautiful.
OMG Im sitting here crying! I have lost many horses over the years but my 30yr old soul mate is still with me. He dragged me through the worst times in my life & I can honestly say if it wasnt for him I wouldnt be here today. As I watch him get older i have advised people to stay far away from me the day he dies…. I have already decided to get a necklace made from his tail when he goes, if not before. I have tails/manes from all the horses that have passed from my paddock to the big green one in the sky along with photos & anything else that may be a specific reminder to a certain horse. They are amazing creatures & each & everyone holds a special place your heart. I’m sorry for your loss Stacy but just remember that she will always be with you in your heart.
My sweet Frosty passed from Colic October 4, 2011 at the age of 12 years old. I cut a piece of her tail and put it in a pretty wooden box with her picture in a window on top, I also took the name plate off her leather show halter and used chicago screws to fix it to the box. My sweet little Appy Frosty was my best friend. She would whinny and follow me up the fence when I pulled into the yard, would come when I called her name and gave me that freedom of blocking out the world and just riding when life was getting the best of me. I was a wreck for 2 weeks after losing her, but I have pictures, memories, ribbons and that pretty little box with a little piece of her in it.
I bought my first horse Valiant when he was 7 and I was 28. I had him for 23 years, he died Dec 14, 2010, almost 1 year. I have him cremated in a box in my bedroom with a black and white picture of him on the front. I have his halter hanging on my chair in my office room. And I had a braclet and key chain made out of his tail hair from a lady I found on line in Texas. All treasured items from my best friend in the world.
I’ve made some commemorative frames for horses who are alive as well as gone – it makes a wonderful keepsake and gift. It’s fairly simple if you can find the right kind of frame. If you’d like to see what it looks like, look on the “Horse Lovers” page of my website: http://www.debhessjewelryart.com. They’re never forgotten, but it helps to have something tangible to honor their memory and what they meant to you.
I have a special painting of my horse entering heaven painted for me by my very talented friend. . .it is treasured along with many memories. . .
My first horse died from colic, and the vet sent me his tail. I have it up on a wall with pictures of him.
Sent tail hair to an incredibly talented artist who made it into a beautiful braided bracelet
Great idea – Kudos to your loving husband and brother
that is just gorgeous! i know there’s another site “Tail Spin Bracelets” that has some really nice ones too. I have a piece of my horse’s tail already even though she’s young and in good health just because it brings good memories when i find it haha. i have a ton of photos too, but i think when my horse dies i want a tattoo with her name and a cross and horse shoe so i feel she’s always with me
I sent my horses tail to Lisa as well she does such an amazing job!
wow, that is really pretty. Just today my sister and I made two horse hair bracelets for this one lady who lost her horse recently. We used her horse’s tail to make the bracelets. In the end they turned out amazing! I’m so sorry to hear about you your horse, Stacy!
It’s gorgeous. How thoughtful of your hubby and brother. For me it’s a photo I took of him that I love. I had it enlarged 30x20in, mounted and it’s hanging on my wall.
That is so beautiful. And what a caring, thoughtful, wonderful husband and brother you have to think of having such a heart-touching gift made for you. Brings tears to my eyes!
That is gorgeous!!! I have my best mates (Blade who was an amazing horse) memory permanetly tattooed on my Right arm. It is a real life portrait from my favourite picture of him. I can look at him everyday and he is still with me where ever I go : )
i was given a dvd of photo’s with music on it from a friend of myself and my boy toby,just a lovely memory,i also have a photo frame on the wall with many pics of him and a lock of his maine with those and his halter hanging off it,never to be forgotten,not that he would be of course,and that necklace is fantastic,what a lovely idea from your husband,very thoughtful..
I do not look forward to the future when our two older horses reach the end of their lives. I have painted my 23 year old Arab gelding, Rajan on a porcelain plate. As long as I don’t drop it, the fired picture will last forever. Now, I want to paint my husband’s 20 year old Arab.
What a wonderful idea. My 14 year olds first horse is nearing 30 I think I’ll start sneaking some hair out of our beautiful old girls Tail. Wish we’d done that with her horse that had to be put down this year. She made a frame with his Photo and one of his ribbons and his last shoes. This takes pride of place in her room.
I took a long piece of Buddys tail hair and its hanging in the living room, going to frame it. I also took some mane and forelock and I use to sleep with a piece of his mane under my pillow. It was not washed, but he was clean, so it was soft and for quite a while, smelt like him. I also have a big photo of him and I at our last comp together, State Championships, hanging above my bed.It was hard, and moments make me think of him and I still cry 3 years on. But I am much better now, every year I light a candle in a glass lantern that hangs near his resting place here on the family stud
Our precious lost loves certainly impact us in a huge way. But I am glad of that, makes us who we are, Buddy makes me who I am.
Going to check them out – not sure of their prices, the only one I have found was http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tail-Spin-Bracelets/284878656903 — however I thought it was a bit much.
My first horse was a tall (maybe not so since I was nine) black and white pinto named Daylight. He was a shared horse with my friend, Jeannie. I would ride the bus from school out to her farm to ride. One time I decided to ride him by myself, so I saddled him, but —oops!— too tight on the back girth and he promptly bucked me off. So I learned from him how to saddle with a front and back girth!
My next horse, Patty, I got when I was 12 and I trained her to come when I whistled. One muddy day she came galloping up to the fence. When she stopped, she slid in on her hindquarters. Funniest look on a horse’s face I’ve ever seen. I loved her so much, but all I have are memories and one blurry photo.
My current horse, a little Paso Fino name Zorie, is coming on 28 years. He’s in terrific shape, but I’ll take some tail hair now, just in case!
So sorry for the loss of your long time friend.
A friend had to put her two oldest horses down as a humaine measure of her devotion to them. Anticipating this, she asked if our 4-H Club in Maine would consider holding a fund raiser in their names and donating the proceeds to a horse rescue. Of course we agreed. We accepted donations of grain and items for the rescue as well as cash. We sold sweets, drink and heart cut-outs. On the cut-outs people put the name of a “friend” they wanted to remember and we taped them to a horse trailer. The trailer was soon covered by hearts and loads of memories. The trailer and a truck bed were filled with donations. Trailer, truck and memorials went to the rescue where the 4-H members delivered the proceeds from the day. It was a wonderful way for my friend and many other to remember the special horses in their lives.
What a thoughtful gift your family provided…oh, so perfect! I was thinking this morning that I wished I’d mentioned to save some of the mane or tail….
I’ve seen where the pictures have been scanned and put onto cloth and made into a quilt. I’d never thought about the show ribbons, but that would be a nice added to touch to go with the pics.
I pray that your memories will bring you comfort in the days to come.
Thanx Stacy, for sharing what so many of us go thru- we fall in love and then at some point have to say good-bye. This business makes beautiful products 🙂
I have my horses last pair of shoes in the cement on the first stair of my back porch!
Stacy, You made my day…I lost Tonto, this summer, after 28 years together and could not even think when I lost him. I did get some tail hair and was not sure what I could do….I am so excited to do this, thank you thank you!!
I have a braid from Sweet’s tail in my cedar chest. He and I could do anything together.
Ahhhh, miss my Star-Pony. I had her from the time I was 7 years old until I was 28, she died 5 years ago. I have a memory sticker on the back of my car and truck that is a silhouette of a horse running with “Star Pony” bridged over the top. Underneath the horse silhouette is “Hoofbeats in Heaven” with her date of death: 12/12/07. I still swear I can hear her hoofbeats near the house at night. Every now and then I can walk across our property and smell her (I have had no horses since her due to lack of time). My horse was my rock. She had a personality all her own. I miss her dearly. Even today.
I have photos of old ponies, a painting of my crazy sorrel mare, and I’m making jewelry of tail hair from my ‘soul mate’ mare.
I got his name tattoed on my neck and I planned a portrait of him on my right shoulder. I would really like to have a ring or a necklace made out of his mane but I don’t have that much hair from him =(
Thats beautiful, i remember my horses thats past by a time of the year, a song or a poem, pictures are really nice to.
it crazy how much you can love a horse.
all of them are so special and unique.
i had a shoo-fly made from my amazing gelding’s tail. 🙂
I am afraid that photos are all the physical things I have of Tawny. They are good but the memories are better. He would let me ride him bridless and would let me catch him when the others would not. He had the smothest gaits. I wish I knew what kind of horse he was. I have been looking for a horse that moves like him for about 30 years. I don’t know where to find one. My dad paid 50 dollars for him as a very skinny starved yearling.
I have lots of pictures and still have the ribbons we won together. He’s been gone for 11years and I still miss him dearly.
my first horses bridle hangs on my living room wall.. it fits with my decor.. and its a piece of justy .granted he is still alive somewhere last i knew.. but i had no choice but to get rid of him.. and it broke my heart.. ranger and hickory the two i have now. i think i will just have them stuffed, lol. i can cry just thinking about loosing either of them
A wonderful friend of mine made a collage of photos and framed it with our horse’s name, poem, and a horse rearing in the background which looked like him. I treasure it so much.
Pictures are my favorite way. I’ve also started a quilt made of ribbons I won on her as a child. She raised me, and taught many kids to ride in her twilight years. Sometimes when I hear an old song, it’ll take my memory back to a time when I actually moved into the barn so I could be closer to my horses. I can actually smell all the smells and feel the night air on my skin. I would groom on my mare all night long. I’m surprised I didn’t brush her hide right off. Ahhhh…those are good memories. My horses have saved me in more than one way, on more than one occasion.
What a beautiful and loving gift!
I am a volunteer with a horse rescue, THE UNITED STATES EQUINE RESCUE in Virginia. I have fostered 2 palominos that were older when they came in, but I loved them! I also lost them. We have them buried out back in the pasture that we rent for our 4 mustangs. One of the mustangs is my first horse at age 56—she chose me. She was wild, but she and I have been learning together for 4 years. We found out that green on green equal life.
Anyway, a friend of mine had a bracelet made for me from the tails of my 2 palominos, Honey & Dove, and my mustang Annie. It is beautiful. Annie is a bay roan, so the 3 hairs are interwoven.
WOW! That’s so pretty! I’ve started doing bracelets for folks that I know who have lost a four legged friend. I’ve also been doing shadow boxes. I would be more that happy to make one for you if you like, no charge, just send me a piece of her tail, honestly, about 20-30 strands, 12-18 inches long is enough. And your favorite 4 X 6 picture of you and her or just her. It would be my pleasure to make a frame for you. Cheers and blessings!