Horses and their owners often share a strong bond of love and friendship. When a horse or an owner passes away, the hole left behind is felt by all.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Funeral Poems for Equestrians
- Funeral Poems for Horse Hobbyists and Enthusiasts
- Religious Funeral Poems for Horse Lovers
- Non-Religious Funeral Poems for Horse Lovers
- Poems About Grieving a Horse
Reading poetry is a perfect way to celebrate the unique bond between horse and human for a memorial service, a funeral, or as a way to share their passion with friends and family on social media.
Funeral Poems for Equestrians
Pay proper tribute to a friend or loved one who spent their life surrounded by horses with one of these poems.
1. "Diamond in the Ruff" by Shannah M. Helman
This funeral poem can be read both in memory of a horse or a human. The lines talk about the strong bond and relationship between the author and their friend, the memories created, and the fun times shared.
2. "Barbaro" by Fritz Rauschenberg
There is often a deep bond between humans and horses. This poem describes the passing of a horse but can equally apply to a horse lover, especially if the owner passed away due to terminal illness or tragedy. These lines especially work well for both horse and human: “But this bold spirit's run, cut short by fateful situation. By fate's cruel decision, not a hero's loss of vision.”
3. "Barbaro at the Rainbow Bridge" by Stephi Luken
This poem speaks of a faithful horse waiting at the rainbow bridge for its owner. Read this poem at the funeral of a horse owner who is looking forward to being reunited with their beloved horse.
4. "Beloved Teacher" by Kimberley Beldam
If your loved one was a horse riding instructor, this poem would be perfect to read at their funeral. The lines talk about the horse that taught children how to ride as well as the owner that loved the horse. It also parallels the human experience of learning to say goodbye to loved ones and let go at the end of their life.
5. "Do Not Stand At My Grave" by Mary Frye
This poem is often used for the death of a horse and works well for the horse owner’s funeral, as well. It is written from the perspective of the dying or deceased person. They tell their loved ones to not stand at the grave because, “I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow.”
Funeral Poems for Horse Hobbyists and Enthusiasts
Horse hobbyists and enthusiasts are just as passionate about the horses they get to be around. Honor them with one of these poems.
6. "Always There Are Horses” by M. Adelia Ellis Ramey
Ramey’s poem talks lovingly about the reason she rides horses. She rides through the ups and downs of life, through thick and thin, because horses teach her how to live. This is a perfect poem to read at the funeral of someone who loved to ride horses because they felt alive on the back of a horse.
7. "Hoof Prints On the Clouds" by Aspen Black
This has the feel of a cowboy funeral poem with lines like, “Way out there past the western wind,
beyond the stars at night, there's tales of hoof prints on the clouds upon that sea of white.” Horse and rider are reunited in this poem to ride forever upon the clouds.
8. "I’m Still Here" by Author Unknown
This can be used for horses or their humans and encourages the reader to look for the deceased in the birds and trees and flowers of spring.
9. "It’s Hard" by Chelse Chilson
If you long to see your loved one riding on the back of their horse one more time, this poem is for you.
10. "Letter From Your Horse in Heaven" by Author Unknown
This poem provides encouragement from a horse to its rider with a letter from heaven. The last lines encourage the reader by saying, “when it's time for you to go from that body to be free,
Remember you're not going...you're coming here to me.”
Religious Funeral Poems for Horse Lovers
Many horse owners take comfort in the hope that they’ll be reunited with their beloved equine in heaven. These poems speak to this reality.
11. "A Horse’s Plea" by Armin Wagner
This poem is written from a horse’s perspective and speaks about the love and care given to a horse. This is perfect for reading at the funeral of someone who took good care of their beloved equine companions.
12. "A Time for Us to Part" by Katie Benson
This poem is ideal for the horse lover that looked forward to reuniting with their beloved horse after death. After reflecting that the horse galloped to heaven, the author states, “I will see you again, my friend, in a place in eternity where joy never ends.”
13. "Don’t Cry for the Horses" by Brenda Riley-Seymore
Though the poem speaks about horses, the lines apply perfectly to people as well. This poem can be read at the funeral of someone who looked forward to being free from the aches and pains of the world and going to heaven after they die.
14. "Farewell Prayer" by Lisa M. Bakos
This poem speaks of a horse or a person that is finally free of pain and can run around in heaven full of life and joy. The opening lines read, “Lay down, my friend, and close your sweet eyes, when next you awake, you’ll look down from blue skies. Free from the pain, you will run in full stride, with friends from the past and through fields far and wide.”
15. "God’s Garden" by Author Unknown
This is a beautiful poem about God calling his beloved to heaven and removing them from a life of pain, care, and toil. Often read about horses, this poem applies perfectly to equine lovers, as well. There is hope in the last lines, “It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone. For a part of us went with you, the day God led you home.”
Non-Religious Funeral Poems for Horse Lovers
Some of these poems have a spiritual component but are appropriate for anyone regardless of held beliefs.
16. "I Had This Dream" by William Roemer
This poem is perfect for a child or teen who loved horses. The lines describe the joy, beauty, and friendship between a girl and her horse.
17. "Her Journey’s Just Begun" by Ellen Brenneman
Brenneman encourages the reader of this poem with the opening lines, “Don't think of her as gone away, her journey's just begun. Life holds so many facets, this earth is only one.” For those who are uncertain about what happens after death, the final lines point the way: “And think of her as living in the hearts of those she touched, for nothing loved is ever lost...and she was loved so much.”
18. "My Favorite Place" by Dianne Wolf
This loving tribute talks about a horse and rider enjoying time together. Read this poem for a loved one who was always on their horse.
19. "Not Forgotten" by Alexandra Day
This is written from the perspective of a horse that has walked through “a door called death.” He encourages his owner by saying, “One day you too will come through the door, and we will be together.”
20. "Will Horses Buck in Heaven?" by Shari Starr
The author of this poem wonders what it will be like to ride a horse in heaven. She imagines riding her favorite bucking horse and landing in clouds of fluff.
Poems About Grieving a Horse
Losing a horse might feel like losing a part of yourself. Poems and quotes about losing a horse are perfect when speaking at a horse’s funeral, journaling, or preparing horse memorial gifts for a friend experiencing loss.
21. "I Miss You" by Baile Richards
This beautiful poem encapsulates everything wonderful about a horse and talks about everything a horse owner will miss. Every horse owner can identify with the lines, “I will miss seeing you in the pasture, I will miss watching you roll. I will miss hearing your hoofbeats as you run to me, I will miss your amazing horse smell.”
22. "Luckiest of Them All" by Mia Gradick
Losing a beloved horse is never easy but, as Gradick shares in her poem, she still views herself as the luckiest of them all to have experienced the love of a horse.
23. "Tearful Farewell for Tango" by Judy Paglia
The bond between human and horse often grows deep and strong. Losing a horse can feel just as painful as losing a human relative. Perhaps you feel the kind of pain Paglia writes about in the lines, “One day I'll remember the love we shared, good memories will replace this pain. For the rest of my life, I will hold onto the hope for the day we are together again.”
24. "Hoofbeats of Heaven" by Chelsea Tucker
This heartrending poem speaks of the empty space left behind when a horse passes away. Though life may not ever be quite the same, the author shares her hope that “One day we shall meet again never to be parted.”
25. "I Miss You" by Laura Florey
In the same way that we miss a family member and go to their grave to “visit” them, we can visit with a deceased horse. In her poem, Laura talks about doing exactly that as she says, “I miss you, my Rose, as I sit by your grave. I know you aren't there, you've gone on your way. I sit by you often, I tell you my thoughts. I whisper my secrets, I still feel so lost.”
Remembering Horses and Their Owners
The relationship between horse and owner is a very special one whether it began in early childhood or later in life. Celebrate this unique bond with poems that honor their treasured friendship and the memories they created.
Source:
- “In Praise of the Horse.” Tribute to the Human/Equine Bond, Hoofbeats In Heaven, 2021. hoofbeats-in-heaven.com/praise.