I grew up on a family farm, where the quiet rhythm of hooves was part of everyday life. But nothing truly prepares you for the silence that follows when your horse is gone.
When my mare, Dahlia, passed after 17 years together, I couldn’t bring myself to clean out her stall. Her feed bucket stayed full for days. I didn’t know how to say goodbye—until I found words that helped me try.
If you’re here, chances are you’re grieving a horse too. I hope these poems and quotes give you what they gave me: a moment of stillness, a way to remember, and the comfort of knowing you’re not alone.
Table of Contents
10 Horse Death Poems with Real Sources
1. “The Horse” by Ronald Duncan (1954)
“Nobility without pride, Friendship without envy, Beauty without vanity…”
2. “Four Feet” by Rudyard Kipling
“Four feet trotting behind, Four feet trotting beside, Four feet to follow and find...”
3. “The Rainbow Bridge – Horse Version” (Adapted from Paul C. Dahm)
“There’s a land of green pastures And horses run free, Where our friends wait for us For all eternity.”
4. “Ride On” by Jeanne Dean
“Ride on, sweet soul, where the meadow is wide, Where pain has no rein and peace is your guide…”
5. “A Horse’s Prayer” (Anonymous)
“Don’t cry for me when I am gone, My soul runs free, my spirit strong.”
6. “Old Horse” by Patricia Beer
“Your whinny soft, your coat grown grey, But still you nuzzled me each day.”
7. “To a Horse” by C.J. Heck
“You were never just a horse to me, You were grace and strength and loyalty.”
8. “My Barn Is Quiet Now” by Cheryl Norem
“My barn is quiet now, Your stall is swept and bare. But echoes of your breath remain Like dust caught in the air.”
9. “Let Him Go” by J.R. Pinkett
“The fields are waiting, The gates swing wide. Let him go—he has earned the ride.”
10. “Heaven’s Horses” by Carlee Mallory
“When I get to heaven, Let me find him there, His mane in the wind, His soul in the air.”
How to Use These Poems to Grieve & Remember
Horse death poems are more than words. They are how many of us process grief, find connection, and move gently through loss. Here are quiet ways I’ve seen them used—and used them myself:
◾Read aloud in your barn or paddock
A private goodbye under the sky where they once grazed.
◾Copy into a grief journal
Write by hand, line by line. Let the tears fall with the ink.
◾Use in a eulogy or memorial speech
Poetry gives voice to what grief often silences.
◾Send to a fellow horse owner in mourning
Sometimes, offering words is the kindest thing we can do.
◾Keep in a printed memory book
Frame it. Fold it. Carry it. Keep it close.
10 Short Horse Memorial Quotes
Simple. Eternal. Suitable for engraving, printing, or speaking aloud.
“You left hoofprints on my soul.”
“Gone from the paddock, never from my heart.”
“Your last gallop was toward the stars.”
“Carried me in body, now carried in memory.”
“Not just a horse. My best friend.”
“Forever my trail partner, in this life and the next.”
“The barn feels quiet, but your spirit stays.”
“Loved beyond words, missed beyond measure.”
“You were the rhythm beneath my ride.”
“My favorite hello, my hardest goodbye.”
How to Use These Quotes to Remember Your Horse
Quotes are small enough to stay with you, but powerful enough to say it all. Here are some ways people are honoring their horses today:
◾On headstones and pasture markers
Especially meaningful in rural or home burial sites.
◾ On custom photo frames or urns
Perfect for combining with tack, nameplates, or a favorite image.
◾ In journals, letters, or eulogies
Start or end with a quote that carries your memory.
◾ On social media tributes
Sometimes a photo and a single quote is enough to tell a lifetime of love.
◾ On personalized keepsakes
Necklaces, dog tags, engraved halters—small objects that say something big.
From Meghan’s Journal
“Ride On” was the poem that got me through the first week after Dahlia passed. I read it aloud every night before sleep, until I didn’t cry anymore. Now I whisper it into the wind when I pass her tree.
Her halter hangs there still. And that quote on the stone? It says: “Gone from the paddock, never from my heart.”
After losing Dahlia, I started collecting poems and quotes in the back of my old feed ledger—lines that made me cry, made me breathe, or made me feel less alone.
I still keep a small stone under the oak tree where she’s buried. On it are just ten words:
“Gone from the paddock, never from my heart.”
If you’re reading this in sorrow, I hope these words give you something gentle to hold on to. You’re not alone. And your love for them never leaves.
— Meghan, equine memorial writer & lifelong horsewoman
FAQ: Honoring Your Horse's Memory
Some of the shorter ones, yes. Most poems are better suited to journals, speeches, or private readings.
You can. Start with one memory. Don’t worry about rhyme—just be real. Your horse knew your heart, not your grammar.
Try local equestrian groups, farm communities, or online horse forums. Or simply share it with a friend who understands.
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