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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 980
  
Location: Southwest Minnesota | A very good friend of mine had to put her 10 year old daughter's first horse down yesterday. I am just wondering if there are any good books for kids that anyone knows of. My friend is a photographer and took amazing pictures with her kiddos and the horse and they saved mane and tail hair for them. I just wanted to get them a book or something, but can't find anything I really like. Any suggestions would be appreciated. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Show her the story of Sea Biscuit... Or Secretariat.. Give her Black Beauty... Tell her how life works... Horses, like people, don't live forever. Don't lie to her... Sooner or later, Everything dies... Prepare her for what's coming.
Edited by komet. 2016-03-13 8:46 AM
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Location: Tenn. | Not sure of any books, but there is all sorts of memorabilia items you can buy on Etsy.com. It's tough loosing a good horse no matter how old you are, but it is very hard as a young child. I am sure she will get through it in her own time. What a great friend you are for caring as much as you do! I will be praying for the young girl that lost her horse. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I remember losing my first horse when I was 14 years old, I missed school for a few days was a really hard day for me.
I dont know of any books out there, but maybe since theres lots of pictures make up a book of great memories of the little girl and her horse in the pictures.
Back in my younger day we really didnt take lots of pictures and sure do wish we had, I would love to have had a picture book made up of my guy.. |
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Addicted to Baseball
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright, TX | Mine lost her first horse at 4. Dearest mare that ever walked. My kids are ranch raised and it wasn't their first loss, but it hit her hard. I found her a poem and framed it with a picture of her and Fuzzy. Maybe you can find a suitable poem with a little condolence line from you that the mom can put in a scrapbook for the girl with the rest of the memories. Not sure what kind of book you're looking for, but horse crazy kids tend to like any kind of horse book. |
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 Regular
Posts: 73
| When I was eight (I'm sixteen now) I was looking for a step up barrel horse and bought the horse of my dreams, plenty of speed, ready to train, and well bred. He colicked two weeks after we brought him home and I was completely devastated. A few months after that one, we brought another home and he was just the love of my life. I had an accident on him and wasn't cleared to ride for a three months. My second time on after the accident, he had a fatal aneurysm while I was riding him. It was the scariest thing in the world for him to just collapse beneath me. I jumped off and loosened his cinch, but there was nothing else we could do. He was just staggering around and it was terrifying. With that said, I'm so glad that I was eight when it happened. Between the stress of AP classes and trying to win the Resistol Rookie when I turn 18, if it happened again right now, I would probably go down in some kind of downward spiral. I guess my point is that it's hard to bring down a kid and they are stronger than adults in so many ways. I would just let her know that everything happens for a reason. If I hadn't lost those two, I would never be on the horse I have now. Also, tell her that if something hurts now, look to tomorrow and know that it will hurt a little less. And if it still hurts tomorrow, know that it'll hurt a little less the next day. Hope this helps. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | Prayers for your friend. When my sons horse died I think watching him go thru losing his horse was harder than any losing any of my horses. We ended up buying him another horse out of a bad situation and she has really turned in to a nice mare. I think it really helped my son heal to know that losing his horse allowed us to save another horse that would have otherwise had a not so great ending. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Tilt The Kilt - 2016-03-13 9:09 AM
Mine lost her first horse at 4. Dearest mare that ever walked. My kids are ranch raised and it wasn't their first loss, but it hit her hard. I found her a poem and framed it with a picture of her and Fuzzy. Maybe you can find a suitable poem with a little condolence line from you that the mom can put in a scrapbook for the girl with the rest of the memories. Not sure what kind of book you're looking for, but horse crazy kids tend to like any kind of horse book.
I did this with my boys when they each lost their favorite cat. My 3 yr old is riding my ex barrel horse and the first horse I ever raised from a baby. He's 23 and has very bad knees. I'm not sure who it will be harder on-me or him. |
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Kids and losing a horse