The British Horse Society (BHS) has organized a special group of people that provides help and comfort to horse owners who must face losing their horses. Called Friends at the End, these empathetic individuals make certain that a horse owner has kind support, understanding and friendship at the dreaded time of loss of a horse.
Most horse owners have difficulty facing the loss of a loved horse. Coming to grips with reality and saying the final goodbye is often painful and tough. The owner may be unable to judge whether the horse’s time has come. Friends may be able to provide help.
The BHS has coined the motto, “Better a week too soon than a day too late,” to help individuals come to an appropriate decision for their horses. Understanding how extremely difficult the life ending decision is for most horse lovers, they strongly believe in a decision at the right time despite how hard it is to say farewell.
BHS Welfare senior executive Lee Hackett said:
All of our Friends at the End have lost horses themselves and received training from bereavement counsellors so they really do understand the feelings of loss and grief that come when a horse dies. They aren’t there to take the place of a counsellor or vet, but they can offer an extra source of support. At the hardest time in a horse owner’s journey, our Friends are available to make it as smooth and straightforward as possible.
There are more than 100 volunteer welfare officers. The BHS Friends have completed a training course that enables them to offer support throughout the loss process. They are able to talk about euthanasia options and help the owners make decisions after the horse is put down. A Friend may even arrange to be with the horse owner on the day the horse is euthanized to provide comfort and strength.
The BHS Friend is also able to provide guidance about various options available if for any reason a horse owner can no longer keep a horse.
This program is available in the United Kingdom.
An email address has been made available for those interested in this program. Contact BHS Welfare at friendsattheend@bhs.org.uk.
Source: Horse and Country TV
Dear Reader: If you enjoy my articles and would like other great content, please click my subscribe link. It’s free, informative, anonymous & quick.
You can also follow me on the social networks. Read my articles on Examiner.com and visit my website, dressyourhorse.com.
Comments