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My in-laws are having a horse put to sleep tomorrow. What’s a good sympathy gift?
November 24, 2009 | In: Sympathy Gifts
My husband’s parents are BIG horse enthusiasts and are having one of their favorite horses put to sleep tomorrow.
Naturally, they are very upset about it. My husband and I would like to get them a small sympathy gift to go with a card that has already been purchased.
Other than a frame with a picture of the horse, what would you recommend?
THANKS!!!!
Edited to add:
Other than some glue-themed gift! 
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18 Responses to My in-laws are having a horse put to sleep tomorrow. What’s a good sympathy gift?
Bozema
November 24th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
A donation to a group that rescues abused horses in their horse’s name. Someone did that for me for my dog and I was genuinely touched.
CCRIDER69
November 24th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
A BOTTLE OF GLUE
Eric
November 25th, 2009 at 12:18 am
That’s tough. I think most people might want something like fruit or flowers. Something thoughtful, but something that doesn’t hang around forever reminding them about a painful memory.
I know I still miss my Sugarbear.
one_n1ce_guy
November 25th, 2009 at 12:25 am
I’m guessing that a container of Elmer’s Glue is out of the question, right?
Uggh… that wasn’t even called for was it?
Actually, I think the framed picture is a great idea! What better way to keep a memory of the horse than with a picture. It’s much more sensitive than my suggestion above.
mortisink
November 25th, 2009 at 1:01 am
have the animal butchered and packaged
puppygirl
November 25th, 2009 at 2:00 am
A picture of their horse is a good idea and maybe some flowers.
Starlight 1
November 25th, 2009 at 2:39 am
You can offer a donation to an organization that helps protect horses, or to a group like the Morris Animal Foundation, which does a lot of research into diseases and injuries that horses get. Their website is http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org. Please pass my condolences on to your in-laws. I have been where they are more times than I can count or remember, and it NEVER gets any easier. Good luck.
James Dean
November 25th, 2009 at 2:45 am
Get a card, just don’t lick the glue on the back.
miley395
November 25th, 2009 at 3:17 am
mabey a little horse figure that looks like thiers to remind them of it. like this
http://wolfcreekgallery.com/store/proddetail.cfm?ItemID=1522&CategoryID=7&show=subs
dressage.rider
November 25th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Although I think it is a nice thought, when I put my gelding’s down I didn’t want anything other than a shoulder to cry on. I’m not sure a gift is really what they would want. The card is nice though….just my thoughts on the subject.
Kaysey
November 25th, 2009 at 3:53 am
I think a donation in the horses name to a horse rescue foundation would be a wonderful gift.
Animal Girl
November 25th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Something that lasts temporarily like flowers. Always offer support to them and have them come over one day for a get-together and lunch. That will help them to not focus so much on their horse and to try to cheer them up a little. Also a donation in the horse’s name will help greatly.
miltonchick
November 25th, 2009 at 4:56 am
Hi, sorry to hear about your in-laws horse. I am a horse person my self. Unfortunately in the past 23 years I have had to see many of my horses be put to sleep. My grandma owns them all but I loved to spend time with and ride them.
We had an old horse in the family. His name was Ace. He was one of the best QH’S you’d ever seen. A true foundation bread horse. He was 25 when we had to say goodbye to him. That following Christmas I received a blown up picture framed, of me and Ace at the local fair. It brought tears to my eyes. It meant more than any words that one could have spoken.
A nice picture of your in-laws and their horse or just the horse would be the most thoughtful thing you can get for them.
Are they burying the horse on the farm? If so maybe a stone with the horses name on it would bring comfort too.
Those who are not horse people just don’t understand but when a horsemen loses their horse, they loose a part of their soul.
I hope this helps.
HollySpots
November 25th, 2009 at 5:13 am
Be there for them; you don’t have to say anything but “I’m so sorry, I know he/she meant a lot to you.”
Try to get some photos of his head (preferably with his ears up…. or find an older one your husband might have).
Clip some of his mane off – enough that you can braid. Bind each section with a rubber band and gently wash. When dry, glue gun each section together. Weave a piece of colorful thin braid rope, or ribbon, or fishing line with Native American breads in and out with the braid. Have the ribbon glue gunned around the top of the braid. Tie off the bottom with fishing line and leave the line loose and a little longer than the hair.
Put the braid on the photo mat by glue gunning the top piece and bottom piece/ribbon. This way they can take the braid off the mat if they want to. On the other side, get scrapbook type horseshoes and have several going up the mat….. or draw them if you’re good at that.
You might could also make a small brass plate with his name on it and tack it on the bottom of the frame.
I also have put a horse photo on the top of a photo box. Inside was the horses braided hair, a spray painted horse shoe – of the horse -, and several photographs I had of the horse.
I would also go to a discount store and buy at least 3 long flower garlands to drape around the grave. Maybe a concrete planter with rocks and silk flowers for the head of the grave.
You are such a nice daughter-in-law to be so kind and caring. Just the type of friend I would want to have, too !
God bless you !
AmandaL
November 25th, 2009 at 6:03 am
Some cremation places allow you to buy plaques in honor of your animal – this would be a lasting tribute to the horse. I think you can even buy one at the Kentucky Horse Park, but not sure.
preppy horse lover
November 25th, 2009 at 6:23 am
i think a good gift would be a little tree with a plackard (spelling???) in memory of the horse
BareNakedChlc
November 25th, 2009 at 7:19 am
When I had to put my horse down about 2 years ago i got a lot of cards and some framed pictures of us competing. Thats typically what you would give but my trainer had all the hair taken from his tail (at first i wasn’t happy to hear that she had that done) but then a couple weeks later she gave me his tail that had been made into a fake tail for me to put into my new horses tail to compete with so he’d always be in the show ring with us. It really meant a lot to me to still have part of him. They also had the shoes he was wearing removed and put on a plaque with his show name.
The vet that put him down made a donation to a rescue organization in his name which i thought was also a very nice thing to do.
I hope these ideas are helpful. They all really meant a lot to me. Even just a hug and a shoulder to cry on would prob/ be enough.
jamie c
November 25th, 2009 at 7:30 am
There are stone carver’s that can carve the horses name into a river rock, & they can put it in their garden, or in a place they can see it all the time. I’m sorry, I don’t have a web address, but you can look under stone carving.
You can also have pottery made with a clipping of the horse’s mane or tail.
http://www.claypony.com
My sympathies to your family, it is so very hard to lose your horse.