Not gone yet...ways to memoralize??

My mare is on a limited number of days according to the vet. He's encouraging me to put her down due to the extreme pain from her ringbone. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye yet...
I want to know what ways to memoralize her?
I told my husband I wanted her stuffed so she'd never leave me but clearly that's extreme. So...Ideas? Figured I'd ask those who've walked the difficult path before me.

Taxidermying a horse would cost you a boatload of money, and it's impractical. Besides, they use just the hide and nothing else, so it wouldn't really be your whole horse.

You can have the body cremated, but again, it's expensive.

Take some tail hair and have a bracelet, necklace, or earrings made with the hair. There's also horse hair pottery.

Make a shadow box with a braid of tail hair, her halter, a few pictures, and maybe a poem that means something to you.

If the animal will be buried, have a marble place marker made for the grave. SmartPak sells them and they're not expensive.

If your vet is encouraging you to put her down, I'd listen to him. Vets don't advise euthanasia lightly, and your mare is suffering.

Take tail hair. There are a lot of people who can make bracelets, jewelry, keychains out of beautifully braided tail hair. Maybe take some good pictures, frame them and have a tail hair tassel hanging from it. Some people in the Tack and Equipment Classifieds have advertised it recently.

Stuffing IS extreme, and I personally would not want my horse stuffed. Also, it would be EXPENSIVE!!! I would think it was a teensy bit weird, to be honest.. :p

I'm sorry for what you're going through. It's gotta be tough.

Hire a professional photographer to take photos of you and your horse together, and your horse in pasture. It was some of the best money I spent.

I lost tammy nearley 1 1/2 years a go now I have loads of photos of her and photos of her and vanessa.
I have 2 of her hind shoes and a length of her tail I had her layed to rest at the barn and held her in my arms and tricky was with her as well he had to know and I had her picked up and had her cremated.
And I have her ashes with vanessas ashes at home,so that we will all be home soon.

You could save some hoof clippings and have some jewelry made from them. They can make a "stone" from the clippings they call equinite. It's a really cool concept if you ask me. I'm planning on doing this with both my horse's hoof clippings soon.

Here's a link to the site that will take your hoof clippings and make a piece of jewelry to your liking.

Equinite Home Page

I'm sorry, this is not an easy thing to go through. My condolences.

Sorry to hear this. There's a member on here, Jordi, who makes beautiful tail hair keychains and jewelry. She made me two beautiful pieces earlier this year, from just a little bit of tail hair I had after trimming my mare's tail. You can search for her and send her a private message.

Enjoy your last bit of time with your mare.

I'm sorry you're going through such a hard time, it's very hard.

You could use some of her hair and make braclets or take pictures of you and her together. Enjoy the time you guys have left together.

Welcome to the forum ,I made a shadow box for my first horse his halter and his last pair of shoes and some other stuff like a key fob with his name on it. On the box I have the day I got him and the day he was put down-- My feeling is once the animal is put to sleep what made them them is gone to heaven

I am sorry you are facing this, I know it is a very difficult time. I agree w other posters, a lock of beautiful hair so you have it to make a bracelet, or place in a mourning locket, or whatever brings you closer.

The suggestion above of a pro photographer is a very good one.