On February 24, 2025, we said goodbye to our Danish Warmblood-Thoroughbred mare, Shekhinah: a stunning and soulful presence that we loved deeply. At 33 years old, she was the last of the original eight rescue horses that helped to found HeartSpace Horse Sanctuary. As the matriarch of her herd, Shekhinah was kind but discerning, fair yet firm, a lead mare who always kept the well-being of her herd in mind.
When Shekhinah first arrived at HeartSpace in 2015, she was underfed and cautious around people. Though she had been well-trained, her past had been shaped by unpredictability: Where would her next meal come from? How many times will she be moved to an unfamiliar place? It took time for her to trust that she was now in a space of fairness, consistency, and peace. As she began to heal, two things became clear: 1. She knew her own strengths and limitations, and, 2. She was a survivor.
Shekhinah spent her remaining years in safety and comfort, surrounded by love, plenty of fresh water, food, care, and companionship. She adored attention and would use her sweet little ears to capture our attention so we would rub them. Amazingly, she was the only horse at the sanctuary who would stay still when asked to, especially at the gate. She cooperated with ease, almost inherently. This kind of quiet intelligence and intuition made her truly unforgettable.
At HeartSpace, we believe in honoring what is best for the horse, setting aside our own grief to ensure they pass with dignity and peace. Their journey, like all of nature, moves in cycles—birth, life, and then dissolving into all that is. Shekhinah’s presence will never truly leave us. She lives on in our memories, in the lessons she taught us, and in the love she gave so freely.
As our hearts break, they also break open—expanding to hold more love, more memories, and more gratitude for the time we shared. Grief, when embraced with love, does not shrink us; it allows us to grow. Shekhinah’s spirit remains, woven into the sanctuary she helped build and into the hearts of all who knew her.
The love she gave will always outweigh the grief. And so, we choose to hold on to that.
Run free, sweet Shekhinah. You are home.