My husband’s horse broke the coffin lid on the day of his funeral. Everyone believed it had gone insane due to bereavement, but they were all surprised by what they found inside.
It was the day of my husband’s funeral. Over the course of our more than two decades together, Astoria, a horse he had previously rescued, had been at his side virtually the entire time.
Like two old friends who can understand each other without using words, they have been inseparable since that day.
The procession approached the cemetery at a leisurely pace. I gripped my handkerchief so tightly that my fingers became white as I walked behind the casket. Only the damp pavement and the cautious steps in front of me were visible to me.
The sound of hoofbeats suddenly reached me from behind. It pierced the somber silence, becoming louder by the second. People started to turn around.
Astoria was the location. Her breath was steaming in clouds, and her eyes were burning. She ignored the cries and ran directly toward us.
The horse rose up and slammed her hooves into the coffin lid before anyone could stop her. Strikes one, two, three… The wood broke.
It was widely believed that the horse had lost its mind due to grief. The reality, however, was quite different. People froze in amazement at what they saw inside the coffin when they hurried to Astoria and attempted to soothe her by removing her…
A slight moan came from inside the coffin as the boards of the lid cracked. I initially believed it to be a delusion—anxiety, exhaustion, and sadness. However, the man beside me became pale and muttered:
– He’s breathing.
Everybody froze. After running inside and lifting the remaining lid, a man leaned over the body and verified that there was a pulse. Make an ambulance call immediately!
People started hurrying around as the crowd buzzed. As if to encourage us, Astoria snorted and stomped her hoofs. My husband’s body, now alive, was taken to the ambulance in a matter of minutes after the coffin was swapped out for a stretcher.
The physicians then clarified that all indications led to his death and that he had entered a condition akin to a deep coma. It seems like only the horse realized he was still alive.
He is now gradually getting better, and whenever we go outside to the yard, Astoria comes and rests her head on his shoulder in silence. Animals can see and feel things that humans cannot comprehend, so I’m no longer in question.
