On the day of my husband’s funeral, his horse broke the lid of the coffin. Everyone thought it had gone mad from grief, but what those present saw inside shocked them all.
It was my husband’s funeral day. We had lived together for over twenty years, and almost all that time Astoria — a horse he once saved — was by his side.
Since that day, they were inseparable, like two old friends who understand each other without words.
The procession slowly moved toward the cemetery. I walked behind the coffin, clutching my handkerchief so tightly my fingers turned white. I barely saw faces — only the wet asphalt and slow steps ahead.
Suddenly, behind me came the sound of hoofbeats. It grew louder every second until it cut through the mourning silence. People began to turn around.
It was Astoria. Her eyes were burning, her breath steaming in clouds. She ran straight toward us, ignoring the cries.
Before anyone could stop her, the horse reared up and struck the coffin lid hard with her hooves. One, two, three strikes… The wood cracked.
Everyone was sure the horse had gone mad with grief. But the truth was very different. When people rushed to Astoria and tried to calm her, pulling her away from the coffin, they froze in shock at what they saw inside…
Continued in the first comment.
When the boards of the lid split, a faint moan was heard from inside the coffin. At first, I thought it was an illusion — nerves, fatigue, grief. But the man standing next to me went pale and whispered:
— He… is breathing.
Everyone froze. A man ran inside, lifted the rest of the lid, and leaning over the body confirmed:
— There’s a pulse! Quickly, call an ambulance!
The crowd buzzed, people began rushing around. Astoria snorted and struck with her hooves as if urging us on. Within minutes the coffin was replaced with a stretcher, and the body — now alive — of my husband was carried to the ambulance.
Later the doctors explained: he had fallen into a state similar to a deep coma, and all signs pointed to death. Only the horse apparently sensed that he was still alive.
Now he is slowly recovering, and every time we go out to the yard, Astoria comes and quietly lays her head on his shoulder. And I have no more doubt — animals sometimes see and feel things that we cannot understand.