Saying Goodbye To Merlin — Кассета

Send us Fan Mail Merlin was part of our family and he sadly passed away in the early morning hours of Halloween, October 31, 2026. He was 40 years old and lived with Alecz for 21 years. This is a very emotional episode and was difficult for us to make without breaking down and crying. You can hear in our voices how much we loved Merlin and how much we miss him. We talk through the moment we learned he passed overnight, and we slow down to remember who he was across 21 years together. Alecz shares why Merlin felt like a unicorn to so many people, especially through liberty horsemanship, where the horse has true choice and connection matters more than gear. We also point you to the “Flight Without Wings” Equilinguistics video, because seeing Merlin’s softness on camera helps explain why his presence hit people so deeply. You can see the video at our Youtube channel, "Off Grid with Horses." From there, we get painfully practical about geriatric horse care off-grid at 9,300 feet: mash feedings multiple times a day, a dedicated space to keep him comfortable, and the everyday problem-solving that comes with age, weather, and herd dynamics. Alecz tells the story that still makes us laugh through the lump in our throat: one icy winter night, one tiny piece of frozen poop, and Merlin tipping over like a toy horse, totally fine but absolutely unforgettable. We end with the rituals we’ll carry forward, especially “scritchies,” the thank-you knicker, and the little rhymes and songs that helped him settle, even when Alecz wasn’t there in person. If you’ve ever loved an animal into old age, we think you’ll relate to this episode. Subscribe, share this with another horse person, and leave a review, then tell us what memory you never want to forget.