“SOME GOODBYES HURT MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY” — CANNON HALL FARM MOURNS BELOVED SHIRE HORSES RUBY AND IRIS
“SOME GOODBYES HURT MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY” — CANNON HALL FARM MOURNS BELOVED SHIRE HORSES RUBY AND IRIS
Behind the heartbreaking losses are months of devoted care, difficult decisions and a team determined to give its beloved animals every chance.
For the team at Cannon Hall Farm, some of the hardest moments are the ones no amount of experience can make easier: saying goodbye to animals who have become part of the farm family.
The Yorkshire farm has been reflecting on a difficult period for its Shire horses, remembering Ruby, a much-loved mare, and Iris, a young foal whose story had touched animal lovers following her progress.
Their losses have brought sadness to the people who cared for them and to the many followers who had come to know them through the farm’s updates and videos.
Ruby’s heartbreaking final chapter
Ruby was one of Cannon Hall Farm’s familiar Shire horses, admired for her gentle nature and the bond she had built with the people around her.
In July 2026, farmer Robert Nicholson shared the painful news that Ruby’s condition had deteriorated to the point where euthanasia was considered the kindest option.
He explained that Ruby was struggling badly and that he trusted the judgment of the farm’s equine vet, Marco, when making the difficult decision.
It was an emotional moment for Robert, who had to put Ruby’s welfare ahead of his own wish to keep her by his side.
For those who care for animals every day, love sometimes means accepting that letting go is the most compassionate choice.
Iris’s journey touched animal lovers
Iris was one of the young Shire foals whose progress had been followed by the farm’s supporters.
Earlier in 2026, Cannon Hall Farm revealed that Iris and another foal, Solider, had experienced serious complications and needed specialist hospital care. The farm later celebrated their return home, sharing the hopeful news with its online community.
The youngsters represented an important part of the farm’s work to protect and breed Shire horses, a remarkable breed that the farm is committed to helping preserve.
Iris’s subsequent loss made an already difficult period even more painful for the team.
For the people who had helped care for her and watched her fight through those early challenges, her story was about far more than a single animal. It was a reminder of the uncertainty that can come with caring for vulnerable young animals.
More than animals — they become family
Cannon Hall Farm has built a close connection with its audience by sharing the realities of life on a working farm: the joyful arrivals, the funny moments and the difficult days when not every story has a happy ending.
The farm’s Shire horses are especially important to that connection. Their size may make them unforgettable, but it is their individual personalities and the care they receive that make their stories so meaningful to visitors and followers.
The farm has also continued to highlight the work involved in supporting the future of the breed through its Shire horse breeding programme.
Although Ruby and Iris are no longer part of that future, the care given to them remains part of the story of the people who looked after them.
A legacy of care and compassion
Grief is an unavoidable part of caring deeply for animals. For the people at Cannon Hall Farm, the loss of Ruby and Iris has brought difficult reminders of that reality.
Yet their stories also reflect the dedication of the farmers and veterinary professionals who work to protect the animals entrusted to them — even when the outcome is not the one they had hoped for.
Ruby will be remembered as a much-loved mare, while Iris will remain part of the story of a young foal whose journey was followed with hope.
Their absence leaves a space at the farm, but the care they received and the memories they created will not simply disappear.
Sometimes, the deepest goodbyes are the ones that remind us just how much love was there in the first place.
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