🐴 The Unconditional Love of the Miniature Horses: Honey, Ray of Sunshine, and Little Miss Sunshine

At Bone Boutique, our mission is to practice Wearable Conservation—transforming the life story of an animal into ethical, beautiful art. This mission found its most profound expression through the family of Miniature Horses that came to us from a kind-hearted farm in Venice, Florida: Honey, her best friend, the beautiful mare Little Miss Sunshine, and the tiny colt, Ray of Sunshine.

This is more than a story about conservation; it is a testament to the power of community, compassion, and honoring life until the very last moment.

Mr. Moon and Honey

June 1st, 2023: Honey’s Final Journey

It began with a call that echoed with both sadness and profound love. We were asked to take a live Miniature Mare named Honey. Honey had a serious tumor that had regrown, and the farm had made the heartbreaking but compassionate decision to have her humanely put down.

As we shared in an email to our community:

"June 1st, 2023. A call echoes through the Bone Boutique, not of bone discoveries, but of a tiny life in need. Honey, a miniature mare, casts a long shadow of illness, her tumor a cruel reaper at her heels... The farm, heavy with their own heartbreak, reaches out, offering a final act of love – a chance for Honey's spirit to live on, beyond the rainbow bridge."

For us, accepting a live animal was a first, yet the logistics were simpler, and the process felt infinitely more respectful. We orchestrated Honey's arrival carefully, drawing strength from the memory of Little Miss Sunshine, another mare from the same farm whose remains we had previously conserved. Honey arrived not alone, but with her best companion, Mr. Moon, a Miniature Colt, who offered comfort and support in those precious final hours before returning safely to the farm.

A compassionate veterinarian, a guardian angel of fur and science, ensured Honey's transition was peaceful and bathed in love’s soft light.

The Legacy of Conservation: A Unified Miniature Horse Family

Visitors view Little Miss Sunshine's Bones at the Moore Museum of Art & Natural History

The story of the Miniature Horses is the purest embodiment of our zero-waste commitment: utilizing every piece of a life honored.

Little Miss Sunshine's Articulation: Little Miss Sunshine has now begun her journey to full articulation. This complex process recently required us to partner with a local artist, Synthetic Ghost Industries, to 3D print a replica bone to replace one that was lost, ensuring her skeleton is complete for future educational display. Her finished skeleton will stand proudly alongside Ray of Sunshine's on a unified base, symbolizing their eternal bond.

Little Miss Sunshine

Honey's Legacy: Honey's full skeleton will be responsibly processed, mounted, and preserved for educational purposes. Currently, Honey's remains are undergoing the long, sun whitening journey to ensure her final skeleton is clean and structurally beautiful—a slow process that speaks to the dedication of this art form. Her skeleton will be a documented, conserved piece of Florida history that continues to inspire.

Little Miss Sunshine

Ray of Sunshine’s Legacy: Ray of Sunshine, the beautiful colt, also forms a critical part of this legacy. The small, delicate bone fragments—the vertebral endcaps and porous epiphyses that were left over after their full skeletons were conserved have been transformed into our exclusive jewelry line. Mother and Son will on display together on a base made by another local artist, Halligan Design Production.

Ray of Sunshine

Miniature Colt Vertebral Endcap & Rose Quartz Drops

$38.00

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Ray of Sunshine Ethereal Epiphysis Drops Miniature Colt Bones (Foal)

$38.00

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Ray of Sunshine Memorial Drop Earrings Miniature Colt (Foal) Bones

$38.00

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When you purchase a piece like the Rose Quartz Endcap Drops or the Ethereal Epiphysis Earrings, you are not just acquiring jewelry. You are:

1. Carrying a Memorial: You are wearing a gentle, loving tribute to a beautiful life.

2. Supporting Ethical Practice: You are funding the labor-intensive, ethical process of cleaning, documenting, and conserving the full remains for education and display.

3. Rejecting Waste: You are celebrating the principle that every piece, even the tiniest growth plate, has value and a story to tell.

   
   

Celebrating the Kindness of Community

We are honored to have been chosen by the farm to give these beautiful horses a second life through conservation art. Honey’s story, in particular, moved so many beautiful souls—from the stable hands to the veterinary team—who came together to help her on her journey.

Honey, little mare with a mighty heart, Mr. Moon, her faithful companion, and Little Miss Sunshine and Ray of Sunshine, a family whose light shines on—you are forever woven into the tapestry of our lives.

We invite you to explore the pieces in the Miniature Horse Collection and share in this enduring commitment to life, love, and conservation.