Boston, Mass – A tragic slip caused a beloved carriage horse to die at a woman’s funeral last weekend. The 28-year-old horse, named Mr. Bee, was waiting outside of the Sacred Heart Church to pull a carriage hearse on Saturday morning when he got fidgety and slipped on a manhole cover.

When he fell, he struck his head on a curb and died shortly after. Mr. Bee’s owner, John Frost, with Remembrance Hill Carriages, believes his horse had a heart attack. He tells MassLive:

“We were waiting alongside the road for the funeral to be over. Bee was kind of fidgeting and he slipped on the manhole cover, his legs just kind of went out from under him, and he hit his head on the curbing. It happened in a matter of seconds. He didn’t suffer.”

After Mr. Bee’s death, Equi Evolution shared a social media post about the horse, who had been a part of their program in the past:

I am incredibly saddened to share news that a horse who was formerly a part of the Equi Evolution program, Mr. Bee, passed tragically over the weekend.

Sharing heartwarming insight:

Most often paired to drive with his best friend, Action; Bee absolutely loved his job! He was a fairly shy horse when it came to hands-on interaction with people so any of you who have had the pleasure of sharing intimate moments with him know what a special experience that was. I have so many fond memories of hanging with him on the farm and working together doing weddings.

Frost considered Mr. Bee to be part of his family, telling the Boston Globe, “He will be deeply missed.”

Rest in peace Mr. Bee.

(Representative images/not Mr. Bee or Remembrance Carriages)