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My old retiree's roommate, Woody, was put down today. Junior was always alpha over Woody and I didn't think he was very bonded to him. Woody, however, bellowed nonstop whenever Junior left their paddock. Today, Junior watched the euthanasia from afar. Later I walked him past the body but not near and he was snorting and obviously perturbed. He spent the rest of the day hanging close to his neighbors. He wouldn't finish his grain. I know that we anthropormorphize our horses but how much do they really understand about death of another member of their species?
Tough day.

I believe that they do grieve especially having observed mares who have lost foals or long time pasture mates lose one or the other, not too dissimilar to dogs as well as cats losing an owner or another companion of their own species. I think some feel the loss more than others, like us, it's an individual experience. The more I practice veterinary medicine, not too shockingly, the more similarities between humans and our companions animals in terms of physical conditions/disease/behavior and even mental health have been proven true/supported by research and science not fewer.

I, too, believe that horses and other animal species grieve, in a fashion, and/or suffer a sense of loss or befuddlement when a herd/flock/pack member disappears. The behavior changes that we observe in the critters who remain after a friend's passing are, IMHO, not just coincidence. Who knows all the unspoken connections and relationships that exist between the animals that live together? Call me crazy, but DH and I both will swear to the end that "Big Mamma"--a clown loach in a tropical aquarium we once had--went into complete hiding after her little clown loach buddy passed. Her bright orange and black striping faded and we didn't see her for a couple weeks. She finally resurfaced and rebounded when we introduced a new clown loach to the aquarium.

It is one of my greatest laments when one of my animals goes to the Rainbow Bridge that I am unable to explain to those who remain what happened and why.

I do show the body of a deceased pasture mate. I think I helps them know the friend is not coming back. I still think they are bothered by their absence ( grieve) even if they are stoic. We lost a younger horse to colic and it's bonded aged friend deteriorated so rapidly that she had to help them over the bridge a month later. I have put down a bonded aged pair together when the worst was ready because of that.

So yes I think they grieve

We also put down a beloved Woody when his navicular feet would no longer support his 17 h body. He had 2 pasture mates at the time, his older alpha sister and my retired riding horse (Kat), a gentlish soul who was his pasture buddy. For the next 3 days after his "disappearance", Kat would rush out of her stall in the morning to the pasture high point (bypassing her hay rack), and excitedly look around. The first morning, she neighed. The next two, she simply looked around expectingly. After day 3, she went straight to her hay and life was back to normal. I don't know if she "grieved", but she was acutely aware he was gone. His sister never turned a hair, but she was never much of a fan of her pesky "little" brother.

Sorry for the loss, Jr. sounds like he needs a bouquet of carrots.