It harks back to a bygone era, but horse-drawn funerals are starting to prove popular for one Wanganui funeral home.
Dempsey and Forrest first used a horse-drawn carriage for a funeral seven years ago and co-owner James Forrest said several others have been carried out since then.
"A young lady passed away in 2006 and her family requested that she have a horse-drawn funeral so we managed to put that together and then thought why not offer it as another part of our service," Mr Forrest said.
It was the first time a horse and carriage had been used in a funeral in Wanganui for at least 80 years and he said the sight and sound of a horse-drawn funeral carriage was evocative and added dignity to the occasion.
He said there has not been a big call to use the horse and carriage and those that have had pre-arranged with the undertakers that was what they wanted for their funeral.
"But definitely we're expecting to be handling more of them like this in future."
Mr Forrest travelled to London in 2007 and spent a week with an inner-city funeral director to "learn the ropes" about horse-drawn funerals.
"I emailed this company and they said I was welcome to spend whatever time I wanted there. The thing was they specialised in horse-drawn funerals as well as standard funerals."
He even got to officiate at a funeral involving a horse and carriage while he was there.
He said the idea of bringing the traditional horse and carriage came about the time his funeral home introduced "Agna" the 1935 Austin hearse.
"We were thinking then about what else we could offer for funerals."
The pair of horses and the carriage are owned by Caroline and John McCree.
"Their horses are specially trained so if a car backfires or there's another sudden noise or event they can cope with it. "
"Caroline and John wear top hats and the horses have plumes on their heads as well. It's all part of the tradition."
In fact there are a number of traditions that accompany the equine procession.
One of them has the funeral director walking the first 100m from the funeral venue as well as the final 100m at the cemetery or crematorium, with a motorised hearse leading the procession.
"And the funeral director also carries a cane, which is another of those traditions. In the old days undertakers carried a cane to ward off robbers."
The horses Dempsey and Forrest use can canter at about 19km/h and are only down to walking pace immediately leaving the funeral venue and when they arrive at the cemetery.