I don’t think he died. I never did. It just doesn’t make sense to me. If he died, then what’s the point? Isn’t the point of this specific story about how he has to face his consequences to be truly at peace? At the start, he was a rich, famous horse, but he was a miserable piece of shit that’s toxic to himself and everyone around him. In contrast, at the end, he’s a prisoner who lost all of his wealth and fame, but he’s calm, peaceful, and might even be happy, and he doesn’t hurt anybody around him anymore, at least not as much as he used to.

There’s also this little message that goes along the main one too: Life goes on. That would also be completely nullified if he died.