The famous horse, called Blanco, had been ill for some time and owner Cynthia Royal made the decision to have him put down.

In a statement posted to theonering.net, Royal explains that Blanco had suffered from ‘serious issues with his intestinal tract and liver.’

She was present when he was euthanized in his stable.

‘Although my heart was breaking,’ she explains, ‘as my final gift to him, I stayed strong, balanced and focused, gently repeating “Relax Blanco. Let go. Walk into the light. Relax and let go” as the Blanco I’ve known so well and loved so deeply slipped away.

‘While this leg of Blanco’s journey has passed and my heart still aches, I will live in peace knowing we gave our all to aid in his recovery.

‘We spared no effort or expense, even though doing so in conjunction with the on-going expenses of my own health challenges has placed an additional financial burden on my family.’

First seen in The Two Towers, Blanco’s most memorable moment as Shadowfax came when Gandalf and Pippin rode to Edoras in Return of the King, with Gandalf uttering one of the most-quotable lines: ‘Run Shadowfax, show us the meaning of haste.’

Blanco was only 25 years old.  RIP, Blanco.  :\'(

I've never seen any of the LOTR movies, but it's sad that horse died. I just googled it, it was a beautiful horse.  :(

Fax means "torch" in Latin.

There was also a jazz fusion group called Shadowfax.