08/07/2024
Yesterday was so hard. I very unexpectedly had to say goodbye to Pluto. Pluto has been part of Four Star Farm for 28 years. I bought him in England from Queen Elizabeth when he was 4 for a client. That was an experience! When I first saw him he was such a fun color and then he trotted across the ring and was also soooooo fancy I couldn't resist trying him! I sat on him and he was a perfect gentleman even then and would just walk if anything crazy happened. No spook, no shenanigans just calm and lovely. The canter was uphill and like floating on air. I hadn't ridden very many 4 year olds like that! Even now it is rare to felel that on a youngster and I ride some very nice ones! That client I was shopping for changed her mind....as they sometimes do but I still knew he was special and wanted to bring him home. I put together a group to buy him quickly and his royal blood came to the US to teach so many. I rode him Intermediate eventing and then Prix St. George to get my USDF Silver medal in Dressage. He was always the one to win the Dressage. He went on to teach nearly every client I have ever had in the last 23 years or so. He taught everyone how to do everything from Piaffe steps, flying changes to jumping their first cross rail or competing at their first horse trials. Even in his late 20's when a kid would show him, as soon as he stepped in the ring he was round and steady no matter what. We would laugh about how he knew when it was time to be fancy. He taught camp last week. And this past Sunday I think he had 2 lessons. He was still doing his thing.
Unfortunately yesterday while in turnout a neighboring farm was having a helicopter spray their field. Those of you with horses can probably feel the hair on your neck going up......
He got scared......and he ran around and before anyone could bring him in.... he went down, most likely a hard attack.
I wasn't going to post anything because I am so sad about it....but I realized that there are so many of you that knew him and knew how very special he was.
My sweet Pluto will be missed.♥️
