12/01/2023
It is with a very heavy & broken heart, that I have to tell you that the most special stallion, Donnermeyer, has passed away. 😭💔😢
It was July of 1998 when I first met the 3-month-old Donnermeyer, in Sweden. He was beautiful and moved like he had springs on his hooves. I was in love! We arranged the purchase and then had to fly home and wait. He spent the next 3 months with his mama, then at 6-months-old, boarded a plane and flew to New York. It was my dream coming true, like waiting for my own baby to arrive! We picked him up from quarantine, where he willingly stepped onto our horse trailer, and traveled like a champ to his new home with us in Georgia.
It seemed to take a month for Donnermeyer to begin to understand English, but he soon learned and we bonded. His training was so easy, because he was so willing and intelligent. Starting him under saddle was just a matter of climbing on and teaching him his cues. He never tried to buck or hurt me. In fact, once, while riding in the round pen, he was done. Most young horses would pitch a fit or buck, but not Donnermeyer. He simply stopped in the center of the round pen and bowed, sending me forward, so that I had to step off. I had to laugh, but got the message, so only had him go one more time around, after I climbed back on.
I was so proud of the fact that Donnermeyer never ever attempted to bite or kick me. This is something to be proud of with a breeding stallion, especially because I was the only one who handled him. I trained him, started him under saddle, showed him and bred him. (I did have Scott Armor train and prepare him for his stallion testing, but he still lived at home and continued to breed.)
In 2009, I severely broke my ankle, and couldn’t bear any weight on it for 3 months. Unfortunately, this was right before breeding season. Donnermeyer was the perfect gentleman, through it all. I got around on crutches and driving the John Deere. He’d run to the gate and lower his head, so I could put his halter on, then he’d slowly walk with me as I lead him to the barn. Then, he’d wait for me to get my crutches and he’d walk slowly next to me, as I hobbled down the isle. When it came to teasing my mares, to see when they were ready to be bred, he’d let me lead him beside the John Deere, down to the mare pasture. He’d prance and show off to the mares, all the while being careful not to hurt me. He was amazing!!
I had 19 years with Donnermeyer, showing him, breeding him and loving him. When we decided to move to Tennessee, I had to make a hard decision; either geld him or sell him. Fortunately, I had a wonderful couple, that I’d been friends with for years, and who’d bought a top c**t from me as a stallion prospect, that wanted him. So, the end of November 2017, Suzanne & Chuck Green purchased Donnermeyer and Winsome (my best broodmare), and began breeding them, continuing what I’d started so many years ago.
Donnermeyer turned 25-years-old on April 4th and still looked amazingly young. Unfortunately, earlier today he experienced a form of colic that took his life. He had a good life and I feel so blessed to have been his person for 19 of his 25 years. My heart is broken, as is Suzanne’s and Chuck’s. Today we lost a wonderful stallion, who produced some amazing intelligent, talented and willing offspring. He will forever be one of the best horses I’ve ever had in my life and I am so thankful that The Lord gave him to me for that time. 😔🙏🏻❤️
