01/20/2026
It’s with an aching heart that I share with you all that we said goodbye to two incredibly special souls yesterday.
I can say with confidence that the majority of our students over the last 6+ years began their horsemanship journey on both of these animals. They will be deeply missed and leave a massive hole in our hearts.
Fiddler was an enigma amongst mules. While most mules are known for their opinionated and stubborn nature, ours was the exception. He was patient and calm, slow and steady. He had his quirks but they made him all the more endearing. He participated in summer camps and would stand willingly for nervous students learning their way around an animal that was so much bigger than them.
Remi was the unicorn of all unicorns. There isn’t another horse that can hold a candle to her. People throw around the phrase “bomb proof” often but they don’t know what bomb proof is if they haven’t met Remi. It isn’t an exaggeration to say literally hundreds of students must have had their first ride on Remi, and she would have kept carrying kids to the end of we’d asked her to. She was honest, patient, kind and just about every good thing you could ever say about a horse. I thank God for her wonderful owner sharing her with us. There will never be another Remi, what a blessing it was to know her.
Something very special happened in the last two years of their lives. Both Remi and Fiddler had teeth problems. This led them to only being able to eat mush and chaffhaye. Because of their dietary restrictions, we decided to see if they would get along well enough to live together. And get along they did.
Remi and Fiddler quickly became attached to each other in a way we had never seen them get attached to another pen mate. They were so attached to each other, we were soon joking about them “finding true love in the retirement home”. It was only fitting that as their health slowly began its descent, they should go together.
Caring for these animals is an honor. It’s often the mundane tasks of feeding, filling waters, cleaning stalls and pens, making sure their feet are done routinely, vet care, etc.
But it’s also being their advocate and knowing when to say it’s time. This is my most dreaded decision and one I often try to put out of my mind. It’s knowing when we are intervening for their sake, or for our sake. To let them go with their dignity is the kindest thing we can do for them.
I ask that if any of you have pictures or memories with Remi and/or Fiddler, share them here in the comments. We would all love to see them as we reminisce on how absolutely incredible they both were.
