Farewell Dusty - you will be dearly missed R.I.P

This week we have some very sad news, our wonderful pony Dusty, a firm favorite amongst the team and his riders alike, has passed away.

He had an acute attack of colic, and although we were able to medicate and sedate him to keep him comfortable in his last hours, there was nothing to be done to cure him. Our lovely vet Emily was able to send him peacefully and painlessly away. Dusty will be sorely missed by all.

Dusty taught countless children to ride in his long career. He was a reliable stalwart in the school, the perfect pony to teach beginner riders and first canter. He was kind and gentle. Of course, being a pony, he had his naughty side! He loved to show his students that they haven’t quite got the hang of the steering yet :-) but he never, ever, did anything that might hurt or frighten his riders. He had a heart of gold.

Dusty loved being a part of the school and was happy in his work to the very end. We always watch our Equine team for signs that they might be ready to retire from the school, and Dusty was often considered for this, being of indeterminate age, probably somewhere in his mid-20s! But unlike some of his younger colleagues, he never seemed to want to stop working.

He was one of the first ponies in our team, joining us in June 2018, and then calmly accepting the various equines and humans who joined the team over the years. He watched us all with wise eyes and an equable temperament, no doubt handing advice out to the rookies, and I expect he’ll be keeping his eye on us now.