We are beyond heartbroken to share that our sweet girl Nestle passed away last Saturday. One of the original “Root Farm” herd, Nestle devoted almost 15 years to her work in our therapeutic riding programs, meeting hundreds of people and changing each person’s life in a special way.
Nestle was about as perfect as they come: her unwavering patience (even with the most nervous or hesitant of riders), steady gait and willingness to tolerate almost anything made her our go-to girl for people of all ages and abilities. Yes, she was occasionally stubborn and had a bit of sass sometimes- she was an independent woman!-, but Nestle took care of her riders and never acted out of malice or spite. Her gentle nature and demeanor made her a barn favorite for all equine programming.
In spite of her age and arthritis, Nestle was still as fast as the wind and proved she “still had it” several times, whether it was tearing out of the barn at full speed when the vet arrived for vaccines or speed walking during a lesson to get her steps in. The first walk to the pasture after being cooped up during the winter was the quickest; you could almost hear her saying, “You’d best get this halter off me right away, or I’ll take it with me!” And all this with a visual impairment, which one would never know based on how she behaved. Nestle certainly never let it stop her!
She had the best hooves in the barn- not to mention incredible hair!- and more than anything, loved being outside no matter the weather. Rain, snow, heat waves… Nestle rarely asked to come into the barn (sometimes she needed a loooooot of coaxing and peppermints and grain to come in), and when she did, she made sure to call out for the boys to come with her!
Rest in peace, sweet girl… we will miss you dearly, and hope you are enjoying pastures full of lush green grass (no more low calorie pastures for you!), and never having to wear a fly mask again. We are so grateful for the time we had with you, and feel so blessed to have had you as part of our team.
We will be having a memorial service for Nestle this Friday, 9/17 at 6:30pm… please feel free to bring a flower for her. We know she meant a lot to so many people, so would like everyone to have the chance to say goodbye.
*We would also like to create a memory book for her, so would really appreciate comments about a memory or experience with Nestle, or even just a kind thought as she truly was a special horse. Please e-mail to alexis.lalor@rootfarm.org Thank you so much