In Memoriam of Star

On Friday, we said goodbye to our cherished Star.

Star came to us from our farrier. Star was his daughter’s horse. She was unable to ride him anymore, so the family made the decision to let him work at Walk On. Our participants soon became attached to him, and his striking black color and his unique personality made him a favorite of several participants. In fact, the first time we ran the Horse of the Year contest, Star lead for much of the contest. Only at the last minute did a couple of horses pull ahead.

When I think of Star, I think of three participants who loved him. When Star loved you, he would do anything for you. One young man loved to ride him and Star allowed him to ride independently. We could depend on his good behavior to give this young man confidence. Sadly, as Star aged, this young man needed to move to other horses. However, each week, this young man said hello to Star.

One young woman chose only to ride Star. She felt he understood her when no one else did. When she could not bring herself to ride, she would groom him, standing quietly, leaning on him and whispering her secrets. She would enter gloomily and leave a little lighter.

The last rider was a girl who was the last person to ride him. He meant the world to her. One Christmas, she was given an ornament with Star’s picture on it. She took the ornament to Disney World with her. When she started riding with Walk On she would mount, grasp her hands behind her back and close her eyes. Star loved her. When it was this girls time to ride, Star came right up to the ramp. If you knew Star, he didn’t always walk right up to the ramp, but for his girl, never a problem. With Star’s help, she learned to hold her reins, smile during lessons, and even pull her reins to turn the horse.

Star will be greatly missed by all of us who loved him.

Mary and the Staff of Walk On