Last Thursday (April 20) was a heart-wrenching day at Brett’s Barn as Luke Bryan’s wife Caroline bid farewell to their beloved miniature pony named Carl.
“Yesterday was an extremely sad day for all of us at Brett’s Barn. We had to lay our sweetest little man, Carl, to rest,” Caroline wrote on the Brett’s Barn Instagram.
This tiny horse with his golden locks and crooked back legs, deformed through overbreeding, had captured the hearts of many people who knew him.
His most striking feature was his one bright blue eye, which shined with kindness and love that endeared him to everyone he met. He was also famously known for his beautiful “Fabio” blonde hair that was often seen braided and decorated with bows and ribbons.
Carl had been battling blindness in his right eye for some years, and things got worse when he was recently kicked in the face by another farm animal, which hit him it directly on his only good eye. Unfortunately, the kick left him completely sightless and in agony until the day he died.
Despite their best efforts to help him adapt to his completely blind condition, it became clear that he was not coping, and the kindest thing they could do was to let him go.
“Carl was not doing well adapting to the blindness, so we decided it was best to lay our precious little old man to rest,” Caroline said.
Brett’s Barn family gathered to say goodbye to their dear friend Carl, the sadness was palpable. Overall, after his passing, they knew that he was no longer suffering, and that alone provided a small amount of comfort.
Carl will be greatly missed and will always hold a special place in the hearts of all those who knew him.
“No more pain or fear for our sweetie, Carl. He was loved so much by so many! Thank you so much Dr. Jennifer and Ashley from @rockncountryvet for being there for us yesterday,” Caroline wrote on Instagram.
Rest in peace, dear Carl. Your gentle spirit and loving heart will never be forgotten.