05/29/2026
Yesterday we said a very unexpected goodbye to our wonderful therapy horse Caramel. Caramel might have only been at The Red Barn for 2 years, but during that time, he impacted more lives than we can count. If you’ve been to the barn in the last 2 years, you have definitely been greeted by him!
Caramel was a phenomenal teacher. He was kind, he was patient, he was smart (sometimes too smart), and he was not afraid to ask you to do things correctly. Caramel could simultaneously hold his rider accountable and give them immense grace. He could keep you humble and build you up. He was the type of horse that all instructors dream of having the opportunity to work with.
Shelley Burke Attebery graciously shared Caramel with The Red Barn. She recognized his ability to serve and teach our students, but she also knew that we would immediately fall in love with Caramel. We will never be able to thank Shelley enough for sharing him with all of us at The Red Barn.
We will miss so many things about Caramel, but the thing that we will miss the most is seeing students go from timid and reactive to confident and proactive while riding him. Caramel taught lessons that reached far beyond the barn.
Rest in peace, sweet Caramel. The barn won’t be the same without you, especially at feeding time💙
