03/23/2026
Farewell to Bentley
Our much-loved Bentley, a hackney pony, was believed to originally have been a cart pony, a working boy. He came to us in August 2020, already an old man at 28 years old. He arrived with the usual old man afflictions, which included Cushing's Disease, poor denture, arthritis, and road founder that reflected a lifetime of hard work.
Bentley came from an environment in which he was simply expected to do his job. When he was unable to do it any longer, he was sold at auction, where he was rescued by a kind-hearted individual who saw his debilitated condition and later sent him to White Bird.
Bentley expected pretty much the worst from people. A well-behaved boy, he was still wary of human contact. His manners were perfect, yet he froze when he was approached, always expecting something unpleasant, his expressive eyes wide with concern. He did not believe us to be his friends.
But over time, Bentley warmed to us, eventually showing a mischievous side that made us laugh. He had the uncanny ability to slip past his handler and through any open door or gate that was cracked at least 3 inches. And he was quick! But Bentley also had a superpower. He was our go-to instructor for teaching complete novices to handle horses. His diminutive size and kind nature introduced scores of children and timid adults to a whole new world, one shared with these beautiful and gentle souls. Some had never even been near a horse before, and we could not have wished for a better ambassador.
Throughout his years at the rescue, Bentley enjoyed a good life, kept company by his BFF Freckles, and assisted by various pharmaceuticals that kept his arthritis manageable. Unable to eat solid food because of his missing teeth, he loved his "soup." However, eventually, the arthritis in his left knee progressed and it was no longer responding well to either steroids or gel injections. At that point, Dr. Rossner pursued an alternative treatment that dramatically improved his comfort level. But after nearly two years, his knee began to bow and we could see that it was becoming unstable. With the further displacement of this joint, we knew that he risked a catastrophic injury at any time, caused by just lying down or romping around on it (yes he still did that).
The decision to euthanize our horses is always agonizing. But the damage to Bentley's knee was irreversible and we would not allow this much-loved pony to suffer. So on a beautiful, sunny day, after treats and love from his many friends, we laid him gently to rest.
Bentley will be sadly missed by all of us. He was a good boy who brightened the lives of everyone who knew him. He will be missed especially by his friend Freckles. In bonded pairs of horses, grief in the surviving partner can be enormously stressful. We have been monitoring Freckles closely. He has been introduced into his neighbor's paddock and we are hoping that he will be able to make new friends with Gatsby and Saffron (who we think he has a thing for).
We are deeply indebted to all of the volunteers who helped to make Bentley's last days good ones. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how much he was loved. Thank you also to his sponsor Betty, who kindly helped provide the "soup" that he enjoyed so much.
