Luke Bryan‘s wife Caroline Boyer Bryan are mourning the loss of their miniature pony, Carl, who lived at Brett’s Barn.
On Thursday (April 20), Caroline took to the Brett’s Barn Instagram to share the sad news of his passing with followers.
“Extremely Sad Day”
“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. 😞 “ she wrote.
Caroline then went on to explained what happened to Carl.
“Carl was blind in his right eye for several years, but recently he was kicked in the left eye by another animal, leaving him completely blind and in a lot of pain,” she shared. “Carl was not doing well adapting to the blindness, so we decided it was best to lay our precious little old man to rest.”
While the loss of Carl was “especially hard” for Caroline and her family, she’s thankful that he is no longer in pain.
“No more pain or fear for our sweetie, Carl. He was loved so much by so many!” Caroline continued. ”Thank you so much Dr. Jennifer and Ashley from @rockncountryvet for being there for us yesterday. 🐝💛🖤 Also, thank you @veterinaryophthalmologysvcs and @franklinequineservices for all of your medical care throughout the last month or so. 🖤”
Carl Was A Miniature Pony
According to Caroline’s post, Carl was a miniature pony that lived at Brett’s Barn and was known for his “Fabio blonde hair, his crooked back legs due to overbreeding, his one beautiful blue eye, and his extremely sweet personality.”
She later took to her own Instagram stories to share with devastating news with her followers.
“We love all our animals. This loss is especially hard. We love you Carl,” Caroline wrote alongside five yellow heart emojis.
What Is Brett’s Barn?
Brett’s Barn was founded in 2017 by Luke Bryan and his wife Caroline Boyer Bryan in support of The Brett Boyer Foundation. The foundation was created in honor of Sadie Brett Boyer, who was the daughter of Ellen and Bo Boyer and niece of Luke and Caroline Bryan. Brett had down syndrome and battled a congenital heart defect (CHD) for seven months before she sadly passed away.
“Brett’s heart disease diagnosis was a bit different, it’s hard to find a positive light on hearing your baby will have to have open heart surgery to survive. Fortunately for most, an AVSD (atrioventricular septal defect) is repairable 97% of the time. Unfortunately, we were in the 3%,” Ellen and Bo shared on the official Brett Boyer Foundation website. “But our strong baby girl fought hard, and so did the incredible team at Vanderbilt who loved her dearly.”
“After Brett passed away, I decided to keep a promise I made to her when she was about a month old…a white pony!” Caroline shared on the organization’s website.
Brett’s Barn Is Home To 20+ Animals
The white pony that The Bryans’ adopted from a local rescue facility is what helped launch the barn. Since adopting that pony, the barn rapidly grew and now is home to over 20 animals, including goats, donkeys, kangaroos, dogs, horses, llamas and more.
“Unfortunately, our family knows the feelings of grief all too well. We also know that we can choose 2 paths in life,” Caroline added. ”One of bitterness/anger, or one of happiness and hope. We choose happiness over hurt [and] we choose to honor Brett, just as she continues to honor our family every day. We choose to help children, families, and precious animals.”
In partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, children are often invited out to the farm to spend time with the animals as a form a therapy.
“It’s truly a special place and we can feel Brett’s spirit there every single day,” Caroline previously shared of Brett’s Barn.
To learn more about The Brett Boyer Foundation or to make a donation, visit their official website HERE