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Iron Ton

Iron Ton at show in 2004 with former student in the irons.

Iron Ton, or Buck as he is known around the barn, is our grand old gentleman. He was born in 1984 and has led a varied life prior to when we purchased him in 2001 at the age of 17. To this day, he is one of the best purchases we have ever bought and is worth his weight in gold. We purchased him from a young woman who was competing him in 3' hunter classes in Mississippi and in Florida. Prior to her we have been told that he has competed in Eventing and in Dressage in addition to Hunters. He schools 4th level movements in Dressage, LOVES to jump (that is still his best reward), and is the most trustworthy and sensible horse I have had the pleasure to own. Buck is now retired from showing and riding (although I still occasionally will take him out on a light hack, or put a young cousin on him for a "pony ride") and is the official babysitter of Emerald Acres. This is the most important job on the farm and he is the one horse that I know that I can put out with the weanlings and feel safe that he won't hurt any of the babies but will teach them how to act like "big horses." There are a million and one funny "Buck stories," but my favorite one is when he got mad at one of my mares and a student's gelding for being silly and making a bunch of noise. He got fed up with the two of them and put them in their corners. Buck was in the middle of the paddock, the gelding at one end and my mare at the other end. He never did anything more than pin his ears and give them the "look" but that mare and that gelding stayed in their corners for over and hour when Buck finally allowed them back out into the middle of the paddock. Buck's last show was in 2006 at a local dressage show. The judge could not believe his age and his condition at that show - he looked and moved like a much younger horse. His last show over fences was in 2005 and he actually did well at 2'6". Buck receives his longevity from his incredible bloodlines (see pedigree below) and I wish I had 10 more of him. He is one in a million.