BARON

THE EQUINE EYE IS A DEEP DARK SEA in which man can glimpse not only his own reflection, but also the animal spirit — one of this horse’s eyes, the partially blue one, betrays his joy in the life he leads these days. “Baron has a half-blue eye. Every once in a while that blue eye gets really big and bright, usually when he’s excited … in that moment you just know he’s happy doing his job, and that he’s loving his life,” says his owner Nicole Foster. Pleasure driving is a fancy horsecompetition category during which old-fashioned carriages are hitched to ponies, who then prance around a ring. An American saddle-bred gelding called Frankie Flowers was supposed to be the next big thing in pleasure driving, explains Foster, a Lake Highlands resident who owns Foster Farm South, but Frankie Flowers “did not live up to expectations he just did not have enough pizazz to be a bigtime show horse.” The horse’s understated stage-presence turned into a win for Foster and her farm. In 2007, his original owners donated Frankie Flowers — since dubbed Baron — to the Hutchins-area ranch. Baron now spends his days carrying children who are just learning to ride, which clearly is his calling, Foster says. “He has surpassed all expectations as a beginner/intermediate show horse,” Foster says, “and has garnered championship ribbons for dozens of up-and-coming young competitors.” Baron is one of Foster’s seven horses, but Foster says Baron is her favorite pet and even calls him a part of her family. “Most trainers have one or two special horses they will keep forever. For me, that’s Baron. He is just an all-around amazing horse — fun to ride, nice to be around in the stall, a wonderful show horse and safe enough for just about anyone to ride. Horses like him don’t come around every day, and everyone knows he’s something special.”

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