09/08/2026
It is with a heavy heart that all of us at KSET share that Beluga, our beloved retired school horse, passed away last week.
Beluga was the kind of horse you knew whether you ever sat on his back or not. If you walked into the Kent barn, you knew him. He was a character, and he was always begging for cookies — usually with his tongue sticking out.
Countless Kent students and Kent alumni have had the privilege to ride and know Beluga in the nearly 20 years he called Kent home.
He spent his retirement years as the barn’s resident pet and KSET’s unofficial mascot. The construction crew who spent the summer working on our indoor arena fell for Beluga too, and made a habit of spending their lunch breaks bringing him carrots and apples.
Beluga had a forever home with us. Unfortunately, forever doesn’t always last long enough.
We start this school year looking forward, as we always do. But anyone who loves horses knows what it means to keep moving forward with a hole in your heart. This year, we begin with a Beluga-sized hole in ours.
Photos courtesy of Mary Katherine ‘10, whose family donated Beluga to the program — she visited him many times over the years. Additional photos from Head Trainer Lauren, who once dressed Beluga up as a Kent lion for Halloween, and from Director Kara. Rest in peace, little whale. 🤍
