‘Yellowstone’ Star Brecken Merrill Asks for ‘Good Thoughts’ After Beloved Co-Star’s Brush With Death

Yellowstone star Brecken Merrill turned to social media to ask fans for "good thoughts" for one of his beloved co-stars, who nearly died after a recent illness.

The 15-year-old actor — who plays Tate Dutton on the hit television show — posted to Instagram on Monday (Oct. 30), letting fans know that the horse that plays Tate's horse on Yellowstone was seriously ill over the weekend after a medical emergency that could have taken the animal's life.

"Storm (Tate’s horse Lucky on Yellowstone) had a rough weekend. He suffered a bout of colic and almost crossed the rainbow bridge," Merrill writes.

"He’s doing much better today, but if you could spare a kind thought for him I know he’ll feel the love," the actor finishes, adding the hashtags, #yellowstonetv, #duttonranch and #horsingaround.

Merrill has played the role of Tate Dutton on Yellowstone since the show debuted on Paramount Network in 2018.

The writers and actors strikes in Hollywood have delayed the second half of Yellowstone's Season 5, but fans can still get their fair share of Dutton drama each week. Season 1 premiered on CBS in November, bringing the original show to a new network television audience for the first time, and it was so successful that CBS began airing Season 2 of Yellowstone on Sunday (Nov. 29).

Paramount has not yet confirmed when Yellowstone's Season 5 will resume, but the show will look different when it returns. Series star Kevin Costner has left the show, and his character of patriarch John Dutton will reportedly die early in the new episodes. Yellowstone will come to an end after the new episodes air, and Paramount plans to launch a sequel to the show, with Matthew McConaughey reportedly in negotiations to star.

Check out Taste of Country's Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for ongoing coverage of Yellowstone and all of its related shows.