How They All Came to Be

The phone rang.... "Hello?" I answered. The voice on the other end replied, "Would you like two ponies? This lady I work with has two little ponies she got for her kids but they really didn't know anything about horses and now she just wants to get rid of them. I know you have horses, so, do you want them?"

And now there is to be six.

I started out with one pony for my son 7 years ago, added of course to my personal herd of full size horses. Miss Daisy Mae came from a similar situation. I found her advertised in a paper and was in the market at the time. I called the number and the father on the other line relayed the same story. He and his wife had purchased the little pony for their three small children since they had recently moved to the 'country' and had an acre of pasture. Neither the mother nor the father had any horse experience and had no idea what they were getting into. They just thought the kids would like a pony. And at first, they did. But it was soon apparent that the little pony was nothing like the family black lab. She didn't come when called, she would run away when they tried to catch her. She stepped on feet, knocked the kids over and to be ridden.... well, that just wasn't an option.

So, Miss Daisy Mae came to live with me. She learned manners very quickly. To stand quietly for brushing, bathing and tacking up. To ground drive nicely and pull a cart, and to accept a rider. She really is a sweetheart.

Fast forward 7 years and I have joined an on-line chat group. Through connections and conversations, I am offered three ponies from a hardship situation. A fellow is breeding them and selling them to families with kids. These three were returned because the parents had a lack of knowledge and the interest of the children waned. Rosie, Tulip and Lily came home to meet Daisy. I expect to be picking up Bo and Luke Duke as soon as I have made accomodations for them.

It happens all the time.

Kids want ponies. Parents want their children to be happy. Ponies can often be purchased inexpensively due to this exact revolving situation. It doesn't take long for the children to loose interest when they aren't offered an education, and sometimes when instruction is included, the thrill of having a pony still phases out. The end result is the same, parents taking care of an unwanted pony that they know little about until they end up giving the pony away.

That's where I keep coming in. I am picking up the pieces to give these little guys a home. Not just any home, but a good one where their nutritional, farrier and vetting needs are met. A home where they are wanted.