Missing Horses

Lottie

Miniture Shetland Filly

Our very own Vienna

This is where we post horses reported missing. Please let us know if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these horses.

Case Study

Lucky

I started to look for a pony when m brother said he had room on his field for another one.  

I looked on the internet and in the Ad Mag, I went down to Homeward Bound to look at the ponies the rescue centre. Anne showed me four ponies Jake, Rupert, Kizzy and Lucky. I fell in love with Lucky straight away; he was very friendly and very beautiful. Anne told us about the time he took some car keys out of the ignition and ran off with them. Anne also warned us that he was a bit of an escape artist and very crafty.

The rescue centre drove him over to our field two weeks later when his stable was ready. He met the other ponies Charlie and Tammy. Charlie and Lucky can’t be together because they fight over Tammy so we moved them around and they take it turns being with Tammy.

He didn’t like his stable and kicked and got upset so much that he stayed out, he didn’t like being fenced in either and kept walking through the electric fence so we had to get a stronger one. When the other ponies were ridden out of the field for a walk Lucky would go mad trying to jump the steel gates and running around and around.

I searched around for a place to have Lucky trained and backed so he could ride out with his friends. The farrier came to check their hoofs one day and said his wife trained racehorses but she might take Lucky on, so we called and we drove Lucky to the stables the next day.

He was stabled with racehorses and he looked very little compared  to them. He wa supposed to be away for 6-8 weeks. Debbie called me to say he had done so well that he could come home. All the staff at the farm loved Lucky and said he was very well behaved. Debbie said that she was so sad to see him go home. They took some pictures of Lucky training and learning all his new tricks.

He’s back in our field now, and he’s much calmer. He is stabled and no longer tries to escape. My niece Abby rides him on a lead rein, and eventually he will be allowed to go out with his new friends.

Tieger

The following letter was received from Karen who along with her family became a carer for Tieger.

 

Tieger came to us about 18 months ago.  He is a cheeky little pony that loves to run off with head collars and anything he can get his teeth into.  A lovable little rogue.

No Way!! Too Old

I’d been searching for a first pony for my 2 daughters for months. I’d searched local papers, magazines to no avail.  Then I saw an advert for Homeward Bound Rescue.  I’ve always got a rescue horse, so I thought I’d give them a ring.  I spoke to a lady called Ann and explained what I was looking for.  There were a couple of ponies not broken, two who weren’t first ponies and Tieger who was 25 years old. He’d been at the rescue for over a year and because of his age no one wanted him.  “He’s excellent with children” Ann explained.  So I told my husband, “No Way!! Too old” was the response I got.  Oh dear more months of searching followed.

I rang Ann again. “We’ve still got Tieger” she told me.  “He’d love a new home with children” I told her I would try and persuade my husband and ring her back.  “John” I said “Ann’s got a lovely pony, he loves children, needs a good home, which we can give him, and Gypsy (my own horse) needs company”, “How old” came the reply …”Mm err”….”25”.“No way it’s too old, we need a younger one” he said.  I left it a day and then told him a white lie.  “Ann rang she wants us to look at a pony she’s got”.  “Okay” he said.

So, the next day myself, John and Karis my youngest daughter went to have a look.  Ann met us and showed us the field with 4 ponies in it.  Karris ran in front of us calling the ponies.  Dolly the oldest horse ambled over to us, sunken back, long jawed.  “See I told you it would be too old” John said, he thought it was Tieger.  Then he said “look at Karris”, she was tempting a little grey pony with a piece of apple.  The pony galloped across to her and carefully took the titbit from her.  He snuggled into her and whickered.  “That’s more like it” said John.  “Look at them, they’re inseparable”.  Ann winked, little did John know, but the little grey was the 25 year old Tieger. “Yes we’ll have him” said John.  “When can you deliver him”, Ann explained that we needed to have a home check and would take up to two weeks to have him.

On the way home John couldn’t stop talking about him.  I couldn’t hold it in much more.  “How old do you think he is then?” I asked him.  “Mm about six or seven” he said.  I burst out laughing.  “What’s so funny” he asked.  “He’s twenty five” I said.  “No way” John said “he looks and acts a lot younger”.  He couldn’t believe how well he looked.

We went to see Tieger a couple of times at the rescue before we had him.  Each time John was more impatient to get him home.  He’d fallen for the old boy’s charm. We had a home check and the big day arrived.  Tieger came home.  We are lucky, we rent a 5 acre field which starts at the back of our garden, so we can keep an eye on them.  He settled in well and got on with Gypsy my cob mare, great.

Ann told me he had not been ridden for over a year, so I decided to try him first.

Me and Karris groomed him and went to tack him up.  He was so funny, when I held the bridle up, he stood there with his mouth wide open.  We saddled him up and leaned over him.  Karris kept telling me she wanted to get on.  So, I held her on him.  He was excellent.  “Walk on Tieger” she squealed, and off he walked, “whoa” and he stopped.  I was gob smacked; I thought he would play up. He’s been brilliant from the day we got him.  Karris calls him from our back fence, and he gallops down to snuggle in.  John loves him to bits; he’s always out stroking him and feeding him.  “I still can’t believe he’s that old” he says.

He’s so comical when he rolls and gets up; he sits on his bum with his tongue hanging out.  He escaped into the graveyard adjacent, after the wind blew the church gate down.  I went to get him and he lay with a wreath in his mouth.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry “Tieger” I shouted.  Up he got and cantered back into the field. He’s an excellent first pony.  Karris who’s four rides him on lead rein and Sasha who’s ten rides him on her own. I would recommend an older pony to anyone with young children.

Tieger’s got a home for life with us and by the looks of it will be a long one.

Karen

Please Note: Sadly Dolly one our rescue horses mentioned in Karen’s letter died naturally on the 10th January 2005 from Cancer and respiratory disease. We also lost Misty one of our ponies on the same day.  She had to be put to sleep due to an advanced tumor in her neck.