Home for companion pony - thoughts?

[ecrozier]

Just pondering really. We have a 13hh pony that my mum bought 8 years ago - I was living at home at the time with my horse, and said she couldn't live alone....I wanted to get someone else to keep a horse there/loan a companion but my parents are weird and didn't want someone else on the property so bought a pony

I've pretty much had her ever since - when I went away to uni about 6 years ago she went out on loan for 18 months but whilst on livery had several bad bouts of laminitis (significant rotation of pedal bone) - once I found out about this we took her straight back and got her back to health, and she has been fine ever since. I used to keep her in at night but for the last year she has lived out 24/7 on very scrubby grazing.
Now my question is, would I ever manage to find a new home for her? She's a sweet little mare, very very friendly, a bit cocky with other horses (often the dominant mare in a herd but not aggressive)
Thing is, after the whole Amersham Crisis, I'd be loathe to sell her cheap, as who knows where she would end up...
She's 14 now, hasn't been in regular ridden work for years although I have lunged her a few times. Sure she would come back into work happily but needs a fairly competant little rider as is fairly forward going - not strong, juust responsive to the leg aid whether it was intended or not!!
Do you think I could find her a good home? Or would anyone ever want that type of pony on loan? She'd need to go to someone knowledgable as I wouldn't want to risk lami again like the last time she went out on loan

Sorry for very long post, just wondering if I'll be stuck with her forever! Not the end of the world I guess...

 

[isabella]

i would have thought you wouldn't have too much trouble finding her a loan home.. i personally wouldn't want a lamanitic(sp) as my grazing is very rich and i havent had any experience with it. on the other hand before my friend brought her pony thats just the sort of thing she would have gone for

 

[Capriole]

i would have thought she'd be just the thing for a companion to a laminitic pony who has been seperated from its previous companions to be put on restricted grazing

 

[ecrozier]

She would actually, I hadn't thought of it like that!! She's dead easy to manage, I literally just get her shod in front, trimmed behind when tha farrier is up anyway, feed her a bit of happy hoof am and pm, and chuck hay over the fence. She seems to cope fine like that!
Hmm, if anyone knows anyone with a laminitic that need a friend.....! She was a good little companion to OH's 16.3 hunter when she had to be kept in a small pen after tendon injury - she's not intimidated by large horses clearly!!

In terms of her laminitis - as long as she didn't go out on proper graxzing or get fed bucketloads of sugary food, and someone knew the times of year to keep an eye, then that is it really for management these days.