What a difference a year makes! 07/10-07/11

[mrsjcmking]

So I have had my little pony for nearly a year now! I have posted before on his progress but as it has nearly been a year I thought it would be nice to see his progression in that time!!!​

I paid £150 for a 12.1, 16 month old gelding with a fake passport (didn't know this at the time!). He was cowering in a tiny stable, ankle deep in his own faeces, skinny as a rake, a tiny water bucket and no hay! After I paid for him he stayed in Halifax for four weeks whilst I found somewhere for him to stay. The seller didn't realise he was underweight and told me he was "really friendly". It took me a week to get close enough to touch him, 3 weeks to get a headcollar on him but he refused to have a lead rope on him.

When it came to moving him I lead him into a car park area through 2 fields of pigs with no lead rope just him following a feed bucket. It took 4 of us, an hour to get him in the trailer! We moved to Thackley where he was confined to a stable for 6 weeks because the yard wouldn't let him graze due to him being a colt.

He gained a bit of weight, let me put a rope on him, even walked out on roads but did not enjoy being stuck in a stable 24/7, After about 5 weeks he started to lose weight again, I put this down to stress and decided it was time to move again!

So i moved him to a new yard in Tong - This is his first day of being allowed in a field with other ponies.

This is sammy at the end of september last year!

Then winter comes and he turns into a polar bear!

This is our first christmas together!

He gets gelded in January after trying to impregnate every gelding in his field. He stands at about 13hh at this point, it takes the vet 4 doses of sedation to geld him and he still kicks out at her! I also get his first bridle on him.

We discover the joys of a round pen!

But its not all hard work, theres always plenty of time for cuddles!

He drops his winter coat within a week and wont stop growing!!!

And finally my scruffy "one spot" pony turns into a Gorgeous Gelding!

What a difference a year makes!!!​

 

[tinap]

Looking fantastic!! What a difference in a year - you've done a great job

 

[aimsymc]

what a nice post! and cute pony! x

 

[madeleine1]

looking lovly well doe both of u xxx

 

[showqa]

Well done to you - how satisfying for you. You should be rightly proud!

 

[mrsjcmking]

He's my baby! I'm stuck with him for life now. Can't imagine life without him!

 

[hobnob]

Well done! You've completely turned him around, he's a lovely looking lad how big is he now?

 

[mrsjcmking]

Well done! You've completely turned him around, he's a lovely looking lad how big is he now?

Thanks

He now stands at 13.2 getting close to 13.3! I think he'l make somewhere between 14-14.2, perfect for me!

 

[mrsjcmking]

He's about 2.5 years old now!!! I'm going to break him to ride and maybe to drive as well. I'll see how it goes!

 

[smellsofhorse]

He is gorgeous.
Hes lucky to have you!

 

[mrsjcmking]

Thanks!!

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Nawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww hes well cute!!

Sounds like you are both in love!

Ps. he looks like he has a cheeky glint in his eye?? Am I right? x

 

[muddygreymare]

He's lovely! Well done with him, what a change!

 

[mrsjcmking]

Ps. he looks like he has a cheeky glint in his eye?? Am I right? x

Yes!!! He look all sweet and innocent but he's secretly a little terror .

I had a new farrier come and see him because he kicked the last farrier so much they wouldn't touch him. I found a female barefoot trimmer and before she started I warned her saying

"He's not great at picking his feet up, the last farrier he had he kicked to pieces. Especially his front right hoof which he can really react to. He also might nip your bum whilst your trimming"

She gave him a stroke then picked up his feet - he was good as gold, had a little sniff of her back when she was bent over but no nipping, let her trim them with minimum fuss and just looked at me as if to say "I'm lovely really!" Typical pony!

He also has the cutest little smile and "old man lips" as my friend loves to point out! He has only one spot on his fur, on his back right fetlock - so i call him my little Sammy One Spot!

 

[CeeBee]

Lovely story, thanks for sharing

 

[Carefreegirl]

made me blub...

 

[mrsjcmking]

I remember when we went to view him - we'd been to see a few and my husband kept saying to me "you are NOT to fall in love, you have to be sensible about it and buy a practical horse!" We went to see him and I looked in at him and it was love at first sight. The car journey home I had to pretend I wasn't incredibly excited and in love as well as try and persuade my husband that a wild colt that was thin as a rake and may possibly have all sorts of things wrong with him was a very practical horse to buy!

But it paid off in the end! He was very healthy (aside from the weight loss) He's the perfect size for me and other than the few weeks of Sammy thinking he was gods gift to mares he hasn't been too much trouble!

 

[indie999]

What a fab lot of pics and congratulations on turning his life around. He really looks great from his sorry beginnings. One lucky pony.