PONY!
Age:
13 years old in 2003
Born:
Unknown
Arrived:
August 10, 2003
POA Gelding
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PONY! is a registered POA (Ponies of America) gelding of show quality. His previous owner was a 9-year old young lady that did just that - she showed him on the POA circuit. There were growing concerns as to why PONY! was not placing any higher than third place. The feedback from the judges was that he "was choppy on the rail."
Out of concern for PONY!, a trip was taken to the University of Minnesota for an exam. It was quickly discovered why PONY! was choppy on the rail! He was blind! It still amazes us how a blind horse could have performed so well in environments with strange horses, arenas, and uneven ground!
The owner did not want a blind horse and kept calling Sandy to ask if he could come to live at Refuge Farms. The name he came to THE FARM with was Pony. It was only a short time after he arrived that Sandy changed his name to PONY! She learned very quickly that he was full of energy, beautiful, speedy, and could be very much a handful!
But, just as he must have done in the arena, PONY! adjusted to his new surroundings like the true champion that he once was. You will find him always near his beloved girlfriend, Grace. His unwavering protective nature is humbling to watch. Being blind, he has no idea the size or strength of a potential challenger and quite simply, he doesn't care. His love for Grace runs deep and just like when he would compete, somehow he can still "see" what needs to be done to protect the one he loves.
PONY! does very well around people when you make sure to talk to him when you are around him, and when you make sure that he is never far from his Grace! What a gift he has turned out to be. PONY! can still a bit of a handful, but he is considerably calmer than ever before, and he has become such a teacher for us. It is through the strength of his Spirit that we learn lessons about making the most of what life offers us, and how powerful determination is in allowing us to "see" a path forward in the healing journeys of our own lives.
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