Can Anyone Help - Sec A Mare

[suepenny]

Hi all, I have recently joined this forum as I thought it may be the best place to start with solving the problem of little Penny,..

Penylasgarn Marie (welsh passported) is a 14 yr old Sec A mare who has come into my care as she was bought by an acquaintance of my husbands as a pony suitable for his grandchildren and something he could drive..,he hadn't seen her and just had her delivered and I can't find out who supplied her.. She soon proved totally unsuitable for him as she was very nervous and he struggled to even catch her..,he did drive her a couple of times I believe but I gather this was a bit hairy to say the least!! Long story but as he was having to tether her to a tree to get near her I took pity and agreed to take her on.. 

Fast forward 3 months.. Penny has put on weight,,has been wormed and feet trimmed and although she is still very nervous especially around her head she is proving to a little sweetie.. She can be brushed by older children and ties up quietly. She won't kick or bite no matter how scared and just wants to back away.. She has never broken away from me or reared and I can now hose her feet etc on a long lead rein.. So she is showing signs of trust.

i would like to find a home for Penny as a companion pony but who will also get regular handling as I have very limited space here which means she's on her own 24/7.. Not really room for a pony and only took her on to get her out of the miserable situation she was in.. I have tried to find out about her past with little success as her passport has never been updated from the original breeder who I believe has now passed away. She was definitely a brood mare I believe up to about 2011/12 and has very good breeding.. This is also why I think she needs to be with other horses as part if a herd which I'm sure will give her confidence.. Btw, she now comes to me in the field although you can still see she's nervous so she's really trying to be brave 

I realise with all the unwanted ponies around I am asking a lot to find a home for Penny but want to try my best for her. Any help or advice would be welcomed.

[varkie]

Have you considered putting her on www.projecthorses.co.uk ?

Wherever you do advertise her, I would strongly advise that you don't sell or gift her initially. Either loan, or loan with a view to buy. And if you do loan, make sure it is under contract, and that you check ID, and take professional (i.e. vet or farrier) references, to make sure the person is who they say they are, and honest.

Loaning can work very well, but you do have to be very careful!

Good luck with your pony - I hope you find her a lovely home.

[portiabuzz]

couldnt have said it better then Varkie, good luck xxx

[jackiedo]

I had major problems with my Mare that unfortunately I could not resolve. It was one step forwards three steps back. I enlisted professional and medical help but in the end she was just so dangerous and unpredictable. She had a year of good, healthy life but in that time she became so difficult to handle. Unfortunately (and this is the first one I failed on) she was PTS at home

[suepenny]

Thank you for your replies... Especially Jackiedo as I know that must have been very upsetting for you. Penny and your mare have the same background although Penny is obviously not as damaged as your little mare was.. But even with her problems I have been advised that it may be kinder to pts and have been told,this by someone who works closely with the RSPCA.. She says that he age, temperament and size all go against her and any horse charity would pts as there are so many other horses needing homes... I will do my best to keep Penny here as long as I can as she is really coming on and I can trot her in hand and even lunge her now so massive improvement.. Just wish I had a bit more land so I could keep her ..

Well guys, thanks again and if you do know a reputable home that wants a sweet companion pony please direct them to me.. It goes without saying I will do a full background check before letting her go to anyone

[jackiedo]

I gave up trying to turn her into a riding pony long before I made the decision to PTS. If I had my own place and did not have to risk personal injury claims on a public yard things would have ben different. I jsut did not want her to end up as she was when I got her

[portiabuzz]

a very brave decision Jackiedo xx

[jackiedo]

not brave at all Portiabuzz.. I just could not see another way. I could not find her a home that was suitable for her without putting others at risk and I did not want to just chance her. I advertised her and was apalled by some of the calls I got, who just totally ignored everything I said about her, one woman thought she would come round if she could keep her in her garden for her kids and then said she was reporting me for being racist when I said "not my pony you're not" as she said I had picked up on her african accent. I did try, we just ran out of time. She was a lovely pony on her own terms, she had just been so screwed up by a succession of homes with people screing the last penny out of her... someone said that as she was well bred she would make a lovely broodmare - BROODMARE who the hell would breed from a pony with serious behavioral problems?

[portiabuzz]

bless you still brave to make the call IMO!

yes Broodmare - like you say so many people still see this as the answer ...?!