The Horse Trust Rehoming Update: Shetland Ponies Enjoy Life With Retired Farmers

Two Shetland ponies that were rehomed by The Horse Trust last February are enjoying life at their new home in a village south of Milton Keynes.

The Horse Trust, which runs an equine rehoming scheme that covers Buckinghamshire and the surrounding counties, found Timmy, a 43-inch bay Shetland, and Snakey, a 41-inch black Shetland,  a new home with retired farmers Sheila and John Murphy in February 2010.

Snakey, who has been renamed Jakey by the Murphy’s, has grown in confidence over the last year and now follows Sheila around the field.

“Jakey was very nervous when he arrived and wouldn’t come inside the stable or let me catch him,” said Sheila. “Nowadays, he’s happy going into the stables and follows me around the field, particularly if I have a carrot in my pocket.”

Jakey is so confident now that he orders about Timmy and Posie, a riding pony that Sheila looks after. “Jakey is the smallest, but he’s the boss of all of them,” said Sheila.

Both ponies have been enjoying their home in a paddock next door to the Murphy’s orchard.

“Some of the plum and apple trees overhang one half of the paddock, so Timmy and Snakey enjoyed eating the fallen fruit during the autumn. It was funny to hear them crunching on the plum stones,” said Sheila. ”

We’ve had a windfall of plums this year, so I had to pick some up as I didn’t want them to eat too many.”

Sheila and John enjoy spending time with the Shetland ponies, as do their extended family. “My grandchildren love the ponies and always brush and groom them when they come to visit. They particularly like Jakey as he’s the most loving – he loves being kissed and cuddled,” said Sheila.

As well as enjoying their company, Sheila said the ponies provide a useful service in keeping the grass tidy in the paddock. “They make lovely little pets and lawnmowers!” said Sheila.

“It’s great to hear how well Timmy and Snakey are getting on, ” saidLiane Crowther, Welfare & Education Officer at The Horse Trust, who manages the rehoming scheme. “It sounds like they are  leading an idyllic life in the countryside with good food and good company!”