RIP Henry

Another of our herd has travelled up to the rainbow bridge in the sky. It is with great sadness that we have to let you know about the passing of Henry at the grand age of 31.

Henry was a gorgeous New Forest X skewbald gelding who stood at 13.3hh. Don’t let his size fool you however as he truly was a little pocket rocket who would always stand up to the big boys and girls! He served at Scropton Riding for the Disabled Association and in his time there, he played a very active part in lessons teaching children from all walks of life how to ride and drive. He was described as a very versatile pony who was able to turn his hoof to anything and everything including jumping lessons, mounted games and even barrel racing! Henry was also a top fundraiser at Scropton by giving lessons to able-bodied individuals who in turn donated money towards the centre.

Those who cared for him at Scropton RDA said that ‘he was the one pony who always wanted to travel at 100mph and his age had never slowed him down in the slightest! This aside, his gentle character and loving nature have made him a firm favourite with riders and grooms over the years’.

After 11 loyal years of service Henry hung up his saddle for the last time and retired to The Horse Trust in September 2018. He came off the lorry more like a five-year-old than a pony of 27! He was absolutely full of beans and couldn’t wait to get out in the field with his new retired pals. He honestly did not look a day over 10 when he arrived at The Horse Trust, and he retained his youth and vigour right up until the end.

Despite his oodles of energy, Henry took to retirement like a duck to water and became a firm favourite amongst the grooms. He would meet his groom Charlotte at the gate waffling away for his scoop or spot her from across the other side of the field and come trotting up pretty quickly! He was extremely sociable and really loved company from grooms and other horses alike. He spent a lot of time with one in particular, a fellow RDA pony called Ellie, who also arrived in 2018. They really did form and unbreakable bond so we have been keeping a particularly close eye on Ellie to check that she is coping with Henry’s passing.

Henry suffered from Cushing’s Disease and hind limb arthritis which we were managing well with regular pain relief medication. Unfortunately, he fractured his jaw in the field a couple of weeks ago. We still do not know how this happened and it was picked up on an x-ray when the grooms noticed that he was struggling to eat. He initially responded really well to treatment and seemed to be managing the pain but during the last week he became more and more uncomfortable, and we were struggling to safely manage the obvious pain and discomfort he was in. It was then that we knew it was time to say goodbye.

We were so proud to be able to give this lovable pony three blissful years of retirement he so deserved after all his years helping his community. He will be missed more than ever by everyone at The Horse Trust as it was always a pleasure to see him strutting his stuff with his best pal Ellie by his side. Don’t worry, we will look after her for you Henry. Run free now from pain and journey well into paradise.