TINKERBELL'S STORY
We received a call from Tinkerbell’s original owner that she wanted to find a new home for her kid's mini mare. They told us that Tinkerbell was bought as a 6-month-old weanling and had lived in their backyard space as a solo horse for 7 years. They sent us photos and it showed a thin mini in a completely dry lot, reaching her head through a fence to try to eat some grass that was just out of reach. She was intended to be a pet for the owners' children, but over time they had lost interest and she was left alone, with limited feed and no grass to graze.
We arrived at her home and realized that she was living in a small backyard paddock and had not been trailed since she was 6 months old when she was delivered to this home. There was concern that she may not be willing to load on the trailer, but quite the contrary, she was incredibly sweet and was happy to jump right on with no problem. She was approximately 75 pounds underweight and with an unhealthy coat and slightly overgrown hooves. The next few months were spent focused on regaining weight and conditioning her coat while she absolutely relished all the attention she was getting. She absolutely loves people and loves getting attention.
Tinkerbell had been the lone mini at her home her entire life, so she had never had herd mates and wasn’t quite sure how to incorporate into a herd. Once Romeo was gelded and through his waiting period to be pastured with mares, we introduced the two of them. It took a few months before they began to figure out how to be friends. However, it wasn’t until Tinkerbell and Romeo moved to the Pine Hill Farm location in Rome that Tinkerbell really developed close connections. She, Caramel and Cupcake became quite close, and can regularly be seen mutually grooming, playing chase, or lounging around the pasture together. Her personality really came out, and her spunky side was much more evident.
Recently, Tinkerbell saw one of the other minis being ridden. She was fascinated by the entire process and wanted to get in on the action. She stood at the gate waiting for her turn to be saddled and ridden too. We decided to see how she would respond, and sure enough she stood like a statue to be blanketed and saddled. We then took her for a trot around the area and she was in heaven! We think she may be a saddle pony in the making!
