The horse’s mouth blog: gulp, is this part of my training?
By Poppy
You won’t know me, but I’ve been asked to introduce myself and let you know what life is like for a new horse in training, so here goes!
Poppy rocking her Down Syndrome Day mis-matched daisy and stripey socks (which look like chromosomes!)
I’m 14, VERY pretty, and I’m told that I’m very gentle. Just a month ago I was grazing in a field in Devon with my friends. But my lovely family were struggling to spend the time with me that we all wanted, so unknown to me they asked Natalie if I might join the team at Park Lane Stables. And so my new life began!
Three weeks ago I moved to south west London and found myself at Park Lane Stables in Teddington. I couldn’t quite believe it when I arrived, and found myself in a busy street, so much busier and noisier than my Devon field.
Luckily I’m starting to understand why my original family made this decision. Every day now is challenging, so many new sounds, sights and smells! But it’s all so varied and interesting that I sleep soundly at the end of every day. In Devon my humans visited daily to feed and cuddle me, and I had my friends, but it was a quiet life. Now there are people of all shapes and sizes around all day, and visitors dropping by the Stables… So although at times my senses feel overloaded, and the skies are never dark, I’m getting far more cuddles now than I was in my old life. And I do love cuddles. And scritches.
My new humans seem very patient. Each day they ask me to do something new, but they seem to understand that I’ll remember it better if they take it slooooow. The next day we repeat it and then add something else. I’m enjoying being asked new things and responding quietly. It’s obvious that they’re keen to find out what I like and dislike, and I’m learning about them too.
These new kind humans make me feel secure in a world that’s so different for me. We’ve even gone for a walk together to the Big Park at the end of the road and wow, who knew that a busy London street could suddenly reveal a wide open space of trees and deer! I’ve already been allowed to trot with a rider on my back and it did my soul good to stretch my legs. They’ve promised me that I’ll get to canter here too!
There are only 8 of us at a time at the Stables in Teddington, but I’ve also spent lots of time at the Park Lane Stables’ field in Surrey where I’ve been introduced to a small group of friendly mares (I can’t remember all their names yet, but they smell nice). They tell me there are 25 of us in all. All the ponies I’ve met seem happy and friendly and my instinct tells me that I’ve landed in a good place.
Apparently I’m currently ‘on trial’, but that sounds scarier than it is. So far it feels as though what the humans want of me is what I want to give, which seems an excellent sort of ‘trial’ to me. If kind humans and their horses became world leaders, I think the world would be a happier place.
I’m told that now I’m a member of the gang you’ll be able to ‘follow my progress on socials’, though I didn’t like to ask what that meant…
I do know that if I pass my trial period I’ll be an official member of the Park Lane team and will have my photo and bio included on the website. So that’s my new life goal. Wish me luck!
Our ponies are the true heroes of Park Lane Stables! They give so much so happily, and we make sure they receive the very best care that we can give them. Caring for 25 horses is scarily costly, and paid for exclusively through donations and fundraising. If you’d like to thank our ponies with a bale of hay or a tasty salt lick, just head to our Donate page. Every single donation helps to fill the feed store.