Happy ever after for cruelty case ponies

Ponies Olaf and Elf had a terrible start to life, but look at them now…

Six-month-old Elf and Olaf must have been terrified little ponies when they arrived at Blue Cross.

They had suffered a very sad start to life and arrived at our Burford rehoming centre with their mothers as part of a group of 17 rescued ponies, hungry and full of worms. Sadly they had been subjected to beatings in their previous home.

Laura Pearce, a Blue Cross Horse Rehoming Coordinator, says: “Shortly after arriving at the centre Elf was poorly and needed veterinary attention.

“The poor boy had a high temperature and was not eating properly. Our vet treated him for worms and gave his treatment to boost his strength and he picked up very quickly after this.”

A new start

Once the young lads had been weaned, they were castrated and began basic handling.

Our team worked hard to give the young lads the confidence they needed to become happy ponies.

Laura adds: “Elf was a lot further along than Olaf due to the extra handling he received for veterinary treatment when he was ill. He was a lot more trusting of humans than Olaf, and progressed quickly with his training and learned to lead very quickly. Olaf was unsure at first, but he soon learned from Elf that everything was ok.

“During the day we gave the pair daily handling, which included grooming, leading, and they started having their feet picked up in preparation for their hooves to be picked out and cleaned.”

Ongoing care

Olaf went to one of our foster homes to get used to a daily routine with the same person always handling him. This worked really well, and he learned all the basics quickly.

Three months later he returned to the centre as he was ready to go to a new home.

With dedicated help and support from our Oxfordshire-based Horse Team, Elf came on brilliantly. He became a friendly boy and our grooms and volunteers found him a joy to handle.

Olaf and Elf were rehomed in January this year to a lady who has taken them on as companions to her youngster. She has plans to bring them on as riding ponies for children once they reach the age of four, and we think they’ll do an excellent job.

We have lots of wonderful ponies and horses needing new homes. Please visit our horse rehoming pages today.