Last Christmas H&H in conjunction with World Horse Welfare featured 12 ponies looking for new homes.
A year later six of them have been successfully rehomed. We tracked them down to find out how they are getting on.
Sparkie who was the third of H&H’s 12 ponies of Christmas has found a new home with a family in Scotland.
The 13.1hh seven-year-old gelding was one of a large group of ponies that came to World Horse Welfare’s Belwade centre in February 2016 after the owner could no longer look after them.
“Sparkie settled in very quickly,” said Charles Saksena, who rehomed the pony for his daughter Anisha in March 2017.
“He bonded with Dusty, one of our mares who doesn’t like him to be out of her sight. At first he was dominated by our other mare, Star but he now rules the roost,” he added.
The family have two part-bred Arab mares and two Shetland ponies at their home in Alford, Aberdeenshire.
“There was a space for a young gelding to complete the herd and Sparkie fitted the bill nicely,” said Charles.
Sparkie lives up to his name, outdoing even the Shetlands in the cheeky stakes.
“He’s a very boisterous pony, enjoys being the centre of things and likes to nibble us when he can,” said Anisha, who has always dreamed of rehoming a pony.
When the pony arrived he was very green but after lots of work to bring him on he’s now jumping 1m fences with ease.
And he’s now so settled at Halloween he accompanied the family out trick or treating in the village.
“He was given pears and carrots from bemused residents,” remembered Anisha.
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For more information on any World Horse Welfare horses and ponies who are looking for new homes, visit the charity’s website.
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