I so wish I had photos to share, but alas I don't so I will have to tell you all instead if you can bear with me!
When I was 10 my mum decided to get a horse on loan we could share. Enter Sam the most fantastic hairy, cobby 14.2hh piebald gypsy cob. I looked like a pea on a drum when I rode him, but I adored him! He was like a moveable, hairy armchair and so good natured. I fell off him once and he stopped, put his head down and nuzzled me. He would let me sit on him when he was lying in his field but although his owner wanted us to keep him, we lost grazing and had to give him back. That broke my heart and I will never forget my wonderful Sam x)
Couple more loan ponies after that a good few years later, one of whom made me lose my confidence. Next came Tonto a 14hh skewbald, slightly stocky but not really cobby. He and I did everything together and he was a beautiful chestnut skewbald. He was the first pony I did competitions on and gave me my confidence on. One day he kept going lame, sound after rest then lame once ridden again. Vet came out, knew Tonto and told us he had arthritis and should be on Bute! Owners hadn't bothered to tell us and because he hadn't been having Bute he was never sound enough to be ridden again so at 18 I retired him. The field he was kept in got sold to developers so as grazing was hard to find where we lived (snapped up, long waiting lists) we asked the owner to take him back. She didn't want him back, said if we couldn't keep him anymore have him put down! Vet was horrified when mum told him and relieved we wouldn't do it. Tonto was perfectly sound and in no pain as long as you didn't ride him. Mum managed to get the horse sanctuary in Norfolk to take him in where he spent about 5 years before he had to be put down.
x
What a shame. Sheltie is so so cute though. Lovely pics 
