Horse Rangers Association Pony Retires to The Horse Trust
Pony Retires
A pony from the Horse Rangers Association has retired to The Horse Trust’s sanctuary after 19 years service, during which she taught thousands of children to ride.28-year-old Breeze, a 13.2hh New Forest Pony, was involved in various activities at the Horse Rangers Association including Riding for the Disabled and teaching work, as well as hacking, jumping and musical rides. Breeze even took part in HM The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations in May 2002 - she was one of the 1,000 horses that took part in the All The Queen's Horses extravaganza at Windsor Castle.
Miss Theresa Barrett, Stable Manager at the Horse Rangers Association is delighted that Breeze is able to retire to The Horse Trust's Home of Rest for Horses, where she will have access to 200 acres of paddocks.
"It will be a great retirement for her. She deserves it as she's worked really hard over the last 19 years - she's literally taught thousands of kids to ride," said Theresa. "Breeze was a real favourite here - she was the one all the children wanted to ride!"
Breeze is often the first horse that children learn to ride on due to her size and calm temperament. However, she is known for being quite a character among the staff and children at the Association.
"Breeze can be a bit mare-ish sometimes," said Theresa. "She can be cheeky in the stables and puts all the other horses in their place when they're out in the fields together."
Staff at the Horse Rangers Association realised it was time for Breeze to retire when they discovered her having a seizure in one of their fields. This meant that it would no longer be safe for her to be ridden by the children. Breeze’s recent seizure could be an advanced symptom of Equine Cushing's Disease (ECD), a condition caused by a tumour on her pituitary gland, which led to her having a thick hairy coat all year round.
A few tears were shed when the children came to say their goodbyes to Breeze. "The children were gutted she was leaving as she's a part of the Ranger’s family - they all popped in to say goodbye," said Theresa.
Breeze has been on a waiting list to retire at The Horse Trust for over a year. The sanctuary has welcomed her in, even though they have temporarily closed their doors due to a drop in public donations during the credit crunch.
"We are delighted to welcome Breeze to the Home of Rest after all her hard work for the Horse Rangers Association. We hope she will have a happy and healthy retirement here," said Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Resident Veterinary Director of The Horse Trust.
NOTE: The Horse Rangers Association is based at the Royal Mews, Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey, Surrey. The organisation provides young people with an opportunity to achieve personal development and independence in an extraordinary way. It is registered charity (1098257) that enables its members, both able-bodied and those with special needs, to become involved in horsemanship. As well as developing the skills needed to ride and look after horses, its members learn the importance of teamwork, integrity, loyalty, honour and trust.
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