With Kent facing a horse crisis I thought it would be easy finding a charity keen for us to foster horses. We had the land, the time and love to give, a win win situation for all.
A visit from a large animal charity looked promising but they declined our offer to foster saying the field was not up to scratch and they wanted the ponies to be stabled. We were puzzled, we had out buildings which were accessible from the field 24/7. Yes the field was not fully functioning but we stressed it was a work in progress and could see its potential. I felt disheartened by the rejection but Kim continued to search. Then two weeks later she came across a charity called Pukka Ponies, founded by Sarah Daniell.
We particularly liked this charity because it was small (a herd of 20), local and Sarah and her team showed resilience even after a recent arson attack. It seemed fitting to offer our support however small to a charity that was facing such troubled times.
On November 21st 2016, four Pukka Ponies arrived. Let me introduce you to the gang.
Troy
Joker
Peaches
Oreo
We pretty much left the curious ponies alone. A few weeks in and some of their characters started to unravel. Oreo was a cute little pony but don’t let that fool you. He was a cheeky opportunist, always wanting attention, looking for food or treats and trying to sneak through the gate when you weren’t looking. His party piece was knocking over my wheelbarrow full of poo and walking casually away from the crime scene. If he could laugh I’m sure he’d be in stitches.
Peaches and Joker weren’t bothered by my presence which was quite the opposite to Troy (affectionately known as Troy Boy). Troy was a handsome pony but he always kept his distance and watched me with suspicion. Moving him between paddocks was a task, he’d give Kim and I the run around so sometimes we’d drop the taped fence to enable him to cross as this was quicker then trying to catch him. Troy’s nervousness and stand offish manner made him more alluring to me. I was determined to gain his trust but I had no idea how I was going to do it or how long it would take.
There have only been a handful of occasions when I’ve met someone for the first time and just known that we will be good friends. There’s something about them, what they stand for, what they say and do that I respect. This was one of those encounters.
In October 2016 our luck changed, through mutual friends (thank you Helga and Tim) we found Kim and Dean.
I’ve always thought of them as the Good Life couple (Tom and Barbara), if you’re old enough then you’ll know who I mean. They’re based in a field down the road and have horses, chickens, sheep, geese, bees and tones of experience.
Their love of all creatures and seeing how content they are just being with their animals is something I could relate to. What I especially admired was Kim’s willingness to help anyone, whether it was someone struggling to look after their animals or just facing difficult times.
So after showing them around the field and having the all important chat over a cup of tea we decided to join forces and foster some rescue ponies. Kim and Dean would oversee the whole project. As I had no experience looking after horses, I decided to take on the role of chief dogs body when I was able to help out. That night I think I chewed Phil’s ear off with horsey chat. I was once again trying to follow my dream. I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep.
Seven years ago Phil and I met, we got married and decided to move to the country, well sort off. We moved to the outskirts of a beautiful little village surrounded by farmland and a high street littered with antique shops.
Initially our plan was to find a property with an acre plot for a donkey (not sure why I was fixated on this animal). Anyway, what in fact we ended up with was a seven acre field and lots of big ideas. My vision was to have an animal sanctuary, Phil thought it would be great to race quad bikes or do some clay pigeon shooting. I was not impressed by his vision.
Nothing much happened for at least three years as we were busy extending our family. A dog called Rocky Rockstar arrived first, much to the cat, Boris’ disgust. Then came Nathan and Dylan.
As if life wasn’t exhausting enough we (correction I) decided to dip our toes into fostering rescue horses. After the initial excitement, we realised there was a lot more to it than just sticking them in a field full of grass. Regular visits to top up water troughs, dealing with escapee ponies, flies, ragwort, poo, horse care and handling, the list went on and on. Our complete lack of experience, Phil being away for work, looking after two under twos and keeping on top of our kitchen renovation meant I had very little time to do anything with the horses. I felt way out of my depth so we had no choice but to send them back to the rescue. I was gutted, however, we did have some wonderful moments with them and their short stay left a lasting impression on me. I knew I wanted to foster ponies but I was now more realistic about my goals and expectations. More importantly, for this to work I needed to set up a support structure that would help me live my dream.
I’ve always been a big fan of volunteering so when an opportunity to help some rescue ponies arouse , I jumped at it. What was suppose to be my personal journey has now become our family’s journey not only into the world of fostering rescue ponies but to life in the country.
I’m writing this blog so that in years to come my husband Phil and I can reminisce about our successes and failures. Hopefully it will make us laugh and Phil will finally agree that all the blood, sweat and tears we’ve put into this adventure was worth it.
I would like my kids to remember the fun they’ve had and realise that all the 6am starts, the digging, exploring (especially in the Gruffalo’s den), the berry picking, watching mummy endlessly poo pick and daddy building things in all weathers have helped shape them hopefully into becoming strong, brave and kind human beings.
Finally, I hope if someone reading this is on a similar journey they can learn from our experiences. It would be great to hear your experiences and views on all that we’re doing. If you try out any of our projects please let us know how you got on, what worked, what didn’t and if you have any suggestions. We’re always interested in learning new approaches and skills.
