Monday, December 26, 2016

Goodbye Poppy!!!!

The Christmas just before I turned 12 I got the pony that would make me of so much of the rider I am today. The pony that was going to be my best friend for the next 10 years of my life.
I remember feeling beyond excited when the horse truck dropped her off that Christmas eve.
Poppy was 4 years old, 14.3hh, Standardbred mare,and one of the best things to ever happen to me. She was my second pony and we travelled 6 hours to try her.
We learned she was a rescue and the lady we brought her off had rehabilitated her.
For a previously abused pony she was very trusting and after 6 months being out of work, I was able to walk trot and canter her no worries at all.



5 days after getting her home she lay down in the paddock with me, and fell asleep with her head in my lap.



Through my teenage years she was my rock. I'd go sit with her in the paddock when I was having a bad day, cry into her mane, and if I had nightmares i would often go out to see her in the middle of the night and just sit on her while she grazed. All of which she put up with never-ending patience.


Over the years we had lots of adventures together. She taught me to stay on, balance, to always have light hands, patience, and the true meaning to fall in love with a horse.

Over the years I learnt to jump on her, jumping her to 1m10 (3'6 I think??), I learnt mounted games and how to vault, competing up to national level. I competed her in, showing, inhand, mounted games, eventing, and pony club competitions. We even did a few dressage competitions. We came home in the ribbons every single time.








We spent our summers at the beach, swimming in the river, walking through the town. I taught her lots of tricks, she gives kisses, does the Spanish walk, smiles, rears and bows on command. I would ride her on the farm and bring the cows in for milking on her. I would take her to the school to give pony rides at the pet days and to show of her tricks. We even rode through the McDonald's drive through bareback!! I would do so much of my riding on her bareback and we progressed to bareback and bridleless.
I wouldn't be the rider or person I am today without this pony and I owe so much to her.





























Every girl needs a pony like Poppy in her life and for Christmas this year my little sister is now the proud new owner of this one in a million pony. I can still see her whenever I want and soon my girl Sophie will be grazing with her so I will still see her everyday. My little sister is dedicated and has bonded with poppy heaps and I can't wait to see poppy make her as happy as she made me.


Merry Christmas Olivia.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That is so true I think every girl has that one horse who made them the rider they are. Merry Christmas!

L.Williams said...

Aw that's lovely!

Amberrose said...

awww that is such a lovely thing!

Dom said...

The title of this post scared me so much! I am glad that she is going to pass on the tradition. I hope you'll keep us posted on their adventures together <3