On the fourth day of Christmas Horse & Hound and World Horse Welfare gave to me….. Cocoa.
The fourth of our 2017 12 ponies of Christmas is Cocoa, a friendly youngster with “lots of character” who is looking for a new home where she can continue her education.
The 12.3hh two-year-old black mare arrived at the charity’s Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset in February 2016 as part of a large number of ponies who had been abandoned.
They had been left with no access to food or fresh water.
The little mare has been well handled and has taken to all the basic tasks asked of her including meeting the farrier and vet.
She is used to being lead in-hand and is well mannered even when being bathed.
“Cocoa has had a very poor start in life and will need longer to mature,” said the charity’s spokesman. “She is very friendly, but needs to know her boundaries when being handled.”
The pony might be suitable for ridden work when she is older.
In her new home Cocoa could participate in low level horse agility or walks in hand as she has “a very busy brain” and it will help with her education.
All of World Horse Welfare’s centres are operating at full capacity, so rehoming is vitally important.
Giving a home to a rescue pony gives him or her a second chance at fulfilling his potential and helps develop new skills and confidence.
Article continues below…
Bodmin Moor update: one pony put down and 21 rehomed
22 of the 34 ponies who were assessed were of sufficient concern to be removed from the moor
Equine charity reports increase in horses being rehomed
More horses are being rehomed, but the need for new homes shows no signs of letting up
Rehomed rescue horses shine on the eventing circuit
The pair have put their tricky start in life behind them and are blossoming in their eventing careers
For more information on Cocoa, or any of the other World Horse Welfare horses and ponies who are looking for new homes, visit the charity’s website.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.