Horseytalk.net Special Interview
Megan Jones
Neglected pony turned national star thanks to little girl
Young rehomer, Megan, is supporting this year’s Rehome a Horse Month.
As part of Britain’s largest horse rescue and rehoming charity’s annual Rehome a Horse Month, designed to highlight the versatility of rescue horses and find good homes for those in need, World Horse Welfare will be releasing never-before-told stories of horses who got their happy endings.
While it’s touching to hear tales of British horses who overcame the odds, we must not be distracted from the stark reality that sees 6,000-7,000 UK horses still at risk of neglect or abandonment.
Charities are full to bursting with welfare cases; World Horse Welfare in particular rescued 76% more horses in 2013 compared to the year before, but so many still await rescue. The charity hopes that this year’s Rehome a Horse Month will encourage more people to rehome and in-turn make space for one, two, three or even a whole group of horses that need urgent help.
Dun mare, Rosie, was one of the lucky ones, but not to begin with.
<< Rosie's feet when she first came into the charity
Rosie came into one of the charity’s four national Rescue and Rehoming Centres, Penny Farm in Blackpool, for immediate treatment after her owner had sadly let Rosie’s feet overgrow so much that they curled up into painful ‘slippers’.
The youngster was also suffering from laminitis. All four of her feet were so badly overgrown that she could barely walk and the team at World Horse Welfare had to work extensively with the young pony to put her right.
From suffering to stardom though, Rosie was rehomed to five-and-a-half-year-old* Megan who rode Rosie as the youngest ever side saddle rider to take part in the London New Year’s Day Parade 2014. Supported by Her Majesty The Queen, watched on TV by close to three hundred million and attended by a terrific audience of over 500,000 spectators on the streets of London, Megan and Rosie were one lucky pair to have been involved in this spectacular event.
Rosie is asleep in front of Buckingham
Palace as Megan rides her >>
“Rosie is the perfect pony,” says Megan’s mum Angharad Jones. “Rosie and Megan are inseparable and have been since we rehomed Rosie in 2009. She’s just so willing and incredibly calm – perfect for my daughter. Rosie came into one of the charity’s four national Rescue and Rehoming Centres, Penny Farm in Blackpool, for immediate treatment after her owner had sadly let Rosie’s feet overgrow so much that they curled up into painful ‘slippers’.
“Rosie is not fazed by anything. We went down to the end of the horse line at the parade and stood still where the brass bands were playing very, very loudly and Rosie went to sleep right next to the bands - typical Rosie!” Horses from World Horse Welfare come with a lifetime of advice from experts, the assurance that you can return the pony if your child outgrows it or circumstances change and the confidence that your horse has been fully MOT’d with a frank and fair assessment of that horse’s abilities and temperament.
“I am glad that World Horse Welfare gave me my pony because I love her very much – other little girls and boys should get one from World Horse Welfare too because then horses who have no homes can be happy,” was Megan’s very cute comment about her love for now 17-year-old Rosie.
<< Rosie when first rehomed to Megan
Megan and Rosie also went to the Nefyn Agricultural Show in North Wales earlier this month and came home with two Reserve Champions for Side Saddle and Young Handler Under 21, two firsts in Side Saddle Concours and Young Handler Under 10, two seconds in Veteran In-hand and Concours d'Elegance Side Saddle and two specials for Ridden Veteran and Side Saddle Best Junior.
Rosie and Megan are centre stage in front of the
Horse Guards Parade, a large parade
ground in Central London and site of the
annual ceremonies of Trooping the Colour,
which commemorates the monarch's
official birthday >>
“Rosie is a real life example of just how versatile World Horse Welfare ponies are,” ends Angharad. You can rehome a horse too!
*Horses have to be rehomed by a responsible and capable adult on behalf of their children if the pony is to be rehomed for a child.