Pippin’s Story Of How She Came To Live In The Little Town Of Marblehead

By Pippin The Pony

My New Family

Two weeks went by, and the kind people returned, but this time with a horse trailer. I thought, “Was that for me? Was I going home with them?”. They walked me into the trailer, and the kind lady stayed by my side on our long journey. I felt great comfort in that, as I was nervous about what was happening, but with her kind hand stroking my head, I felt at ease.

We arrived at a new place to me, it was bright, clean, and I could smell salt in the air. Was it the ocean?, Where was I?

The nice couple told me they were my new Mommy & Daddy, and this was to be my forever home. I had a new name “Pippin”. Chosen from the brand of Apple “sweet & scrumptious” just like me, they said, I liked it!

The little girl was there too, her name was Flora. She came and put her arms around my neck and hugged me tight and kissed me on my nose. I had never felt such love. I could see we were going to be the best of friends. I knew instantly I wanted to take good care of this little one, as she was very special. Flora was so much smaller than me, I wasn’t the smallest anymore.

I had my very own bed and plenty of food, not another mean horse in sight! I knew then I was going to like living here. My new Mommy gave me a warm bath, a haircut, and then treated my sore feet. It felt good!

A Place To Call Home

I was still very nervous and wanted to trust my new family, but it all felt like a dream. Was this real? Had I really been given another chance? They took me for a walk. Flora was there with our Mommy & Daddy, but this time there was a dog. Her name was Rosie. She seemed nice, but very quiet, and she kept by Daddy’s side.

This place was beautiful, with cute houses side by side and an abundance of flowers in every garden. I enjoyed the scenery and the new smells, but the best part was yet to come. Just a short walk from my new home, I found myself down a small lane, where the salt in the air was stronger than ever before. Where were we going? The lane was shady and we stepped down a few steps into the bright sunlight…… I couldn’t believe my eyes, beautiful blue water everywhere! “It’s the ocean, Pippin,” they said with excitement.

The sand was soft underfoot, and there was so much to see and smell. My Mom asked if I would like to walk into the water with her. It was warm. The salt water would help my sore feet, she said. I wanted to trust her, so I timidly walked behind her. Mom was right; the water felt amazing and so warm that I wanted to keep going. Before I knew it the ground was gone beneath my feet and I was swimming! Everyone was clapping and praising me. Hooves down, this was the best day of my life! If this were a dream, I never wanted it to end.

Days turned into weeks, and every day was an adventure, with new faces and places to go. This was truly my life now, and I loved it. Rosie began to hang out with me daily, and I enjoyed her company. We would bathe in the afternoon sun together. Rosie told me how she was a rescue dog and how no one wanted her, and her future looked dim. Our Daddy had adopted her just in time and gave her the love and patience she was so desperately needing in life. Rosie went on to tell me that I would be in good hands here and that our parents would always listen to us and our needs and would never put us in harm’s way. This made me feel very safe, a feeling I was not used to. I looked forward to feeling like this more often.

As Free As A Bird

It was the weekend, and Mom & Dad had the horse trailer hitched to the truck. I thought, “This is it! The dream is over, and I’m going back to where I came from.” I hesitated getting in the trailer at first, but remembered what Rosie had said. We set off, but this time it wasn’t for long. Where could we be going now?

Mom opened the trailer door. I’d never seen such a big, wide-open space. It's so beautiful and green, with trees scattered around. We walked into a big arena where they took my halter off and told me to go have fun…….. what was I meant to do?

Mommy & Daddy started to run around acting silly, Rosie and Flora joined in too. I felt this excitement come over me, and I just wanted to run! I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to or even if I could. I’d never had so much freedom before.

I began to trot, and before I knew it, I was running, running so fast it felt incredible and so natural! I looked down beside me, and there was Rosie running right next to me. We were free as could be and so in sync with each other.

We returned to our mom & dad, who were standing there with Flora, laughing and smiling at us, having fun together. I never wanted any of this to end, and it never did……. we continue to go on adventures, exploring new places and running free. I especially enjoy the days when Flora gets on my back and rides me, as we get to explore together, and I love hearing her giggle and her soft, gentle touch.

This truly was a dream come true! I finally had a new family to call my own!

Show Day

One warm September day, Mom was making an extra fuss of me. I couldn’t understand why, but I trusted her, and it felt so good. After a day of pampering, mom said good night to me as she tucked me into bed and whispered in my ear, “Big Day Tomorrow, Pips, get a good night's sleep, Love You.” I was so excited, but I didn’t know what to expect.

The morning came, and Mom was up and out early to see me. She braided my beautiful, shiny mane and tail and put a special blanket on me. She made my hooves all sparkly. I was excited to know where we were going.

We set off, and before long, we had arrived. Mom opened the trailer door. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We were at a horse show! I’d never been to a horse show before. I was nervous but excited. I could see this was going to be a big day for me. Mom reassured me, telling me I would be okay, to take it all in my stride, and most importantly, have fun and enjoy the day.

Once mom had finished the final touches to me, and everyone gave me words of encouragement, we stepped into the show ring. I was being led by my little cousin, whom I had become very fond of. Abby was so gentle with me, telling me it was her first horse show too, and that we would do it together, step by step, side by side.

There were lots of horses there, including Miniature Horses just like me. Everyone looked so smart!

The Judge took a good look at all of us standing there. I remembered what my mom told me, and I stood by Abby’s side so proud and still. We couldn’t believe our luck! The Judge called us forward. We had won our first class! I was so proud of Abby and myself, we did it. What a team!

The day went on, with many more classes, and we were placed every time. My younger cousin Sam even took me into the ring a first for us both, and who would believe it, we won again! It was truly a family day out and I really, really enjoyed it. The best part was at the end of the day, when we all shared cheese sandwiches and apples back at the trailer together —my new family and me.

I was so pleased with how far I had come in such a short space of time. I hoped there would be more horse shows in the future. I loved the fuss and attention, they were a lot of fun!

Getting My Driver’s License

One day my mom and dad took me out in the trailer, but this time it felt different. We arrived at a barn with other horses. I wasn’t sure about this place, but my mom reassured me I would be safe and that I was there to learn a new, fun ability. A kind man came to welcome me, and he seemed very nice. He too had a family, and the children came to introduce themselves to me too. Mom told me I had to stay here for a few weeks until my training was complete, and if I were a good girl and listened to the nice man, I would be home soon.

What was my training going to be? All I knew was I wanted to get back to my home as soon as possible, as I enjoyed being in my own bed and not having other horses around me.

My time there went fast, and Mom was right, I did enjoy it. I couldn’t wait to show Mom and Dad what I had learned. Mom arrived to collect me, and I was so proud to show her my new achievement. Mom was new to this, too, so we took it slow to begin with.

Mom put my harness on with the guidance of our new friend. They walked me to my cart and hitched me on. Mom climbed aboard the cart, and we set off down the lane. I could hear in my mom’s voice just how proud of me she was. I was excited to get home and start this new chapter together.

It Just Keeps Getting Better

I have come so far in such a short space of time, and life keeps getting better! We continued to attend local shows and events, walks on my favorite beaches and through the beautiful woodlands, State parks, and reservations, and best of all, strolls downtown. I love the new friends I continue to make along the way.

Since 2023, I have been awarded the “Champion VSE Drivers” by our local Riding & Driving Club, which has been a great honor. We quickly learned “VSE” was short for “Very Small Equine”! That was me!! I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be where I am today, surrounded by my very own family with such love and support.

Thank you to all who have been and continue to be a part of my new life.

To Be Continued………..