Will F lo become par t o f the family, despite ever ything?

It was a warm autumn evening and Mum and I were doing our usual night time checks on the ponies before bed. We paused for a moment outside Flo’s stable, her gorgeous golden chestnut head poking over the door. Mum kissed her on the nose. “What on earth are we going to do with you, Flo?” she murmured. I had a sinking feeling in my tummy - if Mum didn’t know, I definitely didn’t. But something needed to change, and quickly.

Getting to know you

Flo was only five years old, so she still had some growing to do, but she wasn’t growing the way we’d expected. We’d gone to a local dealer at the end of the summer holidays, looking for a project pony to bring on and sell. He hadn’t been much help finding out about her history before she’d arrived on his yard two months before. All he could tell us was that she came from a field in the Welsh mountains, but her sparkling eyes had been totally irresistible and Mum and I fell in love with her at first sight! She was unbacked, so we intended to begin her training in hand with the aim of starting her under saddle during the Christmas holidays.