Our Featured Horse of the Month is Tootsie!

When Tootsie came to us almost exactly two years ago, we felt that we had acquired our very own Thelwell pony. She was just as round and hairy and full of character as any one of the famous cartoon ponies from the 1950s. While she has since lost a lot of weight and a lot of hair and looking very smart, she has retained all of her character. While she is not supposed to have favourites, everybody knows that Tootsie is Angie’s teachers’ pet. She travelled here to us from New Brunswick where she was a 4-H pony extraordinaire and transitioned very quickly into being an English riding school pony.

She is 13 hands high, turned 16 this year and is a Newfoundland Pony cross. We have used her in our summer camps, she has already been in the musical ride, she participated in Prince Philip Games and she also goes to many horse shows. Her show name is Tootsie Roll because she kind of looks like one! Her affectionate nickname is Tuzo (in a British accent)! When receiving a body clip, Tootsie often has a heart left on her bum. This year she will have an ace because she is our official mascot for our Chase the Ace fundraiser!

Typically, Tootsie has a little too much confidence in herself as she tries to out power her riders but luckily, because of her small size, this teaches riders how to handle a strong horse. When it comes to jumping, however, which was a relatively new skill for her at Lancers, her confidence was quite low. After much trial and error and lessons in patience, Tootsie has since learned that jumping is a regular part of her job and she has even come to love it. She is a favourite at Salmon River camp because she is so much fun on the trails! For a chubby little pony, she is full of energy! There’s nothing like a spunky little pony to teach kids all the tough lessons on horsemanship. She has so much to offer, we hope she stays just as spirited for many years to come! #featurefriday #HOM