Horse of the Month - Tommy and Skippy

So it seems that I missed the February horse of the month so I’m lumping them both together. But that’s ok because when you say one, you automatically think the other. I’m talking Tommy and Skippy. These two ponies came to the Sanctuary in February 2009 as naughty little ponies.  Tommy is a Shetland pony. We are guessing at his age. Skippy on the other hand is a registered miniature horse. We did not acquire his papers but have a copy (somewhere).

Skippy thinks he rules the pen and will play/pick on the horses through the fence. Dude tolerates the behavior and Maverick adores the attention. Skippy also thinks he rules the roost in the mare pen and torments Mayhem as much as possible. Tommy on the other hand is the standoffish Shetland pony with an attitude. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a sweet pony, when he wants to be (yes I said sweet and pony in the same sentence).

We acquired Tommy and Skippy when his previous owner’s children outgrew them. Their options were that we take the ponies, or they would head to a local auction so we quickly said we would take the pair knowing that they would be separated. From what we know, these two have been together for nearly their entire lives so we’d like to keep it that way.

We let the ponies out on the lawn during the summer months to snack on grass and stretch their legs. Summer is most likely their favorite time of the year although I know they do love winter when they hang out with the mares. 

Tommy is a  healthy pony and is one of the few Sanctuary horses with no health issues. Skippy has a skin irritation that flares up during the summer months. We have to apply ointment and give him a powder supplement to try and keep the skin problems at bay. Skippy doesn’t let his health issue slow him down.

Tommy and Skippy have taught us a great deal about ponies and minis. They continue to teach us every day. It is an honor to have these two naughty ponies at the Sanctuary. If you would like to sponsor either Tommy or Skippy, please contact us at borderlandshorsesanctuary@yahoo.com.