Lucy

BORN: 8 June 2004

BREED: Mini Pony

HEIGHT: 8.2hh

GENDER: Mare

COLOUR: Palouse

ARRIVED: March 2019 – purchased from a ‘dogger’ sale

STRESS RESPONSE: Flight

PAIR BOND: Her son, Rocket

LIKES: Being able to choose when to interact withe people and when to be left alone.

DISLIKES: Loud people, quick movements, strangers, people wearing gloves. Not a big fan of being groomed.

Personality

Lucy is incredibly sweet and very vocal at feed times – giving us loud and excited nickers continuously until her bucket arrives. Feed time is the only time that Lucy becomes an extrovert and we all want to be there at feed time to see her so happy! She undergoes a complete transformation in winter when she grows the thickest, shaggiest coat and looks like a giant teddy bear.

Clients of the sanctuary have often said Lucy’s story gives them hope for their own future. In the short moment when she greets you – softly touching her nose to your hand – she will make her way to your heart with her willingness and softness.

History

Poor little Lucy has had a hard life. Used as a broodmare, forced to give pony rides and clearly physically abused, Lucy was terrified of all humans. Sold to the doggers, Lucy was saved from that horrible death by unexpectedly having a foal just days before being sent to the factory. She and her tiny foal, Rocket, were sent to the Gympie sales instead and were spotted by one of our volunteers. They were both in a terrible state and we knew we had to make room for them at the sanctuary.

It took Lucy a long time to trust us. It was many months before she would let us catch her without becoming stressed. If someone walked past her carrying something, she would cower like a scared puppy, waiting to be hit. It really was heart-breaking to think of what she must have been through.

Because of Lucy’s life-threatening anyhydrosis and other medical needs, we had to force Lucy to let us catch her on numerous occasions in the first few months so that she could receive the medical treatment she needed. Each time, this would set back all the work we’d done in trying to gain her trust. As the weather cooled and her health improved we were able to go back to progressing at Lucy’s preferred speed and slowly but surely she opened up and let us in.

Lucy can be easily caught now and, although she’s still not keen on being groomed, we can safely and calmly take care of all her physical needs – she really has made amazing progress.