This is Prince, a Welsh cross pony. He was donated to the Sanctuary because he was a bad acting bully pony and they did not feel he was safe for their children.
Prince is a 19 year old Welsh/QH cross pony. He as been at the Sanctuary since he was 4 years old. He came from up west and John MacDonald, since deceased, raised him and gave me his early 2-year history. It was lovely when he and his pals came to visit, because Prince knew him immediately, so I knew in his early years he was much loved. It took some work to change his attitude and give him a bit of manners. He is just wonderful now and a great starter pony for Trailblazers.
UPDATE: November 30, 2025
Prince has been one of the best teaching ponies for Trailblazers. He is the one you can ride bareback with confidence. He was chubby when he came to the Sanctuary, and chubby he stayed. He has always been an easy keeper. This summer he and two others were showing symptoms of EMS, a metabolic condition. Sugars are a problem. We pulled him off our short grass pasture and put him in a paddock where he would just get hay. It did not help much and his feet were very hot, a symptom of laminitis. Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) clinicians came, took X-rays and blood tests and the bad news was confirmed. The blood tests showed that his ACTH/insulin levels were 20 times higher than the normal range for a horse.
We have started him on medication Prascend and Metformin. Then we will do further blood tests to see if the medication is going to be a help. So far X-rays and blood tests have cost $300. The medication is $300 a month. He has been and still is a valued pony for our programs and we are spending the money. Soft ride gel boots would be a big help to cushion his front feet. They are costly too! My thanks to the O’Hanley family (Sixtine and Victoire) and the MacLeod Family (Megan and Everett) for their generous donations towards the purchase of the boots.
Just a note; giving him the medication. The Metformin comes in tablets that do not dissolve easily in water. I was crushing them and putting them in his feed, that worked for a few days, until he decided that he was not going to eat his supplements with the medication. He certainly did not like them when I gave him the medication by syringe. What to do?? He needed the 16 tablets twice a day. They are not easily crushed. I decided my little coffee grinder would do the trick. Sixtine did the grinding 16 tablet at a time. This is a hand grinder and is not easy, but that gal stuck with it and we got 5 doses done up. The next suggestion was to mix it with his Bute, we know he likes that! Yup it worked, I mixed it with a bit of water and Bute. Prince sucked it up and smacked his lips like a happy lad. Mission accomplished, and he was led out the barn to play with the rest of the herd.
Love and hugs
