cupcake

Jamie has asked for photos of family pets. There are a number on his site as well, so be sure to check them out.

Let me introduce Cupcake. In 2004, he was bought at an auction for $70 by some good folks who feared that unless they bought him he would die of starvation and neglect. The 13 year old daughter named him Cupcake. Not so much a boy name, but I'm sure he didn't mind since they saved his life. That family, though, had as many horses as they wanted to care for. Soon after, by providence my husband happened to meet Cupcake's new owner and mentioned we were looking for a good pony for a little girl. She told him about Cupcake. Here is how he looked soon after they took him in, in April, 2004.

They offerred to give him to us, but we needed some time to prepare a fenced area in our pasture, so he stayed with them for 2 more months. Here is how he looked when he came to live with us on June 12, 2004.

Finally, below is a photo of Cupcake last April. I was going to take a new one of him today, but he's been rolling in the mud again. Cupcake is in good health, now. He is around 22 years old, best guess. He has a bad knee (front left) which will always be a concern. We had to have one of his eyes removed less than a year after he came to live with us, due to a corneal rupture-- probably the result of an old injury.

Cupcake loves Ruby. She is his primary caretaker. He is practically unshakeable. He never bolts- not even when neighbor dogs run up and bark. He is as gentle as can be when she rides him. He usually won't leave our property when she's riding, unless Keith is with them. He just stops at the mailbox and won't budge until an adult comes to say it's okay. He is a great teacher for her.

We had some bulldozing done in the pasture 2 years ago. Cupcake became a yard pony for about a month until grass began to grow back in the field. He never left the unfenced yard except once when there was a lightning strike very near by. He became so accustomed to being near us that he would go and stand behind the car to keep us from leaving when we readied to go somewhere. And we'd have to drive around him when we came in, because he just didn't see the need in moving if we could. We love this pony. His transformation is a miracle that moves us every day.