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Charlee: Why U.K. Shetlands?
Charlee Messick is one of our most
experienced (and active!) volunteers and as National Director of
Breeding/Placement, her barns are often filled with as many as thirty
ponies as they await her assessment and placement.
Aside from her official duties, Charlee is
active as a breeder, promoter and trainer and hosts many, many children
on her Virginia farm as well as making lots of appearances with our
ponies at fairs, parades, kids camps, schools, group homes--anywhere
children will benefit from interacting with them... check out her story about Tyler, a little boy who received two
of our ponies after meeting Charlee at a local Harvest event. She also
does special appearances at birthday parties and other events to help
raise much-needed funds so we can purchase and ship more breeding stock
from the UK.
The Shetland Question
Very often people ask why PERSONAL PONIES goes
to the trouble and expense to import our breeding stock from the UK
when there are so many equines in need of rescue and when there are
lots of similarly sized equines, like Miniature Horses, available here
in the US. This is Charlee's response to one recent inquiry.
Charlee's Response
My name is Charlee Messick and I am a volunteer
for Personal Ponies. Marianne asked me to contact you and let you know
a little about what I have learned since joining Personal Ponies.
When I first became involved with Ppl, even
though I "knew" that the goal was to breed quality UK Shetlands, I
believed that "a pony is a pony" and thought that most minis would have
the same impact on the program. Thus, convinced that "a pony is a
pony," I purchased a crippled mini, a small Arab-type mare and a little
pinto mare on my own so that I could begin promoting PPL.
Scooby, the crippled mini, had a frozen knee
joint and his hoof had actually rolled under to the point that he was
walking on his coronet band. However, he was such a sweet little guy
that my farrier and I worked hard to build him a false hoof and
eventually Scooby was almost able to run and play like the others
ponies—and all the children adored him! But eight months after I got
Scooby, a child came running to tell me that Scooby was bleeding. When
my vet arrived, he discovered that Scooby had rectal prolapse and after
a week of care (and lots of tears), Scooby had to be put to sleep.
Several more minis joined me after that, and I
placed a few of them with children. I also have a great little mini
gelding who is the best when it comes to driving. Thus, all things
considered, I felt that I had a very decent little group of ponies and
shared them at every opportunity with adults and children alike. I
still thought "a pony is a pony..." That is, until I met MacFinn, Ysa
and Tyree, three imported Shetlands that PPL purchased from a breeder
in Georgia who was moving back to England and liquidating her herd.
How do I describe MacFinn??? Within days my eyes
were wide open to the true mission of our National Director, Marianne Alexander, and PERSONAL PONIES. Oh
Lordy, he is UNBELIEVABLE! Imagine this: MacFinn came to me as a three
year old stallion who had never seen a saddle or harness. Yet a week
after he arrived, he was so calm and sweet that I slipped a pony saddle
on him, expecting the normal pinned back ears and fussing that any pony
might exhibit. Not my Mickey Finn! He stood still while I fiddled with
cinches and stirrups and never even flinched. I swore when I was done
that he HAD to have done this before, but was assured by has previous
owner that he had never even been touched! Next I sat a small girl on
him (with Mom standing by, ready to lift her off at the first sign of
discomfort)—but my Mickey walked as if he were a thirty year old
pony...slow and plodding. We walked past mares, other ponies, large
horses...but he never fussed a bit. Then, when the little girl was
lifted off of him, he snuggled his head against her tummy, eyes closed,
and just ate up those big hugs she gave him. When we were finished, I
led Mickey out of the barn to the paddock (with the very same little
mares we had walked so quietly by still in there) and it was as if
Mickey said, "OK, no kiddies around. I can be a man" and then he
performed his little stallion routine, rearing a tiny bit and nickering
to the ladies. Not once has he EVER done that when a child was near.
These Shetlands, there is just no way to describe them...they have to
be experienced to really appreciate just how different they are from
other equines.
I tried to explain this difference to one of the
volunteers that helps me take ponies to camps for children with cancer,
but she had to experience a Shetland herself before she, too, became a
believer. Dena has a nice 35" AMHR mare of mine right now, along with
her foal, DREAMIE. She kept telling me what a "sweetie" DREAMIE is and
I kept saying, "Dena, until you have one of the Shetlands, you just
won't know..." But just recently Dena weaned DREAMIE and asked for a
friend to keep her company. To help, I sent over a little Shetland
filly I call my MERRY BERRY. Within hours of taking her home, Dena
called and said "Oh Charlee, DREAMIE is a brat compared to BERRY!" NOW
she sees how very different Shetlands are!
I have raised a lot of mini babies and always
gave them lots of hugging, love and handling. But when BERRY came, what
a difference! When she arrived, BERRY was wild and had never been
handled. But it took just FIFTEEN MINUTES of working with her and I had
a lovable "puppy" on my hands. And while I had had to be very careful
approaching the mini babies, I was pushing BERRY's nose out of my face
whenever I went into her paddock. The disposition, the inborn desire to
love and be loved—it's amazing. I no longer say "a pony is a pony."
You also mentioned that PERSONAL PONIES should
consider using rescue ponies and minis from sale barns and questioned
whether there was a difference between other ponies and UK Shetlands.
You also felt that PPL could do a lot of good for needy equines in this
way (as well as having more ponies for our waiting children). I've been
there too...
About a year ago I took in an older mini mare
from a 90 year old woman who was afraid to send her to a sale barn. I
had to rope this little mare to catch her (she had never seen a rope,
halter, vet or farrier) and this was clearly a rescue case. GRANNY had
a foal a few months later and I worked really hard both before and
after to care for her and her foal. The foal looked fine at birth and I
breathed a sigh of relief as GRANNY had not come to me in good
condition. But a week after he was born, I wormed GRANNY and her little
colt went totally blind. The vet said he had hydrocephalus and would
never see again, but he also warned me that blindness was the least of
the problems that were to come. Three days later I thought I had a
miracle, little KRIS could see again! He seemed absolutely fine and I
made plans to send him to a little girl with Dwarfism after he was
weaned. GRANNY was going along too (I won't send a pony off alone) as
she was very sweet although very afraid of people. But then in
mid-October, one week before I was going to place KRIS with Sarah, KRIS
got sick. I had the vet out twice that day, but hours later KRIS was
dead. An autopsy showed that KRIS had a grave genetic flaw that left
him with no immune system, extensive abdominal bleeding and no ability
for his blood to clot. Again, heartache for all. At this point I told
Marianne that if anyone said the words "rescue pony" to me again, I was
running the other way. And as horrible as it was for me, I cringe to
think how little Sarah would have felt if I had placed KRIS with her
and he had died in her care.
I had three foals born this spring, all from
mini mares. One was lost during foaling, KRIS died in October, and only
little DREAMIE is fine (but then again, I paid quite a lot for her
mamma and she had excellent care before and after I got her). No doubt
there are some decent little mini horses in the sale barns, but unless
I know their history, I refuse to take one home again. I've cried my
share over that kind of pony in just the last year.
The Shetlands—they seem hardier, have
undescribable dispositons and the desire and capacity to identify with
children that I just don't see in the minis. Little TURKEY BUZZARD (our
affectionate pet name for a Shetland baby named EAGLE) is another
example of the superb Shetland disposition and their seemingly innate
sensitivity to children. A few months ago, I had a little girl visit
for the first time in her wheelchair. Her Dad wheeled her into the
small paddock (and lucky me that we have a sidewalk going into the
barn!) and I let several ponies in with her. I had to "capture" a mini
baby for her to pet and a few others wandered over, said "hello" and
then wandered off again. But little TURKEY BUZZARD, he walked right up
to her, stood a minute looking, then lay his head in her lap and stood
that way for well over fifteen minutes—no halter, no lead, no
"capture." THIS is what I see with Shetlands and this is why I am so
convinced that the principle mission of PERSONAL PONIES, breeding these
wonderful little Shetlands, is worth every dime I can gather to help
bring more of them to the US so that we can breed healthy, loving
ponies for our most special children. Indiscriminate breeding will only
bring more badly made, poor tempered ponies into the world—and that is
NOT what PERSONAL PONIES wants or will participate in.
I would like to attach a photo of a little girl
who just got her own ponies. Dad told her he was going to the store and
we loaded the babies in his mini-van and he walked them right into the
house! I plan on breeding beautiful Shetland ponies to see more moments
like this for as many children as I can and hope that there will be
many more volunteers lucky enough to do the same!
I have thought a lot about how best to respond
to people when they ask "why Shetlands" and this is the best answer I
know. First, PPL's founder, Marianne Alexander,
CHOSE to breed U.K. Shetlands after much
study and consideration because they are uniquely suited to the
children we serve. Further, PERSONAL PONIES is NOT a rescue
organization; its only mission is to make MAGIC in the lives of special
needs children by providing ponies uniquely suited to be their very own
"best friend." To compare a Shetland to a mini is like comparing a
Quarter Horse to an Arabian. Both breeds are well loved by many, have
their own merits and beauty. AND, both breeds have characteristics
unique to themselves. Each was bred for specific talents and although
both fall under the larger category of "equines," there is a world of
difference between them. It is the same with our Shetlands, they too
are unique in their character, and their dispositions on the whole are
different from their equine mini and pony counterparts.
I hope this letter has helped you understand why
PERSONAL PONIES is dedicated to breeding ONLY the UK type Shetland for
their program. And if you would like, you are more than welcome to
visit anytime and see the Shetland for yourself!
Charlee
Messick
Virginia State Director
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