Fancy77 wrote:
OMG Denise that is the cutest horse I have ever seen, always wanted a mini. I had a Shetland, but I think it was a bit bigger at 47 inches than Saoirse. Have fun with service training...what will u do with her when she is fully trained?? will u do it again??
Minis are a lot of fun - I was quite content with my two - Mercy and Freedom - but a friend sent me Saoirse's picture and I was a goner. Freedom does not have the personality to go inside nursing homes... she is much too full of herself and is very spirited, even as an eight year old... and Mercy is going to be 16.
I have a Modern American Shetland - she is 44.5" tall, a bay with a star and snip and white spots around her front coronary bands - her name is Nefertiti and she is the queen - has a bratty streak through her and she knows she is beautiful - I was present for her birth and she whinnied the minute she saw me. She is 3.
Mercy has been volunteering her time for our local animal shelters, nursing homes and schools for the past 14 years. She just goes places and makes people smile, laugh and wonder about a horse that is so comfortable in a human world...she rides in cars, elevators, walks in crowds like she is a star...shakes hands, gives kisses, shakes her head yes and no when someone asks her a question...and she paints with her nose - those are sold or auctioned off to make money for the animal shelters. You can meet her at "Mercy the Painting Horse" on YouTube. As Mercy will be 16 in June, I figured I better start a youngster to do what she can... and Saoirse's great grandfather is Mercy's father...so they are like great-aunt and great niece to each other.
Saoirse has a lot of the same personality traits as Mercy - especially the "nope, doesn't bother me" trait. That was evident in my truck where she just settled down for the ride. She is very friendly and confident - we did some more obstacle type stuff... walk over a crinkly tarp, up onto a wooden deck... and she even gave a little head toss as if she was pleased with herself.
Mercy has had sirens go off near her, guns go off (in a parade) and even had a helicopter land and take off near her without as much as a yawn. The only thing that upset her once was a pink plastic kite my neighbors' kids were flying and I think it made her more excited than anything.
So, Saoirse's training begins - one day at a time, encouraging and showing her that she is one special little horse. Someday, she will bring magic to nursing homes and schools.
Denise
