Poppa Flash gets a haircut!

I think PoppaFlash might have lice...so today I clipped him out (but left his belly on to keep him warm lol!!), and gave him a thorough wash and scrub. He was very itchy and the shampoo seemed to relieve him quiet a bit.

I guess without all the winter fur it really shows his condition. He looks great I think, no ribs at all showing, though the hips are still prominent - I think they always will be.

He is on excellent grass, plus is fed sugarbeet, nutrice (rice brain based feed), boiled barley, and musclemax. Plus Lubrisyn of course, which keeps him galloping round like a 2yr old!

Poppa flash has a new rug...

Thanks to a very kind aunty from Raglan, Poppa flash has a brand new winter rug just like Lucy's. When Aunty Sharon heard that Flash was coming to live in Auckland, she immediately sent him some pocket money to help settle him in. Poppa is hugely grateful for the help, and bought himself a new rug last month so that he stays warm and dry even in the worst of the weather.

He is starting to lose his winter fur, and as you can see it leaves a lovely pile on the ground, like a snowman who has melted!

Some history on Poppa Flash...

(6wks later)

These photos of Poppa Flash were taken 6 weeks apart...he arrived here in an emaciated state but is now living the life of riley!


Ive managed to trace back some history on Poppa Flash.

He was owned 20 years ago by a lady who adored him and in her own words, tells me that he literally saved her life and prevented her from going off the rails as a teen. I didn't send her photos of him because I thought it would upset her too much. We had quite a chat about him, and it seems some things never change, he;s still very much the same character as he was back then!
And best of all, she was able to confirm to me that he is definitely 30 years old.

Poppa Flash went through a couple of different homes, culminating with a home who (for reasons Im not sure of) sold him to the meatworks. The man driving the meatworks truck took a shining to him, and rang the local pony club to ask if they knew of anyone there who might want a quiet kids horse. Now I won't get into the ethics of him doing this, but I for one am thankful that he did as Flash would have ended up on the table at a restaurant in Europe by now.

So...Flash spent the past year at pony club...how he was able to carry a saddle with a spine that sticks up 3" is beyond me, and when I questioned his previous owner about this she denied it was a problem. She also denied that anyone at pony club thought that Flash was too thin. Again, not going to debate the fact, I think the photos speak for themselves really and all that matters now is that he is here with me and will not be leaving.

He also will never have to go to pony club again!

He lives his life chasing Whizzy (my ex intermediate eventer, 20yrs old) and Lucy around the paddock! He gets first pick of the fresh paddocks, and of course plenty of good food.

He's looking like a woolly bear with 4" long fur!

He's gaining weight slowly but surely, and has had the dentist and regular farriery of course. And it goes without saying that good vet care is never far away if needed.


Will update with furry winter photos shortly.

Happy as a clam..

My grandfather says that Flash sounds just like him...old, skinny, loose skin, hairless in places...and basically a geriatric! Oh, and given that my grandfather is on LubriSyn too, well, he thinks its a match made in heaven lol!

So....Flash is now named...PoppaFlash!

I gave a photo of Flash to my Pop..and he reckons he's going to get all his mates at the bowls club to pitch in on his "new racehorse"...and then he'll give them all a copy of the photo and sit back and watch their faces lol!!!

Poppa Flash is now happily retired at Ararimu Valley Farm, and will stay here until his dying day - which I think will not be any time in the next 10 years or so.

He's gaining weight!

It was a hot sunny day a few weeks after Flash arrived, and so I gave him a shampoo. Cant say he ws too impressed with that idea, but too bad, he didn't have much say in the matter!

He's been fed sugarbeet, nutrice (extruded rice bran feed), musclemax (body builder/weight gain product), oil, and LubriSyn of course for his old joints!

One week later...

Thin thin thin, but happy as a clam.

One Yellow Meets Another...

Mr Yellow who rules the roost, had to come say hi to the new yellow and let him know that life's gonna get much better now!