At Veterinary and Poultry Supply, Inc. we are proud to be able to sponsor the incredible horses at LoveWay, Inc. LoveWay is an equine assisted therapy non-profit in Middlebury, IN. Each month we feature one of their therapy horses in our blog. This month, the honor goes to a sweet pony named Sunny.
Meet Sunny, the January Therapy Horse of the Month.
Sunny is a 19-year-old Hackney cross. He's well bred and has a fancy trot to prove it. Before coming to LoveWay he spent his time in competition. The girl who owned him before he came to LoveWay was fortunate enough to grow up with Sunny. She competed with him in cross country and eventing. However, Sunny is a pretty small guy so his owner eventually outgrew him.
His size may have ended his competitive career, but it didn't stop him from becoming a great therapy horse. He's always been a teacher. Where he used to help his old owner learn to compete, he would now be teaching a whole stable full of children with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities how to become better riders.
Above: Sunny, January's featured therapy horse of the month.
Sunny arrived at LoveWay in June of 2014. It didn't take long for him to become an official member of the equine staff. He was well behaved and slipped into his new role easily. His size is perfect for the smaller students that are intimidated by the larger horses. But, he still has a lesson to teach the larger riders. Students of all sizes get to learn how to handle and groom horses with Sunny.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Copper was given his name because of Sunny? Copper was originally named Sunny, but there was already a Sunny at LoveWay. Two horses with the same name could have been a bit confusing!
Above: Sunny (left) and pasture buddy, Chickee (right), playing in their field together.
Just like any horse at LoveWay, Sunny has his own unique personality traits. He's vocal and likes to "talk" to the other horses. He also likes to act tough around the other horses, but he's all bark and no bite. All his pasture mate, Chickee, has to do is put her ears back and Sunny stops what he's doing. He's a big fan of treats and makes a beeline for his treat bowl after classes.
Sunny was almost retired recently. He was diagnosed with glaucoma, which decreases his vision. With his medicine, Sunny has adapted well to his condition. If you aren't paying attention while you're leading Sunny, he might end up walking directly behind you. He does this so he doesn't have to pay attention to where he's walking. The staff has cut back the number of classes that Sunny participates in, but he's not ready to retire yet!
Above: Sunny rolling in his pasture.
If you want to work with Sunny, or any of the other therapy horses, LoveWay is always in need of volunteers! Contact Molly at molly@lovewayinc.org to find out how you can become a volunteer. Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, from assisting riders in classes to grooming horses. Whether you have hours of free time or just a half hour a week to spare, your time is greatly appreciated at LoveWay!
It's spring and that means April showers are here. It's warming up outside and the horses are out enjoying the break from the long winter.
It might feel nice out, but spring weather is ideal for a pesky skin condition called rain rot. Standing out in the rain is one of the most common ways for a horse to get rain rot, but it's not the only way.
At VPSI, we're proud to be able to sponsor the LoveWay horses. LoveWay is a non-profit organization that offers equine-assisted therapy in Middlebury, IN.
Horses that fit perfectly into the program are a rare find. Even great therapy horses take some time to adjust to their new life as a LoveWay horse.
That's why Miracle is so special. He's one of the few horses that entered the program and was ready to go from day one.
Caitlyn Andrews
Author