Life beyond rescue: “He’s gone from zero to FEI international 3* hero!” 

As you read this, around 2,200 of our horses are enjoying a second chance in life through our rehoming scheme, which is the largest of its kind in the UK. In this series of blogs, Life beyond rescue, we meet some of our rehomed horses in their homes across the country. 

One of our ponies enjoying a second chance at life is Graham. The 12hh palomino arrived into our care as part of a prosecution case back in 2017. Following rehabilitation, Graham was rehomed by Amelia in 2018 and the pair have been driving together ever since.  

We caught up with Amelia to find out more about how they have grown together.  

When did your love of horses begin and when did they first come into your life? 

I’ve have been lucky enough to have a pony since I was 2! 

As one of our fabulous rehomers, can you tell us how you came to rehome from World Horse Welfare?  

Back in 2017 Horse and Hound ran a ‘12 rescue horses of Christmas’ feature, so we contacted World Horse Welfare to enquire about rehoming a potential driving pony. They responded with a few suggestions, and we went and saw Graham at Penny Farm and the rest is history. 

Tell us a bit about Graham and what he is like…  

Graham is full of life and character, and he absolutely loves driving. He is cheeky and fun – a typical pony. In 2019, he was invited back to Penny Farm for their open day and to meet Princess Anne. In 2022, we took him to the FEI European Driving Championships in Hungary where he was individual 12th and Team GB were 5^th – he’s gone from zero to FEI international 3* hero! 

What would you say is the best thing about rehoming from World Horse Welfare?  

World Horse Welfare want to rehome for the right reasons, so you know that the horse is exactly how they tell you they are, no dodgy sales speak! Ponies are fully vetted and there is a great support team going forward, if you need them. And if something happens and we can no longer care for Graham, he will always have a home where we know he’d be safe, which you can never guarantee if you sell a pony on. I’d 100% recommend rehoming.  

It is such a shame that the world needs such a charity; to hear about the work being done, not just locally in the UK, but fighting for horses across the world, whether it’s raising awareness of smuggling, transport or sports horse competition, World Horse Welfare is at the forefront, ensuring horses are heard. 

We are really grateful to all of our wonderful rehomers who offer our horses, ponies, youngsters, donkeys and mules the loving homes they so desperately deserve, and with every horse rehomed, a space is created for another horse to come into our care.  

If Graham’s story has inspired you to think about rehoming one of our horses, ponies, donkeys or mules please visit our rehoming pages where you can see all of our horses who are ready to find a loving new home.

Are you one of our fabulous rehomers? We are always delighted to receive updates about our rehomed horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. If you would like to share your story please get in touch today.