16/12/2025
15yrs ago a rather special little Alfie pony joined our family. The ‘first’ of our buying to train and sell, yet the one who never truly left. I remember sobbing as he drove out the yard to join the Tarn family, knowing I’d be there to teach him the following morning (and 4 days a week thereafter until we actually moved there as permanent base..☺️). After several wonderful years with Saskia and Yasmin, he went to join Noni to show her the ropes in Godalming until he was ready to come back to us.
Timing just so happened that we stepped Megan up from a dinky Blaze to a then 15.2 Alfie to start sharing him, whilst I enjoyed having my boy back for escorting kids out hacking and generally pottering around on/pretending I could remember how to ride again after I recovered from my leg injury.
Life changed again, we gave up the yard, and Alf came with me to Elstead, my boy there for evenings of pampering after work in London, weekend hacking and midweek arena time.
When the opportunity to move with his lifelong buddies over to the Penders home, he took it, and as they say, the rest is history.
Megan and Bethan gave him the best last few years of ridden work, before a wonderful retirement, out with Bertie and Rodney, his best buds. Spoilt rotten and living a life of luxury, enjoying in hand walks out, his weekly massages in the stables, and a life of living as horses should, out with his friends, free from any care in the world and loved.
I’m blessed to have had him in my life, and for the friendships that have come with it through the families that have so loved him throughout his life.
Yesterday took an unexpected turn, with a sad end. Moments of hope, which were sadly not to be, but alongside the Penders, we said a very sad farewell to our very special boy ❤️
