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  FLEK the Champ    

Bought at auction
to save him from the meatman, FLEK, an appaloosa pony, is a wild one, and we're not sure we'll ever be able to handle him.

When the farrier first tries to trim his hooves, it's all-out war. Flek has a great reverse gear, and can back up at supersonic speeds.

We pair him up with Sundance, who is roughly the same size and can take care of himself.

And then we just talk to him a lot, and keep trying to get him to trust. He won't let anyone touch his head or neck for the longest time; we conclude that must have been beaten a lot in his previous life, because he is absolutely terrified of anyone getting too close for comfort. But we have time.



 

Eventually, when nothing bad keeps happening to him week after week, he becomes a little more approachable. Not friendly yet, but curious at what we're all about.

And many more weeks go by without anything bad happening to him, and Flek is getting better and better. He'll even let the farrier work on his feet without making a fuss.

Flek and Sundance are good buddies. It turns out that Flek actually plays second fiddle in the pairing, and that Sundance bosses him around.

In 2008 we make contact with a lady who is looking for a "project" for her young daughter: a pony to train. They come for a visit, and they like Flek. It is not clear whether she will be able to handle him, but because we feel very strongly that it would be a great opportunity for him to get lots of attention, we agree to let him go on the understanding that we will take him back in case it doesn't work out.

But Flek thrives in his new surroundings. He is sweet, but turns out to be quite a brave little jumper. By the summer of 2009 he competes on the A-circuit with a 10 year-old on his back. We still miss him, but we are so proud that he has gone on to have a wonderful life.