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Mr Pickwick

Mr .Pickwick is a cheeky old Shetland pony who acts like a 3 year old and thinks he runs  the yard! He likes to play tricks on people who are not experienced at  handling him. He acts very slow and sweet then suddenly pulls away and runs  off to explore!
He gets a lot of attention from a lady called Pat who has been his friend
for years and comes especially to see him and take him aside to spend time with him.

February 08
Mr. Pickwick has recovered well after the loss of his friend Jasmine a few months ago. We are all very concerned that he would become depressed and stop eating as he was so attached to her, he was quite distressed for a few days but he kept his appetite and recovered quite quickly.
When a horse or pony dies and is part of a pair bond, we let the remaining pony see the body as this helps with the grieving process, otherwise they would think that their friend had just been taken away and wouldn't know where or why.
When Pickwick saw Jasmine he didn't do the usual sniffing and walking away he wouldn't leave her side for a long time and this is quite unusual .However we think it helped him come to terms with it as he quickly got back to being his normal self.
He is now in a paddock with Muffin and Mr .Jingles and he has a new stable companion who he loves.
He recently had his teeth checked and had to have one removed, he was so well behaved and he was also good for his injections.

May 2007
Mr .Pickwick is doing fine and is still as full of life as he probably was when he was two years old.
He never seems to have any health problems and never seems sad or depressed, as long as he has Jasmine by his side he is always quite content.
He sometimes shows a bit of his old self though by throwing in the odd bite or kick or suddenly pulling away from us when he will then trot around with the lead rope dangling behind him , and he'll explore everywhere and evade capture, he is especially used to doing this trick if someone is not paying attention when they are leading him or if someone new is bringing him in or out of his stable.
He has been staying in a small paddock with Jasmine which he seems really happy about as he hates to share her with anyone else, often starting fights if any other ponies go near her.
He is also still stabled next to her every night and has now got a new type of special bedding to help avoid him getting his usual summer cough as is is much less dusty than straw.

July 06
Mr .Pickwick has caused a few problems for us lately as he was very badly behaved toward Thelwell and bullied him quite badly. We have had to separate him but he seems quite happy to be in a paddock with just Jasmine all to himself. Nobody is really sure why he is behaving so aggressively toward other male ponies, especially ones who he has been such good friends with for many years. We’re hoping he'll calm down after summer when the mares are not in
season, when he won’t see other males as a threat. Ironically he has been very well behaved toward us humans and has been an angel to lead around and has enjoyed being groomed by the staff.
He has had his teeth looked at by the vet and had some of a fractures tooth rasped down as it was at an angle and was rubbing on his tongue. He behaved very well although he had to be sedated to keep him from becoming stressed.

March 2005
Pickwick is doing fine and has been really well behaved lately. He and Jasmine are in a larger paddock now and seem to be enjoying the grass and space. Whilst Jasmine was having her Bowen Therapy sessions earlier in February Pickwick made us laugh as he would constantly put his head over the stable door to check that Jasmine was still there and see how it was going! She seemed to appreciate the moral support as she was very nervous at first.
He seems to have been talking quite a bit through the fence with Jasper so we are hoping they will get on well enough soon to be put in a paddock all together again.

January 06
Mr .Pickwick has been doing well but has been having a few relationship problems.  Jasmine and him had to be kept next to Chieftains paddock for a while and Jasmine was flirting with Chieftain through the fence. Pickwick hated this and so started to cause fights through the fence trying to get to Chieftain. We have now had to move him and Jasmine to smaller but safer paddocks away from Chieftain!
Apart from that he has also had a visit from the Dentist which he was very difficult for. We had a lot of trouble getting him sedated and he was striking out at his handlers with his front hooves. Once her was sedated though he was no trouble and was found to have a fractured tooth which needed removing as food was getting stuck up in his gum and causing him some discomfort. However the vet was not able to get the fracture out as it was stuck solid so he will look again in 6 months time and try to remove it  then. Hopefully he will be better behaved but that is just wishful thinking!

August 05
Mr Pickwick is doing wonderfully for such an old man. He still acts like a young pony and never seems ill, he is always healthy and full of beans.
We are not sure exactly how old he is but know that he has lived here since at least 1981 and could have been any age then.
Unfortunately he has been quite a bully lately toward poor Jasper which is strange as they have been close friends for years. We know it has something to do with April as she has been having some kind of hormone problems and he's become very friendly with Pickwick, which in turn has made Pickwick very protective and possessive over April.
We hope that when we find out what Aprils problem is and treat it, then the issue will be resolved between Pickwick and Jasper.

May 05
Mr. Pickwick (or 'Picky' or 'tricky' as we usually call him) is doing really well for his age. To look at him playing chasing games with his friends out in the Shetland's paddock, you would not believe how old he is.
He continues to keep us on our toes as we can never tell when he will suddenly decide he doesn't want to go in his stable, and pull until we have to let him go, then he'll trot around the yard exploring! Then it will always be a game to him trying to evade capture.
Picky was a bit unhappy when his girlfriend, Jasmine was in her stable poorly for a couple of weeks, he was always giving her a little neigh to let her know that he was still there and he still loved her and he would see her at bedtime.
Picky has calmed down a lot since he has acquired a new groom on a weekend, Eleanor, who he really likes doing his mane and tail to make him look smart for the girls. April has quite a thing about Picky but we think he only has eyes for Jasmine.

Pickwick and Muffin playing tag

Mr Pickwick in winter coat

Mr Pickwick and his friend, Jasmine