Fristi
Date of Birth: 1997
Gender: Male
Gotcha Day: late 1997
Breed: Shetland Pony
Fristi was purchased as a foal on a whim by a family who put him in their garden. All went well until they noticed he was eating their roses, at which point he was banished to the garage. It wasn’t until some neighbours, who were acquainted with us, found out that he had been living in the garage and were outraged by this fact that young Fristi was finally able to see the daylight again when we got him out of there.
He wasn’t even a year old when he came to us.
He became very good friends with another white pony named Kinou. They were our first unbreakable duo. When Kinou died in March 2017, Fristi seemed so inconsolable, we worried he might die of heartbreak. We tried pairing him with a young Pottok stallion who was staying at the sanctuary temporarily. It worked out very well until the horse club (who owned him) came back for him. He is now sharing his field with a pony named Sand.
Sadly, in recent years, he contracted Cushing’s disease, which means he has difficulties breathing. We are treating him with medication which has to be administered daily. This medication has improved his quality of life significantly. In 2015 we strongly believed he was going to die but he’s still standing strong.
Ponies, even though they are quite small and very cute, are not decorative objects. Despite the fact they seem pocket-sized, careful considerations need to be made before deciding to bring one home. They need adequate shelter and a lot of space to roam.