Yes, you read it right - and if that was my name I would probably be bucking children off willy nilly myself. James and Vanessa are standing firm that after this Fiona and I are banned from ever going to 'view' a potential pony (or probably any species) again. I won't hear it however, because she really is terribly sweet... she just has some issues with being ridden. The owner put it particularly eloquently when I asked whether she had any back soreness or had been seen by a vet to rule out any pain issues. She said "they did all that and they decided she was just a bitch". In our defence we are not entirely crazy however because what followed was a description of how she had been ridden for a long time until she started acting up. Photos of her when she was a 'good' pony (at pony club/jumping/at shows) until she 'turned bad' followed. I rode her, Fiona had a look at her, Fiona learned what the word "pigroot" meant. We both pondered the origin of this word because I have never witnessed my pigs doing anything remotely like it. Most importantly she was a BARGAIN $300. If I wasn't going to buy her Fiona was pretty sure that she would make a lovely pet (cheaper than an alpaca) - we both silently vowed she would never be owned by another spoilt child again and then went home to break the news to James that we had a lovely pony - it is probably no bad thing that my legs nearly drag on the ground because it isn't so far to fall.
Emily is pretty sure she might be a unicorn and keeps thanking me profusely for buying such a lovely pony, Feli even showed a flicker of interest. The pony has been stuffed with every carrot that the kids can find and has settled in nicely. Mickey is sure I have put Elle McPherson in his paddock and is carrying on like a lovesick teenager - she is not big enough to step over him (the approach favoured by the bigger mares) but she just seems to plough right through him when he attempts to herd her around. Despite his most pathetic calling she doesn't return his affections but he is a persistent little man and he seems determined to win her over.