“Nemo was an 11-year-old Welsh pony listed online for sale. The ad said he was a hunter/jumper pony, great temperament, and ridden by a child. The therapeutic riding program where I work was in desperate need of a pony for some of our younger and smaller riders. JoyRide was a new program so there was no way we could afford to buy him but something made me contact the owner to see if there was any chance of a donation. We are so grateful that his family decided to do just that!
Nemo is still a mainstay of the JoyRide Center Therapeutic Horsemanship Program herd seven years later. He carries some of our most fragile riders and always takes care of them. Riders that start out fearful of horses are immediately calmed by the pony named Nemo (or Meemo, as some call him) that very patiently stands and greets them with a soft nuzzle and a kind eye.
Nemo has not forgotten his former show life and has carried several riders in their very first horse shows and helped them bring home ribbons and trophies. Nemo becomes the legs for riders who don’t have use of their own and seems to really take his job seriously. But when his work is done, he loves to return to the pasture to romp and play with his buddy, Sancho, who is twice as big as him! Everyone at JoyRide loves Nemo and we are honored to have him!” —Peggy W.
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