First Newfoundland Pony

I found Cricket as a two year old in a pasture alone after her pasture mate had died.  She had been purchased from the Newfoundland Island as a pasture buddy for the aging horse.  When Cricket arrived, she was perfect in so many ways.  I taught her to lunge in the round pen and wear a saddle and bridle.  The day I got on her, she walked calmly around the pen like she’d been doing it all of her life.  On a whim I stopped at the gate, opened it as she stood calmly and rode her out onto the farm.  She was forward but in no rush, didn’t look left or right as we headed toward the road.  We rode along the farm at the edge of the road because the trails and grounds were too muddy.  Cars didn’t bother her and we continued that way for the next 13 years.  Everywhere Cricket goes she just takes it in stride, goes with the flow and is always the first one at the gate to put her head in the halter.

I was curious about Cricket and her unusual personality for a pony so I did a DNA test to find out if she was a rare Newfoundland Pony.  The results were inconclusive but they figured out her dad was definitely a registered Newfoundland Pony.  So we bought a stallion and imported him to breed to her.  He was the last male in his bloodline and now is breeding mares in the midwest.  He is valued for his rare bloodline within a rare breed.  There are less than 500 Newfoundland Ponies left in the world.  Cricket and Macosa had four babies, two boys and two girls.  True was the first foal and she had a rough start with an infection of the umbilical cord.  The doctors said she had less than a 10% chance to live.  A week later and under budget, she came home and led a great life here as a trail horse, at Robinhood Camp in the summers as a camp pony and she is now educating youngsters at the Newfoundland Pony Sanctuary in NH.  Vista the second filly has found her home here at the farm and is a cornerstone in our trail riding program.

Besides being a great guide horse, trail horse for customers and mom, Cricket also made countless children happy by toting them around in circles at pony rides.  Cricket and Vista were staples at Camp Sunshine, a camp for children with terminal illnesses and their families every week for several summers.  Cricket was a favorite at birthday parties and at the farm for youngsters that weren’t quite old enough to enjoy our Pear’s Ice Cream Ride.

Cricket’s favorite thing is to hang out on the lawn.  She is our unofficial lawnmower and when the sun gets high and day gets warm, her belly is full, she’ll mosey over to your lawn chair, put her head in your lap and take a nap.