Thankful 2023

Bracklinn Phoebe in Scotland shortly before her trip to me. Note the abundant green grass! Courtesy Alistair Smith

This Thanksgiving I am thankful
For the safe arrival on the farm
Of a yearling Fell Pony filly
Who’s delighting with her charm.

Bracklinn Phoebe arrived from Scotland,
A long journey to be sure.
But her calm and friendly temperament
Made it easy for her to endure.

Phoebe at the layover stable in Lexington, Kentucky where her friendliness made photography challenging. Typical Fell POny! Courtesy Newtown Stable.

We had the chance to get to know her
On the final leg of her three-week trip.
From Colorado through Wyoming to South Dakota,
Unlike for us, for her was just a blip.

Phoebe’s gray color intrigues me
And caused one of her transporters to laugh.
She looked at the halter tag saying ‘gray mare’
And thought it was some sort of gaff.

Phoebe’s near-black color had confused her,
But to me the gray color is there.
Splashed on her cheeks and around her nose
Amongst the dominant black is the odd white hair.

Left: Phoebe looking out at the non-green landscape of Wyoming. Right: Meeting my herd upon arrival. She’s in a pen separate from my two mare herds.

At a water and hay stop in Wyoming,
She glanced out at the scenery in awe.
Not a blade of green grass was visible anywhere,
Unlike at her home in Scotland that we saw.

She arrived the day before Thanksgiving.
Then the holiday brought a winter storm.
Cold, snow, and wind began intensely
In typical South Dakota form.

Phoebe handled the snowstorm the day after she arrived without concern.

As the temperature dropped and wind increased,
I worried how Phoebe’d do.
Her breeder assured me it’d be no problem,
And that’s certainly what ended up being true.

Now begins the considered work
Of integrating Phoebe into my herd.
Balancing her safety amongst lots of newness
And with the excitement her presence has stirred.

Phoebe in the background and the Grandma herd in the foreground, getting acquainted at feeding time with a fence keeping Phoebe safe initially.

I plan to put her first with the Grandma herd
Where the energy is a little lower.
I’m hoping two-year-old Lettie will, like me,
Really like her when she gets to know her.

Phoebe enjoying a chance to move after three weeks of being confined while on the road.

Her breeder told me Phoebe’s movement
Was a characteristic he especially admired.
I saw it here as she moved about with the herd
And is certainly something I desired.

So, I am very grateful,
At my favorite holiday of the year,
For friends and family and home and work,
And that a new pony has landed here!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2023