When Becke was young she fell in love with horses. She begged me to allow her to have a horse but being the practical sort I knew better. We sent Becke to horse camp each summer but it wasn't enough and that wish for a horse never subsided. Much pleading over many years eventually got the (safe) promise that if we ever got a big enough piece of land then Becke could have her horse. And so Becke grew up without a horse and moved onto her own, got married and had Phoebe.
In 2003 we purchased a small acreage in Yarrow. Becke quickly reminded me of my promise so many years previous. And so horses became part of our lives. Of course I was reminded that horses are herd animals, meaning we had to have more than one. It wasn't long until Becke, the animal lover noticed there were a number of miniature horses who needed help. The little horses would arrive to be cared for and loved until she could find good permanent homes for them. Soon there were many, and thankfully, many people who wanted to help. A not-for-profit, registered charity was formed called Pipsqueak Paddocks Miniature Horse haven Society. It's now been more than a dozen years of endless hard work for Becke, Janis and their crew of volunteers but in that time more than 250 horses have come and gone, all much the better for their time spent here.
One very special little guy was born on property. His name is Mulligan. He was born with dwarfism, which makes a miniature horse a whole lot smaller than normal and with a lot of potential health issues. Mulligan looks a bit odd and walks kinda funny but he has a lot of heart. Phoebe and I adopted him and he has become the official mascot of Pipsqueak Paddocks. His important job is to welcome and calm new arrivals to Pipsqueak Paddocks. Little Mulligan is the constant among the every changing equine faces. Each year at Christmas time he dictates a letter to Becke who sends it along to Santa. Here's this year's letter.
