Mable came to us through our sanctuary scheme as her former owners didn't want to sell her. They simply wanted her to live somewhere she would be understood and taken care of.

We first met Mable in 2012 at age four when her owners sent her to Tracey to be backed for riding. She was always a very sweet horse to work with. Mable returned a year later to learn to drive which she took to really well. She drove both singles and in pairs before returning to her owners. She joined us again in 2018 as her owner was worried she was getting bored at home from not doing anything.

Mable is quite an old-fashioned type of Friesian and is registered in what's called the KFPS Bi-Book. This is a separate register for Friesians not by approved Friesian breeding stallions. By modern standards, Mable would be considered too small, a little long in the back, and short in the leg--but this doesn’t stop her from being a lovely horse. She also has the most beautiful Friesian head and perfect little ears that turn in slightly at the tips!

With her conformation, Mable doesn’t find schooling work particularly easy, and she’s certainly one of the bounciest Friesians to ride if not asked to work in the right way. Like many, she will naturally put her head up in the air and hollow her back which can cause problems in the long run if not corrected. Although Mable was involved in our Experience Days for a number of years, back when we allowed visitors to ride, we found she was developing a lot of back problems in the process. We found she was losing the strength to carry riders due to those who were unable to ask her to carry herself correctly. With consistent training over time, we hope in time to be able to rebuild her muscles to avoid.

Affectionately called "Peppa Pig" due to her love of muddy puddles, Mable is a wonderful member of our team. She's a favourite with many of our followers due to her rather large tummy and ‘wiggly’ bottom, which in her driving days was always on full view! She was a lovely little driving mare who took many of our visitors out in the carriage over the years. Mabel fractured her foot back in 2023, and although she has healed well, we took the decision to retire her from driving in order to reduce concussion to her feet from the roads that would likely result in quicker arthritic changes to the repaired bone. She spends her time out with the girls and enjoys her walks out from the farm and trips to the beach for some splashing and rolling around in the sand and water.

Muddy-puddle-loving Mabel can be followed on our YouTube channel and social media pages.