![DSCN1984.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXMucvThq8FkXpSbQ8nAegz3ZNpgPTuicF7aJrzXycKxh/DSCN1984.JPG)

This used to be our pony Ruby, she was a horse that loved to run away when you wanted to catch her and she'd run around the school for ages  as you stood in the middle in frustration. Here are 3 photographs of her and the story of how we had to give her up.


![DSCN2032.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdN6DNghkvMNZ3S6cUyYhRPHREitJbhbTD7sighMaErZy/DSCN2032.JPG)

She started out as a good pony for our daughters to ride and everything was fine while she was walked around the school or hacked out. Then she started to play up when asked to go into a trot and one time for no reason when she was asked to trot she bolted with my daughter on her. Our youngest daughter wasn't an experienced rider and just getting used to trotting on a horse but she stayed in the saddle  all the way around the school until Ruby did a sharp turn and she came off and hit the fence.

![DSCN2037.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZFLHAkCWB6youyhigpNCmsZGqaHBLs4d1aDjcb4ohmbt/DSCN2037.JPG)

Even with a chest protect on the fall was bad and she had to be put on a stretcher with supports to stop her moving as she couldn't move her legs. It was not until much later that night that movement came back but she had to stay overnight in the hospital.

Two days later she was back on the horse for a walk around the yard but even with experienced riders Ruby was hard to control if asked to do more than walk. For no reason we could tell her behaviour had changed and she was no longer safe for our girls to ride. Horses, while beautiful are temperamental animals that can change their mood in an instant.