Horse Welfare Around the World Dippy, or Norfolk Swing to his friends, was born in 2008 at our Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre after his mother was rescued from neglect. He thrived in our experienced team’s care and was originally rehomed as a youngster to his groom, Briony, until current rehomer Stella took him on in 2018 and the pair built an excellent bond. Young horses and ponies are frequently disregarded in favor of older horses and ponies, but they may be incredibly rewarding for an experienced rehomer. Dippy, a thoroughbred gelding, thrived under the professional care of his first rehomer and was backed to ride when he was old enough.
Dippy and Briony’s partnership thrived, with the pair participating effectively in a variety of categories and even represented their club at the 2016 Riding Club World Championships. However, Briony realized in 2018 that her new job meant she didn’t have the time to keep Dippy competitively fit – but because he had been rehomed, she knew he could return to World Horse Welfare and find another rehomer to continue his career. Stella, Dippy’s new rehomer, hit it off right away, and the two have been going from strength to strength ever since. The first winter together was spent getting to know each other and honing their showjumping talents. Their first eventing season together was a huge success, with the duo making rapid progress and raising the flag for rescue horses everywhere.
“Dippy got his name for a reason!” He’s quite the character and quite playful – he’s 11 but acts like he’s four. I’ve had him for a year and he’s really helped raise my confidence: we’ve progressed from BE90 to Novice together, which I’m quite happy with.
“We’ve got tons of training planned and have great aspirations for next season – we’re aiming to get to Novice again, with our sights set on 2* eventually. We’ve been showjumping at 1.10m during the winter because that’s our weakest discipline, so perhaps some practice will help us do better when we return to eventing!
“People are genuinely startled when they see the World Horse Welfare emblem – nobody can believe he’s a rescue horse and they’re always in awe of him, just like I am. Anyone considering rehoming a horse should do so without hesitation: World Horse Welfare is extremely supportive, and rehoming is a wonderful and satisfying experience.”