Punkin’ Rocker was born in the wild but caught and sold up here in New England with a herd of other ponies. A young family took him in as a backyard pet where he enjoyed being quite spoiled. But when they lost their home he was given to the rescue I grew up at. I was just a teen when he arrived but he was quickly adopted by a family who wanted him for their grandkids, except he’d never actually been trained. They hired trainers to work with him, but he became rapidly more and more aggressive until they finally gave up and returned him to the rescue. This time, with a record of attacking people. He came back with a chip on his shoulder, literally, and a broken rib, probably from being stepped on or kicked by a larger horse. No wonder he didn’t want to be ridden!
Just as Punk was returned to Eye of the Storm I was moving my horse, Tank, home and she needed a companion, he was the perfect choice! He taught me about how to use clicker training to help a horse overcome aggressive tendencies. He quickly became our confident pack pony, he loved going out for hikes and exploring the neighborhood, we frequented an ice cream truck in the neighborhood where he’d get lots of attention from kids and lots of snacks! He is a bold, opinionated, confident little munchkin, he is eager to play when there’s something in it for him. Since moving to EE he quickly became a farm favorite, he is awesome for the kids and loves to rock around the agility course at full speed! After many years of healing the chiropractor OKed him for light riders and he eagerly cruised around the agility course with kids on board. So long as we used kind, positive reinforcement, and no force, he was super agreeable and happy to participate in any silly game we might ask of him. He even mastered basketball and painting! The kids help him dip the paint brush in color, then give him the brush and he’ll paint a big beautiful landscape!!
