Neta and the Newfoundland Ponies!

Sept 13, 2019

The morning sun was shining into our trailer and I woke up early.  I wanted to be caught up on my blogs and the WIFI at the campground was working well. I have to drive up to the office to achieve a decent signal.  After having a shower, I worked on the blogs until 8:30 and then joined Debbie in the trailer for breakfast.

It was time to leave the campground and catch the ferry to Change Island.  I dismantled the camp while Debbie went over to Kevin and Wanda’s motorhome to give Wanda some books she had finished.  We finally left the campground and travelled to the ferry terminal.  We had to wait for a couple of hours so it was a perfect time to finish the blogs.  I finally got caught up!!

The 25-minute ferry trip to Change Island was pleasant and Debbie and I stood outside on the deck admiring the small islands as the ferry cruised by them.  Debbie spotted two whales on the starboard side. It was the first sighting of a whale since we have come to Newfoundland.  I joked that Debbie has difficulty reading street signs but she is able to spot whales and caribou!

In order to get off the ferry I had to back out!  That was certainly a different way to disembark! Change Island is a smaller island than Fogo but is more forested.  The community of Change Island has a population of about 250 folks, but in the summer it actually doubles.  There are many people who have summer homes here.  The village is a fishing community formed along the shoreline of a bay.

As we got near the village, we stopped in at the Newfoundland pony refuge.  The Newfoundland pony is considered to be the only purebred horse native to Newfoundland. They are distinctly a smaller horse in size. They are larger than a Shetland pony and have different colors. They are used locally for pulling firewood out of the bush, and they pull sleds of firewood in the winter. They have also been used to plow small fields on the island.    

We met Neta, the caretaker of the horses.  Neta was working inside the barn and she welcomed us in. The horses could be seen in the corrals outside the barn and in the pastures.  Neta told us that the horses will be brought back into the barn at 4:30 and encouraged us to return then.

We went into the village and found the campground.  Peter Potter runs the local museum as well as the campground.  We set up the campsite and then returned to the horse refuge.

Neta explained that she has been the caretaker of the horses for the past 9 years.  She fund raised, and successfully applied for government grants, about 6 years ago, that allowed a new barn to be built, however, it has been existing ever since on public donations.  Neta does not receive wages and does this work totally out of love for the horses. She told us that these horses are on the brink of extinction.  She is looking for another Newfoundland stud right now to further the breeding program. 

She told us that just the feeding of hay for the 11 horses costs $10,000 a year.  Visitors are encouraged to give a donation.  The refuge is open to the public for horseback rides. I told Neta that I would be adding the Etransfer address in my blog in the event that a blog reader wants to donate to this cause.  The Etransfer address is nlponysanctuary@hotmail.com.  Donations through PayPal can also be sent to nlponysanctuary.com.  

Debbie and I stayed and watched as the horses were called to the barn and they each went into their designated stalls.  The five horses in the pasture decided that they were not going to come on their own, so Neta had to walk out to the pasture to coax them in.  As they approached the barn, they jumped and chased each other inside the corral, and one decided to roll in the dirt. They were playful and acting like children.  Neta explained that they were acting out because we were there.  I took photos of each of the horses and told Neta that I will be sending her the photos. She definitely loves the horses and is truly dedicated to the cause. 

We left the refuge and stopped in at the Harbourside Café and enjoyed a tea and a piece of pie as we had not eaten since breakfast.  We returned to the trailer and finished setting it up and began to barbeque an Atlantic salmon fillet.  As the sun began to set, the temperature dropped quickly and a harvest full moon began to rise over the horizon.  We enjoyed our supper inside the trailer, and then watched a movie, blogged and read.  Tomorrow we will explore this island more and hopefully get some kayaking in.