RehomingUK Rescue

Dippy’s story: from rescue centre foal to stunning event horse

Dippy is flying the flag for rescue horses everywhere.

Posted on 17/01/2020

Birth of first foal from rescued ‘smuggled’ Dover 26 horses

World Horse Welfare Norfolk Swing – Dippy to his friends – was born at our Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in 2008 after his mother was rescued from neglect. He thrived in the care of our expert team and was first rehomed as a youngster to his groom, Briony, before current rehomer Stella took him on in 2018 and the pair formed a great partnership.

Youngsters are often overlooked in favour of older horses and ponies but can be extremely rewarding for an experienced rehomer. Thoroughbred gelding Dippy thrived in his first rehomer’s expert care and was backed to ride when he was old enough.

Dippy and Briony’s partnership flourished, with the pair competing successfully together in a number of disciplines and even representing their club at the Riding Club World Championships in 2016. However, in 2018 Briony realised her new job meant she didn’t have enough time to keep Dippy competition-fit – but having rehomed him, she knew he could return to World Horse Welfare and find another rehomer to continue his career.  

Dippy’s new rehomer Stella clicked with him very quickly and the pair have been going from strength to strength ever since. The pair spent their first winter together getting to know each other and working on their showjumping skills. Their first eventing season together proved to be a great success, with the pair progressing speedily and flying the flag for rescue horses everywhere.

“Dippy was named Dippy for a reason! He’s quite a character and very playful – he’s 11 but you’d have thought he was about four. I’ve had him a year now and he’s really boosted my confidence: we’ve got from BE90 to Novice together, which I’m really pleased about.

“We’ve got lots of training planned and have high hopes 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 over the winter, as that’s our weakest discipline so hopefully some practise will help us go on to do bigger things when we go eventing again!

“People are really surprised when they see the World Horse Welfare logo – nobody can believe he’s a rescue horse and they’re always in awe of him, just like I am. Anyone looking to rehome a horse should definitely do it: World Horse Welfare is so supportive and rehoming is just such a great thing to do – it’s so rewarding.”

Stella, Dippy’s rehomer

If you’ve been inspired by Dippy’s story, why check out our horses and ponies ready to find new homes today?

Help us care for horses 

 From rescue to rehoming, play a crucial role in providing horses and donkeys with the care they need. Contribute to a care package today. 

Topics

World Horse Welfare RoR pilot scheme sees first horse rehomed

World Horse Welfare RoR pilot scheme sees first horse rehomed

Read article
Horses reunited with the women who fought for their survival 

Horses reunited with the women who fought for their survival 

Read article

Recommended Blog Posts

Why do horses come into our care? Is that the only successful outcome of a case?

Why do horses come into our care? Is that the only successful outcome of a case?


Caring for 19 unhandled ponies? All in a day’s work!

Caring for 19 unhandled ponies? All in a day’s work!


We catch up with gentle giant Seamus in his new home 

We catch up with gentle giant Seamus in his new home 


Enjoy reading stories like this?

Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter

A mobile phone in the palm of a users hand whilst they browse the World Horse Welfare website
Sign me up now

Sign up for our email newsletter

Join over 55,000 other horse lovers

Follow our story on social networks

We use cookies to help provide you with the best experience when you visit our websites. By using this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device. You can change your cookie settings at any time by clicking ‘Manage cookies’. For more information see our cookie policy.