From the moment I met tiny Teddy, I had neigh doubt he was destined for special things. By Alice Goring, 32
As a pair of soulful brown eyes gazed up at me, and I knew I’d found what I was looking for.
‘Teddy’s the one,’ I said, smiling at his breeder.
My family had owned horses for as long as I could remember.
But I wanted a therapy pony I could take to hospices and hospitals to cheer patients up.
Although Shetland ponies had a reputation for being feisty, Teddy was so friendly and placid.
Back home, I led him to the stable where my horses slept.
‘Meet your new family,’ I said.
The three mighty steeds towered over tiny Teddy, who was about the size of a Labrador.
As two of them went to crowd around him, the other horse, Finley, stepped in their way.
‘Are you trying to protect Teddy?’ I asked.
Every time Teddy played in the field with the other horses, Finley stood protectively nearby.
Over the coming months, I trained Teddy as a therapy pet.
He needed lots of handling to get used to being touched, and exposing to different ‘real world’ sounds, such as audiences applauding.
I taught him to stand on a little step to reach patients lying in hospital beds.
Teddy loved being showered with attention.
One day, as I helped Mum cook dinner, she spotted a pair of brown eyes peering through the kitchen window.
‘It’s Teddy!’ she said. ‘What’s he doing?’
‘I think he wants to come inside,’ I said.
‘We can’t have a pony in the house,’ Mum replied.
But Teddy continued to stare at us with his doleful eyes until I couldn’t take it any longer.
I opened the door.
‘Come on, then,’ I said.
Teddy trotted in happily.
'I think he wants to come inside'
After that, we let him in for special occasions or when the weather turned particularly cold.
Within six months, Teddy was ready for his first therapy visit.
I took him to the Shooting Star Chase Hospice near my home in Surrey.
As I led my pony in, a little girl’s face lit up.
‘Look, Mummy,’ she said. ‘A pony has come to visit me!’
Teddy stepped up to the bed and gently nuzzled into her while she stroked him.
He certainly knew how to stirrup some smiles.
Another time, he visited a little boy who had limited use of his arms.
Despite the boy’s disability, he found the strength to reach out and pat Teddy.
And on one occasion, I helped a little girl with a tracheostomy breathing tube ride Teddy around the hospice.
They were met by cheers from the staff, and the joy on her face brought tears to my eyes.
I also took Teddy to charity events to raise funds for various causes.
Then, my cousins Georgia and Issy told me they’d set up an Instagram page for their pet guinea pigs.
‘You should try it with Teddy,’ Georgia said.
I loved the idea of spreading the happiness Teddy brought.
So, I posted a photo of him galloping in a field, mane blowing in the wind.
Then my sister Molly added captions.
But it wasn’t until we posted a video of Teddy strutting along to My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas with the caption ‘Talk to me ladiez’ that he really grabbed people’s attention.
One person commented: This is one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever seen.
Teddy was a hit, and it wasn’t long before an advertising agency reached out.
They wanted to feature him in a campaign for Puffin Books.
I hadn’t set out to make Teddy a star.
But I realised the money could help pay for his upkeep and travel costs.
Before long, Teddy had more than 170k followers on Instagram.
He appeared in campaigns for EE and Hovis, modelled for Dior, and attended celebrity parties as a Very Important Pony.
He took up residency at the Goring Hotel in London, where members of the public were given the opportunity to have afternoon tea with him.
During his stay in London, Teddy was invited to visit the Metropolitan Police stables and the Horse Guards Parade at Buckingham Palace.
He looked so tiny posing beside the other huge horses.
Now, Teddy continues to spread joy throughout hospices and hospitals in the South East.
He may be pint-sized, but the mane thing is he has the most enormous heart and a whole lot of love to give!
*Follow Teddy on Instagram: @teddytheshetland