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Irelynn
and
Skidder
She may be only three years old, but Irelynn
Ferguson can ride a horse with the best of them.
Only, the horse she rides is the perfect proportion
for her. Standing at about forty inches tall, Skidder
is a mini horse. “That’s a completely different class
from ponies,” explains Melody Ferguson, Irelynn’s
mom. “He and my Great Dane, Kota, are about the
same size. We call Kota our house horse!”
Without anything to gauge his size, you would
think Skidder was a regular horse if you saw him in
a photograph. Unlike a Shetland pony that is very
stocky, a mini horse has the same proportions as a
regular horse. Skidder is a gelding, which means he
has been neutered. He is lean and weighs around
300 pounds. For comparison, the average horse
weighs 900 to 2,200 pounds depending on the
breed. Belgians, Percherons, and Clydesdales can
all tip the scales at over a ton.
Melody says that Skidder is a “community pony,”
who lives with other horses on a farm in Polkville
that belongs to her friend, Dakota Patrick. “Dakota
and I grew up riding horses together,” says Melody.
“I have always been around horses, growing up in 4H,
rodeo, and the National Barrel Horse Association.”
She sold two of her horses to go to college, but when
she had children, she wanted to share her love of
horses with them. “My oldest daughter is sixteen,
and she rode a horse until she got into softball and
boys,” laughs Melody. “Keeping horses is very
expensive. Luckily, Skidder is small and doesn’t
take up much room. He also doesn’t eat much.”
Irelynn is the baby of the family of eight. “She
has liked animals from the jump,” Melody says.
Skidder came into their lives when Irelynn was
just a baby, so she has grown up with the little horse
she calls “He He.” Though Irelynn still requires
some supervision while riding Skidder, other
children have a bit more freedom while riding the
little horse. “Skidder has taught all the kids in our
friend circle how to ride. One of the boys actually
rode him in a Little Britches rodeo. Skidder has
carried dozens of kids on his back. It’s sad to see
the kids outgrow the horse. One of the boys has
just about outgrown Skidder – his feet drag the
ground when he rides.” When Irelynn outgrows
Skidder, Melody says he will be passed along to
another child. The lifespan of a little horse can be
anywhere from twenty to thirty years, and Melody
thinks Skidder is between seven and eight years old.
Hometown RANKIN • 43