Leo’s Memorial
Uh, sorry…..I didn’t mean to lick your elbow. Ooops, not that time either. Mom and dad say I have an elbow obsession but I don’t think I do….this pony just likes being near people. This wasn’t always the case as I was quite shy when I arrived at Lucky Ones in 2012 and it took me a while to come out of my shell. I was originally a present for a little kid but they did not want to care for me. Mom and dad found me on an online ad and decided to bring me home! Luckiest day of my life!
Back in 2012, we looked for a companion for Josephine Sparkle Pants and found Leo listed for sale on Craigslist. He was about 5 years old at the time and the new owner changed her mind and no longer wanted him. He was originally skittish and hard to catch, but that all changed once he became a Lucky One.
Leo was a sweet boy and not so temperamental as his buddy Josephine. When we used to do pony parties at our original location, Leo would carry the heavier kids. He was always gentle and gave the kids the best time.
PONY
Rescued 2012
Crossed the Rainbow Bridge: April 28, 2025
Leo would often lick the sweat off of our arms, and occasionally he would turn the licks into nibbles. He had a quirky habit of pawing at the ground when we weren't moving fast enough to give his insulin medicine, which also had treats in them.
Leo recently had a dental and had one tooth pulled. And days before he passed, our farrier trimmed his hooves. We sent his body to UC Davis for a necropsy. They believe Leo died from pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity, which can be from ingesting common groundsel or fiddleneck plants.
We walked our 6 acre pasture and did not see either of these weeds. We have lived here since September 2020 and have had nothing like this happen before. Our hay supplier is the same and the livestock feed is the same. And thankfully, the other equines are fine.
It's always hard to write these up... it finalizes that they're really gone.
Leo lived in a good life with his other horse buddies. They surrounded his body until we discovered he had passed.
We hope Leo is in heaven giving little kids the best pony rides!