Gummybear shows off his vellies
Gummybear the pony boasts his own red 100 percent Namibian vellies.The pony belongs to Vesta Burmeister who provides therapeutic horse riding classes near Windhoek.
“Gummybear is five years old and has always been a real love bug who only wants attention and hugs. I have always wanted to train him so that we can visit people who cannot come to me. Many people cannot get to nature and our horses, and we wanted to go to them.”
A few years ago, Vesta was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy. “I saw how morbid it was to sit there. You sit with a drip, it's quiet and you don't feel well. That memory gave me the necessary boost to turn me and Gummybear's plan into a reality.
“I taught him to get onto my bakkie with a ramp and we started visiting patients at the oncology centre. We especially went to brighten up children's day with something positive, with lots of hugs and love."
She then decided to also visit people in the hospital who are bedridden.
“I wanted to give them joy too. The problem was that Gummybear's hooves slipped on the tiles and he couldn't walk. I couldn't put on the regular horseshoes because they are made of iron and would also slip. I started researching and went to Leather Connection and together we designed the vellies,” she said.
Gerhard Baufeldt of Leather Connection used his background in shoe design and after Burmeister gave him prints of each hoof, he began designing.
“Every hoof is different. The joint above the hoof, the angle and the shape of the hoof... so we made a vellie for each hoof. Each one is different, just like his hoofs.
“When I put the vellies on him, it was as if he had always been ready for them. He never lifted his feet high or walked unnaturally. Now he walks on tiles with the greatest ease and we can't wait to go to the hospital.” – [email protected]