The ribbon cutting for Villi Poni Farm’s new Jaffrey location was a “dream come true” for owner Emily Chetkowski.
Chetkowski opened her doors to the public on Saturday for an open house, giving her new community an opportunity to see her 10 Newfoundland ponies.
“I’m going to cry, I know it,” said Chetkowski in the days leading up to the event. “It’s a dream I never knew I had. I’m just so happy.”
Villi Poni Farm is a not-for-profit 501c3 corporation, established to provide a safe haven for critically endangered Newfoundland ponies, which have dwindled in population from thousands to near extinction. The farm’s mission is to save the breed from extinction through careful breeding and public education.
“It’s not just about breeding the ponies to get their population to increase,” said Chetkowski, who has 10 of the 37 breeding aged Newfoundland ponies in the United States. “It’s all about responsible breeding and doing things correctly.”
Chetkowski said the land in Jaffrey – located at 488 Dublin Road – is better suited for the ponies’ needs, as the land is flatter than her previous property in New Ipswich. Chetkowski originally planned to move after hearing of the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
“We took a good hard look at where we were living and we decided it wasn’t worth it,” said Chetkowski.
“It turned out to be a great decision, because we found the property here, which we love.”
Chetkowski said the property will also allow her to do pony rides and sleigh rides, due to access to trails and other flat land on the property.
Saturday also offered Chetkowski an opportunity to share a bit of news with the community: she is expecting two new additions to the farm in the coming year.
One of Chetkowski’s ponies is pregnant, signaling the first birth at her new property. Chetkowski said the new pony is expected to be born in July.
Chetkowski will also be getting a new colt, a pony from one of the rarest Newfoundland pony bloodlines.
Chetkowski said she will kick off the farm’s Pony Preserver Program, which finds people interested in adopting Newfoundland ponies, giving them the knowledge to provide them with proper long-term homes.
“Responsible breeding is all about the animal’s needs,” said Chetkowski. “A slow and steady approach is needed.”
As they are not a man-made breed, Newfoundland ponies require a different type of care. The program, which an apprentice must pass before they are able to adopt an available pony, teaches proper care, breeding practice, and other methods of care.
“We are the only farm that I know of that are doing a program like this,” said Chetkowski. “We want to make sure we know where these ponies are going.”