profile: Cupcake
A Big Personality
By JESSICA FARTHING
Salamander Middleburg brand ambassador Cupcake, a 13-year-old miniature horse, was born to be in hospitality.
Cupcake, the brand ambassador for Salamander Middleburg,
might be a miniature horse, but her personality is larger than life. The 13-year-old horse has been stealing hearts and teaching horsemanship to guests at the Five-Star, Five Diamond resort and spa for almost eight years. She has a great life, frolicking with her best friend Stella in the pasture, posing with guests for selfies at scheduled meet and greets and starring in photo booths at weddings. Hotel staff widely recognize her personality as one in a million.
"Cupcake was made for a life in hospitality. She is engaging and entertaining but also gentle and kind. She's amazing," says Ashley Farrell, Salamander Middleburg's Equestrian Director who is in charge of Cupcake's busy schedule.
Cupcake came to Salamander Middleburg from Upperville, the next town over. Farrell wasn't sure what she'd get from the adorable mini horse.
"The thing about mini horses is that they can be wonderful, and they can also be a little bit fresh," she says.
Cupcake arrived and was the perfect fit. Known to be smart and willing to take on new adventures, guests find her pulling her tiny carriage across the Grand Lawn, attending cocktail hour or even riding in the elevator. Nothing phases the tiny horse, but the equestrian staff keep a careful watch on what's best for Cupcake.
"Even though she is small, she is still a horse," Farrell says. "Just like our full sized horses we watch her body language carefully to make sure she is happy doing her job. Everyone needs work-life balance and we respect that."
As far as her life, Cupcake enjoys being the mini version of Stella, a 22-year-old Arab-cross mare colored with the same swirls of white and brown as the mini. Visitors often ask if they're mother and child, but they are just great friends. They spend their days sharing the pasture, but also being stalled in the barn next to each other. The stable is open every day for visitors, resort guests or not. Along with the rest of Salamander's herd, Cupcake and Stella sometimes introduce people to horses for the first time.
Cupcake
“The thing about mini horses is that they can be wonderful, and they can also be a little bit fresh.”
Riding Around
It's always a cute meeting. Cupcake has many accessories, including bows and little pink boots that go over her hooves. They are specially made for horses who don't wear horse shoes, giving her a little extra traction as she walks around the beautiful hardwood floors of the hotel.
Her hair is always braided, with a special bow for every occasion, especially the holidays. She also has a coverlet with her name that drapes over her back and she usually matches the event colors for whatever she attends.
Farrell is proud of the work that Cupcake does with guests around the resort.
"We're so fortunate that we can introduce horses to people and give them a better understanding of how smart and sensitive they are," says Farrell. "Horses are kind, soft and gentle and we get to reciprocate that. Cupcake spreads her spirit of the horse around the entire resort."
Seeing Cupcake in Action
The stable is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for people to walk through and check out the horses, getting a few horsemanship tips and tricks while meeting these majestic animals.
If you'd like to see Cupcake in action, she has her own program for kids: The Cupcake Express. Children can learn how to groom her, put on her harness and then go for a carriage ride around the property, She's also present to meet guests as they check in on Friday and Saturday, posing for a picture with her in the hotel's Living Room from 4-4:30 p.m.
The mini certainly takes all things in stride at this exceptional horse-friendly resort.
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