An ex-soldier from Sandy in Bedfordshire has led the towns annual remembrance parade for the past two years with her horse and dog wearing a rug and coat bedecked in knitted poppies.In 2023, Samantha Wenn posted on her local Facebook page asking if people from the area would send in knitted poppies to cover her horse Chesters rug and help raise money for charity.The post proved extremely popular and hundreds of poppies began arriving.Samantha soon had enough to cover the 15-year-old Irish draft geldings rug so her mum, Eileen Wenn, began sewing each poppy on by hand, a project which took six months to complete.News soon got around about our rug, and we were asked to lead the remembrance parade in Sandy, explained Samantha.We were so grateful to be asked, as this was our way to help raise awareness for the animals who helped serve alongside our soldiers.FundraiserSamantha served in the Royal Logistics Corps in Wiltshire for nine years and completed a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2011.We decided to raise money for the Royal British Legion, a charity that is very close to me, said Samantha.Remembrance Day is very important to me as it is a time to remember not only the fallen soldiers of World War I and World War II but also friends who I lost while serving in Afghanistan.Through collections on the day of the parade and her Facebook page, Adventures of the Floppy Ear Pony in Sandy, Samantha raised 400 for the Royal British Legion.Chester was unable to take part in this years remembrance parade as he was out of work, so Samantha decided to make a smaller poppy-covered coat for her dog, Billy, an 11-year-old Cocker Spaniel.She wrote a post on her Facebook page and was again inundated with handmade poppies.One follower even made a wreath from knitted poppies which Samanthas older horse, Jack, wore for some photos at home.The response we received was brilliant, and mum sewed each poppy onto Billys coat, said Samantha.A few weeks before the remembrance parade we received a phone call and were asked if we would like to lead the parade with Billy. We were absolutely delighted to be asked back again this year.This year Samantha has raised over 2000 for Keech Hospice Care, a hospice which provides palliative care for adults and children across Luton, and also 400 for the Royal British Legion.Further readingFamily poem about horse requisitioned for war features in Brooke remembrance campaignAngela Rippon to represent Brooke at remembrance service for animals lost in warBrooke reveals it helped 32 million working horses and donkeys in 2023-24Grey army horse returns to Household Cavalry after London incident *VIDEO*The post Ex-soldier leads local remembrance parade with horse covered in handmade poppies appeared first on Your Horse.