This is Cougar. He's an 18 month old New Forest pony and he's great. He has super manners for such a young pony and his owner has done an excellent job of her basic groundwork so that he doesn't bite and doesn't invade space. Today we looked at his leading work and we went out on to the open Forest. We finished by doing the preparation exercises for long reining. Although it is probably too early to long rein him just yet, it was good to ask him to accept a surcingle and girth, gently done up with a breast girth to keep it forward and then to accept the long rein all over him and around his bottom. he was fine. He is a completely different colour "dun" to Jack, more properly described as a buckskin and has a clearly visible black undercoat whereas Jack is much more teddy bear coloured with a cream undercoat. In fact, I am told that there is no such thing as a truly dun New Forest pony.
