Off to Urchfont this morning to see Linda with her latest addition, Willlow, a Dartmoor Hill Pony. I have worked with a number of Linda's ponies before including Fern, in the middle, who I halter trained as a foal and started when she was four. It was good to see the ponies looking so well and so slim. Sensibly Linda Has used the winter against them and got control of their weight well before the grass started to come through.
Willow was born on Dartmoor last year and is one of a group that were re-homed through the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre. When Linda first met her she was as wild as a wild thing, only presented her right hand side to people, and took a while to come round to being handled. Now Linda can touch her all over and pick up her feet but any attempt to put a head collar on her was a definite no. If in doubt Willow would leave and the least bit of pressure on her meant that she would jump the hurdles to get away.
Time and patience are very important when training a semi-feral pony but Linda was well aware that Willow might actually learn the very opposite of what was wanted if she could just leave whenever she felt like it. Accordingly she called me in to help. I took my panels with me which are an invaluable tool in these situations. You'll note that they form a square pen in these particular circumstances (not a round pen).
Here I am using a small repetition of touch and move away to get her accustomed to the nose band.
Because Linda has done so much good work befriending this pony and handling both sides, Willow can cope with looking at me out of both eyes square on and soon I can do the nose band up very quietly.
I even earn a hug for doing so.
I'm thinking of attaching a chaise longue and a scatter-rug to the panel trailer so that spectators can watch in comfort. Obviously they wouldn't be allowed a remote control.
It's soon time for Linda to join in though and she was able to put Willow's head-collar on a number of times without any fuss at all - well quite a lot of fuss really, because each repetition and acceptance was rewarded with the most marvellous rub and scratch. It was reciprocated though.
"Sarah thank you so much go coming out and doing your magic. She's a sweet little thing and she knows really where her best interests lay. Love and kisses xxxxx " LRB
