Kissed by a Prince!

It's fairly rare for me to go and work with horses any more but I am always tempted by a semi-feral New Forest Pony needing some help. Prince's story is uncannily like Benji's - and they are also a very similar colour. Although a few years older than Benji was when he appeared at a riding school, Prince was also one of a pair that it was hoped would turn into reliable riding ponies. Prince had other ideas and was very distrusting of people having been branded, gelded, and no doubt rounded up on one or more drifts. 

He was informally adopted by Ruth, a teacher, who befriended him and has been quietly working with him ever since. As a result he will let her touch him all over his face, down his neck, and along his back - she can even back him up - but he will not let her put a headcollar on him. With only the big field to work in, we needed to see whether we could make progress without enclosing him and have therefore introduced the discipline of clicker training to 'pay' him for allowing her to do these things. 

With this all well-established by the time I left, we were pleased that he had allowed someone else to work with him, allowed two people to be close to him at the same time, and Ruth was able to begin rubbing him with a soft scarf in her hand. This is the first subtle step to asking him to allow it to be all around his face in preparation for a real headcollar. He is very wary of any movement that suggests that we are about to grab him so hopefully this approach will persuade him to trust us. 

Ruth has just the right outlook and attitude for this type of work and comes entirely without ego or expectations. 

Rock-a-bye Baby

Dave is in this picture

I am a bad bad wife. I managed to clobber David on the head with my car boot lid but after the pain had worn off he seemed to fine whilst I was guilt-ridden. Nevertheless he brought his hoof-trimming kit over to the horses and everyone formed a disorderly queue.

Having trimmed Theoden's hooves we decided to have a nice rest lying in the hammocks, and the horses came over to see if they could help.

Do you need to swing a bit more?

I wonder if this needs untying?

Or this?

Outside, grey Blue and Nanny were also hanging around to see if the girls were about. I had to tell them again that they are not living here any more. Thank goodness they have each other. 

David has since been to the hospital with blurred vision, nausea and a headache and was diagnosed with concussion. He is now having an enforced holiday so that he can give his poor brain a rest! 

Communications

A really lovely visit to the ponies today. I met up with Kate and Alena from the Trust's Communications Team. The ponies took to them immediately. They joined in the march up to the pound where I was able to put some fly cream on the ponies and anti-UV cream on Pie. For the first time the ponies seemed really happy and confident about exploring the reserve.

A little while later we tracked then down again as they moved along the right 'hemisphere' of the reserve. 

Dry Food

The drought which is affecting the whole of Europe has of course been Forest-wide. Many people have been worried about the condition of the ponies and the availability of water. The ponies are well accustomed to searching for food and water and know exactly where the permanent water sources are. Short dry grass, although it looks unappetizing, seems to be providing the ponies with everything they need and of course they have the shrubs and trees to go at too. 

This pony is not pregnant

And neither is Dave

On Probation

Their initial probation period is over and the ponies have not been given their marching orders despite The Mysterious Incident of the Jackapony and the Cattle Grid in the Evening. A few people have become familiar with them now. One of the neighbours was worried that they might not have any water in the dry conditions  and I was able to reassure her that there is a water trough full of fresh water over by the cricket pitch, another neighbour has offered me the use of her outside tap for emergencies. As well as the Lookers we have all those cricketers and occasional visitors keeping an eye on them. I am doing my bit by litter-picking the reserve and the surrounding laybys when I have enough room. Now that they have settled I can tell you that they are in a reserve at Hook where there are numerous sets of ponies - New Forest, Exmoor and the odd cob, 'managing' the reserves. I hope that with all of their Forest experience my ponies won't get into trouble. 

I persuaded Hart District Council to get this removed - it was outside the reserve and had apparently been left by a building company. Since then people had vaguely aimed at it until it was overflowing everywhere. 

I'm working on getting these fly tips moved next (beside that big table there is loads of bedding, old clothes and general rubbish) but the council are trying to say it is Trust land despite the fact that there are on the roadside built up bank, and two fences and a ditch away from the reserve itself. Surely we are all on the same side and they need to be moved before the bags split. 

We all need to be giving to our precious countryside, not taking. 

Victory Roll

The horses and Henrietta seemed rather elated that the rain had come and I had arrived to throw about some barley rings.

Fritham Desert

Henry took this as an opportunity to show her racing prowess and this is how I imagine the commentary:

"And it's Kiss My Ass racing up on the inside of I Can't be Bothered and showing an amazing turn of hoof...

Kiss My Ass has taken over the lead by a long nose and even longer-ears...

Kiss My Ass has won by a mile and she seems to know it...

Such an elegant winner she is covering herself in du.. er glory...

...and she'll no doubt enjoy the celebrations later."

No Fixed Abode

Since the rain came, the Reserve Five have been venturing out of the favourite corner and exploring the whole reserve. Sadly that makes them very hard to find and today we only caught a fleeting glimpse of Jack and Blue. Luckily one of the Lookers found them all later. 

They are NOT in this picture!

We did however observe this rather handsome roe deer at the bottom of the enclosed area.

Here are the pictures that Janette took of the ponies...just an hour or so after we were in this exact spot!

Vaguely Green

Green Grass of Wyoming is the third in the My Friend Flicka Trilogy, by Mary O'Hara, one of the books I have read and reread since my childhood. It talks about the seemingly endless wait for green grass, with neighbours asking each other, "Have you got Green Grass yet?" I am beginning to know how they felt! The measly amount of rain we had this week has only given the grass a vaguely green tinge. 

You can see in the background that I am cutting nettles down every day and leaving them to dry out. They are preferred by Henrietta and the donkeys who tend to eat them while they are still a bit stingy!

Meanwhile the reserve ponies had not been seen for two days until this morning. A relief to see this note from the Assistant Reserve Manager:

"Friday - ponies found marching in the opposite direction to me. I watched them pass and they looked well. Couldn't find any signs of the South herd despite yelling myself hoarse." 

And today - very George Stubbs.

It worked!

I am told that the ponies were enjoying the warm summer rain this morning and were out in the open. That's great news. 

The cows were in a different 'field' sitting under one of the trees. 

At the weekend my friend and artist, Donna Turpin, came over to look at her pictures which I have framed on my wall - one of the car and one of Peechay that she did after I lost him. When she handed me a parcel tied up with twine and wrapped in black paper I knew what might be coming but it did not prepare me for the shock and wonder at seeing Juma on canvas; I must have cried for ten minutes. How I miss my boy.

Donna has captured just how alive and vibrant he was and the connection you felt when you met him. She kept his collar in the picture, representing how he belonged to the Forest. It is a beautiful, beautiful picture but I'd still like to have my pony back. 

Here is the link to her art page: Donna Turpin

Here is the picture of Nala our cat that she painted. 

Rain Dancing

 I was pleased to see that the ponies had been out and about in the reserve before I got there today.

Photo credit: Tom (Assistant Reserves Manager)

When I arrived they had retreated to their favourite corner again which at least made them easy to find. 

My friend Vanessa had kindly come with me and was the grand holder of the headcollar until we found the ponies (I did some litter-picking). 

I brought them all over to the pound, via the water trough where they kissed the cows, and covered them in assorted fly creams. Hopefully we won't need these products much longer. 

This cow is not very good at hide and seek. 

Vanessa is a Looker for Hampshire Council, keeping an eye on the six Exmoor ponies at another interesting site. It's much lumpier than the reserve that mine are on but about the same size. 

We found two of the ponies - two older Anchor herd Exmoors; the youngsters were hiding somewhere else.  They too were struggling with the flies and lots of crab flies. Happily mine seem to have got rid of theirs with the application of long acting fly cream but that does rely on them being touchable. 

We should be grateful to all conservation ponies, turning back time on those areas where woodland has been allowed to get out of hand or where there are areas which cannot be managed at all with machinery. 

I may have met Anchor 434 before when I was involved with the Moorland Mousie Trust. I can clearly an Anchor 433 pony bottom in this picture which is just one before this one...