Sunday, March 3, 2024

Circle of Friends

One of the best things about having written a book about semi-feral ponies is that people like to keep in touch and tell you about their progress. Where they feel they need some hands-on help, I have trusted Recommended Associates and graduates of my No Fear No Force courses that I can point them to and know they won't come up with some fancy techniques, like lassooing them or backing them up into a corner. Probably my favourite is Jenny Major who was working at the Exmoor Pony Centre just as we started up the courses. She then came on board as a trainer at the Dartmoor Pony Centre when we ran later courses there. She was one of those people who just gets it from the outset.

That was some 17 years ago and Jenny became a Recommended Associate soon afterwards, became one of the founding members of Hands On Horsemanship at Horseworld and since worked with HorseWorld staff on and off for a very long time. 

When Susie, the owner of two Exmoor semi-feral ponies contacted me for help, I knew exactly who to send her to, and her fabulour progress with her ponies has been assisted along the way by the book No Fear, No Force and the hands on help of Jenny. 




Not only can Susie catch her ponies, but she can lead them, pick up their feet, and ask them to accept a syringe in their mouths. 

"It has been invaluable to have both your book and Jenny to refer to for experience, tips and reassurance. I've had horses since a child but have never started from the beginning, and with semi feral ponies too, it has been an amazing chance to really learn about them and how they’re responding, and truly earn their trust. I respect them so much, such clever ponies with strong instincts."
 

Meanwhile at the other end of the south coast, Shirley is making great progress with her two Dartmoor Hill  ponies, Buzzard and Raven (above). She has taken her time to befriend and tame them. Halter training them with No Fear, No Force and then beginning to build up their confidence about doing other things. 


Raven, who went through the Chagford Pony Sales, arrived with lugs of his winter coat still attached but has blossomed ever since.


Raven too is look a lot smarter.

More recently Shirley received a rather stern warning about preparing her ponies for the attention and intervention of other people - such as the vet and the farrier. I put her in touch with Suzanne Halsey, but before her visit, a sympathetic vet came out and managed to give him his booster jab after spending some time getting to know him. The farrier too was able to trim all of his hooves. Suzanne was able to assess the progress of each pony and was the very first stranger to attempt to catch Raven and then to lead him around.   


"Suzanne was very encouraging about progress so far, she ‘got’ Raven straight away. She has recommended some exercises for Raven, to improve his trust with other people, and for Buzzard, with poles to encourage him to be more aware of where he’s putting his feet." Shirley

Friend, Sarah Tallents who rehomes polo ponies, is getting on well with her young New Forest, Gin, who arrived at her yard in a headcollar. Sarah and her daughter were luckily able to get if off and their patient work is paying off. Gin has become friendly and affectionate. 




Mulibwanji and his mother Snippet are making new friends at Melanie's and Snippet, who is 22, is allowing Melanie to slip a lead rein around her neck to lead her!

Meanwhile Prince and Ruth are looking out for an ark as the river next to their livery yard has burst its banks.


 My lot are spending every night munching hay together in the yard...


and the days squishing about in the mud after more hay in the field. 


Friday, February 23, 2024

Consistent Complaints

 

Everyone I know who has got a horse is complaining about the weather. A lot of horses are standing in mud all the time and are permanently wet. My fields are poached and the one we used before Christmas has still not recovered. My six are coming in to the smallest paddock and barn every night and they are having 1 1/2 bales of hay at intervals. This is keeping them all at a nice weight, but will be reduced at the beginning of March to ensure that they don't get too fat when the grass starts to come through again. I haven't seen them for five weeks because of the danger of slipping or falling, and David's day is centred around poo-picking and taking care of them, as well as taking care of me. Luckily I can do a lot more myself now. 

I have been greatly cheered by a couple of photographs that have come through at the same time as book sales. I always love to see the ponies and foals that my book is intended for or has helped. 


This is Esme and Maisie - Maisie the foal was a surprise! They belong to a lady called Nic.



Meanwhile Catherine has three black ponies - one Dartmoor and two Fells: Titch, Rocky and Lenny. 

If you have a pony or foal that my book has helped, or news of a horse that I have helped in the past, please let me have an update. 

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Happy Families

In a very pleasant turn up for the books, Mulibwanji's owner decided that it would be best if his mother went to his new home with him, and his new owner agreed to take her. His new owner is an animal nutritionist and so there is every hope that the lovely old mare can be brought back to strength after a couple of difficult winters out on the Forest with a foal at foot; she certainly seems to have taken to a domesticated life in the past two weeks when she has been given three good feeds a day. Everyone should be thrilled with this outcome. 







I have lost count of the number of ponies I have helped to ease into new homes over the years, but it fills my heart with joy that I have been able to do so. 


Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Not the Last Post

I am pleased to report that Mulibwanji and his Mum were found by the Agisters recently and were gently loaded, with David's help, and brought over to Fritham. I would have helped but dammit, I fell and broke my shoulder just a few days before, luckily not damaging the site of my surgery but on the same side. I'll be out of action for 12 weeks.

All being well he will be going to his new home on Saturday. 


All of my own horses are very well and getting through the winter nicely. 

Once again I think we have come to the end of an era and I shall stop posting unless something more exciting happens. Thank you for reading and supporting check out tomorrow!

Thursday, November 30, 2023

What a Nana!

I got myself very confused yesterday. I have been expecting the arrival of a dark bay colt, Mulibwanji, a pony who I took a headcollar off last year. He is due to be removed from the Forest because he is reaching the age of twenty-two months and is still entire. He is coming to me, possibly with his Mother, for a temporary stay before going off to his new home - all being well.

Arriving at the fields, I saw a young bay colt in my neighbour's field and thought "Oh heck, the pony - apparently without his mother - has been put in the wrong field." I made enquiries in every direction to try to find out what had happened, where his mother was, and considered how I would move him across through my fields without him encountering any of my horses, particularly my mares. Phoning the Verderers and then Mulibwanji's owner, it became apparent that it shouldn't be him. Was I going mad? 

The pony was quite anxious and clearly wild, should I let him out on the Forest? Eventually it became apparent that this doppelganger had in fact come though the electric fence from the far side, leaving behind his estwhile companions. 

I saw Mulibwanji by the roadside this morning. He has been missed on all of the Drifts. Hopefully his owner, with the help of Agisters, will be able to get him in very soon. 

Friday, November 24, 2023

Horse Groundhog Day


 
It was certainly more interesting when my Forest ponies were out on the Forest or up at the Reserve in Hook. Still, it is easier to be able to keep a daily check on them, assess their condition, and react when needed. Theoden is the only one that is showing a rib and so he has started on a winter feed with some supplements for his joints and his soles. Everyone else is eating grass and being passified with last year's hay until they too begin to drop some weight. I am particularly pleased with Jack whose body is reacting well to the Prascend. 


Meanwhile, our work continues with bonfires to clear the excess brambles before we can put up the new post and rail fence. 


We have a broken land drain, so the next bonfire site is sitting on a stream of water! 




Friday, November 17, 2023

Gold Medals

Prince has won two gold medals this week with his favourite person, Ruth. Not only is he allowing her to put his headcollar on in what I would consider to be a normal way, but last night he allowed a vet to inject him and take blood samples after what is hoped was only a mild bout of colic. Ruth admits that the clicker training descended into outright bribery but who cares in those circumstances. This is a pony that wouldn't let a stranger anywhere near him only a few months ago. Kudos to the vet too for understanding the meaning of the words semi-feral.