Sunday 18 January 2009

Pony Training

Since I'm quietly recovering from last night's leaving party and, ever so sadly, failed to take a camera out with me, I thought I'd share a photo of my friend Ruth training her super little fell pony Briar to harness. Briar is the same age as Fox, 2.5 yrs, and so he is not old enough to be broken to a saddle yet, nor to pull any weight, but Ruth is laying down some basic training now. Briar is learning the aids in a harness and gaining experience of walking in traffic and coping with the exciting and scary things that he will encounter in everyday life when he is older. He's a super little character and I think will be a very good friend and useful companion to Ruth for many years.Briar is a Fell Pony, so very much at home in the Lake District. Fell Ponies are a native breed to Northern England and originate from the area around Hadrian's Wall. They are tough, strong, clever and sure footed. Perfectly capable of living out on the fells and moors of this bleak landscape all year round.These are Fell Ponies that we met on our way up High Cup Nick in the North Pennines. This is a very bleak, cold and windswept spot and these ponies were grazing at 2100 feet above sea level!

I really hope to have my own Fell Pony one day, but it seems rather a hope for the future at the moment.

5 comments:

Crosswinds Farm said...

Send Ruth across the pond, I have a naughty little pony who can use some training!

Kara said...

beautiful pony!

Nancy K. said...

I want a Fell pony too! Seriously, my Beautiful Baby Girl and I have talked about one day keeping a Fresian (for Katie) and a Fell Pony (for me) on our villa in Italy....

We both love Fresians but I'm afraid of such a big horse and I think the Fell Ponies look like little Fresians.

Meedless to say, we're still working on that Italian Villa ~ but it's good to have DREAMS!

;-)

Gone2theDawgs said...

I love stout, native ponies. If I ever get another equine, I'll have to look into Fell Ponies....if there is anyone on this side of the pond that raises them!!

Deborah Niemann said...

My daughter used to talk about wanting a Fell pony. Now all horses are just so ordinary to her, she wants a snake. No way!