Mynyddcymro
Well-Known Member
Many of you requested updates after my recent thread about my brilliant birthday present restored for me by my Grandad (here's the link for anyone that wishes to see) -
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=378884
Yesterday it was finally brought to the yard so I can begin to use it. I thought i'd start a little driving diary for anyone who wished for progress on how Bramble and I are getting on as it's a new experience for the both of us!
I'll just give you all a little background info into Bramble seeing as it's her 'diary'.
Well, her full name is Mynyddcymro Blue Bramble, she's a three year old Welsh Mountain Pony. I have owned Bramble since November 2008. She came to me through an old yard owner who'd gone to the sales and literally picked her off the leaving meat wagon along with two 6month old colts and a three year old colt. She was a pretty lucky little girl! I got to the yard, saw her and wanted her and the rest as they say is history!
I believe that the bond we have is incredible (very soppy I know), she really is a trying little pony and anything I ask her to do she will try and try her heart out, she's just been broken (by myself - so a great learning curve for me and her) and is the safest little pony i've ever known, I certainly won't find another like her.
Bramble takes everything in her stride so with abit of luck this driving lark will come easy to her! (and me)
Anyway, onto the diary!
So yesterday (Sunday 4th July) My pretty little cart arrived and we decided to see if Bramble would fit between the shafts, and despite my concerns, she did. I didn't bother with blinkers as i'd rather she could see what this very strange contraption i'd stuck behind her was. It turned out that my 'shetland' size harness was not only too big for my shetland - Tigger but when the cart was in place, it was also too big for Bramble so that put the end to doing anything yesterday, but still a great opportunity for Bramble to get used to the shafts either side of her!
Today (Monday 5th July) I spent agessss desperately trying to puncture holes into a webbing harness using a leather punch - A warning to you all, it isn't fun and your arms will feel like you've rowed a boat down the river severn for several days! Eventually it was 1-0 to me against the webbing harness and i'd managed to stick holes in it all over the place so I could use my cart. So out comes the pony, the harness and the cart and once all harnessed up I was happy.
I wasn't planning on doing anything other than maybe walking Bramble around the yard in-hand as I was expecting the odd confused spook (today she was wearing blinkers). However I didn't get the expected spook and ended up with a three year old pony falling asleep with a cart hanging off her rear end. Smug am I!
I felt that I had complete control and Bramble was clearly not at all fussed so we went out for a little walk in hand down the road. To leave the yard we have to walk down a steep lane but, alas, no problems there! As we pulled onto the main road my adrenaline kicked in and I got pretty nervous of the traffic bearing in mind I know Bramble is as safe as houses in traffic it made little sense! Let's just say it's one of my proudest moments to date, walking my beautiful little pony in her beautiful little cart for the first time out on the road, all in the same day as her being properly harnessed up. Days don't come much better than that! We only went round the block of one of the estates off the main road before heading back. She even trotted perfectly as if she'd been here and done it before. When we got to the yard I had a sneaky sit in my cart and I really felt like the cat that got the cream, cheshire cat smile comes to mind..!
So i'm guessing if you just spent valuable time reading that you'll want to see some pictures of the little gem herself?
...
Thanks for reading,
Will keep you all updated!
Becky and Bramble! x
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=378884
Yesterday it was finally brought to the yard so I can begin to use it. I thought i'd start a little driving diary for anyone who wished for progress on how Bramble and I are getting on as it's a new experience for the both of us!
I'll just give you all a little background info into Bramble seeing as it's her 'diary'.
Well, her full name is Mynyddcymro Blue Bramble, she's a three year old Welsh Mountain Pony. I have owned Bramble since November 2008. She came to me through an old yard owner who'd gone to the sales and literally picked her off the leaving meat wagon along with two 6month old colts and a three year old colt. She was a pretty lucky little girl! I got to the yard, saw her and wanted her and the rest as they say is history!
I believe that the bond we have is incredible (very soppy I know), she really is a trying little pony and anything I ask her to do she will try and try her heart out, she's just been broken (by myself - so a great learning curve for me and her) and is the safest little pony i've ever known, I certainly won't find another like her.
Bramble takes everything in her stride so with abit of luck this driving lark will come easy to her! (and me)
Anyway, onto the diary!
So yesterday (Sunday 4th July) My pretty little cart arrived and we decided to see if Bramble would fit between the shafts, and despite my concerns, she did. I didn't bother with blinkers as i'd rather she could see what this very strange contraption i'd stuck behind her was. It turned out that my 'shetland' size harness was not only too big for my shetland - Tigger but when the cart was in place, it was also too big for Bramble so that put the end to doing anything yesterday, but still a great opportunity for Bramble to get used to the shafts either side of her!
Today (Monday 5th July) I spent agessss desperately trying to puncture holes into a webbing harness using a leather punch - A warning to you all, it isn't fun and your arms will feel like you've rowed a boat down the river severn for several days! Eventually it was 1-0 to me against the webbing harness and i'd managed to stick holes in it all over the place so I could use my cart. So out comes the pony, the harness and the cart and once all harnessed up I was happy.
I wasn't planning on doing anything other than maybe walking Bramble around the yard in-hand as I was expecting the odd confused spook (today she was wearing blinkers). However I didn't get the expected spook and ended up with a three year old pony falling asleep with a cart hanging off her rear end. Smug am I!
I felt that I had complete control and Bramble was clearly not at all fussed so we went out for a little walk in hand down the road. To leave the yard we have to walk down a steep lane but, alas, no problems there! As we pulled onto the main road my adrenaline kicked in and I got pretty nervous of the traffic bearing in mind I know Bramble is as safe as houses in traffic it made little sense! Let's just say it's one of my proudest moments to date, walking my beautiful little pony in her beautiful little cart for the first time out on the road, all in the same day as her being properly harnessed up. Days don't come much better than that! We only went round the block of one of the estates off the main road before heading back. She even trotted perfectly as if she'd been here and done it before. When we got to the yard I had a sneaky sit in my cart and I really felt like the cat that got the cream, cheshire cat smile comes to mind..!
So i'm guessing if you just spent valuable time reading that you'll want to see some pictures of the little gem herself?
...
Thanks for reading,
Will keep you all updated!
Becky and Bramble! x
i wanna break my welsh a to drive .. but i cant even longrein her soo .. 