Warm-fuzzy post - little-girl/lead-rein loan-pony

Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt

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Complete warm fuzzy post - my little girl had her first proper hack on her lead-rein loan-pony this afternoon. Glorious autumn sunshine and discovered a fab bridle-path over the mountain that overlooks ponies' field, complete with fantastic views.
Couldn't get much more heartwarming than that - a year ago daughter didn't ride and lead-rein pony was an unhandled stallion who was reigning supreme over the next-door mountain. He is now a model citizen and she is enjoying her first joys-of-pony-ownership experiences.
I of course, am sweating my way up mountains on foot, doing the early morning field duty and cleaning the tack, but hey, that's motherhood!!!!!
Pics here for anyone who wants 'em.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/album.php?albumid=2387
:D:D:D
 
AW well done all of you x

Lovely scenery, bring in Lincolnshire means that I have a complete lack of mountains so I very envious :)

LOL - they don't call 'em Welsh Mountain ponies for nothing - he looked quite magnificent surveying the scenery off the top!! He probably wouldn't know how to walk in your part of the world Daisydo!! :D
 
Looks beautiful aww bless her and the well behaved little loan pony!

The transformation into model citizen is quite astonishing (can't take credit for that, he's been away 9 months with his fantastic current owner who backed and brought him on) as we knew him in his uncut/unhandled days and he was quite the pony-stallion-tearaway - it's a bit of a mind-blower to see him merrily trogging up the mountain with daughter-of on board!!!! :D
Daughter-of was quite brave to give him a try really, considering she witnessed a few of his former 'episodes'!!
 
Well done! Where abouts in Wales are you? We have a little Welsh and my kids have to share riding over the mountains :D

Mummy still on foot but I think I'll be leading of my horse soon. At least with my older son. Can't wait :D
 
Well done! Where abouts in Wales are you? We have a little Welsh and my kids have to share riding over the mountains :D

Mummy still on foot but I think I'll be leading of my horse soon. At least with my older son. Can't wait :D

For some reason I'm not getting my notifications anymore so didn't see your reply :(
....we're in North Wales :) And once I get my big grown-up horsey-boy sorted I'm hoping to do the same :D
 
Can I ask how you managed to "mould" his ground manners? I have a young (3yo) welshie that sometimes behaves very colty and very naughty! I have loads of experience with horses and find a swift slap sorts out a baulshy attitude but this one just sort of looks at me and says "come on then"!!

Oh and no, he is not a colt - was cut on mummy at 6 months ish!
 
Rather than a slap ( I don't have any objections to this btw when it is deserved) but rather than this, with our bolshey boy, I would withhold any contact at all , if he gave me the 'come on then' look, I would ignore him and do something like, pooh pick.

If he came to me nicely he would get a scratch, if he got boldly, I would send him away again.

Almost like using the naughty corner for a pony lol it worked with ours because he craves attention, so ignoring him was his worst punishment :)
 
Can I ask how you managed to "mould" his ground manners? I have a young (3yo) welshie that sometimes behaves very colty and very naughty! I have loads of experience with horses and find a swift slap sorts out a baulshy attitude but this one just sort of looks at me and says "come on then"!!

Oh and no, he is not a colt - was cut on mummy at 6 months ish!

As it happens, this one went away and was with someone else for 9 months and hey presto, she put in all the hard work and I ended up with the benefits...BUT I have a very unhandled 2yo sec D complete with issues that include headshy, muzzle shy, barging over the top, unwilling to back up, very sharp, unhandleable feet...so pretty much a loon really..and the key to him has been firm groundwork using a pressure halter, and a firm-but-fair approach for which I very much like Richard Maxwell's techniques...(Birth to Backing/Training Your Young Horse)
Lots of desensitising work, daily handling, patience and consistency...very much still a work in progress.....
and he has continued to have this issues after being gelded - gelding takes the hormones out of the picture but it doesn't actually teach them any manners ;)
 
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