What is it about Welshies?

[PSD]

I absolutely love welshes. They’re so clever and quick learners, but I love how dramatic they can be over the slightest thing. My mare was a part bred and she definitely got the welsh drama queen crown, my gelding now is an absolute dream. Again, dramatic, acts like I’m trying to behead him in summer when I try to apply sun cream to his nose but will happily plod past the tractor on the yard without batting an eyelid.
I love the character of welshes. They’re so comical and clever at the same time. Last night I actually said to myself “I really have missed schooling welshies” and I have. I used to school my friends d mare years ago and she was just lovely to train with. An absolute witch at times, but really nice to work with under saddle.

Though you do have to be careful, they can see the monsters in the bushes that no human or other breed can see. Those monsters are only out to get welsh ponies, they seem to hide specifically in bushes with an assortment of leaf colours…..

 

[Mosh]

I've got a Welsh D and she's chestnut and now 27. She is however by far the best horse I have ever sat on.

She is the kindest mare and has never bitten, raised a hoof and is absolutely fantastic with kids. She would dream of doing anything to scare a child. My novice husband can also bring her in and handle her.

She is utterly bombproof in traffic and things like a random tent on a grass verge is fine. That wheelbarrow She just knocked over...terrifying and she will look for things to spook at such as a goose. From a road, 2 fields and a massive pond away. She will also randomly pull back when tied up but we manage by giving her more room when we can and having quick release ties. Once she's free she doesn't move anywhere.

She is still a pocket rocket, full of beans and enjoys her work. I did retire her from jumping but she became bored and silly so we now jump twice a month. 60cm at most and only a few but enough to keep her happy with the full go ahead from vet, physio, saddle fitter and farrier.

She definitely knows who her rider is and will be daft/drama queen for me but I have an 11 year old riding her when I'm at work and she is safe as houses for her ?
We regularly forget how to trot and its either canter or walk we manage but we have fun together.

She is very food orientated and will eat anything. She is banned from pub rides as she will just take your crisps...

 

[PSD]

She is very food orientated and will eat anything. She is banned from pub rides as she will just take your crisps...

mine will do anything and I mean anything for food! Frightened to death of drowning in puddles but “got a mint? Oh okay I’ll happily plod through that puddle I was petrified of” ?

 

[Mosh]

mine will do anything and I mean anything for food! Frightened to death of drowning in puddles but “got a mint? Oh okay I’ll happily plod through that puddle I was petrified of” ?

This is exactly it! She knows who carries treats around as well and makes a dive bomb for them. I did catch her trying to eat pizza and cheesy chips the other day....

 

[PSD]

This is exactly it! She knows who carries treats around as well and makes a dive bomb for them. I did catch her trying to eat pizza and cheesy chips the other day....

Mine likes fur lined hoods….you’re screwed if you’re near him with one. He’ll lure you in by grooming it then yanks you into oblivion

 

[Mosh]

Mine likes fur lined hoods….you’re screwed if you’re near him with one. He’ll lure you in by grooming it then yanks you into oblivion

I love welshes ? mine is a door kicker, she has learnt to kick the door and run away back to her haynet lol

 

[PSD]

I love welshes ? mine is a door kicker, she has learnt to kick the door and run away back to her haynet lol

They’re a fantastic breed. They’ll give you their heart and more but they might have an opinion about it first ?

 

[ester]

On one occasion while attending a straightness training lesson F tried every distraction technique known to man when the instructor had a play to demonstrate something, none of these tactics were working.
Then he opted for chewing their microphone lead, that worked ?.

It was always fun watching friends jump him too, as it seemed the more they tried to put him on a spot the more random spots he chose for take off as if just to make the point that he really didn't need your input thanks. .

My instructor took him XC for me a couple of times when I was broken, he stopped at the first fence. She said I don't get it he was forwards, straight, and forwards and then ... ?

He has a way of getting under people's skin though, always had a bit of a fan club

for those of you who remember tarrsteps on here she always said she saw a disproptionate number of welshies with loading issues, and that they were a bit different to work with too.

 

[milliepops]

I read on here once that Welshies have an inbuilt sense of fairness and that rings true to me.

Their interpretation of fairness, obviously.

I really love the challenge that a canny pony brain brings to training, it forces me to be creative and notice everything because she sure as hell does, everyone that does anything with Kira says that she doesn't miss a trick she notices and then chooses whether to act on it
I've ridden others which have similar intelligence but she's a bit like a welsh on steroids, I'm not sure I'd ever find another like her and I'm pretty sure my trainer would want to send me for psychiatric assessment if I did tbh, but it's great fun.

 

[conniegirl]

It was always fun watching friends jump him too, as it seemed the more they tried to put him on a spot the more random spots he chose for take off as if just to make the point that he really didn't need your input thanks.

Mine gets very stressy if you try to tell him how to jump a jump, point him at the jump and let him do the rest is best with him. If you try to put him on a stride he will canter sideways, fling his head and take a flyer at it. If you point and let him sort it you will get perfect stride every time and he won’t touch a pole

 

[Orangehorse]

As I've said before, Welsh ponies are fine, so long as you have a convenient Welsh mountain to ride them up. They can take A LOT of work and are perfectly good so long as they are getting that work, going to shows, lots of Pony Club, jumping, hunting, going on long hacks ........................

Expect them to have an hour once a week and you are g oing to end up with a Welsh Dragon.

 

[McFluff]

I’m totally in love with my boy. I recognise him in most of the posts above. There isn’t a bad bone in him, but he would be a comedian if he was a human. He loves people, loves showing off, is very athletic and tries his heart out for you. if you enjoy training, and can laugh at the mischief, they are simply the best!
but as others have said, if you are mean (or in their eyes unfair) to them, good help you… I’ve met a few who have sadly been misunderstood.

 

[palo1]

My Welsh mare is just absolutely sweet!! She is certainly not a pushover and has plenty of sass and fire but honestly there is not an ounce of meanness in her. She is the very nicest person, trying her heart out whilst also letting you know how she feels about things. I haven't come across that particular combination of assertiveness and the desire to work in partnership previously. My Araby chap clearly thinks that he is the boss and his opinion is the most important one though he has been a gentleman every day of his life bless him. But he demands negotiation and cannot always be counted on to agree with requests or suggestions. He has manners to burn and our partnership always feels like a privelege - he makes me a better person in lots of ways. My Welshie will give anything a go love her and I get the sense with her that she is not just humouring me but that we are in it together! She does have, however, extravagant ways of making her feelings known...you just have to laugh!!

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Today's hack summed them up!

Met a group of of horses and carriages as we came off the fields on the way home.... He was looky but went past them like a respectable citizen. They lit him up as they followed him the whole way home and were trotting up behind him so he was a bit twitchy, but understandable as all their tack was clanking


However utterly TERRIFYING were the cows in a field behind the reeds... which he sees every hack! Also a wooden sign advertising marrows... and a fish jumping out some water and a heron taking flight...

 

[PSD]

As I've said before, Welsh ponies are fine, so long as you have a convenient Welsh mountain to ride them up. They can take A LOT of work and are perfectly good so long as they are getting that work, going to shows, lots of Pony Club, jumping, hunting, going on long hacks ........................

Expect them to have an hour once a week and you are g oing to end up with a Welsh Dragon.

not all of them. Could happily leave mine a week without being ridden and he’s a dream. Gets a bit jumpy and snorty but he is quite happy being exercised 2/3 times a week.

in fact quite a lot I know are happy to work very little and eat more ?

 

[Lammy]

I love them, and I have my old mare to thank for that. She was as many have described above, intelligent, versatile and absolutely hilarious.

They are very much a marmite breed, most people that rode my mare loved her but a couple really hated it and would never get on again! They’re the people who should never have a Welsh as she was pretty mild compared to some. I’ve never felt safer on a horse even though she was so spooky and snorty, it only ever made me laugh as she’d eventually piaffe past whatever was scaring her.

She didn’t ‘do’ schooling she found that utterly beneath her and jumping I had no real say other than showing her which object I’d like to jump. My job was to put her on a line and she’d say that’s great I’ll take it from here now. If I interfered too much she’d put in a dirty great stop to tell me off. Left alone she’d fly it. I don’t think she ever touched a pole in a competition, and I had her 10 years.

I’m currently on a hunt for another, I think once you love them you really love them and vice versa!

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

not all of them. Could happily leave mine a week without being ridden and he’s a dream. Gets a bit jumpy and snorty but he is quite happy being exercised 2/3 times a week.

in fact quite a lot I know are happy to work very little and eat more ?

Mines exactly the same as in can just pick up as and when

 

[Annagain]

As I've said before, Welsh ponies are fine, so long as you have a convenient Welsh mountain to ride them up. They can take A LOT of work and are perfectly good so long as they are getting that work, going to shows, lots of Pony Club, jumping, hunting, going on long hacks ........................

Expect them to have an hour once a week and you are g oing to end up with a Welsh Dragon.

Nah, mine was an absolute barmpot whether he'd been ridden for 5 hours 5 minutes before or or for 5 minutes 5 weeks before. Totally safe though - just stupidly excitable. He just loved life.

 

[Bernster]

Can they canter?! To be fair, my new ish Welsh x can canter, it’s the trot afterwards that is currently horrible! ?

 

[conniegirl]

Can they canter?! To be fair, my new ish Welsh x can canter, it’s the trot afterwards that is currently horrible! ?

Mine can, has a beautiful canter.

 

[palo1]

Can they canter?! To be fair, my new ish Welsh x can canter, it’s the trot afterwards that is currently horrible! ?

My Welshie's canter is lovely and I think has great potential. Trot can be a number of things currently from sewing machine to full Royal Welsh effort!! She is, I think always going to struggle to 'reach' in her fore in trot but is working well from behind so there is plenty of power. Canter has never been an issue really though she did need time to learn to balance her rather extravagant 'large' canter for a while; it is very expressive and lovely to ride!!

 

[PSD]

Can they canter?! To be fair, my new ish Welsh x can canter, it’s the trot afterwards that is currently horrible! ?

My welshie has a HUGE canter. It’s so difficult to sit to if you aren’t used to the breed and movement. He really sits into the transition too, it’s wonderful.

 

[crazyandme]

My Welsh preferred canter over trot. Her trot was horrifically sewing machine like, especially when she was excited (so about 99% of the time!). Struggled to get her to chill and let it swing, whereas it was automatic in canter. So we cantered everywhere for endurance rides!

 

[milliepops]

it took mine a while to get a handle on her canter, at the start it was so big she struggled with her balance but as long as she was ridden forward she was willing. as soon as she could canter round the school i asked for a flying change which she produced on cue and since then her canter progressed faster than her trotwork. I'd say she's more talented in canter than trot, the collection has come easily and she enjoys the canter exercises like tempis and pirouettes.

Mine doesn't have a knees-up welsh trot, she learned to extend fairly easily but it's more limited than most sports horses would be. She has a natural ability to piaffe but passage has been very very hard for her to learn, she doesn't have that naturally at all unlike some horses that you see offering a passagey trot in the field - she will always canter instead if excited.

 

[palo1]

I sort of hoped mine wouldn't develop the knees up Welsh trot and aimed at Maesmynach breeding to minimise that but her dad is a bit more traditional and Alw is the one I loved on viewing soooo we have knees up, knees up!! I hope that I can teach her, somehow that she could reach forward a bit but it won't matter massively if not. Canter is lovely! And the knees up trot is a distinct advantage on the kind of terrain we have for hacking. I guess that is part of the point of it and Henry Tudor managed to conquer England on Welsh cobs so I can live with mine lol!!

 

[McFluff]

Mine has (or will have!) a lovely canter. He has so much power, the thing we’re learning is how to help him control it. Really comfy and gives a lovely feel though.

 

[Bernster]

Sounds familiar, he does have a lovely comfortable canter out in the open but we’re struggling in the smaller school with downward transitions. We get a jack hammer trot, and it takes me a while to get it back again after we’ve cantered.