Wild Fell Pony Arriving This Week Any Tips?

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staceyn

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I Have bought a fell pony from a registered fell pony breeder last week he is coming this weekend i payed £90 delivered he is a 10 month olf pure black fell pony with all his bloodline history micro-chip, passported and registered with the fell pony society! he is very scruffy at the moment and has been living out with a wild herd on the fells. Apart from going to be dragged into a trailer and onto my yard he has not ever been handled! very exciting!. i have worked with reletivley unhandled horses and youngstock before just want some extra tips?

He will be going out in a seperate smallish 20mx30m paddock until he has been wormed and settled as i have a 10 month old mini shetland dont want him to get hurt !...So i no this horse is going to be very very stressed coming from such a massive place to a normal private yard he will be stabled at night but wont even be able to catch him for a few weeks i imagine.

So heres my question how can i make the whole process of the basic handeling calm and relaxing for him and make sure he does not get too stressed and never trust humans?

Any tips with any training from being a foal up to two years old or so will be great. Would love to know what ways other people do it ?
 
What breeder? (feel free to PM) I adore to fells and I am currently helping a friend with her Fell youngster.

I would advise just sitting in corner of field with a good book or something, Ignore the pony let him come to you, when he does speak calmly and gently but avoid eye contact don't try and touch him unless he touches you. Offer him a treat (soaked sugar beet or somthing) from a bucket next to you but don't be surprised if he doesn't take it straight away.
 
I dont know how haha his name is bill potter from shap fells i have researched him and he seems very legit! only reason he is selling is cause the land is national trusts land they dont want wild horses on it anymore so he has to sell up his whole breeding farm , Seemed a lovley man !

The horse I dont even know its name yet until i get his passport bless! he seemed very interested when we visited but timid he was the only one that came near us . His dad is stunning mane down to his legs ! I hope i have bought something special here fingers crossed.

I think thats what i was thinking I do feel a bit tight leaving him out in the field for a few weeks but i dont think i have a choice i dont want to stress him out too much! realy want to take my time with this one !... Think i will invest in some good books and a umberella! for this horrible weather and just sit near the fence everyday haha thanks for you message
 
I'd be tempted to stable him from the start to build up to getting a headcollar on and allowing him to be touched and realising that you provide the food. Using the 'approach and retreat' method helps if they are very nervous and time just spent with them so that they realise you aren't a threat. One good thing is that Fell ponies are generally good natured, so once you overcome his fears he should be fairly easy to do.

I'm sure that somewhere like the Moorland Mousie trust will be excellent for advice and might be worth e-mailing.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
Brill ! i will contact them .... The only issue i have with the stable is that i have two stables with two horses one of the horses is going out to a loan home the day the fell pony arrives hopefully but i have spent over £500 on a new small paddock so he cant go too far! thanks for your reply!! Il post some photos when i get him
 
Are you saying he will be the only horse on the yard when he arrives, i think this could unsettle him even more, if you have the lil shettie then i would put them both out in fields next to each other for at least a week and also during this time just sit in the field and let the new fell get to know you, i also wouldnt stable for at least a week give him time to settle and not see you as a threat and in that time attempt to get a head collar on or better still make sure you put one on before he gets off the box.
 
Get yourself a copy of Sarah Westons no fear no force from amazon. I took on a semi ferral Dartmoor after going on a course run by Sarah and he book has been so helpful and now six months on he is doing great.
 
No Sorry i Have a 10yo standard shetland called pony and 10month mini colt called eddie pony is going to a new loan home on the day the fell pony arrives so he will have little eddie but im worried eddie might get hurt as hes a bugger for biting legs and trying to annoy other horses as much as possible lol. I know yes i would imagine they will have a headcollar on him but good one i will make sure thats sorted didnt think of that !
 
Personally? I would stable him and keep him stabled until he was less wild.

So much depends on the pony itself, how you proceed is up to him. If he is brave he will approach you which makes life a great deal easier. Split everything down into very small, very simple steps.

Get a headcollar on him, and a catch rope, a long one, and leave it on, so much easier to get hold of a wild one if you don't have to faff about with getting a rope near him. It won't hurt him and they learn a valuable lesson with ropes at the same time - that they don't hurt, and if you stand on them and put your head down the pressure goes away, if you move your foot then you can move, saves countless broken ropes and reins in the future.

Let him associate you with food, ie: good things. If he is in a paddock, however small, if it has grass he can feed himself and won't need to rely on you, which is half the battle.

The way I do things -and it has been working for me for over 20 years with dozens of dartmoors from the drifts, I haven't killed or even injured a single one, and they have all turned out sweeties in the end. It isn't everyone's way I appreciate that, but you did ask. Give yourself plenty of time, a rush job does no-one any favours, get hold of that rope and let the colt run around the stall if that's what they want to do, attached to you but you aren't pulling or restraining them at all, don't speak when they are running about, and don't look directly at them because that tends to send them on, just let them figure out that you aren't going to hurt them. In the end they will calm down, and when they calm down and stand facing you, let go, and leave, throw in an armful of hay. Give them time to think it over. ("Hmmmm, I stand still looking at them, they give me food and peace")

A couple of hours later, go back in and do it all again. They will start taking a step or two towards you (or all the way and greet you at the door) very soon, then you can 'reel' in the loose rope and start touching. Always leave as soon as you have done what you wanted, be it just get a step forwards or lay a hand on them. You decide, not them.

...and I have to go, Farrier and Vet driving down the laneway together.
 
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Enfys said:
Personally? I would stable him and keep him stabled until he was less wild.

So much depends on the pony itself, how you proceed is up to him. If he is brave he will approach you which makes life a great deal easier. Split everything down into very small, very simple steps.

Get a headcollar on him, and a catch rope, a long one, and leave it on, so much easier to get hold of a wild one if you don't have to faff about with getting a rope near him. It won't hurt him and they learn a valuable lesson with ropes at the same time - that they don't hurt, and if you stand on them and put your head down the pressure goes away, if you move your foot then you can move, saves countless broken ropes and reins in the future.

Let him associate you with food, ie: good things. If he is in a paddock, however small, if it has grass he can feed himself and won't need to rely on you, which is half the battle.

The way I do things -and it has been working for me for over 20 years with dozens of dartmoors from the drifts, I haven't killed or even injured a single one, and they have all turned out sweeties in the end. It isn't everyone's way I appreciate that, but you did ask. Give yourself plenty of time, a rush job does no-one any favours, get hold of that rope and let the colt run around the stall if that's what they want to do, attached to you but you aren't pulling or restraining them at all, don't speak when they are running about, and don't look directly at them because that tends to send them on, just let them figure out that you aren't going to hurt them. In the end they will calm down, and when they calm down and stand facing you, let go, and leave, throw in an armful of hay. Give them time to think it over. ("Hmmmm, I stand still looking at them, they give me food and peace")

A couple of hours later, go back in and do it all again. They will start taking a step or two towards you (or all the way and greet you at the door) very soon, then you can 'reel' in the loose rope and start touching. Always leave as soon as you have done what you wanted, be it just get a step forwards or lay a hand on them. You decide, not them.

...and I have to go, Farrier and Vet driving down the laneway together.
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This is how we tend to do it too ;) Hope the vet and farrier aren't for anything serious. :)
 
I had my first feral pony experience last year when I 'accidently' came home with a 4 yr old from the forest sales. I stabled her immediately, she was on her own but saw other horses come and go from the ajacent stables. A lot of it was trial and error, at first I sat in the corner of the stable ignoring her but tbh I think i'll skip that part next time as I didn't gain anything from it. She charged me once and frequently turned her back end at me and I have to admit at that point I was thinking what the hell have I gone and bought!

I found a website on the internet about some people in America who tame feral mustangs, they used a technique where they have the mustung in a small corall and use a long bamboo stick to stroke the horse from a distance. Of course at first the horses run mad around them but they keep the stick on its back and dont make a sound, as soon as the horse stops running and stands still they remove the stick. I used a lunge whip with the lash wrapped up instead. Once my girl Megan accepted the whip I asked her to walk on around me, got her responding to whoa with her reward being me removing the whip. Anytime she tried to get nasty with me I sent her on for a couple laps and she soon learnt. Once we had established that kicking and charging were not acceptable I began stoking her up her neck with the stick, rubbing it back and forth. I also began to work my way down the whip, slowly getting closer. After 2 weeks of having her I finally got a headcollar on her.

I then moved her to a field and built a dodgy interpretation of a roundpen out of herras fencing in the corner which I would herd her in to to work her. I repeated everything I had done before and then moved on to stoking her all over her back end and legs, rubbing the stick up and down them and then retreating back to her happy zone around her withers.

She came on in leaps and bounds and 3 months later I backed her. She is now a superb little sj pony and I have learnt an awful lot from her. I imagine with your guy being younger he will be a bit easier although I would say definately wear hat and gloves as its amazing how quick they revert back to 'feralness' when you think they've gotten out of it!

Have fun and good luck! Shameless photo of 'Her Royal Feralness'!
MegWRC51.jpg
 
touchstone said:
This is how we tend to do it too ;) Hope the vet and farrier aren't for anything serious. :)
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:), Thankyou, no, just routine, but you know how it is, they always turn up together just to make life more interesting.

Charem, I once read a book that advised doing the sit in a corner and read a book thing when we got our first colt off Exmoor from the Bampton sales back in the mists of time, never worked for me either. Maybe (probably)I was doing it wrong, but the pony just ignored me and it achieved nothing, I gave up on that idea.

Mostly the things I do I was taught by a family of Romanies (real ones who used cobs to pull their caravans) who used to over winter in one of our orchards.
 
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I recommend Sarah Westons 'No Fear, No Force' I've used it on both of our semi ferals and it's brilliant. Sarah is also very helpful if you get stuck.
 
I went to the Morayshire pony roundup by WHW. 90 ponies running free on 2,000 acres and an owner who realised he could no longer manage. I mentioned to a girl there that anyone taking on a foal would have their hands full. She corrected me saying that they'd got a weaned foal and it was leading, having its feet lifted, being groomed, etc. without protetsts within a week. Then she spoilt it all for me by adding, "....but I did move into the stable!":D
 
Bill Potters Greenholme ponies tend to be lovely natured, tho perhaps on the small side of preferred height. They run on the Shap fell - right next to the Tebay ponies & over the top from Bert Morlands Lunesdale ponies.

If you need any help via PM, please do drop me a message anytime & I'll try to do what I can to help as have had quite a few 'off the hill' over the years.

Yours WILL be stressed on arrival, the trailer will need to be fully closed for the trip - please do NOT try to open any door whatsoever until the pony is at your yard, and then ensure all gates are shut & a safe passage is made out of the trailer to the box you want to put pony in.
You may be lucky, pony might lead if Bill has had time to do 'summat' with it, but I'd plan on pony not being handled at all and you might have to drive him gently where you want him to go. Be very careful as a worried unhandled baby can go over/through the most unexpected things!

Good luck - some good advice already here above, but take it steady & you ought to have a lovely natured biddable pony in time to come.
 
I would keep him stabled. Everyday stand outside and chat to his quietly. Do everything slow and don't rush things. Wait until he comes to you. Take it in baby steps and offer him a little food when he comes to you so he thinks good things come when your around. Keep at it daily until you can touch him. Build up slowly and then when you feel he is ready go in and stand with him quietly. Keep at this every day and practice til you can touch all over. Listen to him though, if he seems nervy then go back a step, let him come to you. If he is happy for you to stroke most places I would move on to putting a headcollar on. And work your way up to putting him out. Good luck
 
im another who would recommend stabling straight away. my first pony was a semi feral fell i bought from the new forest sales. I kept her stabled for a couple of days and introduced her to food and leading/grooming etc. she was quite brave and once i had hold of her, she wasnt too bad to handle.
i then built a very small pen in the field where she had water and a little hay, she had to come to me before she got hard feed and allow me to scratch her before i put it down.
she eventually realised i was nice to her, i gave her food.

after a few weeks, she was fine to catch and eventually would come to call. She was a cracking pony, i sold her to a pony club home and unfortunately have lost touch with them.

Goodluck with your new boy, Fells are lovely ponies :)
 
Providing you can get your pony in easily and safely to work with, by gently, very gently herding in or following another horse, then your Fell pony could live out. However the key is to have somewhere relatively small and safe to work. Unfortunately sitting in a field may take a very long time to work with a semi-feral that has learned to avoid the approach of people and have been rounded up. I would concentrate on touch first, head collar second if at all possible. Thank you to the people who have mentioned my book. I am not allowed to!
 
Thankyou for all you messages I will take all the advice on board!... i dont have any photos or names yet he will have a name on his passport so i will see what it is and post some photos when i get him x
 
From experience, I wouldn't stable him. We bought an untouched fell pony about 20 years ago. She was transported with her mother who was delivered somewhere else, this was her being weaned. Within a few minutes of being put in the stable she had climbed the door and needed stitches in her head...
 
Ouch! i dont realy like keeping them couped up in a stable its not my thing and if i put him in the stable i would have trouble getting him out but if he is in a small paddock at least he can have a run safely plus hes not been in a stable before so i think he would e more terrified in one! x
 
Also, I wouldn't worry about the legitimacy of the breeder, all fell yearlings bred round here are wild. It's quite a site to see them at the sales in October, they are climbing the walls, fences etc! If you want to PM me his name I will let you know if I know him.
 
when i got my last 2 wild ponies i was lucky where i moved them to, i had a barn with stables inside (not an american barn though) and i could shut the barn gate and let them wander around out of the stables. it was big enough to give them a nice bit of exercise and also they learnt that we weren't bad!
my OH would sit on the wall with a tub of treats and if they came near they got one.

once we were able to touch them without them being scared i let them out one at a time with my trusty/greedy mare, they would follow her back in and stay nearby while i groomed her in the middle of the field without any worry. when i could handle them in the field i was able to let them out together and things just progressed.
now they are the most sociable ponies on the yard. they don't care about anything and are very chilled out being around people.
 
Thanks thats good. i have uploaded my little eddie and the fell ponies dad hope u think hes as cute as me little ****
 
when i got my last 2 wild ponies i was lucky where i moved them to, i had a barn with stables inside (not an american barn though) and i could shut the barn gate and let them wander around out of the stables. it was big enough to give them a nice bit of exercise and also they learnt that we weren't bad!
my OH would sit on the wall with a tub of treats and if they came near they got one.

once we were able to touch them without them being scared i let them out one at a time with my trusty/greedy mare, they would follow her back in and stay nearby while i groomed her in the middle of the field without any worry. when i could handle them in the field i was able to let them out together and things just progressed.
now they are the most sociable ponies on the yard. they don't care about anything and are very chilled out being around people.
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Very sensible advice! I would also recommend buying yourself a copy of Sarah Weston's book - No Fear No Force. It is designed specially for people with unhandled, feral young horses. It deals with all the situations that are likely to crop up, so meaning you're prepared in advance and know what to expect, rather than having to pop on here for advice (when you'll certainly get at least 5 completely different ideas, some potentially quite dangerous :p). It will also mean your Fell has a good set of basic skills that it will be easy to build on as they mature.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Fear-For...2893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335875231&sr=8-1
 
The only advice that I would give is make sure you wear a hat, body protector and gloves when you first deal with him, probably not needed but always best to make sure. I was trampled many many years ago by a 'wild' off the forest pony. Not malicious but she just panicked and was trying to get away
 
Brightbay said:
Very sensible advice! I would also recommend buying yourself a copy of Sarah Weston's book - No Fear No Force. It is designed specially for people with unhandled, feral young horses. It deals with all the situations that are likely to crop up, so meaning you're prepared in advance and know what to expect, rather than having to pop on here for advice (when you'll certainly get at least 5 completely different ideas, some potentially quite dangerous :p). It will also mean your Fell has a good set of basic skills that it will be easy to build on as they mature.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Fear-For...2893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335875231&sr=8-1
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:) That's the thing on a forum though isn't it? You ask a dozen people a question about how they do things and you will get a dozen varying answers. :)

The secret is to pick what works best for you, your horse and your individual situation, also to realise that peoples' opinions and experiences are just that, their opinions and experiences, you don't have to act on them, but maybe, just maybe, one little snippet will slide into place in your own circumstances, an open mind is a very valuable possession.

Agree with all the recommendations for the book it is excellent source of advice.
 
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