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Hi, have just joined. Am from Lancs in the UK, but should hopefully be moving to Cambs UK in the next few months.
I am hoping to progress in my journey with my ponies and hoping to meet lots of like minded peeps in the process .
Ok so about me, I have been owned by ponies for over 30 years since I was 8 yrs old. I was very very lucky in that my Mum and dad bought me a scruffy 12.2 pony. While for the 1st year with him (I had had 6 lessons when they got him and he stayed at the riding school on working livery while I started to learn pony lol. ) I used to get fustrated that he would not jump like my friends horses, he was quiet mostly. Until we got to know eachother. He was amazing. If I asked he would try to jump the moon, if I told him, I hit the deck. He was the most wonderful teacher I could ever have asked for, we bought him as a 12 yo, but he was more like 25yo! He taught me tantrums just dont work, but be happy and ask always gets results. I outgrew him and jumped to a 15.1hh ex pacer. He was also fantastic and taught me so much paitence. I then got Guy, my soul mate. Ryan was found a forever home with a lady who wanted to hack as that was his most fav thing to do, I wanted to jump... my pony found a homein another school, where I was asked did I want him back one time I visited him and while I wanted to I let him stay (they really wanted him to stay but knew how much I doted on him) as he was with many life long friends which he lived out the remaining years with them in the field with the odd small child having a walk on him.
Guy was the best horse I will ever be owned by. He brought me up from a scared 14yo girl and helped me become the woman I am today. Thru him I found classical and spent many hours with my trainer Tony Dampier. I dont know how I did it but we had all the lateral moves, one time changes, levade, all with no tack and me clinging on like a limpet lol. My happiest memory was sneaking out bareback, and no halter or bridle on, andno hat at 1am on a snowy moonlight night cantering across the moors with tears in my eyes feeling totally at one and at peace with the world with Guy. Its a feeling I will NEVER forget and always aspire to gain with my ponies. I lost Guy in 2008 at the grand age of 29yrs. I miss him every single day.
Meanwhile I also had Elliott, a cob that advanced my learning but sadly passed in 2010 due to metabolic issues at a very young 15yrs. Same with Charlie a pony I rescued from a field full of ragwort and had laminitis.
I now have Fell ponies, Lucy is my princess, I have had her since she was 7 months old, she is 8 years old on 19th may. She is the reason I have found this forum as she is not happy in her mouth. She is a highly sensitive and intelligent pony (well all 4 of mine are but she is espceially so) She was started western as I have been riding western on and off for 18years but she does not like it. So its back to classical for her and today I tried various bits (she was started at 6yo , I dont like to ride them too soon as I am a bit tubby and I like them to me mentally and physically ready) but Lucy is not happy. I started her at 6yo and got to sitting on her, I then sent her to my western trainer who in many ways did a fantastic job with her, but then did not as he upset her mouth. I sent her away as I have spinal and hip issues, from a RTA in 1999 then it was me, my bosses horse and a 7.5ton waggon over the top of us, killing the horse and damaging my spine and hip. Guy got me riding again but I am still very nervous of riding other horses. The flash backs have now stopped and I am now back on track in my learning,. I then re-injured the same spots in a fall off my other fell in 2009 (not her fault at all) So Lucy has not done much , she came back from my trainers and did nothing due to a harsh winter, then I flared up my spine so she had a full 18 months off, and today was the 2nd time this year I have ridden her. SO, tried different bits and she was not happy, tried Lorels Bosal, better, but still not settled, tried a rope halter and still not happy, so clipped my reins to her lunging cavesson and OMG!!! For the first time she would stay in gait, not anchoring on stopping, but happily moving forwards stretching (well starting to) down and light off the leg. SO right now I feel like a bad mummy for not listening sooner, but onwards now..
ALso have a grey Fell mare Lorel who is 9 yo this year owned me since she was 3yo, who I ride western on, shel oves this, and is happiest in a bosal. SHe loves the reining moves too. We dont tend to compete, I would like to but then I lose my confidence as I love to compete to show what we can do, not for the ribbons, but then it upsets me when others cant see how happy my girl is and put us down, I know its their issues not mine, but I just cant be bothered ATM, so I have not competed for a while.
I also have a grey fell gelding Flynn, who is rising 7years, but I play in hand ish with him, he has owned me since he was a yearling but will never be ridden as he is slowly losing his sight and is very spooky and unconfident. But he loves the attention so we play inhand. Last week was the first time he managed to walk confidently up my lane and back so I am very pround of his braveness atm.
My other pony is a Shetland called Walter, who is soo cheeky and loving and adores going for walks and playing in the streams etc.
I have worked with horses since leaving school, but constantly moving jobs as they where very traditional and I would get fed up of the horses being used like machines, so in 2000 I retrained as an Equine Body Worker and have done this since. I love looking at how horses move and how the rider/handler/tack effects this.
well done for getting this far lol
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Great to read your story and I am looking forward to reading more, and hopefully also seeing some pictures or videos of your ponies. A friend of mine is totally in love with Fell ponies, but they are very rare over here, so I have never seen one in real life.
Great photos!
I adore Fell ponies 
. They are very rare here in Austria as well and the only ones I've seen were where we bought our Welsh Cob. What I didn't know is that they also come in white 
. Flynn and Lorel look fantastic!
but I have a Fellx mare, a new forest mare and two shetties which I adore! Always lovely to find other Fell peeps! 