Training Exmoor ponies

[Francis Burton]

I just found an article on the web which I really like and thought others might like to read too. It's an article with the unassuming title "Handling Hints" containing practical advice for anyone with Exmoors on how to go about making them easy to handle and encouraging safe behaviour with members of the public (who may not be pony-savvy). All common sense stuff, but there are some delightful little gems of observation in there too (imho). Many of the suggestions in the "To sum up" list at the end are as every bit as applicable to "domestic" horses as they are to semi-wild Exmoor ponies.

http://www.ruralnet.org.uk/~epic/main/issue2/c.htm

Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did!

[chev]

Thanks for that :) . I like the advice to tell a pony disappearing with your rope to 'trot on'! I remember doing very similar with a couple of mine... a kind of 'walk... wa-alk... erm - right - can-ter!' moment! :D

This made me sad though.

"Learning 'How People Work' is much more difficult for a moorland pony who is older or who already may have already formed a negative opinion on the matter. Her view of the world may mean this important first lesson is much harder to grasp and may take days, weeks, months or even years to learn, if at all."

One of mine has taken a year to overcome some very deep-seated fears of people, and is still nowhere near what most people would class as 'handleable'. I've come to terms with the fact that she may never carry a rider, or wear harness, and she has taught me a tremendous amount over the last twelve months. But knowing that her problems are entirely man-made, and could so easily have been avoided.... that's much harder to deal with.

[notpoodle]

will have a look at that, sounds very interesting :) i have an exmoor but she's never been in the wild :D

julia
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[Yann]

Finally always remember to keep a sense of humour. This is not too difficult with Exmoors as they have the knack of introducing something interesting to almost any situation!

I like that bit :D

[notpoodle]

haha yes that sounds all too familar :D you cant help but laugh at them ponies sometimes :)

julia
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