Shetland Pony Makeover Day

Yesterday was definitely Mia’s day for the ponies. She stayed at our house the night before and she got up early… actually, that needs more of a fanfare.

Mia not only got up before I called her, she surprised me by being cheerful AND dressed!

That’s better.

After breakfast, she had to endure watching the television because @s0u1 and I had a bit of work to do. At lunchtime we made our usual visit to the stables to feed Mav and Onyx and we took a picnic of sorts. @s0u1 cooked hotdogs on the tailgate of the truck while Mia and I fed the horses.

After lunch, we all went to the field to chat to the ponies. @s0u1 took lots of pictures for his parents to see how Mia is enjoying the horses. She had a little chat with Great-Gran (@s0u1’s mum) and part of the conversation went:

Great-Gran: “I think I owe you some pocket money, don’t I?”
Mia: “I’ve got some money, I don’t need any.”
Bless her!
@s0u1 is going to tell Great-Gran that Mia needs a few new things for her pony, so she’ll be saving up her pocket money. I think that will suit them both.

Then we went to see Mia’s own pony (in a separate field to the boys because there are two boys that aren’t yet gelded and we don’t want Carneddau/Shetland hybrids, no matter how cute they’d be!) Twinkle looked a little hot, bothered by the heat because she’s not shed her winter coat yet!

Mia and I took a while to pull tufts of fur from Twinkle. It looked like it had been snowing by the time we’d done.

The photo-shoot continued as we worked, but we eventually decided we’d done as much as we could in the time allowed and knocked-off for a while.

We then went back home. A little later, we went back to the stables for Mia’s ‘proper’ pony-time. Bev is giving Mia socially-distant riding lessons. We tack up the pony, Mia rides and takes direction from Bev. It’s working quite well.

Before Bev was due to arrive, we brought Twinkle into the yard to groom her before riding. Twilight kicked up such a fuss that we brought her too. De-furring both ponies went quite well and I also ‘hogged’ Twilight’s thick mane.

‘Snow’ in the yard, interspersed with tufts of long mane, scattered by the chickens and Mia’s wellies.

I show Mia how to tack up her pony and she’s got the hang of the saddle now, even though Twinkle blows out her belly so that Mia can’t fasten the girth.

The bridle is a little more complicated as we don’t want to upset the pony by bashing her teeth with the metal bit as it goes into her mouth.

Oh yeah, she's getting the hang of it

Take the head collar off, but keep it fastened around her neck so she can’t run off, then the reins go over her head. Holding the bridle, put the pony’s nose into the noseband and gently introduce the bit to her. Twinkle opens her mouth because she knows what to do, but Onyx, Nimbus and especially the ponies that have never had a bit between their teeth, Goran, Pagan and Twilight, won’t have a clue what’s happening and we certainly do not want their first experience of a bit to be a bad one or they’ll remember and baulk or shy the next time you want to try them.

To get them to open their mouth so the bit can go in is quite easy. You place a finger in the side of the pony’s mouth, just behind the teeth and they naturally open it. The bit has to go over the tongue in order to be effective and not uncomfortable.

Until Mia is confident enough, I’ll be putting the bridle onto Twinkle.

Mia led Twinkle into the paddock and made sure the girth was tight before getting on. She worried that the saddle was too far forward, but I explained that it only looked that way because of the lack of hair.

The reins are her biggest problem at the moment. The way you’re supposed to hold them is complicated for a new rider and she keeps getting them upside down.

Mia took her pony in hand and her confidence had increased by more than double since the last time she rode Twinkle. She took off down the field, made her trot, spoke to the pony all the time, turned at a trot and didn’t even worry about it when Twinkle decided she’d go another direction to the one Mia wanted to go in – Mia turned her around and showed her who was boss!

I decided that she’d got so much confidence from riding Maverick – it’s a long way to fall from a Shire Horse and so falling off Twinkle would be a doddle. Without that to worry about, Mia could take everything else in her stride!

Mia took direction from Bev and used her ‘whippy stick’ when Twinkle wouldn’t listen to her legs.

“Make her canter,” Bev said.

“Nooo…” Mia said, the worry making a return.

“Cantering is easier than trotting, it’s a lot smoother,” Bev explained.

The thing is, Mia listens to Bev. She doesn’t seem to hear what Grandad and Grandma tell her – that’s the reason we asked Bev to teach her.

Twinkle sped up and listened to Mia’s legs and whippy stick, but she didn’t canter. She got faster, but at a trot.

“Take her around again and come up the middle of the field,” Bev said.

I walked down the field and stopped half-way. By the time Mia got to me, Twinkle was still not cantering. I flicked my lunge whip to make a ‘crack’ sound and suddenly Twinkle knew how to canter!

Mia realized that Bev was right! Cantering is a smoother gait and it’s also FASTER and therefore, more fun than ever!

Confidence soaring, Mia took Twinkle over the trotting poles and even over a tiny cross pole.

She’s improving all the time and she’s enjoying it.

When we saw the pictures of Mia interacting with the horses, my heart swelled! She does love them and I think Mia and my ponies are going to be the best of friends for a long time to come.