The Percydale Ponies’ Diary - Week Two

Our friend Bella was saddled and bridled for the first time this week and she was very good and didn’t make a fuss.

She is a registered Welsh Mountain Pony. She was completely black when she was born but every year she grows more and more grey hairs when she moults. One day she will be completely white. New Mum says that white horses and ponies are called grey which seems silly to us but people seem to have a lot of very strange ideas. If they want to call white horses and ponies grey we’ll just let them get on with it.

Hollie and Zoe, (New Mum’s grandchildren) were the first people to put Bella’s saddle on. They did it the proper way by getting her used to being stroked with the numnah and then having that on her back. Then they leaned on her and got her used to feeling pressure where the saddle would be. When they gently put the saddle on she didn’t mind at all.

After that Hollie and Zoe’s Dad put on her bridle. She looked a bit surprised when the bit went into her mouth but quite enjoyed playing with it with her tongue.

New Mum says what do we know about it as we have never worn anything more than a head collar. We say that you can know how things should be done without actually doing it yourself. So there!!

Bella with Hollie and Zoe's Dad. You can see she's definitely getting whiter. This photo was taken last summer. It will be interesting to see how different she is this year when she loses her winter coat

Read about us at www.thepercydaleponies.co.uk                  or read some of the things New Mum has written at www.percydalehappyhorses.co.uk.