Who are your ponies now?

[harveydales]

I thought it would be nice if we could all list our ponies here. I find it hard and confusing to follow on FB for example I had no idea ALison has 7 9 now! So I'll start:

You all know I lost both Harvey and Dolly last year, completely out of the blue I now have just 3 -

Castledales Eve bred by Tynedale on here. She will be 6 this summer. I've had her 2 years now and bought her from a Lincolnshire riding school where she was in very poor condition. They had backed her at 3 and to me it was obvious she needed a couple of years in a field to grow into herself - she is now well over 15hh and is a very big girl. My plan was to find her a good home once she was 6 as I thought Harvey would be my last riding horse. Then that first summer she appeared to have very severe sweet itch and also managed to injure herself several times (worst one was when she got her head stuck in a gate) all of which made me think I couldn't sell her. But now Harvey is gone I am giving Eve a chance to see if she can be my riding pony. She is nothing like Harvey at all, very brave, inquisative and outgoing. Not at all spooky but very reactive. Last summer she didn't suffer with sweet itch at all so I'm hoping it was down to the run down condition she was in that first year rather than the fact that last year was a hot summer with few midges about. I've now started sitting on her a bit and I take her out in hand a lot. We've had lots of ups and downs but basically she is really good as I don't have any schoolmaster to go out with us. I did loads of agility/clicker training and at liberty work with her the first year. Time will tell whether she will be too much for me (I will be 66 this year!) but I am sure she will make a fabulous riding pony.

Westick Frankie will be 27 this year. He is still doing well, still herd leader although very grey in the face now.

Lily my semi feral Dartmoor who will be 16 this year! She has become much more settled since Eve arrived and the pair of them are great mates.

[tinkeralison]

Well 9 in total atm, Doris (Sandtoft Princess) and Waterside Alick both went over rainbow bridge. 😐

Waterside Eveline and Katy, got them in 2016 along with Waterside Samantha when the waterside stud closed, all older brood mares, Sam went over to Pennys stallion Maverick last year for covering,  made herself at home with some of her old herd mates and is still there. Eve and Katy are both very sweet mares, enjoying their retirement 

Waterside Jasmine, bought 2016 just before the dispersal from Waterside. My dad had had Jasmin on loan in her younger days, but she had been a brood mare back at Waterside from age  7 to 14, she came back in foal end in Sept 2016 had a colt foal who is Caphouse John Storry by Griseburn Falcon

John Storry named after my dad is now a strapping 2.5 yr old  bay gelding, nearly as tall as his mum 😁

Tinker is now 21 years old!  Still hacks out when needed, she has had a quiet year this year x

Castle Hill Sherry is a 8 year old black mare , sweet to do, broken to ride, currently in foal to Malhamdale Apocolito , due end April 😍

Caphouse Alice, daughter of Doris is now 10 years old, almost white now. Had her first foal  Caphouse Princess (mini to her friends) in 2017, and she went to a lovely home last year

Caphouse Benjamin aka Alfie or sicknote 8 yr old 14.2 black gelding,  spends a lot of his time being lame for one reason or another, hopefully restarting in spring🙄

And finally, Roandale Fashion, 8 yr old blue roan  mare, last year's purchase, hopefully to be a brood mare, currently just hacking to keep the weight off 🤔 really hope she recovers well from this colic episode, I love her !

Alice and Fashion


Alfie



The rest 

[Fi]

9, wow! How does that happen......?? Lol

I’ve just the one Dales, Sunglow Samuel rising 8 year old black gelding. He’s an adorable boy, very affable, very bright and one of those sensitive types. He’s my first youngster and has taught me so much.

I also still have the original Sam, my first horse, now referred to as ‘Old Sam’. He’s 30 this year sometime, has had Cushings for 11 years now but still keeps going on, due I suspect to him being the most stubborn and opinionated creature ever.

[Debbie]

I'm delighted you created this thread as there's been so many changes over the last few years. So many comings and goings!

2018 was a shocking year for me. Going into 2108, I had 4 I was caring for, Bloss, Dundee, and Rita and Reigny. At the very beginning of the year, Rita had decided she really wanted a completely different home and she went to a brilliant large ranch to be a broodie and riding horse for a guy who weighs maybe 120lbs soaking wet.

Around mid year we went to visit a Dales pony that was up for resale. While we were viewing her to give feedback for others, yet again I dearly wanted to bundle her up and simply bring her home with us. Alas, an amergency room visit for Eldon put paid to that idea. And at the same time, Reigny and Dundee decided to voice their opinions of getting into new homes. Both were super keen trail horse and over the rest of summer, although I'd offered to trade them for the mare I'd seen, her new owner wasn't interested. Instead, it was offered if I'd trade for a grey Dales filly born this year. I agreed and was extremely happy with the new homes found for Dundee and Reigny, both very fantastically suited. They left in August and for a time, Blossom was solo pony again.

At the end of Nov, the filly arrived, but very sadly none of us could make a connection. I decided it would be much better for her to go back to her breeder to be offered for sale which is where she is currently.

So for now, I have Kilmannan Blossom. She's 13 this year and although we did have a readjustment period after the others left (it had been 6 years since she was a solo pony), Blossom's thrilled with having everything be hers again. Her hay, her food, her water buckets, all the stalls in the barn, her Mummy ...in short, everything is 'hers' yet again and she seems very happy about it

For myself, it's a huge shock going back to just Blossom. I've been struggling to care for four for years now, so this is a big breather for me.

[harveydales]

Lovely to read all these posts. I must put some photos of my lot on here.

Alison - Alice reminds me so much of Doris. Doris was one of the first Dales Ponies I met. Fashion is beautiful - I do hope she will be allowed home from the vets soon and all goes well. I remember seeing Sherry when she was a little foal and thought she was adorable!

Fi - I love reading about your Sam as I am following in your footsteps with Eve. I have learned so much about youngsters - the last time I had a youngster was nearly 40 years ago and so much has changed, all for the better.

Debbie - I can imagine how happy Blossom is to have your full attention 100% of the time! She always was a "one person pony" wasn't she? It must make life a lot easier for you too. I know I am enjoying being down to 3 ponies after having 5.

[tinkeralison]

Pam, she is her double, same temperament and everything, I often call her Doris, it's my age 😁

[harveydales]

LOL I find myself calling Eve Harvey which is even worse! I hope I can get to meet Alice some time soon.

[Debbie]

LOL well, after they've been with you for so long, it's easy to mix up the names. Alice really is such a copy of her momma I always admired Doris, so I'm glad you were able to keep Alice. She was Doris' firstborn, wasn't she?

I love reading about people's adventures with their ponies. They might not always be straightforwards, but at least they have their antics to keep things lighthearted.

yes, Blossom's always been a bit of a Mummy's girl. It was a problem when she was sent to the trainer's as a youngster. I had to stay away because she refused to listen to anyone else. Eldon loves on her, but she leaves him in an instant if she sees me I'd hoped the new filly would be more for Eldon, but perhaps in the future we'll have one show up that will be more his than mine, or that we can share more than Bloss.

[tinkeralison]

Debbie, yes she was the first foal we bred, exactly what I wanted 😁 she had two goes at AI last year but didn't catch so she is empty atm.

Pam, can't believe you've seen Sherry, she still only little, about 13.2 😁

Fi, you're doing really well with both Sams , 30 is a great age xx

[harveydales]

Yes, I always like to see any Castle Hill foals if I can. Visited the stud a couple of times and always look out for them at shows. Thought Sherry was so sweet.

[mickey]

Where do I start?! ha!
Yeti- came back from loan after 8 years. Older members may remember him. He's still happy and healthy and mad... He gets palmed off to anyone who wants to ride.
Country Rose- aka Becky. Joined me in the February of the year I lost Mickey in the may. 10 years ago. She's now 26 and pretty much retired. She'll always be the queen.
Belle- Becky's daughter. Rising 6 and just backed. I fall off her a lot.
Ridgelane Duke- the colt I bought at the fell sales. Now 7 and testing me at times.
Rory Mac- still a puzzle. Currently lame with liver and muscle enzymes all over the place. Its a good job he's sweet boy although neurotic.
Roandale Calamity Jane aka Pait or Patience as most will know her. Back in work after having a foal. Love this mare to bits.
Jerry- Pait's 2 year old by Penny's Highclose Maverick.
Roandale Elsie- 2 year old blue roan filly
Tally- the mare I bought when Bex was in foal. 19 and retired lame.
Sowermire Evie... bought as I needed a companion. Oh the irony....

[harveydales]

Good grief, Emily, how on earth do you manage with so many ponies! I knew you had them all but when you see it all written down, well it exhausts me just thinking about it! Hard to beleive it is 10 years since you lost Micky.

[Debbie]

. I need that faceplant smiley! WOOWWW.... I've no idea how you keep up with them all Em! I bet they keep you busy and laughing though

[mickey]

Ha its hard work! So many are field ornaments it's not too bad and all live out 24/7 bar bex and yeti. They'll go out 24/7 in the summer

[Debbie]

They're so lucky to have you as their owner Em