I can easily imagine someone asking, “what the heck do the activities of the Partnering with Ponies 2025 Tribute have to do with the working heritage of our ponies?” Nothing and everything, it turns out! Click here for a link to an article I wrote for Rural Heritage magazine many years ago with the assistance of teamster Laura Masterson in Oregon. We called it “Ideas for the Off-Season.” It describes some of the activities in the Tribute and how they relate to her work with her team of work horses during her busy season.

Mya the Wonder Pony did a lot of work in harness and taught me a lot about working ponies. Here’s she’s skidding brush for a client of the logging business my late husband and I had.

Previously, I mentioned Warwick Schiller’s email titled “The Value of Allowing a No.” Since then I’ve been contacted by folks saying there’s other people besides Schiller that work towards yeses by allowing no’s. Yes! And isn’t that awesome! One clinician that was mentioned in particular is Kansas Caradine. Kansas spent many years working with horses in the traveling show Cavalia.

Libby Robinson who, like me, worked professionally with ponies, commented on my last post, “Your pony knows what you are saying and understands what you want; working together is in their blood.” How does work, day-in, day-out with ponies relate to the value of allowing a no? Because when you have a job to do, you can’t afford a pony saying “no, I’m not interested in doing that today.” Whether it’s Kansas Caradine in Cavalia or Libby in her varied work with ponies or me in the woods skidding brush and logs for a client, we need to know that our pony is truly our work partner. When clients pay you only upon completion of a job, you need to know that the pony you take to work with you is going to say yes all day until the job is done. And the way that you get to that sort of partnership is to realize, as Schiller suggested, that no’s can be ‘not yets’ and our ponies will help us understand how to get those ‘not yets’ to yeses.

At least in the line of work I did with my ponies, there was absolutely no way to expose them to all that might happen when we went on a job. Instead, it was really important that I have a strong partnership of work with my ponies. I developed that by showing up every day to do something with them. Many of the activities in the Tribute are ones that can be used to develop that kind of partnership in advance if we can’t prepare for jobs in other ways. I hope Tribute participants will use the activities to create and/or enjoy a deeper relationship with their ponies. One lifetime with them isn’t enough!

I was working on the Tribute today, and here is part of what I wrote: “Welcome to the Partnering with Ponies 2025 Tribute! The organizers of the Tribute are volunteers who recognize that most ponies have a working heritage and enjoy working with their humans. Of course, they also want a say in the work! The goal of this 2025 Tribute is to celebrate and even strengthen our partnerships with our ponies, as well as to celebrate the history that our ponies have of working with their people.”

Fell Pony stallion Midnight Valley Timothy carrying me across a river bareback with just a rope hackamore.

A few minutes after writing that paragraph, I read clinician Warwick Schiller’s email that arrived yesterday. It had the provocative subject “The Value of Allowing a No.” Here’s an extended excerpt:

“Something that is hard for some people to wrap their head around is allowing a horse to say no. I get it. A decade ago, it would have triggered me the way it triggers some people these days. But these days I see things a bit differently. I see things a lot more empathetically. And in seeing things more empathetically I have discovered a very strange phenomenon. That phenomenon is that, in many cases, if you allow a horse to say no, it turns into a yes. And that yes has a different quality to it than a yes that was gained by pure obedience. You end up getting the response you want, without any of the negative side effects. It's more Naturopath than Big Pharma.

“I like to think of those little no's as ‘not yets’, and that's what they seem to be. It seems that the horses don't have a problem doing the thing you are asking, IF they have a say in it. In other words, it's not that they don't want to participate, they are actually quite happy to, as long as they have some agency.

“I can see some people replying to this and coming up with scenarios that if they allowed their horse to say no, their life would be in danger. Usually that is because they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, with no foundation. Speaking of foundation, it seems that the only time these no's happen is during the foundation stage, and that is a safe place to allow them. If you get it right at that stage, after that you just get yeses.”

Warwick then went on to describe a change he made to his business name. “A few years ago I changed my business name to Warwick Schiller Attuned Horsemanship. Attunement (and I love to use this definition created by Sarah Schlote of Equusoma: Horse-Human Trauma Recovery) is ‘the sense of Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Felt, and Getting Gotten’. It's about feeling completely understood. Allowing horses to say those little no's communicates your awareness of their little bits of concern, so they feel understood, and most importantly feel safe. That feeling of safety is not the same as a horse who is trained through obedience.” I highly recommend Warwick’s video library, Facebook page, and Journey On Podcast.

The Partnering with Ponies 2025 Tribute will involve, in part, the accumulation of 25 miles or 25 activities or a combination totally 25. The activities can be chosen from a provided list. As you’ve probably guessed by now, the Tribute is intended to celebrate partnerships of people and ponies that are safe because they are based on yeses, and allowing no’s.

More soon!

To recognize and celebrate the partnership we have with our ponies and their working heritage

With gratitude to The Fell Pony Society’s Challenge team who created challenges for members from 2022-2024.

When The Fell Pony Society decided not to do a Challenge in 2025, I was disappointed.  I enjoyed the opportunities to partner with a pony on a goal; earning a ribbon was icing on the cake!  Then one morning, this Partnering with Ponies Tribute came to mind!  You can find a registration form by clicking here.  Please remember when you register that you are undertaking all of these activities at your own risk. 

The goal of this 2025 challenge is to celebrate and even strengthen your partnership with your pony or ponies as well as to celebrate the history that our ponies have of working with their people.  Click here to read about the connection between the Tribute activities and working pony heritage.

Please read the following before you ask any questions!

• One person, any number of ponies

• Complete registration form (click here).

• Pay entry fee of US$25 (UK participants will pay UK partner; other countries will be figured out on as needed basis).  Fee is for rosette/ribbon and postage to send.  Any funds remaining will be donated.  In North America, they will be donated to the Fell Pony Society in appreciation for the genesis of the Challenge idea.  Information on payment is on the registration form.

• Complete 25 miles or 25 activities described below or a combination of the miles and activities equal to 25 total.  If you have done the activity before with your pony, then improve the quality this time in some way. Record the completed miles or activity on the activities form.

• On the activities form, record two notable moments per activity or mile.  Notable moments should reflect progress on the activity (start/complete) or reflect on your partnership with your pony.  A notable moment on a ride, for instance, might be how your pony responded to a rabbit crossing in front of you (or a car or a dog, etc.) or how well (or not) it changed gait this time versus last time. 

• Collect ten photographs of notable moments or mileage showing you with your pony.  Make sure to date them somehow and indicate where they fit on the activities form.

• Complete and submit the activities form (click here for a copy) and ten photographs. 

• The timeframe for this Challenge is June through October 2025 inclusive (first of June to thirty-first of October.)

• Have fun with your pony/ponies!

• Receive a rosette or ribbon (goal is to distribute rosettes by the end of 2025.)

Activities From Which You Can Choose

1.       Mind your approach. 
When you are going to see your pony, think about when your pony would first be able to see you approach.  Then as you approach, pay attention to when your pony indicates he/she has seen you.  It may have been a long way before you saw him/her.  The next time you go see your pony, notice again when they first see you and consider when they may have first heard you approach.  If you can, change up where your pony is kept so you can test how far away they are paying attention to you.  Do this at least five times, and note on the activities form your notable moments.

2.       Grazing in hand for five minutes at least four times. 
If you can, vary the time of day, the location, the weather, or anything else that’s possible to see how your pony behaves differently, or not.  Move with your pony; try not to constrain them except for safety.  Notice what they notice, including what plants they prefer.  For Fell Pony owners, remember that a key part of David Anthony Murray’s first report was recording the diversity of what Fells on the fells ate.

3.       Find your pony’s favorite spot to be scratched. 
You can use these spots as rewards!  Possibilities include point of shoulder, point of withers, point of buttock, front of chest, shoulder bed, behind ear, under mane, etc.  Make note of how your pony indicates to you that it is a favorite spot.  Click here for more. 

4.       Ask your pony to lower its head.
Use a soft downward pull, and release the pressure when your pony gives even slightly.  Work towards your pony lowering its head all the way to the ground. 

5.       Once your pony will lower its head to the ground (#4), ask it to keep it there until you tell them it’s okay for them to raise it.

6.       Once your pony will lower its head to the ground and keep it there (#5), ask it to raise its head back up when asked.

7.       Stand still.
Your pony’s ability to stand still when you mount, when you are hitched to a cart, or even just grooming is a skill that enhances safety.  The skill can be taught when on a halter and leadrope and will usually translate to riding, driving, draft, and more.  Click here and scroll down to “Standing Still” for a description. 

8.       Take a single step.
This is an especially useful skill when working in harness but can be helpful in many other contexts too.  Click here and scroll down to “Step” for a description. 

9.       Back against a wall.
On a halter and lead, back your pony until their butt touches a wall.  Click here and scroll down to “Butt to the Wall” for a description. 

10.   Lead your pony from both sides (near and off/left and right) for at least twenty yards. 
You are looking for quality here, not distance.  Strive for your pony to lead equally well from either side.

11.   Back your pony through a gate on a lead rope. 
This is a great test of leadership skills.  Usually you’ll start with firm downward pressure on the leadrope under the chin to guide them, releasing the pressure whenever they give a good try. 

12.   Back your pony through a gate at liberty.
After you’ve achieved #11, get to a point where you can line them up and shake your finger and they back up without hesitation. An intermediate step might be shaking the lead rope to back them.

13.   Lead your pony without a leadrope.  Click here for a full description. 

14.   Pick up your pony’s feet from the offside. 
For instance, standing at the withers, run your hand down the near leg and ask your pony to lift its foot as if you were going to pick it.  Now, keeping in mind your pony might be surprised by this and you might have to work up to doing it, run your hand down the far leg, and ask your pony to lift that foot.  Do both front and hind legs.  Starting with the hind is often easier.

15.   Move the snap. 
Click here and scroll down to “Move the Snap” for a full description.  Make note of where you start and how much progress you make.  It’s a great test of how much sensitivity you’ve developed in your handling of your pony. Click here for another description.   and

16.   Lead loop spin.
Stand with your pony facing you. Your pony needs to be haltered and has a lead rope connected to the halter. You’ll need one that is at least ten feet long. Without moving your pony’s feet, run the leadrope down one side of your pony, around its buttocks and back up the other side so you are once again standing with your pony facing you. Now slowly and gently begin pulling on the lead rope. The goal is for your pony to calmly follow the pull and spin around to face you again. A pony can give you all sorts of reactions to this use of a lead rope before they will calmly stand and then spin. Do it from both sides.

17. Umbrella.
Umbrellas are very useful tools for exposing ponies to unusual objects because they can be folded, unfurled, twirled, circled, and held high or low.  Make note of how your pony reacts to the umbrella, especially opening it the first time, and then another time when your pony’s reaction is different.

18.   Sleigh bells or musical instrument.
For some ponies the sight, sound, and movement of a string of sleigh bells is no big deal, and others have different reactions.  If you don’t have sleigh bells, use a musical instrument.  Make note of how your pony reacts the first time you share time with bells or an instrument and then again another time.  Click here to watch a video of a herd of ponies and their varied reactions.

19.   Walk your pony across a tarp.
Click here for a description.

20.   Drape your pony with the tarp.
The goal is for your pony to stand still while the crinkly unusual object is placed over them and taken off.  Have one end of the tarp up the neck towards the poll and the other on or back of the rump.  For some ponies you will need to start with the tarp several feet away until they trust you with it.

21.   Ground drive from the withers on both sides for at least twenty yards with a quality whoa.
Standing at the withers or slightly behind (about where you’ll be when mounted) with the leadrope in your hand, ask for a walk forward.  Flick the tail of the lead rope behind you if you need to encourage forward movement.  Ask for a whoa.  Be sure to get a clean one (no spinning the hind end or stopping only because they sense you stopping.)  Be sure to do this from both sides.  Depending on your stamina, you can also ask for the trot.

22.   Circling.
Ask your pony to walk around you at the distance the lead rope will allow four times without stopping and without encouragement. This is not lunging. It’s about teaching maintenance of a gait until asked to change speed or stop. No clucks or words or raising your arms or use of a stick or whip to keep your pony going. You are just standing still and quietly holding the lead rope. This isn’t easy, for your pony or you! Start with a single circle until it’s perfect. Then progress to two, three, and four. Once you have it in one direction, do it in the other direction.

23.   Jumping over a pole.
With a long lead rope, you can teach a pony to circle and jump a pole or to go back and forth over a pole.  Click here to see a video about this. 

24.   Figure 8s.
Set up cones or similar objects and teach your pony to do a figure 8 pattern.  Click here for a video showing figure-8s. 

25.   Around the World. 
I learned this from the late driving and draft clinician Steve Bowers.  Attach a plastic bag to the end of a stick.  Get your pony to accept being touched by the plastic bag.  Then work on them standing quietly while you ‘trace’ the outline of their body:  start at the withers, go down the center of the back, down the tail (extra credit for up under the tail and then down the buttocks!), down to the feet, around the coronet band, up the inside of the hind leg, along the belly, down the back of the front leg, around the coronet band, up the front of the front leg, up the chest, up the underside of the neck, under the chin, around the tip of the nose, up the head, between the ears, down the neck, to the withers.  Go both directions and do it from both sides.

26.   Place a saddle pad or bareback pad on your pony’s back (for a pony who hasn’t ever had a saddle or pad on).
You can choose how far to go with this activity; for instance if you have a pony younger than three then you might stop after just placing the pad on their back.  This activity could also be done with a lightweight saddle.  First get the pony used to the idea of something on their back.  When that is okay, then get them used to tightening the cinch.  When that is okay, then get them used to moving with the cinch tightened at the walk.  When that is okay, move at the trot.  Next add the stirrup leathers and tie them under the belly.  Proceed up the scale as before.  Then add the stirrups, letting them dangle.  You want this to go really well obviously because this is in their future, so make sure to set your pony up for success.

27.   Highway Clean-up. 
A client once told me about something she’d done with a three-year-old.  She put the bareback pad on and tied small plastic bags to it (the pony had been thoroughly desensitized to these things already of course).  Then they went walking along the highway and picked up trash.  There are lots of potential new things for a young pony in this task, so be sure to set them up for success.

28.   Take your pony across a water body.
While you might be able to get your pony to cross water on their own, it will likely be better for your relationship and be a quicker lesson if you plan to get your feet wet, too!  They must get their feet wet; no credit for them jumping it!  You could use a big puddle, a wading pool, a stream, a pond, the ocean or whatever you have available.  The goal is for them to be calm and curious, maybe even drinking from the water they are crossing!

29.   Load your pony into a trailer or horse box by sending it in rather than leading it in.  
It’s safer to send than lead because you can’t be crushed against the side.  Begin by asking the pony to calmly walk in.  When they are calm and comfortable with that, there are other possibilities, such as shown in this picture.  Fell Pony mare Newfarm Valencia trots into the trailer after being sent at that gait.  This photo illustrated an article by Linda Parelli in The Native Pony magazine in 2003-4.

30.   Back your pony up a ramp into a trailer/horse box.

31.   Load your pony into a trailer or horsebox without a lead rope.

32.   Cross a bridge, either in hand or ridden.

33.   Cross a cattleguard/cattle grid. 
I’ve been known to have a driving pony transport a piece of plywood to a cattleguard so that I could put it down to create a way to drive across the cattleguard.  A variation on this could be set up to do on foot with a pony being led.

34.   Go under a bridge or through an underpass. 
I was told once that a pony I bought was great about going across bridges but she took issue with underpasses.  How interesting!  Frankly, I don’t know where I’d find an underpass to work with, but it’s a great point that it’s an opportunity for training. 

35.   Pony one pony from another.
This is a great way to get a young pony out into the world and to begin to teach voice commands (assuming your mount/cart pony is used to voice commands.)  Click here for a video about ponying. 

36.   Ground driving for at least one hundred yards.
Use a surcingle or the bareback pad with stirrups tied under the belly as a surcingle.  String lines from the halter back through the stirrup leathers to you and work on walk and whoa.  I recommend not doing this until driving from the withers is going really well because your voice from behind is going to be confusing so having the general idea down first will help.  After walk and whoa are established, you can work on back and turning.

Remember! Have Fun!

This article was written for Rural Heritage magazine in 2011.  Rural Heritage is read by many draft teamsters, both equine and bovine.

Sometimes it’s mud, sometimes it’s rain, sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s heat.  For all of us, though, there’s at least one time each year when conditions force a change in our working routine with our horses.   Sometimes we put them out to pasture for a few months, sometimes they are stalled.  The break can be beneficial for both parties in the working relationship. 

On the other hand, time with our horses for many of us is an important part of our days.  We may not want a complete break away from them, even though the weather conditions are not conducive to our usual routines.  With a little thought and creativity, it’s possible to make good use of difficult weather conditions and potentially make the next work season the best yet.  Is there something your horse does that annoys you a little?  Have you had a nagging feeling about a habit one of your horses has that might turn into a safety issue?  Would a better relationship with your team make your work more enjoyable?

Laura Masterson with her mares Bonnie and Patty in 2011

For Laura Masterson, the answer to all these questions was yes.  She has found that she can’t work her team of Belgians during the winter months because there is too much mud on her farm in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  But she didn’t want to just turn them out for three months and then have to get reacquainted in the spring when things get hectic on her farm.  Her solution has been to identify small things that her horses could do better and take a little time each day during the winter months to work on them.  For instance, says Laura, “I harness in a double tie stall and it helps a lot if the horses respond to voice commands or a gentle nudge.  I often need them to back up or move over when I am harnessing.  When I'm carrying all that heavy harness is not the time to teach them.”

Lowering Their Heads

With our big draft horses, teaching them during slow times to lower their heads for haltering or bridling can make life much easier when things get busy.  If you pull down on the lead rope and your horse resists, you have a teaching opportunity.  The horse is bracing against you, and most of us will never be strong enough to force a horse’s head down to our level.  Rather than get a stool, give up or pick a fight, we can see this as an opportunity for improvement.  Once we learn to recognize the brace in the haltering process, we can start to see other places where our horses brace against us too (refusing to move over in a tie stall without a slap for instance.)

Leading from Both Sides

Another regular part of life with horses is leading.  Making sure our horses can lead from the off side as well as they do on the near side can result in greater safety.  One place where I’ve benefited from lessons on leading from the off-side is loading my ponies into the horse trailer.  The natural angle and approach to loading my three-horse slant-load trailer is from the near side, but when the wind’s blowing towards me, it blows the door towards me, blocking the pony’s path and creating a safety hazard.  Since I’m usually loading alone, I’ve figured out that I can lead my pony from the offside, then hold the trailer door open and send the pony into the trailer.  Once they’re in, I throw the leadrope on their back, and climb in and around next to them on their near side, retrieving and tying the leadrope as usual.

There have been people injured when a situation forced them to lead from the off-side and their horse wasn’t accustomed to it and ran them over.  Many horses have a semi-permanent bend in their necks from being led repeatedly from the near side; they tip their head toward their handler but keep their body farther away.  That physical display alone shouts out opportunity for off-season work.  And it’s a good reminder of the importance of repeating any training exercise on both sides of a horse’s body because each side uses a different part of their brain.  Lessons on one side don’t automatically translate to the other.

Standing Still

Grooming sessions provide great opportunities to work on little things that can pay big dividends.  “Standing seems like one of the most important things you can ever teach your horse,” comments Laura.  “On the farm I work by myself a lot, and I couldn't do that if my horses didn't stand. Hitching to equipment, adjusting equipment, getting off to open gates, and a million other things can only be done safely if your horses stand calmly and quietly. I always take the lines with me but that only helps so much.  In the winter I'll put one horse in the barn aisle and groom them away from the others.  I don't tie them, just hold a long leadrope as I walk from one side to the other.  I make a game out of not allowing my horse to move its feet.  I made great progress on this when I realized that my horses first ‘move’ with their attention or mind, then they might cock an ear or give me their eye, then move their head, and then finally they’d move their feet.  I figured out that if you scold when the head turns they think you can read their mind and you get farther faster.”

Step

Laura continues, “Another voice command I find helpful is ‘step’ which means take one step forward.”  You can teach this either from the driving position with lines or from the front with a lead rope or even when a horse is tied in a stall or crossties.  Some people find it helpful to place a pole or short section of pipe on the ground, perhaps in the aisle of the barn, and then ask their horse to step over it one foot at a time, coming to a complete stop between each step.  A variation on this exercise is to rotate the pole and have the horse move sideways to straddle it, again one foot at a time.  Getting more precision in your communication with your horse is always beneficial.  Laura notes, “The ‘step’ command is incredibly useful around anything with a tongue because I always feel like I have my hands full.  Especially if the tongue is heavy, it’s much easier for me to verbally ask my horses to step toward me to attach the neck yoke rather than hold the tongue up and try to pull them toward me.”

Touching the Butt to the Wall

For young horses or horses that will be put to work for the first time, another exercise that can be meaningful is backing them when on a halter and lead into objects until their rump is touching it.  The important thing here is to watch for signs of discomfort:  the flick of an ear, turn of the head, a hesitation in movement, or, at the extreme, out-right refusal.  Stopping, bringing the horse forward and then backing them again gives them an opportunity to gain confidence in the unusual situations this exercise presents.  Tree branches, fences, horse trailers, and barn walls are all possible targets to aim horses’ rumps for.  The goal, of course, is to have the horse be totally willing and comfortable with each variation on this exercise.

Move the Snap

Another exercise that is simple to do and can provide tremendous feedback on how we communicate with our horses involves just having them on a halter and lead.  The key is that the lead must have a snap.  The question to be answered is: just how much movement in the snap is necessary before we notice the horse responding, and ultimately how much is necessary to effect movement of the horse’s feet?  Horses have an incredible sense of touch; remember, they can feel a single fly on their flank.  It follows, then, that they can feel the slightest shift in the position of the snap because it causes a change in the way the halter lies on their head.  What response can you see when that snap swings just away from vertical?  How far do you have to go to affect a weight shift and then movement of the feet?  When one person tried this, her reaction was “I’m such a brute!”  She had been using way more movement of the snap than her horse needed.  She was effectively shouting at her horse when a whisper would have sufficed. (1)

Releasing Pressure and Rewarding the Try

These ideas for slower seasons don’t have to be just about the horses.  Slower seasons can provide us humans an opportunity to improve our skills, too.  Two simple things that work in concert and pay big dividends are: 1) understanding that horses learn from a release of pressure and 2) rewarding the slightest try.  To use both of these effectively requires us to use them honestly.  The exercise above about moving the snap to move the feet is a great one to use to learn how these two concepts work together.  Moving the snap is an increase in pressure; letting it go so it drops back to vertical is a release.  If a horse responds to the movement of the snap with a slight shift in weight, and you release the pressure, you’ve rewarded the slightest try.  Lynn Miller, in Training Workhorses, Training Teamsters, says “I look for, and applaud, the smallest evidence of success.” (2)

Learning to release pressure is an ongoing process.  There can be times when we think we’ve released the pressure but in fact we’ve only lessened it.  Laura gives an example with her very sensitive horse Patty.  “Just letting the snap return to vertical isn’t enough of a reward for Patty.  She needs me to avert my eyes and sometimes turn my shoulders before she’ll relax and lick and chew.  It's all in the release, and it works best if you really, really mean it.  How many times do I have to learn this lesson?!”   

When pondering these slower season exercises it’s important to choose something little and work on that – go for quality rather than quantity.  And keep it fun.  We all learn better when we’re not being forced.  Remember, this is about spending time with our horses because we enjoy them.  Laura has found that just fifteen minutes can be enough, and sometimes is easier to find, to do these small things that reap big dividends.  “It’s amazing how much more I can do with Patty now after that first winter’s work when I took a little bit of time regularly for the little things.  For me, picking one thing and getting good at it really was key to enjoying our time together and seeing progress.”

Seeking Instinct

Finally, you might want to ponder the ‘seeking’ instinct.  Emma Kline posits that horses like to solve problems, and if we can provide them with opportunities to solve problems, they’ll want to be better work partners.  “The seeking instinct is more powerful than fear or dominance. It’s how horses find water, safety, comfort, play and everything else that they need and want. It’s what enables them to live and gives them quality of life. The seeking instinct is in every organism. It’s what causes a tree's roots to search deep down for the water vein in soil, a dandelion to find the weak spot in the concrete to break its way into the sunlight and moss to grow on the north side of trees. The seeking instinct is why we humans love to read books, play sudoku, get masters degrees, hike to see a special mountain view, study horsemanship and millions of other things that we invest gobs of time and money into. It turns our brains on. It nourishes the very part of us that is alive.” (3) Engaging our horses’ seeking instinct is a way to enhance our relationship with them, making working them more enjoyable and maybe even more productive, too.

Jenifer Morrissey tries to engage with her work ponies during all seasons at Willowtrail Farm in Gould, Colorado. 

1. Morrissey, Jenifer.  “Making Contact 2”, Willowtrail Farm Musings (blog) http://fellponiescolorado.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/making-contact-2/

2. Miller, L.R.  Training Workhorses, Training Teamsters, Small Farmer’s Journal, Inc., 1994, p. 95 

3. http://emmakline.blogspot.com/2011/08/seeking-is-secret.html#comments

I originally wrote this article about George Washington’s horsemanship in 2013 for my publication The Partnered Pony Inquirer. I decided to share it again here because of recent developments in the life of Willowtrail Rory, my 2022 bay Fell Pony gelding. Rory has now gone to his new home, and he has as his best equine friend an American Mammoth Jack that is the same age named Noah. George Washington, before he became the first president of the United States, was involved in the development of the American Mammoth Jackstock breed. His interest was in creating an American donkey breed that could be used to produce strong working mules.

Six month old friends Noah (American Mammoth Jackstock) and Willowtrail Rory (Fell Pony). Courtesy Abby Joseph

I have visited Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate in Virginia, on a couple of occasions, and I have always enjoyed my time there. I was pleasantly surprised, then, when I learned that Mount Vernon is a member of The Livestock Conservancy and keeps heritage breeds of livestock.

Mount Vernon courtesy Tom Simpson

Young mules at Mount Vernon in 2004. Courtesy Tom Simpson

According to the Mount Vernon website, “Few mules existed in the early United States. Those that were available were of poor breeding as a result of the inferior quality and scarcity of jacks as well as jennets in the country. Washington believed that robustly bred mules would revolutionize agricultural work and transportation by improving the overall labor efficiency involved with these tasks, given its superior aptitudes and smaller food consumption than other beasts of burden.” (1)

* * * *

The connection between George Washington and horsemanship crossed my desk twice in rapid succession, and I’ve learned to pay attention to those sorts of synchronicities. I am indeed referring to the first President of the United States and a Revolutionary War hero. The first time the connection crossed my desk was when I was writing an article on the Montana Draft Teamsters Hall of Fame for Rural Heritage magazine (click here if you’d like to read that article). One of the teamsters I featured in the article was Tom Triplett who comes from a long line of remarkable horsemen. Back in Tom’s line was an ancestor who was a neighbor of George Washington who trained driving horses for him. (Washington apparently trained all his own riding horses.)

The first time I visited Mount Vernon, I remember seeing a mule in the stables at that time. George Washington is credited with introducing mules to American agriculture. Here is what the Mount Vernon website has to say about Washington’s horsemanship:

Thomas Jefferson once referred to George Washington as "the best horseman of his age, and the most graceful figure that could be seen on horseback." This assertion was supported by Washington's friend, the Marquis de Chastellux, a French national who came to know Washington during the Revolution. Chastellux observed that Washington "is a very excellent and bold horseman, leaping the highest fences, and going extremely quick, without standing upon his stirrups, bearing on the bridle, or letting his horse run wild."(2)

There is a further discussion on the Mount Vernon website about Nelson, the horse Washington rode during part of the Revolutionary War. Washington apparently preferred Nelson to his other horses because Nelson wasn’t as bothered by cannon fire. Washington named Nelson for the friend who gave the horse to him. Nelson was retired to Mount Vernon after the war, and the website states:

Washington's affection for the horse was reciprocated. It was reported that George Washington would walk around the grounds of the estate, where he would stop at Nelson's paddock, "when the old war-horse would run, neighing, to the fence, proud to be caressed by the great master's hands." (3)

The second connection between George Washington and horsemanship came when I learned that Linda Kohanov, author of The Tao of Equus, is working on a new book. In the course of her research Kohanov discovered, as I’ve described above, that George Washington was an accomplished and respected horseman. Her book apparently asserts that great leaders in history were also often great horsemen and women (her list includes Alexander the Great, the Buddha, Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Queen Elizabeth II, and Ronald Reagan.) She then makes a convincing case that great horsemanship requires the same skills that great leadership does.

These references to George Washington and horsemanship inspired me to go looking on the internet for images of Washington on horseback. What I found really caught my attention. I’ll tell you why after you’ve had the opportunity to view the images I found. Here are links:

Washington 1, click here

Washington 2, click here

Washington 3, click here

Washington 4, click here

Washington 5, click here

Washington 6, click here (somewhat of an exception)

Did anything strike you about those first five paintings of General Washington? I think I expected to see images more like this one (click here), where the horses were tense and perhaps even terrified. In those first five paintings, though, what I saw was that every horse looked relatively relaxed and comfortable with its rider and its situation. The sixth portrait was somewhat of an exception; the horse wasn’t relaxed but still didn’t look uncomfortable. Of course, in most cases we’re dealing with artists depicting Washington on horseback after Washington’s death when they would likely have been acquainted with his reputation as a horseman. In addition, the artists would have been well-acquainted with horses themselves, so they knew how to portray them as relaxed and comfortable with their rider if they wanted to..

When I was originally researching this article, I came across a brief review of the book Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer on ranchers.net. The link is broken now, but I kept a copy of the review because it was focused on Washington’s horsemanship. According to the reviewer, the book “…describes what a great horseman General Washington was, the fact that he'd been born quite sickly and to strengthen himself he walked 3 miles a day and rode horses incessantly. He was quite impressive on horseback and sat ‘quiet’ with his muscular legs extended on long leathers and toes pointed down. One observer said he and his horse moved fluently and he was the most graceful a man could be on horseback.”

The reviewer then included this excerpt from the book about a stormy icy night when Washington had his troops cross the Delaware River to attack the Hessians. “They then had to struggle with artillery down steep iced slopes. Washington rode up and down the column urging his men forward. Suddenly the general's horse slipped and started to fall on a steep and icy slope. ‘While passing a slanting slippery bank,’ Lieutenant Bostwick remembered, ‘his excellency's horse's hind feet both slipped from under him.’ The animal began to go down. Elisha Bostwick watched in fascination as Washington locked his fingers in the animal's mane and hauled up its heavy head by brute force. He shifted its balance backward just enough to allow the horse to regain its footing on the treacherous road. Bostwick wrote that the general ‘seized his horse’s mane and the horse recovered.’ It was an extraordinary feat of strength, skill and timing and another reason why his soldiers stood in awe of this man.”

Doing further research I discovered that the mounts of many military leaders look comfortable with their rider. Here’s a link to a site showing many of the mounted military horse statues in Washington, D.C. (click here ). Notably, the statue of Washington shows a horse much less relaxed than all the horses in the paintings. To see a statue of Washington more in line with the paintings, click here:

You might also be interested in these images of Queen Elizabeth I whom Kohanov additionally cites as an accomplish horsewoman and leader:

Queen Elizabeth I : click here and here and here.

Why might all of this be of interest to those of us partnering with ponies? I have come to believe that the ability to read a pony’s body language is key to being a good partner for them. Some of our ponies are so mellow that we think they can handle anything, and then we’re surprised when they spook or bite or rear or run off. I learned early in my natural horsemanship studies that horses usually give us several signs about how they’re feeling. We tend to notice the third or fourth or fifth sign, because those signs are increasingly obvious. Learning to perceive the earlier, more subtle signs makes us a better partner and a better horseman or woman. The flick of an ear, the swish of a tail, tenseness in jaw or neck, eyes distant or fixed on something – these are all examples of communication that we need to learn to read to be the best partner for our ponies that we can be. Looking at artists’ renderings of accomplished horsemen and women and focusing on the equine in the art is one way we can practice discerning the state of mind of an equine from its body language.

1. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/royal-gift-donkey/

2. http://www.mountvernon.org/educational-resources/encyclopedia/nelson

3. Same as #1

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2022

There are more stories like this one in my book The Partnered Pony: What’s Possible, Practical, and Possible with Small Equines, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

I don’t often get the opportunity to reunite with a pony that I have sold to a new home.  When I knew an opportunity was coming up, then, I worked hard to enter the situation with no expectations.  After all, it had been more than three years since the pony had seen me, and he’d lived in two different states during that time.  Nonetheless, I was extremely curious to see if my work partner of nineteen years, the Norwegian Fjord Horse gelding Torrin, would show any signs of recognizing me.

The opportunity presented itself thanks to the generosity of my friend Paula, Torrin’s owner, and my young pink cowboy princess friend Jackson.  Jackson is a huge fan of the movie Frozen, and in that animated movie there are Fjord Horses.  Jackson had been expressing interest in having her own pony, and I had the idea that Jackson might enjoy riding Torrin as a placeholder until she’s at a point in her life where a pony of her own might be possible.  Torrin and Paula had recently relocated to the same town where Jackson lives making it possible for Jackson to meet Torrin.

I forgot to bring Jackson’s helmet to the event, but all our other safety precautions, including knowing Torrin well, were enough to provide a great experience for all concerned.

While we kept the pony ride a secret from Jackson, nonetheless the rest of the ‘team’ did lots of preparation.  I made arrangements to meet Jackson and her mom when I was in their town, and Paula reminded me to bring Jackson’s saddle, which ended up fitting Torrin well.  Pink even looks good on a grey dun!  Paula went above and beyond the call by watching the movie in advance of our visit so she could provide helpful context, which was good because it had been a few years since I’d watched it.  Jackson’s mom made sure that Jackson had the suitable clothes to wear after school, including cowboy boots with pink highlights.

The late afternoon of the ride was a comfortable temperature, and my only regret is that I’d forgotten Jackson’s helmet.  Torrin had done kid rides several times during his life with me, so I wasn’t too worried about safety, keeping in mind of course that anything can happen with equines.  We proceeded with introducing Jackson to Torrin and putting her saddle on him.  I lifted Jackson into the saddle and gave her instructions she’d heard from me before when riding my ponies at the ranch:  if you get uncomfortable for any reason, say stop, and we will.  We proceeded making small circles around the paddock, with me walking alongside Jackson.  Torrin was his normal obedient and cooperative self, and Paula and I both verbally praised him.

When we had arrived, I had walked over to the paddock fence and verbally greeted Torrin, and then when we were saddling him, I had let him sniff my hand.  He didn’t indicate any sign of recognizing me.  I accepted that and expressed appreciation for him giving Jackson an opportunity to ride a Frozen horse.  About the third time around the paddock with Jackson aboard, we stopped to make sure all were happy.  I praised Torrin again for being a good boy. At those words, he suddenly turned his head, nickered, and then thoroughly sniffed my proffered hand with focus and intention.  His body language had changed, and it was immediately clear he knew exactly who I was.  It was a magical moment of connection and happiness that brought both Paula and me to tears.

Somehow my hair looks frosted here where I’m talking with my old friend, perhaps in honor of the event!

After a few more circles and some fun with Jackson mounting and dismounting on Paula’s oversized mounting block, we called the event a success and prepared to depart.  I took a few moments to again connect with Mr. T and express appreciation for the time together that day and what we’d shared in the past.  I now have one experience reuniting with an old equine friend, and the magic of it I will remember for a long time.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2022

There are lots of stories about Torrin and me working together in my book The Partnered Pony, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

Deadwood stagecoach. Courtesy Library of Congress.

My neighbor thought I was nuts when I offered to drive half way across the state of South Dakota to pick up a piece of equipment for him. After all, we had just made that four-hour drive a few days before when taking cattle to a sale. But I had discovered that about half the drive followed an historic stagecoach route, and I had a project there I wanted to do.

My neighbor has been making that drive for many years. It wasn’t until I was with him a few months ago, though, that he learned about the stage route connection. On that day, I noticed a white sign along the road that identified the stage route. And then I noticed another sign. And then another. My curiosity was piqued! I had already been studying a stage route near where we live: the Cheyenne to Deadwood Trail. This newly discovered (for us) trail was from Fort Pierre to Deadwood - Deadwood being a gold mining town beginning in the late 1800s. Fort Pierre, on the Missouri River, was the closest that boats could get to that gold mining district in the Black Hills. From Fort Pierre, stagecoaches took passengers and ox trains took cargo to Deadwood.

When we passed the first sign on that discovery trip, my neighbor asked how far it might be to the next sign. I guessed 8-12 miles since that’s the typical distance between stage stops, which was determined by the stamina of the horses pulling the stagecoach and the terrain over which they were traveling. But the distance this time was just 2 miles, which is unusual for markers of historic trails.

It turns out that the Fort Pierre to Deadwood trail was very fortunate to have some dedicated fans. In the 1970s, local ranchers Roy and Edith Norman took an interest in ensuring the trail’s history would be remembered. Roy had learned of the trail and its many significant features when riding horseback as a young man. So he and Edith created signs and placed them along the highway with the permission of the landowners. On the signs, they included GPS coordinates that they had surveyed, marking the exact location of the features described on the signs. Volunteers since then have maintained the signs. The signs all face east, for westbound traffic, reflecting the historic flow of people, animals, and goods.

On my equipment hauling day, my project was to photograph all the signs west of Fort Pierre along my route. As it turned out, I only managed to stop and photograph a third of the signs before I ran out of time; you can see them below. Since ranch errands often take us that way, I look forward to finishing the project in the future. A few of the signs that I did take pictures of indicate where the Black and Yellow Trail and the Deadwood Trail cross. The Black and Yellow Trail was a promotional trail inspired by the emerging popularity of the automobile in the early 20th century. The Black and Yellow Trail connected Chicago with the Black Hills and Yellowstone National Park .

I suspect I have my neighbor thinking differently about features along the route. On that first discovery trip, he asked about a town ahead, wondering if it was founded to support the railroad that paralleled the highway. I smiled and explained that, in my research of various historic trails, what are today highways often follow rail corridors, which often followed stagecoach trails, which sometimes followed Pony Express mail routes, both of which often followed native trails. So the town in question may well have pre-dated the railroad because it was a station on the stagecoach or Pony Express route.

Post offices are indicated by some signs, reflecting that an important early use of the trail was for mail delivery. In addition to the signs along the route marking the Deadwood and Black and Yellow Trails are other privately erected interpretive signs about Native American history. A rich route indeed!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2022

Ponies grazing near blowdown due to microburst six months before.

I came outside to do my last-of-the-day check on the ponies before dark. On the hillside to the southeast I noticed black spots up high, so after feeding my stallion, I headed towards the black spots thinking they were my mare herd. I got about two-thirds of the way to them, and it seemed strange that the black spots would be my ponies because they were in the prevailing wind. Usually the ponies seek areas that are sheltered from the wind. Then I realized that what I was seeing was cattle.

I climbed around a knoll, and sure enough, two ravines over on the top of a level spot out of the wind, I saw my ponies. By the time I got through those two ravines, only two ponies were close enough to me to say hello to. I couldn’t venture to the others up higher because impending darkness meant I needed to start heading down. As I called good night to the rest of the herd and headed down the hill instead of towards them, I heard a young pony cry out to me. It was Lettie, the two-month-old daughter of my heart pony, wondering why I wasn’t coming to say hello.

My pony herd has created or enhanced paths across the landscape: the obvious one on left and another on the right under red arrow

As I turned downhill, I realized that the approaching darkness was going to make my descent interesting. I was still favoring a sprained ankle, so I needed a route down as free of obstructions as possible. I also needed a route where I could see the ground in the failing light, since the grasses and shrubs easily obscured rocks and holes that my ankle would be quite unhappy encountering. Around me were numerous downed trees, the result of a microburst or mini-tornado in the spring, making the choice of route even more complicated than usual.

My ponies have now been on this pasture long enough that they have established paths across the landscape, in many cases using paths created by other, sometimes previous, four-legged inhabitants. I have learned by following them that the ponies typically choose routes that are relatively free of obstructions so can be trusted from that regard, and while they may not appear to go where I need to, they likely lead to another path that will indeed go where I want to go. So I looked about me in the failing light and was relieved to see that the ponies had not only made paths in the area but had rerouted them since the blowdown. A pony path was just what I needed when I couldn’t see very well.

Trees down over fence due to microburst

As I pondered which of the paths to use around the downed trees, I remembered a story in the histories I’ve been reading about this area. The story said that while Native Americans loved the Black Hills and considered them sacred, they also were afraid of them because they felt the Great Spirit grew angry often and caused wild wind storms. Having witnessed myself that microburst a few months before, I could totally relate to that mixed feeling of awe and fear. The cattle that had led me astray in my search for ponies were in the pony pasture because the microburst took out much of the fence on that end. The ponies have not ventured out, but the cattle have ventured in!

I am very aware that my presence in the Black Hills here in South Dakota has been made possible by a broken treaty in the 1800s. The US government had agreed with the local tribes that they could have the Black Hills, and the government would keep Americans out. But then gold was found in the Hills, and the US government reversed course and allowed miners and prospectors and supporting businesses to enter the Black Hills. I don’t like it when agreements I make with other people are broken, so I completely understand that the tribes felt violated and may still. Knowing that my presence here is due to a broken treaty makes every day here a gift.

It is easy to assume that things were the same in the past as they are in the present, but that’s usually not the case, just like the pony trails have changed over time to adapt to changing circumstances, and Euro-Americans now occupy land once occupied by native tribes. I read a story recently about two native American tribes that pushed a third tribe out of a region that they all occupied in the 1800s. Where the tribes were prior to being forced onto reservations isn’t necessarily where they were just a few decades before that.

Petroglyphs that researchers have chalked in to improve visibility.

Near where I live are petroglyphs, historic rock art created by ancient Americans. I have been told repeatedly that the art was done not by today’s native Americans but by people who lived here before them. The art has been dated to 3,000 to 6,000 years ago. Who lives in these Black Hills has obviously changed over time for a very long time indeed.

Maiden Castle (the pile of rocks on the mid horizon) on Burnmoor in the Lake District, Cumbria

It’s thanks to my ponies that I have an enhanced appreciation for how things change over time. It was on an historic packhorse track in the Lake District that I first appreciated that that area was settled by successive waves of humanity. On that trip it was the ruins known as Maiden Castle that I visited alongside two Fell Ponies that underscored for me that how a landscape is utilized today isn’t how it was utilized previously and that the people using it now aren’t the ones that used it before. The Lake District saw settlement by Romans and Vikings long before our time. There is evidence of Bronze Age and medieval settlement preceding more modern uses. Maiden Castle is considered Bronze Age by some and may also have been used as a communication beacon in the day. (1) For me, though, its importance is as a marker of changing circumstances, including how people steward land, what tools they bring to bear in that work, and how nothing ultimately stays the same. I am watching now with great interest as the Lake District’s humans struggle to figure out the way that stewardship of that landscape will look in the near-term future. Fell Pony stewards hope our ponies have a continuing opportunity to use the landscape as they have for centuries, while others want the use of the landscape to be different in the future. This struggle is at the same time current and ancient.

Here in the Black Hills, I’m aware of how this area has been used by successive waves of humanity, too. Of course I don’t know all the stories of humans in this place, but I know enough that each of us is here but transitorily. The Oglala Sioux tribe, former users of this landscape, now occupy a reservation to the southeast of these Hills, but it turns out they do own land here. I was fortunate to overlook a piece of their property, as American society currently defines it, on a summer venture into a nearby canyon. Perhaps the tribe will one day again make use of the Hills as they once did, but it’s also possible and maybe even more likely that it will be another wave of humanity that comes here to leave their own paths on the landscape that my ponies and I currently tread.

1) Fair, Mary C. “Some Notes on the Eskdale Twentyfour Book.” Read at Carlisle, April 7th, 1921. CWAAS Volume 22, #7.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2021

I am intrigued by how my Fell Ponies use the landscape where they live. Four are visible just above the lower trees.

The Fell Pony is in part a landscape-adapted breed. (1) As a Fell Pony steward, then, it’s not surprising that I am intrigued by how Fell Ponies use the landscape where they live. My best mornings are when I wake up and look out the window and see my herd of mares high on the hill that is their pasture, similar to how their ancestors have lived in England on the fells for centuries. The picture here shows one such view.

I am also intrigued by how people use landscapes. That’s why I’m currently writing a series of articles for Rural Heritage magazine on regenerative agriculture. And being so intrigued explains why I am enthralled with the workings of the cattle ranch where I live here in South Dakota.

So I suppose it’s no surprise that I’m especially intrigued by how humans and equines work on landscapes together. Orchard Hill Farm in Ontario, Canada features in several of my regenerative agriculture articles in part because they use their Suffolk Punch draft horses in their market garden. That Suffolks are a rare breed made the stories there even more of interest. (Click here to see pictures on Orchard Hill’s website.) Closer to home, I hope to get my ponies more involved on the cattle ranch where we live. The picture shows when Willowtrail Wild Rose and I encountered a hay trailer recently unloaded while out on a ride.

I am also intrigued by how people interact with landscapes, including on the cattle ranch where we live. A load of hay was recently unloaded from this semi.

I have been blessed to be writing articles for Rural Heritage for many years about draft horse use on farms and to compile an entire book about harness. And I have a series underway in my Fell Pony newsletter about how the ancestors of Fell Ponies participated in the industrial and agricultural past of the region they call home in England. (Click here to read some of the articles.)

A completely different interaction of humans and equines on landscapes was during the stagecoach era. Over the years, I have read about stage coach routes and practices and companies on this continent, in Britain and in Australia. You can imagine then my elation when I learned that an important stagecoach route went within just a few miles of where I now live. This area and places I regularly see when we travel nearby are rich with stage coach history. I made this discovery while researching my articles on regenerative agriculture!

Looking north towards Minnekahta along the Mickelson Trail , a Rails-to-Trails conversion in South Dakota. There is evidence nearby that this railroad followed an old native trail.

When we go to Custer, South Dakota, we go north from the Minnekahta Valley on Highway 89. Highway 89 follows roughly the route of the Mickelson Trail which is an old railroad bed converted to a trail under the Rails to Trails Act. When I heard that a stage route went nearby and north to Custer and on to Deadwood, I wasn’t surprised because over the years I’ve learned that often highways follow rail lines which follow old stage routes and pioneer wagon trails which often follow old native pathways. A picture shows Rose and I looking up the Mickelson Trail, and there is evidence of a native trail nearby. Pony Express routes often paralleled old stage routes, too. We found the marker shown in a photo along the North Platte River when investigating pioneer wagon train routes.

Pony Express routes often paralleled stage routes and pioneer trails. This marker is near a part of the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.

In the course of my education about this area, I had been told about the Metz massacre nearby. But it wasn’t until a Red Canyon resident told his version of the story to me that I realized just how close it was to where I live. So when I had company coming and we were headed to Red Canyon for reasons of regenerative agriculture, I decided to get informed to be a better tour guide. That’s when I learned that the context of the Metz massacre in Red Canyon involved stagecoaches and so much more. For about a year beginning in 1876, the Cheyenne to Black Hills Stage ran through Red Canyon on its way to Custer and Deadwood. The reason was gold fever. The Red Canyon route was eventually abandoned by the stage company, but the route was still used by hopeful migrants. Click here to see a picture of the location of the Metz Massacre taken in 1876, about six months after the tragic event. Rarely do we have photos from this period!

The topography in the area of Red Canyon, with the steep-sided and narrow canyon itself in the mid ground.

The stage company abandoned the route in part because of a shorter route to the west, but also because of Red Canyon’s topography. One passenger described its hair-raising character: “Red Canyon was like a cake cut in two and the pieces shoved back a little. You couldn’t see the sky unless you put your head out of the coach.” (2) A picture here shows the topography of the area with the narrow slot of Red Canyon in the midground. Anyone intent on harming through-traffic had ample places to hide and advantageous positions up on the canyon walls from which to shoot or even just throw rocks to spook stock.

It was the massacre of the Metz family that eventually helped bring military attention to the area. Those responsible for the murders were never found. Some blamed it on Native Americans who certainly had ample reason to be hostile. More on that in the next story. Others say that it was likely the road agents who were active along the route. Just as Border Reivers wreaked havoc in the Fell Pony homeland in their day, road agents did similarly in their day, close to where my ponies now live.

I am grateful to my ponies for teaching me to look at landscapes with new eyes, appreciating how humans and equines have worked together in the past and can still.

1. The Fell Pony also has a breed description that breeders use in selection of breeding stock, so the breed is also in part a standardized one.

2. Spring, Agnes Wright. The Cheyenne & Black Hills Stage and Express Routes, p. 138. 2016 abridged and edited edition of the 1949 original.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2021

With my long interest in working ponies, and being steeped as I am in British native pony breeds and especially the Fell, I am always pleased and surprised when I learn of a new breed of working pony. It can be so easy to assume that Great Britain and to a lesser extent Europe have been the sole enthusiasts of small equines for work. So I was thrilled to learn of the Hequ (previously known as the Nanfan), a breed from the 7th century in China.

Hequ horse by gill_penney courtesy Creative Commons 2 license (2)

Not unlike the Welsh Pony with its four sections, there are three types of Hequ: the Jiaoke (or Jiaode), the Suoke and Kesheng. The types vary in characteristics based on where they are from. They range in height from 12.3 to 14.3 and are typically used ridden, including local racing, or for light draft work. They are uniquely adapted for life at high altitude. Hequ are sure-footed and show good endurance and recovery from exertion. While they are referred to as horses, they have many characteristics of the pony phenotype, such as a wide forehead, a broad and deep chest, a well coupled loin, legs of medium length, and a well-sloped shoulder.

This breed came to my attention because of arising health issues. (1) The issues were reported after changes in grazing management. The issues ended up being due to a lack of selenium in areas where the horses were grazing and were resolved with selenium supplementation.

Because I’ve been dealing with (minor) health issues related to grazing management in my Fell Pony herd, I couldn’t help but notice a parallel between the Hequ and my ponies. For my herd it was copper, not selenium, that needed to be supplemented to resolve the fading of their coats. It can be so easy to forget how important minerals are to good health and how changes in grazing practices require us to pay attention to changes in the nutrient content of the forage that is the foundation of their health.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2021

1. “Modern Problem for an Ancient Breed,” Equus #502, Autumn 2020, p. 17.

2. Photo by gill_penney and used via Creative Commons 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

I heard on the news that most of North America is experiencing its longest streak of cold weather on record. I have certainly felt that this run of high temperatures in the single digits Fahrenheit (-15 C) is the longest I’ve encountered. I’m glad to know my memory is still serving me well!

When the weather is like this, I adjust my pony care routine. I check them earlier in the morning, and I spread extra hay then. The mares also adjust their routine. They have been meeting me at the barn at sundown rather than being out on the hill where I walk to find them. They are right to assume that their looks through their foggy breath will convince me to throw them some hay when normally I expect them to get what they need off the hill.

Having spent most of my life in the high elevations of Colorado and now South Dakota, I’m accustomed to three days in a row of below zero Fahrenheit nights and frigid days. I’ve learned that my ponies can handle it just fine, so I can too. But this run of six days, with more on the front end that weren’t exactly warm, I have found trying. I’m weary of three neck gaiters, three inches of ice to be broken off waterers and three different sets of chemical warmers to keep my body functioning. But I’m extremely grateful for my tough ponies. Though they’re greeting me with frosty eye lashes, ice crystalled muzzles, and elevated appetites, they still are holding their own as they sift hay or dry grass from the snow-covered ground.

I know there are places where this sort of weather is the norm in the winter rather than the exception. I admire folks and their critters who can handle it. Given how widespread this current weather system is, I suspect they’re dealing with their own sort of extreme. It doesn’t feel right to gripe when we’re all in this together!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2021

You can read more stories about my life with my ponies in What an Honor, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

A fuzzy-in-more-ways-than-photography Fell Pony stallion Kinniside Asi

Around the start of each year, I have a tradition of wassailing my ponies. I take pieces of apple and/or carrot to each pony in my herd in turn. When I offer the treat to them, I thank them for their presence in my life and wish them a happy new year. Usually, the youngstock and my stallion aren’t interested in the edible attention, but they of course still get well wishes.

For many years, I had company when I wassailed the ponies. Now I make up for being alone by roping friends into the ritual. This year weather interfered with one friend’s physical presence, though I could definitely feel her presence in spirit. Another friend, for the second year in a row, made up for the thousand miles between us by wassailing hers at the same time as I did mine. It was great fun to get a photo texted to me of her first encounter as I was about to have the same.

I like to take pictures of my interactions with each pony each year as a sort of record of the herd. Being alone, getting pictures requires creativity. My stallion is currently housed by himself, so a camera on a tripod with a self-timer was put to use. Unfortunately, it appears to have been focused on a snowflake, so Asi and I are fuzzy, but I still like the picture. This year he at least mouthed the apple before spitting it out. In past years he hasn’t even taken it from me!

I found the mares out on the hill, and I was encouraged that I wouldn’t immediately have a mob around the camera and tripod because they were looking off into the distance. I triggered the self-timer and got a few shots but couldn’t retrigger it for fear of having it knocked over by a curious young Aimee. One of the pictures shows her looking right at it! I gave up on pictures and focused on the messages.

During a challenging week, after a challenging year, there is no question my ponies have made things easier than they might otherwise have been. I am so fortunate to have them in my life. I hope you can say the same. Happy New Year.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2021

There are more stories like this one in my book What an Honor, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

I had a new farrier out to trim my ponies’ hooves. Technically he’s not really a farrier; he calls himself a barefoot trimmer. I have recently come to an enhanced appreciation of that vocation. I hadn’t realized that indeed there is a difference between trimming hooves and trimming to mimic an ideal hoof on an equine living a barefoot (rather than shod) existence.

Two different hoof shapes

I asked the trimmer about the shape of one of my ponies’ feet. They are more oval than round; you can see hers and a rounder hoofprint in the photograph. This pony hadn’t ever had her hooves trimmed before I purchased her, and I have known she and I are on a journey to getting her feet healthy. The answer the trimmer gave about the shape of her foot surprised me but made perfect sense.

I had learned a few months before that a healthy foot on an equine living on perfect terrain develops an arch in the quarters of the hoof wall (think 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock). The arch allows the hoof wall to compress onto the ground when under full bearing weight, enabling it to absorb concussive forces and then spring back to arch shape again. (Click here to read my previous post on hoof arches and how hooves are dynamic structures. A photograph of an arch is included there).

Conventional hoof trimming as I was taught has the hoof wall nipped and filed to be in a plane, all one level all the way around. What happens, then, when the hoof meets the ground under full bearing weight? What happens if there’s not an arch in the wall to absorb some of the concussive forces of landing? The barefoot trimmer suggested to me that those forces may push forward and backward on the foot, elongating the shape of the hoof into an oval. Of course, every equine is different, with different shock absorption abilities based on conformation and other factors, so even if two ponies are trimmed conventionally it isn’t necessarily the case that they will both develop oval hooves.

There is, naturally, good news in the trimmer’s explanation of my mare’s oval hooves. Each time he trims, he makes sure there is an arch in the hoof wall, so in time we should see my mare’s feet become more round and more healthily shaped. I look forward to watching the process!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

You can find more stories like this one in my book The Partnered Pony: What’s Possible, Practical and Powerful with Small Equines, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover!

Buddy and his feed bucket in March 2020

I had gotten to know Buddy in the year since we moved here because he and his pasture mate Sissy often came to watch me prepare feed buckets for my ponies.  They also often could be found standing at their fence across the lane from my stallion Asi.  I felt Asi and Buddy were friends of sorts. 

When Sissy and Buddy first began appearing while I was doing feed buckets, I decided I would make up a feed bucket for each of them, too.  I told my friend Linda, whom Sissy and Buddy belonged to, that I was going to offer Buddy a special feed to see if it would help him calm down a little.  A few days later we agreed that it did seem to help him, but then Linda also admitted she had quit feeding him grain, so maybe that’s what helped most.

Buddy has Spanish mustang ancestry and was a marvel to watch move across the pasture.  Linda said she’d been told that he had had a saddle on him once but that was before she got him; his only job here in his seven years of residence was to be a pasture mate for Sissy.  When Sissy went off to her previous owner after Linda’s death, Buddy’s breeder was due to come get him.  I think Linda said she’d never had a halter on Buddy.  She just used a feed bucket when she needed to move her horses.  I wondered how it would go to get Buddy into a trailer.  His head had been several feet in the air ever since Sissy left.  Over the fence when offering a feed bucket, I had been able to touch his head and neck without him leaving.  I concluded that if I needed to, I could eventually halter him, so I agreed to be present when Roger arrived just in case my assistance was needed.  It most definitely was not.

Roger entered the paddock with a halter and lead rope over his shoulder, and I watched Buddy notice him.  Then I witnessed the most beautiful dance between a horseman and a horse.  Roger didn’t walk quickly up to Buddy.  Instead, he slowly and respectfully gained Buddy’s trust.  Roger let Buddy approach before he did then retreat and then approach again.  It was quickly clear that Buddy recognized his former friend.  Roger extended his hand then his hand with the lead rope then his hand with the halter.  Buddy smelled each in turn.  Roger then slowly draped the rope over Buddy’s neck, respecting Buddy’s concerned reaction with patience and finesse.  In less than five minutes this horse, whom I had watched for a year and had rarely seen with all four of his feet on the ground at one time, be haltered, led, and loaded into the trailer where he stood tied reasonably quietly while we talked outside.

After Roger had haltered Buddy and was walking him to the trailer, I told Roger how beautiful what he had just done was.  Then after he put Buddy in the trailer, I told him the same thing again.  He gave me a big hug of thanks.  I knew that Roger had been working with and breeding Spanish mustangs and horses for many decades.  When I heard that he was coming to get Buddy, I figured there would either be a major rodeo or that I would see something very different.  I wondered if all those years of experience would have created in Roger what my two decades with Fell Ponies has created in me: a desire to treat them with great respect in order to win their trust and partnership. 

I wish I had thought to videotape the dance that Roger performed with Buddy, but I was so captivated that I didn’t want to take my eyes off what was happening.  Buddy is a very lucky horse, and it was a privilege to see him reunite with Roger.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

You can find more stories like this one in my book The Partnered Pony, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

Sometimes we’ll hear people say that everything in their life before now prepared them for the life they’re living currently.  I chuckled over the summer at how that wisdom has manifested again in my life. 

My days now of course revolve around my ponies.  Most of the year, they are extensively grazing on a large pasture.  It is my habit to check on them twice daily.  In the morning this usually involves bringing them into the corrals for vitamin buckets and a looking-over.  Later in the day, I walk to wherever they are on the hill.  Since a good portion of the hill isn’t visible from my house, sometimes I guess wrongly about their location and find myself walking an extra mile or more looking for them at the end of the day when I am already tired.  Not wanting to give up this late-day check, I nonetheless have learned that I need to not walk so much.

In my pre-pony life, I used a lot of personally-powered transportation.  I walked to school, walked on the beach, and took forest walks with my family.  As soon as I began to ride a bicycle, I rode it to school, rode it to house-sitting jobs, and rode it around the neighborhood.  In high school I even took a long-distance bicycle trip in Europe.   Another decade on, I learned to mountain bike and explored many breathtakingly beautiful desert landscapes in Utah. 

I find operating a vehicle powered by an engine to be tiring, or I could have used my pickup to drive the ranch roads to get a distant view of the hill and the location of my ponies.  Instead, though, I decided to harken back to my bicycle days.  I found a used mountain bike that could quickly be brought back into service, and before long my evening walks to find the ponies were directed by information on their location gathered by bicycling the ranch road to ascertain their whereabouts.  It is wonderful to be a little less exhausted at the end of the day!

One morning, all the ponies came in except Madie and Aimee.  I knew where they were, so I decided I would take their bucket to them rather than bring them to the corrals.  When I got part way to them, I realized I didn’t have to walk all the way.  I hung the feed bucket from the bike’s handlebars and rode to their location.  That’s when my chuckle was most hearty about my previous life preparing me for the life I lead now.

I’ve discovered one big difference so far about bicycling in my current life compared to my previous bicycling experiences.  My dogs go everywhere on the ranch that I go, and they don’t quite know what to make of me riding a bicycle.  I am constantly watchful of where they are so they don’t pull on my pants leg or dash in front of me, necessitating a hard application of the brakes.  The ponies, too, are having to get used to the idea of a bicycle in their midst.  I’m glad I can get them used to it because there is a wonderful public trail nearby open to equines as well as bicycles.  Someday soon we’ll be meeting two-wheelers there, I hope!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

There are more stories like this one in my book What an Honor, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

I have two pairs of mares that at the moment are reminding me that ponies don’t respect clear orders of dominance or rank.  Each night and morning I swap them in and out of pasture, in what may be a vain attempt at managing their weight.  My goal is to halter one pony but bring in two, and that has required letting go of preconceived notions about who is leading who.

One of the pairs is a mother daughter one.  The mother is the undisputed though reluctant lead mare of the herd.  The daughter is in the middle of the herd.  (It’s so interesting that I wanted to use the terms pecking order or middle-of-the-pack there, but neither is about equines.)  This mother-daughter pair, though, complies with the ‘normal’ rules.  I can halter the mother and lead or ride her in and the daughter follows.  When I put them out, I let the daughter loose first, and she will usually wait for her mother before taking off for greener pastures.

The other pair is an unrelated set of three-year-olds.  One is clearly dominant; she can lay her ears back or toss her head and make the other one move.  Occasionally she will turn and offer to kick and get the same result.  For awhile I was haltering and leading this mare in, but the other mare didn’t follow.  I finally figured out that if I haltered the lower-status mare and led her in, the higher-ranking mare would follow us, sometimes immediately and occasionally within five minutes.  When I put them out, I began by putting the lower-ranking mare out first so that she could move off when the higher status mare was put out with her, but I found that the lower-ranking mare would often leave and be out of sight by the time I put the higher-ranking mare out, causing her distress.  So now I put the higher-ranking mare out first and she waits around until the lower-ranking mare is put out and they move off together, usually with the lower ranking mare in the lead!

Despite the second mare of each pair coming in on her own, sometimes she doesn’t come in when the paddock gate is open.  I then need to go out and bring her in through the gate.  I am mindful of my goal of ‘haltering one to bring in two,’ and I am very fortunate that these mares still make that goal achievable.  Both of them will come through the gate when I beckon them or if I put my hand under their jaw and lead them that way.  Still no halter and lead, so it makes me smile!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

More stories like this one can be found in my book The Partnered Pony, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

Honey subtly communicating with the cock of her head

I took a brief break from the pressure of a publishing deadline to go see a friend work with her horse.  When she had described what she was doing over the phone, it seemed almost counterintuitive, so it was clear to both of us that an in-person demo was needed.  We started by watching a short video of my friend’s instructor using the technique then we went out to see my friend use it on her horse.  My brief observation of the technique was not enough to fully grasp the power of the method, but I did take away a few things.  It’s pretty subtle stuff.

What most caught my attention was the focus on brace in the horse: how to see it and how to modify our handling of a lead rope, for instance, to keep our horse from bracing against us in the first place.  The example was a simple one.  When we have our horse on a lead rope standing still and then we move to a walk, typically we let the rope tighten between us until the horse begins to move with us.  If that rope tightens and the horse doesn’t move, it’s because they have braced their body against the tension.  Instead, this technique involves giving the horse more rope as we move away and encouraging them to follow by the use of our gaze, our posture, the energy we send down the lead rope, and if needed, the strategic movement of a whip. 

It was the bit about posture that most resonated with me.  The idea seemed to be that rather than just move from a stop to a walk, we should shift our posture in a consistent way, for instance by straightening up and squaring our shoulders, before we move off.  This gives our equines a choice to prepare to move off with us rather than brace.  I’ll be handling a lead rope differently next time I’m with a pony.  Subtle stuff!

Earlier in the day, I was working with my seven-year-old mare on ridden work.  I set the session up to be really simple so I could try to use the most subtle cues I could to tell Honey what I wanted.  It was a thrill to experience how little it took.  After the first few cues and responses, Honey did something I didn’t ask for.  However, I knew she was responding to something she’d sensed from me, so I scanned my body quickly to figure out what she’d reacted to.  Then I realized it was a thought I’d had.  I’ve had that happen before with my ponies; it’s flattering but it’s humbling, too, because I don’t control my thoughts as well as I could to fully utilize this sort of connection.  Subtle stuff!

I have said it before, and today I felt it again strongly.  One lifetime won’t be enough with my ponies.  While our relationships are already rich, days like today with the demonstrations of the really subtle communication that is possible make me wonder just how much more rich our already fulfilling relationships could grow to be.   

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

In a recent article on the Fell Pony shoulder, I suggested that a well laid back shoulder requires special consideration when it comes to harness adjustments. My colleague Doc Hammill and I have written an entire book on harness, so I will obviously be brief here compared to that full treatment of the subject. I particularly want to address, though, ideal angle of draft and point of draft. In the discussion that follows, I’m assuming collar-type harness rather than breast-strap-type harness.

Norwegian harness fixes the angle of draft at the ideal

In my opinion, the ideal angle of draft is especially important to understand when we are talking about working ponies in harness. Ponies, being smaller, need to be given every opportunity to work efficiently, transferring as much of their power as possible to moving the load to which they are hitched. The ideal angle of draft enables that sort of optimal transfer of power. The angle of draft is measured between the line of the collar/hames and the line of the traces that are connected to the load. The ideal angle of draft is 90 degrees, meaning the trace is perpendicular to the collar/hames.

It is interesting to me to consider Norwegian harness when thinking about ponies and work harness. Norwegian Fjord Horses are like Fell Ponies in that they have been bred for centuries to be versatile: ride/drive/draft/pack. The quality of the shoulder is critical to that versatility, which usually means laid back. To ensure the ideal angle of draft for their versatile small equines, the Norwegians designed their harness so that the trace is fixed to the collar at the ideal angle. A picture of a Norwegian harness on my Norwegian Fjord Horse is included here. I consider the Norwegian style of harness to be proof positive for the importance of ideal angle of draft when working ponies.

Trace location for ideal angle of draft is shown in green.

The next picture is from Wikipedia, and it shows a carriage horse with a more conventional collar-and-hames-type harness on a well laid back shoulder like a Fell Pony is supposed to have. Note how the collar is laying back on the shoulder bed of the horse. Then find where the trace leaves the collar/hames and note the angle that the trace makes with the collar/hames. I have drawn a green line on the photo to show the ideal angle of 90 degrees. Obviously it would be impossible to hitch anything to this horse at that ideal angle with that collar fit where it is. Instead the collar fit would need to be adjusted, using padding for instance, to bring the top of the collar forward to change the line of the trace so that the angle of draft is closer to ideal. I saw a photograph recently of a Fell Pony stallion with heavy muscling on his neck that would take the place of ‘artificial’ padding to keep the top of the collar forward while still being well-seated on his shoulder bed.

Another problem with the collar fit shown on the well laid back shoulder in the Wikipedia photo is that a hard pull on the trace could pull the collar up into the bottom of the neck where the windpipe is, potentially causing a comfort issue for the horse. It is likely that this particular hitch requires very little effort for this particular team of horses so hopefully that comfort issue never arises. (I also have an issue with this harness because it lacks breeching, so the horses have no ability to hold the vehicle back, so the teamster must brake the vehicle to keep it from running up on the horses.) With typical harness and collars and hames, the ideal angle of draft of 90 degrees can be difficult to achieve on a laid back shoulder unless the equine has adequate muscling or adjustments are made to the collar that might not be necessary on an equine with a steeper shoulder.

The ideal point of draft is also especially important to consider when dealing with a laid back shoulder. The ideal point of draft is actually a marriage of three different ideal points: one on the shoulder, one on the collar, and one on the hames. The marriage of these three points ensures the equine is able to work as safely and comfortably as possible. Doc’s and my book has an entire very long chapter on this subject, so the following discussion is just an overview.

Point of shoulder and spine of scapula approximately shown in red. These are places where bone doesn’t have much padding of muscle over it so harness needs to be kept away from them. When the trace leaves the hames, for instance, it needs to go between the two red markings.

The ideal point of draft on the equine is located such that the line of the trace falls midway between the bottom of the spine of the scapula and the upper limits of the point of the shoulder; these two anatomical features are roughly located on the picture here and are close to the surface of the skin so it’s important for the trace to run between them.

In our book, Doc shares, “In the herd of horses that Cathy and I have, there are Suffolks, Fjords, and a Welsh Pony. On the Suffolks, there is a three inch space where the trace coming off the hames should pass… On the Fjords, the area is two-and-a-half inches average top to bottom. On the Welsh Pony it’s just two inches.” (1) Clearly with ponies we have a special responsibility to locate that ideal point of draft carefully so the trace lays comfortably on our working partners.

The ideal point of draft on a collar is the thickest and widest part of the collar, but the trick is getting that part of the collar to sit correctly on the ideal point of draft of the shoulder. Then the ideal point of draft of the hames is where the trace needs to connect to the hames to lay in the narrow region described above and also ideally be on the thickest part of the collar that is over the ideal point of draft of the equine. Whew!

Where the trace attaches to the hames, circled in red, seems too high, potentially causing the trace to ride up onto the spine of the scapula.

I saw a picture of a Fell Pony working in harness recently that had a laid back shoulder with the collar laid back on it, similar to the horse at rest shown here in another Wikipedia photo. The point of attachment of the trace on the hames seems high, possibly causing the trace to ride up onto the spine of the scapula and potentially cause injury. That high point of attachment on the hames can also possibly pull the collar up into the bottom of the neck as described above, with that laid back shoulder making this more of a possibility due to its impact on the angle of draft as described above. Most hames have very little if any ability to adjust the attachment point, so often people make do with what they have, hopefully paying close attention so there are no adverse effects on their working partners.

Doc concluded our chapter on the elusive ideal point of draft by saying, “The ideal point of draft is an anatomical and kinetic balance point in the area of the shoulder of the equine. While the ideal point of draft can differ from equine to equine, the point of draft on a particular equine remains constant. It is the point of draft on the collar and most importantly the fit of the collar and the point of draft on the hames that must be monitored and adjusted to ensure our equines’ comfort.” (2) It has been my experience that equines bred specifically to work in harness tend to have steeper shoulders than the ideal versatile Fell Pony shoulder. Therefore, when we work ponies with their laid back shoulders suitable to a wide range of activities, we have a special responsibility to fit their harness so that they can work efficiently, comfortably, and safely.

1. Morrissey, Jenifer. Harness Lessons with Doc Hammill and Friends, 2013, p. 85.

2. Morrissey, p. 97

   (c) Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

The information here is a small subset of the crucial considerations when fitting harness on equines. Learn more in my book Harness Lessons with Doc Hammill and Friends, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.

Torrin and his friend DQ

Usually once a week I receive a picture of DQ.  He’s become the sidekick of my former Norwegian Fjord horse Torrin at his new home in Oregon.  DQ is a miniature donkey, and his full name is Don Quixote.  He lives next door but can usually be found at the fence when Torrin is also at the fence.  DQ has also captured the heart of Torrin’s owner which is of course why I receive pictures each week!

A more-than-three-decade friendship.

I have never been around a donkey, but when DQ first entered my life (virtually) via Torrin and his owner, I also heard around the same time two other stories of how donkeys had captured the hearts of humans.  The first story came from my brother and sister-in-law.  They traveled to Belgium to visit my sister-in-law’s family, and one cousin works as a caretaker of a park that has a farmstead.  More than three decades ago, a donkey was born there and then orphaned.  The cousin/caretaker bottle-fed the donkey and a relationship he treasures developed and has endured.  Today the donkey in his old age receives frozen orange slices as treats during hot summer weather.  That relationship has lasted longer than many human friendships do!

The second story came when a friend went to a driven horse clinic that spanned several days.  She was surprised when the highlight of her time away from her family was not driving the draft horses.  Instead her early morning moments shared with the resident donkey were what brought her the most joy.  The donkey’s owners observed that my friend’s connection with the donkey far exceeded anyone else’s, despite the short duration of their relationship.

Torrin’s owner who is DQ’s admirer shares this in closing, “So what else would I say about donkeys?  That they are much more than pint sized horses with ridiculous long ears and rough coats.  They too are a strong and ancient link in the lifelong work partnerships that equus has had with humans.  My guess is the size of their loads and the love they bring is far out of proportion to their diminutive stature.”  I look forward to when I might have my first opportunity to befriend a donkey and experience the richness that these people have!

Joy at a driving clinic came from an unexpected place!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

You can find more stories about how equines enrich our lives in my book The Partnered Pony, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover below.

Based on their 14.2hh height, these Percheron Welsh ponies are likely out of Percheron mares.

As a breeder, I often find scientific reports on the subject of breeding to be interesting. And as a pony breeder, I love hearing about research conducted with the help of ponies. I was thrilled, then, to learn about Walton and Hammond’s work in the 1930s with Shetland Ponies and Shire Horses. I found reference to their work in a couple of modern-day research papers, suggesting that the findings from back then are still relevant. Then I found a few studies that have been conducted since then, also using ponies.

Walton and Hammond used artificial insemination (AI) to cross Shetland mares on Shire stallions as well as the opposite: Shire mares on Shetland stallions. They also had purebred foals for comparison. They were expecting to see that the crossed progeny would be intermediate in size and similar to each other regardless of dam. They were surprised. What they found was that crossbred foals out of the pony mares at three years old were larger than purebred Shetlands, but they were smaller than the comparable crossbreds at the same age out of the Shire mares. At birth the foals born to the Shetland mares were comparable in size to a purebred Shetland foal at birth, while the crossbred foals born to the Shire mare were larger but not as large as a purebred Shire foal. “The cross-foals from the Shire mare were three times the size of the cross-foals from the Shetland mares.” (1)

Through eighteen months, the crossbred foals grew differently depending on who their mother was and as compared to purebred Shetlands. “The foals from the Shire mares grew much less rapidly than pure Shire foals, and the foals from the Shetland mares grew much more rapidly than pure Shetlands.”

A paper published in 1999 was based on work with Polish ponies. In this case embryo transfer was used, and observations were made up to 13 years. The recipient mare was a larger heavier type of equine. From birth up to weaning, the foals born from the larger, heavier recipient mare grew faster and put on more weight than the nearly genetically identical foals born to pony mares. (2)

Another study published in 2004 also used embryo transfer, this time comparing Thoroughbreds carried by Thoroughbreds, ponies carried by ponies, Thoroughbreds carried by ponies, and ponies carried by Thoroughbreds. The first two pairings were conceived by AI and the latter two were ET. “The Thoroughbreds carried by the Pony mares were merely scaled down versions of the Thoroughbred-in-Thoroughbred controls while the Ponies carried by the Thoroughbred mares were scaled up versions of the Pony-in-Pony controls.” (3)

All of these studies show that the maternal/uterine environment plays a role in the size of the foal at birth as well as the foal’s size at maturity. It doesn’t matter whether the fetus/foal is a genetic offspring of the mare that carries it or whether it is genetically unrelated and placed in the maternal environment via ET. I’ve always been told that mothers influence offspring more than fathers, which I have found confusing based on my understanding of genetics. Now I have a new appreciation for how maternal influence happens outside of genetics!

1. Walton, A. and Hammond, J. “The maternal effects on growth and conformation in Shire horse-Shetland pony crosses,” School of Agriculture, University of Cambridge, Revised 15 February 1938.

2. Tischner, M. “Maternal influence on pre- and postnatal growth of foals born after embryo transfer,” Journal of Reproduction and fertility. Supplement, 31 Dec 1999

3. Allen, W.R., et al. “The influence of maternal size on pre- and postnatal growth in the horse,” Reproduction, 2004 Jan.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020