7 September 2010

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Wednesday 14 July 2010

As I trudge home from the yard at 8am, I feel elated. I have left my pony mucked out with a huge haynet to munch away on. But I know that when I go back a few hours later to turn her out, her bed will have turned into a pigsty?


Ever since I have owned a pony my mum has insisted I complete all the associated stable chores – from tack cleaning to poo-picking. They are repetitive and can get boring, but it makes me appreciate the good times of owning a pony.


So do teens my age who have their ponies on full livery appreciate that owning a pony is not just about soaring over gates in the countryside and proudly wearing that red ribbon?


I recently went over to a friend's yard. I expected us to spend some time brushing the ponies and then tacking up (while having some giggles). But to my surprise there were two neat ponies lined up on the yard already tacked up, with gleaming manes and tails.


A young groom appears from the shadows of the feed room, unties the first pony and stands him up next to a mounting block for my friend to get on.


I slowly lope over to the next pony. Just as I was reaching out to stroke his neatly pulled mane, he was taken to the same mounting block. I really didn't understand what was going on.


As I chattered away to my friend on the hack, I learnt that she has never once filled a haynet or even fed a pony. I just couldn't understand it. Can a rider bond with their pony when all they do is get off and hand him to a groom?



Katherine Stevens undertook a work experience placement with Horse