[EmilyG]

Hey there, I've recently bought a wonderful new filly!

Her name is Willow, and she's a highland cross. She's only 2 but she acts like a 10 year old
Her colouring is a silver dun, with a dorsal stripe and zebra markings!( I havnt figured out how to put pictures on but I'm sure I'll work it out eventually) I'm going to break her to harness aswell as saddle using natural horsemanship type methods and I was wondering if anyone was interested it setting up an informal natural horsemanship type group in central Scotland, because there is a distinct lack of groups like that in Scotland! Which is frustrating because Im sure there are many other horsey people round here that would like to have access to a group like that! I went to the working pony course at Rosemary and Dan's and Steve Reid who ran the course had brilliant methods and I was really inspired to put them into practice with my horses.
Anyway interested to here everyones thoughts.
Emily

Edit: Thank you Sally! its great to hear from you and about your ponies, they are so beautiful  I really need to get a Dually halter, shes got just a regular leather halter at the moment, but i managed to do abit of pressure and release anyway, she learns very quickly, shes 12.2hh atm and still bum high so weve still got some growing to do!
Heres a pic!

Edit: sorry posted the pic twice by accident!

[SallyintNorth]

Hi Emily.  I'm so pleased for you!  Please get the hang of putting pics on asap!     (Clue : click 'Additional options' when writing your post, you'll see 'Attach' : click Browse to find the pic you want to upload.)

I started using my Dually halter as soon as I got back from the course and it's an absolute miracle worker.  With Davy (13 yo Fell gelding) it took quite a few goes the first time to get him to walk into a puddle but the second session he walked straight in - almost before I asked!  (Mind, Fells are intelligent.)  I've done a wee bit of longreining with him on it (using it as a bitless bridle) - he found it very strange at first, so I was glad I'd got him in an enclosed space, but he soon got used to it.  It took a bit of stopping him; he's been used to a bit for 10 years, of course.  But he had no trouble at all not wearing blinkers which he's always had on when longreining before.

My Fell mare took to the Dually right away, and if progress continues as well as we've begun I shall be absolutely delighted.  She's 7, been backed but we never got as far as ridden away as she didn't have the confidence at 4.  Now I shall longrein so she learns voice commands, then get back in the saddle.  She has the most beautiful floaty trot, I can't wait to be atop!

I put the Dually on BH's 4 yo Dales filly mainly to see if it fitted.  She's a bossy boots so I knew she wouldn't like it to begin with, but she did come round to it - and even though I haven't had a second session with it, just that few minutes of quietly insistent, "No, I'm boss, but not scary" has made a big change in her attitude in the field.  We're hoping to do some longreining with her this year, and bitting, but don't plan to back her till she's 5 - with Fells and Dales they need plenty of time for their skeletons to develop, so 4 or 5 for first backing is plenty early enough (and we aren't light weights!) and nothing heavy duty ridden till 6.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about Willow - and seeing a pic.

Here's the Fells:

[smallholder in the city]

Lovely pic

[SallyintNorth]

Oh Emily, she's gorgeous!  Lovely shape and beautiful colouring.   

[Rosemary]

She's lovely, Emily. Good luck with her - just be patient, though. However laid back she seems, she's still only a baby.

[EmilyG]

Yeah I know, I'm taking it slowly, she's crossed with a welsh pony so I know she's got some cheekiness somewhere she's a quick learner though

[white-blazes]

She's lovely, I do like the various colours that highlands come in.  Sadly there aren't that many highlands around our area