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Twinkle the Shetland is a character and a half! She’s 12 years old and I doubt she’s had an easy life. She’s been put ‘into foal’ year after year, and I’ve decided that she’s going to have a better life now she’s part of our family.
[Bev's photo with permission]
Twinkle’s main issue is that she’s an escape artist. Bev has told me stories of her escaping from the yard (and fields) and trotting off into town. The police found her at the first pub she came to. Her and Twilight trying to get served even though they were obviously underage.
Her previous owners hardly came to visit her. I remember seeing them only once or twice, fleetingly. One of the jobs to do at the yard is to make sure the horses all have enough hay – not because they’d starve, but because if they don’t have access to food, they go finding it for themselves and that means pushing through fences and hedges, causing damage and havoc – and embarrassment.
I’d feed Mav and Aramis and take their hay, (before Goran and Pagan arrived) and I’d also make sure the girls had hay and clean water in their field, too. I think the water trough was cleaned out only when Bev or I did it.
Mia riding without a saddle
Shetlands are a tiny and hardy native breed, and the mild English winter is no match for their thick winter coats or rugged, determined nature. For that matter, the fences aren’t a match for them, either. Twinkle and Twilight live in a well-fenced paddock, apart from the other horses – especially now Goran and Pagan are on the yard, they’re colts – young stallions – and we don’t want a Shetland/Carneddau hybrid.
Bev’s worry when Twinkle’s previous owners decided to sell the girls was that they’d also take down the sturdy fence which she couldn’t afford to replace. They’d fenced the paddock with hefty pallets so the girls (Twinkle) couldn’t break out (with Twilight following for the fun of it).
Twinkle has a habit of begging – she paws the ground with one front foot to ask for food. I didn’t realise she was begging to begin with. Still, it’s cute and thankfully these days, it’s completely unnecessary.
They were stood in a grass-bare field, deep in mud at the gate and when Bev said she was considering buying them, I decided to help out too. I asked my family about it and the answer was a resounding and unanimous NO! So I had to think of a work-around. I told Bev to buy the ponies and I’d pay half of what the owner wanted for them.
Mia and Mav - her first love.
Bev does NOT like accepting help. She’s strong and independent and stubborn! She has a heart of gold and would help anyone that asked, but she finds it difficult to ask for help and last winter, she desperately needed it. Buying two more ponies may sound like a lot more work, but if you think about it, we were already feeding them and the field rent wasn’t as forthcoming as you’d expect – ships that pass in the night kind of thing.
We made one of the stables ready for the girls and though it leaks at one end, it’s big enough for them both and they’re out of the worst of the weather and cold and they can lie down somewhere dry.
Bev and I agreed that I’d pay weekly for Twinkle’s field rent and I’d take the pony on loan – this means she’d be Mia’s pony and she’d be responsible for keeping her healthy, but if Bev ever wanted to sell her or take her back for her grandson, then that’s what would happen.
My son was worried about the responsibility of the pony when/if @s0u1 and I went on holiday. I explained that Bev would take care of the pony and the only thing he’d need to do would be to take Mia up to the stables.
So Twinkle and Twilight got a new owner and Twinkle got another new ‘owner’ straight after. Bev sorted out everything, including the mini saddle. It’s cute and fits Twinkle, so she bought it. I paid her for it but she said the bridle wasn’t really worth buying and the previous owner wanted top-whack for it.
Therefore, it was up to me to get a pony bridle for Mia’s new pony.
For the time-being, Mia was content to ride Twinkle on the saddle, but with only the head collar. She wasn’t confident or competent enough to ride her on her own and Twinkle, being 12 years old, is a past-master at manipulation. Stopping, ‘shying’, dodging, ducking and diving are all tricks she used in order to get out of ‘work’. But her best trick is ‘blowing out’ her belly so we can’t fasten the girth.
I encourage Mia to just hop on her pony whenever she likes. She’s not done it yet, but I don’t think it’ll be long. I’ve helped her onto Twinkle’s back a couple of times (she can get on the pony by herself with the saddle on, but the technique of hopping on hasn’t been perfected yet).
Mia has fallen off just once and that was my fault. I was getting the girls into their stable and usually, Twinkle toddled off into the stable without prompting and I gave Mia a leg-up whilst I led Twilight into the stable. I believed Twinkle would toddle off into the warm, dry stable where the food and hay was, without any problems… That’ll teach me!
Twinkle turned to face away from the stable. I let go of Twilight so I could catch Mia. I saw it all happening before Mia had chance for fear to register and as she let loose her first yell of concern, Twinkle dodged past me, between me and the barn. Mia’s self-preservation kicked in and she bailed off. Unfortunately, she was going too fast (as fast as a Shetland can trot) and her momentum as her feet hit the ground, meant she tumbled into the side of the barn, hurting her hip a little.
I checked her over, not caring where the ponies ran to (they were in the top paddock and couldn’t escape). Twinkle hadn’t gone far and she waited for us to catch her.
Well, you know the saying, get back on the horse… I lifted Mia up onto Twinkle’s back and I HELD ONTO TWINKLE this time… Mia clung on tight as they went into the stable.
I apologised to Mia for her fall and Mia is sometimes a little tougher than I realise. She said it was OK. Twinkle seemed a little shaken by it too. I think she has a good heart for a stubborn little pony.
She can still be a bit of a devil and even now, I lunge Twinkle before Mia gets on her, just to get the ‘fizz’ out of her. Mia is still learning to ride.
We got a new bridle for Twilight, a lovely, good quality one at a Tack Sale around January. Mia is coming on in leaps and bounds and she’s enjoying herself.
She stayed on yesterday, even though Twinkle was trying her best to unseat her.
I think Mia will make a good horsewoman if she continues.
Look at that GRIN!
I think Twinkle and Twilight are now in exactly the right hands! Mia is doing beautifully with her riding, too! :)
She's a little akimbo with her arms and hands, but she'll get there. Twinkle is patient and knows the ropes :)