| Anyone who owns a horse or pony knows that | | | | the lunge rein for the first 30 feet or so down the hill |
| acquiring the equine is just the start of your | | | | ending up on her backside in the middle of the |
| problems! Take Ben, for instance. | | | | stream before she finally gave up and let go. |
| Ben arrived in the village with my sister who had just | | | | Released from her annoying encumbrance Ben's |
| come to live on the hilltop on the opposite side of | | | | speed increased. |
| our 14-acre goose green to my own cottage. They | | | | People scattered right left and centre as he set out |
| say that size isn't everything, and my sister's | | | | to prove that the shortest distance between two |
| Shetland pony proved the point. He, Ben, measured | | | | points was a straight line. As the risk of being |
| all of 36 inches to the withers (the highest point of | | | | trampled to death passed most of them joined in the |
| his shoulders), but in his mind he was as big as a | | | | growing crowd chasing after the miscreant. |
| Thoroughbred horse with the courage of a lion. He | | | | From Kerry's point of view the approaching |
| also liked mares. The fact that most of them were | | | | stampede must have been a hair-raising sight. |
| considerably larger than he was just didn't enter into | | | | First was Ben, closely followed by a mini-pick-up, a |
| it as far as he was concerned. As soon as one came | | | | couple of motorbikes, several push bikes, a gaggle of |
| into view he would start snorting, stamping and | | | | people on foot, three sheepdogs, a terrier, a |
| showing off, galloping up and down behind the fence | | | | Labrador, an English setter, me, and my sister, |
| as they passed. When they looked down their noses | | | | sodden from the waist down. |
| at him and walked on he obviously thought it was | | | | What else could any self-respecting filly do? As Ben |
| their loss. That was until he got his come-uppance | | | | screeched to a halt in front of her she swung round |
| from my palomino pony. | | | | and planted two hind feet fair and square in his chest. |
| It was a nice summer's day. Bees buzzed, birds sang, | | | | Ben was unhurt but devastated to find that, having |
| and my sister decided to take Ben for a bit of road | | | | at last encountered a filly with no intervening fence |
| work. As usual in the holiday season the village green | | | | to get in his way, his attentions were not wanted. |
| was swarming with holidaymakers, some playing | | | | Rejection hit him hard. Head down, tail drooping he |
| games, some enjoying picnics and some just sitting. | | | | turned and plodded back across the green - small, |
| A couple of local lads were playing round on | | | | pathetic and almost lost in the crowd of erstwhile |
| motorcycles and one young man was washing some | | | | pursuers. |
| mud off a pick-up down by the stream. | | | | Ben's depression didn't last long. See below to find |
| I took my palomino filly, Kerry Dancer, out of the | | | | out more about his further adventures. |
| stable and tethered her on the hill in front of my | | | | Bio paragraph (resource box) below: |
| house then walked over the green to join my sister | | | | Theodora Cochrane has a lifetime's experience of |
| who had stopped to let some admirers have a closer | | | | looking after all sorts of animals from pet mice to |
| look at the little chestnut pony. Ben ignored us all and | | | | horses. For more stories about Ben visit Horse Tails |
| munched happily at the lush grass. Suddenly his ears | | | | or Email For anyone interested in enjoyable and |
| pricked and his nostrils flared. He'd scented Kerry | | | | successful horse-training Theodora recommends 'The |
| Dancer. Rearing up with a stallion-like screech he set | | | | Kikkulu method of horse training' by Ann Nyland. For |
| off over the green at a flat out gallop. We were all | | | | more details Click Here! |
| completely taken by surprise. My sister hung on to | | | | |