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Post by Catrin on Dec 5, 2007 17:09:59 GMT 1
Until last week I thought the Prezwalskis were the only wild ponies in North Wales, but this morning I went to work with two Carneddau. www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/wildlife/pages/mountain_ponies.shtmlThis morning I found myself in a stable with two of the foals. They had never had a human hand on them, but two weeks ago, had been chased off a mountain by quad bikes into a barn with thirty other foals and then into a trailer by men with loud voices and sticks. Their first memories of humans weren't good, since then their new owner had gone in several times a day with feed and bedding but daren't approach them as they were scared. Before long I had one foal on a halter following me round and letting me rub it almost all over. I showed the owner how to move around the box and for the first time in fortnight, she touched a foal that she had been feeding every day . It was interesting how she saw the foals, initially. The younger one, she said was less timid as he didn't run off, but the bigger foal did. It was actually the other way round, the older one who was scared and the little one who followed him. I worked with the older foal, the little one stayed on his off side all the time, so I ignored him totally, but he learned a lot from the work I did on his companion. The owner now understands basically what she needs to do to build on this, otherwise I'll go back and do the same with the little one. I shall be visiting their parents and relatives on the mountainside - when there is a dry wind-free day. They are apparently one hand smaller the the usual welsh section A, but they must be doing something right as the foals were both in wonderful condition.
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Post by fin on Dec 5, 2007 17:21:29 GMT 1
Yup, my little H is a Carneddau pony She came wild off the mountain too. They're extremely bright and can be right inquisitive little horrors. My son's intending to photograph them as part of his A2 photography project, so I fully expect him to have at least a couple of lenses stolen and stamped on (although I suppose the real danger is he'll bring another couple home ). They're definately not Section As--they don't really look like them.....maybe they were part of the A foundation stock (I don't know how the Welsh stud book works) but really it would be nice if they were recognised as a different and rare breed. There's actually an article on the Llanfairfechan ponies in this month's Country Living magazine--with lots of really rather nice pics of what are probably H's relatives
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Post by Catrin on Dec 5, 2007 19:12:56 GMT 1
It was the article in Country Life that the lady I went to see this morning read. She then phoned up one of the farmers and went and collected two. Do you know anything about older history? They are very small, so you could see why they would be used in the mines, but who put them there and when? The name is odd too, unless it's derived from something else, it is the welsh plural of cairn. Is H the pony that attacks parrot cages? I don't think she has any, but she does have peacocks, perhaps they should be warned to keep clear once the foals are let out.
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Post by fin on Dec 6, 2007 0:40:22 GMT 1
H attacks everything Mainly she likes things that are metallic and crunch nicely tho, she's not that bothered about birds. Wheelbarrows now, that's another matter. Hill ponies generally are a vandalistic bunch though--Boony on here told me a fab story the other day--he OH parked his car up on Conwy mountain, took the dog for a walk, and came back to find six ponies trying to break into his car!!!! They were probably H's relatives too I wondered if the article would sell very many ponies. There was a nice little bit about how they make nice pets for children......! The Carneddau is the common land between Conwy, Llanfairfechan and Abergwyngregyn I think--that stretch of mountainside. There are a fair few ponies up there. There's definately a record of them in Roman times, and they may actually be earlier than that--after all the horse was domesticated in the Bronze Age and there's a history of continuous settlement around here from the Mesolithic onwards. So it's entirely possible that the hill ponies are a very, very old breed. They look like the stocky, stroppy little horses on French cave paintings and H has all of the primitive markings. THey do get a raw deal though, for a rare breed--probably because they're not a recognised breed and get lumped together with Sec As. Generally I get snottily told that H's not a 'pure bred Sec A' because Sec As can't genetically be dun, but that's probably because the real mountain ponies are still seen as cheap, ill bred poor relatives by a lot of the Welsh Pony fraternity (mine's so far been described as an 'ugly little halfbreed' and even certain friends of mine shook their heads in despair that I got a hill pony rather than a proper registered one ). It would be nice if we could change the perception of them--the foals might actually stand a better chance of being rehomed if they were 'worth' something. I think a lot of them end up at auction still, which isn't the best start Actually, if they're very well fed, they don't half grow--H has managed another inch this last month, and I'm wondering if she won't make 12hh everntually, which is HUGE for a hill pony The mountain ones are very tiddly though, probably because they don't get served up large buckets of alfalfa and Hilton Herballs every time they manage to look all cute and hopeful
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Post by fin on Dec 6, 2007 11:03:18 GMT 1
Lol, discovered last night that the Carneddau actually extends as far as Bethesda and Betws-y-Coed, so a rather larger area than I thought!!!
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Post by Catrin on Dec 6, 2007 12:20:05 GMT 1
These foals are certainly not Sec A looking. They have small heads, but are broader over the nose that the section A is at that age. There bodies are shorter too. I was surprised that a small head collar, as opposed to foal slip, wasn't too big on the nose band area.
The older foal is chestnut/roan and the little one has a dark bay body with blonde mane and tail and with lovely white blaze on his dark face. I was surpised that their coats are long and very soft and silky as though they have had a daily polish, not a bit like the Lusitano or TBxAndalusian foals we have at home.
I shall explore the area you mentioned, maybe in the spring and see if I can find them in their natural state. I'd like to see what the adults look like.
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monkey
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Post by monkey on Dec 6, 2007 12:32:59 GMT 1
I've just put my CL in the recycling, but if you'd like me to fish it back out and post you the pages I can do.
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Post by Catrin on Dec 6, 2007 13:10:03 GMT 1
I've just put my CL in the recycling, but if you'd like me to fish it back out and post you the pages I can do. Oh yes please. I was going to see if I could find one in the newsagents in Ruthin, but I suspect they would mostly be to order. My address is C Walker, 37 Tan Y Bryn, Pwllglas, Ruthin, LL15 2PJ
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monkey
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Post by monkey on Dec 6, 2007 13:12:39 GMT 1
Thanks, I'm off to the PO this afternoon anyway, so I'll pop it straight in the box for you.
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Hazel J
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Post by Hazel J on Dec 6, 2007 13:25:56 GMT 1
There was an article in the Daily Post farming section about the Carneddau ponies last week I think it was. I will see if I can find it if it hasnt already been put out for the paper collection people.
Please excuse my ignorance and sort of hijacking this thread, but the ponies which run on Conwy mountain - are they Carnneddau or Welshies? I've got lots of photos of them, often go up there with my camera and when not photographing just sit and watch them.
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Post by Catrin on Dec 6, 2007 17:54:30 GMT 1
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Post by fin on Dec 6, 2007 18:17:15 GMT 1
The Conwy ones would be Carneddau ponies I guess--I think that's where H was rounded up from, the same area (just up the road from me!) Catrin, this is what they look like when they're (nearly!) grown up: To give you an idea of size Tiddly pone! But this is what she looked like when we got her:
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Post by Catrin on Dec 6, 2007 19:05:57 GMT 1
Thanks Finn, she looks really big now - and so cute in her western outfit.
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Post by troop on Dec 6, 2007 22:57:21 GMT 1
i read the article in cl i was quite interested didnt know anything about them
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Hazel J
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Post by Hazel J on Dec 7, 2007 9:28:16 GMT 1
Hi Catrin, got home from work yesterday and asked if we still had the old copy of the DP, but 'fraid it has already been binned. Bit miffed but my fault for not keeping it in the first place - isnt it always the way!! So sorry about that.
Thanks Finn for the info on the Conwy Mountain ponies. I have seen an absolutely stunning chestnut mare out there with a flaxen mane and tail and must admit my ignorance, I thought she was a Welsh A. Your little one is gorgeous.
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