1. INSIDE: News, Herbie’s Horsebox & Much More! October 2012
The Pony Post
My First Pony Diva—an ih Kids
Member’s Story
Let’s talk about….
dressage

2. Hello!
I’m sitting typing this to you at the end of September. Outside, it’s cold and
wet—the first day I feel that the summer has really ended. My ponies are
standing in their shelter, feeling a bit cold for the first time in ages. Poor girls!
They’ll soon grow their winter coats, though, and then will be coping with all
the nasty weather this winter brings.
We’ll soon be into our winter routines too—beds and mucking out, getting
home in the dark and having no time to ride except for at weekend, and long
evenings with nothing to do except homework! Ok, and maybe watching just
a bit of telly. If you do have a bit of time, how about putting together the sto-
ry of your summer with your pony, what you did and where you went, and
letting us know. Your story could then be in the Pony Post too!
Liz
Editor & IH Recommended Associate
Is your pony now using
his shelter
as we move into the
winter months?
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
IH October News 3
Let’s talk about dressage 4
My First Pony Diva by
6
Isabella
Herbie’s Horsebox 10
Let’s talk about
Dressage on
Page 4
On the cover
This is Walter a rescue pony from
Bransby Home for Rest of Horses
Do you have a story or photo to share?
Contact Us! Intelligentkids@hotmail.co.uk
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3. IH October News
Kelly and Harry Keep on Learning
Look at Harry and Kelly jump! Kelly says gridwork is fantatic
for horse and rider confidence and that it teaches your horse
or pony to pat the ground and LIFT THOSE LEGS! If Harry can
do it (he’s over 17hh’s) then we are sure you and your pony
would do brilliantly!
It also shows that even the VERY BEST teachers keep on taking
lessons and keep learning!
Last IH Course for 2012
This year has gone so quickly and as well as the darker
evenings this month we have also seen the very last IH
course of 2012— time really does fly!
But there is no need to worry because 2013 courses are
already being planned and some dates are already on the
IH website!
www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk
Monty Roberts—Jubilee Tour Autumn 2012
This month Monty and Kelly are back this month for the Autumn Tour!
The demo starts on the 13 October at Hadlow College in Kent and the team
will be making their way to Norfolk, Hull, Lancashire, Cumbria, Scotland,
Cheshire, Devon, Gloucester and Hampshire.
And remember IH Members go in to the PRIVATE audience and get to
reserve the best seats!
Find out lots more on the IH website:
www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk
Will you be going to see a demo? If so send us your comments, reviews, your
best bits and photos to publish in a future Pony Post!
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4. Let’s talk about… dressage
Ok, so how many of you were glued to the Olympics during the summer? I bet more than a
few of you were watching the equestrian sports - especially our medal winning Team GB!
Some of disciplines are more exciting to watch and easier to understand than others. With the show jumping
and cross country, you can see if someone got a fence down or if they are going to pick up time penalties.
Dressage is harder to understand. Horse and rider, immaculately turned out, doing some flatwork... very flashy
flatwork, I'll grant you that, but just flatwork, isn't it?
The word "dressage" comes from the French word for "training".
It has come to mean training your horse to perform specific moves
willingly and to very light aids. That's very important to remember -
it's not about sitting on your horse and making him (and you!) look
good by pulling his head in, it's about teaching him how to respond
lightly, so that you and your horse work together.
As Carl Hester, Olympic Gold Medalist, says, "dressage is like
gymnastics for horses." A good dressage horse needs to be very fit
and strong, but at the same time be very relaxed. A good dressage
horse also needs to listen to his rider all the time - after all, there's no
point in the rider giving super light aids if the horse isn't listening, is
there?
Early schooling is early
dressage!
Training a top level dressage horse takes years, but like
everything we all have to start somewhere. If you think of
dressage as really just flatwork, so the basic training of your
pony to walk, trot and canter with transitions when you ask
for them, riding in straight lines or circles, while keeping nice
and quiet, we can all probably do some anyway. It is, if you
think about it, the stuff that we all learn to do when we first
start riding.
Dressage when we’re learning to ride
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5. Let’s talk about… dressage
I bet some of you are now thinking "but schooling is so boring!" If you just ride round a school with no plan it
is - boring for you and for your pony. What dressage is all about, though, is training you both to become really
in tune with each other, to understand each so well you can "talk" through your body without anyone else
even being able to see what you're doing - training in that way can be hard work but also quite magical.
Why don’t you try and set out your own
practice dressage arena?
Some markets are not visible to the rider and
these are the ones in the middle (D, X and G)
Markers A, B, C, E, F, H, K, M are set out on
the side of the arena.
So if you'd like to do something a bit different and
more difficult with your pony but aren't into
jumping and stuff like that, look into dressage.
See if you can find yourself a proper dressage
instructor.
If you're in the Midlands, you couldn't to better than
Carrie Adams, IH Recommended Associate, who
teaches dressage to riders of all ages. Her website is:
www.centrelines.co.uk/
Who knows, in a few years time
Carrie Adams with Monty Roberts -
Doesn’t she look smart?
YOU could be part of the Team GB
Olympic dressage team...
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6. My First Pony Diva by Isabella
This is Diva my first pony! She is a grey Welsh Section A mare, 12 years old and used to be a riding
school pony. I first met Diva at my riding school and had a number of my lessons on her.
I fell in love with her (even though I rode other ponies too) and her brilliant personality so my
Mum asked if she was available and then my
granddads both bought her for my 5th birthday.
I have been riding for a year now and Diva is helping
me to grow in confidence and ability all of the time.
In this photo she is looking at my mum because she
was speaking to her and trying to get her to look at
the camera. She is quite alert of what is going on
around her as her ears are pricked in my mum's
direction and Diva’s head is alert too, but she knows
this area just outside the barn by the horse walker
and therefore is not nervous or worried at all.
Diva is very good at standing still for
me (most of the time that is). She will
stand for me to use the mounting block,
while my mum checks her girth and even
at pony games at the start of races!
Diva has a lot of likes and a few dislikes!
My mum helped me to discover these by asking me lots of questions and now we have
started a folder for all of her notes, vets bits, insurance bits and livery paperwork, etc.
Mum calls this her portfolio but I like to call it my Diva record book as I am printing off lots of
photos to go into it as well and it is just like my baby record book.
Find out more about Diva’s likes and
dislikes—are they the same for your favourite
pony?
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7. My First Pony Diva by Isabella ….continued
Diva’s Likes
Diva has started to recognise our voices and faces now which is
really exciting. She loves parsnips and I give them to her as a
treat after our rides. Mum is starting to clicker train her too and
is using small pieces with the clicker as well. When we go onto
the yard Diva will look up and come over to her box door to see
us now and she doesn’t do that for other people that she
doesn’t know.
She has several pony friends at the yard called Trevor, Neil,
Robbie, Prince and Milo. Her best friend called Merrylegs who
was in the box next to her in the barn was retired last week and
we think she must be missing her a little bit as she called for her
when she first left and wasn’t there the next day! She is more
relaxed about it again now but does appear to get annoyed with
Robbie sometimes who is now next to her as he kicks his box
This is Diva, myself and my
door for attention and Diva just looks at him when he does this.
instructor Erin—we are all
I am not sure what she is thinking and I am sure she isn’t
having fun!
amused and maybe she is even thinking about her little friend
Merrylegs that used to be there and very well behaved before.
Diva loves going out for hacks around the farm and is very good with dogs, walkers and even the
lorries that came to the BJSA competition at the yard at the weekend. So hopefully she will be
good when I take her to my first proper show next month, although we did really well at the
riding school show during my pony care day. We won my first Diva rosette and she won 4 of the 5
races! In the photo above she is looking at two other horses and riders coming towards us from
the yard. She does call but does keep an eye on them with her eyes and ears. I had to tell her to
walk on twice and get her attention back to me after this photo.
We went out and caught her ourselves for the first time yesterday and as soon as she saw us and
my mum called her she walked straight up to us. Mum was really pleased and we both gave her
lots of rubs and spoke to her a little before we put the head collar on her. Mum said this was a
good idea so she does not think we are always going to just try and catch her all of the time.
I led her in then and she walked really well next to me listening to me chat to her. She knows
when she gets into her box in the barn there will be some haylage waiting for her and she has
never had a bad experience coming in so she is quite happy to be caught.
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8. My First Pony Diva by Isabella ….continued
Diva’s Dislikes
I am now learning a lot more about ponies now that I have my own and am not just having riding
lessons or visiting my mums horses. Diva has a number of things she dislikes or isn’t too happy
about. One of the big things is personal space. She doesn’t like people peering over the stable
door at her and will put her ears back at anyone that tries to stroke her over the door, especially
people she doesn’t know. She is now getting much better with my mum, dad and me now though.
My mum explained it to me as someone I didn’t like or annoyed me (like my brothers) trying to
get into my own bedroom when I just wanted some peace and quiet so I think I understand a bit
better now. I always look to see if her ears are forwards or back and speak to her to back sure she
knows it me.
Diva is really good in the manage but when we go out for hacks sometimes she like to snack on
the grass and I struggle at the moment to keep her head up. We are experimenting with side reins
to help me with this but recently I am learning to recognise when she may be thinking about
doing it and stop her before she does. If she spots some nice juicy grass she looks at it first and
then slowly starts to pull in the direction before she puts her head down. I know say no in a firm
strong voice and push her on, as well as make sure my reins are short enough too.
Other Things I Noticed & Learnt About My New Pony
Diva has a slight dust allergy and this can sometimes make her cough. Her box is right next to the
entrance to the American barn where all the boxes are and this means she gets plenty of fresh air.
My mum gets asthma and also sometimes has allergies so I understand how grumpy this must
make Diva feel sometimes. It must also not be very comfortable for her either sometimes so I
always try to ride her outside either on a hack or in one of the outdoor manages instead of one of
the two inside schools especially when it’s dry and dusty.
We gave Diva a big wash last weekend as being grey she gets very dirty and we wanted to see how
she was with the water ready for getting her prepared for shows in the future. She was really
good, although she appeared to be tickly in some areas (like I am too) but she stood really well for
us to get her wet and shampoo her. I noticed that she was tickly by her tail, on her flanks and
underneath on her tummy. She wasn’t too keen getting her face wet either so we just used a
damp sponge there. 8

9. My First Pony Diva by Isabella ….continued
My Goals
My mum has helped me to set some goals I can be working on in the next few months so I can
get to know Diva even better and Diva can get to know me as well. Below are my top three that I
choose:
1. Get Diva to pick up her hooves for me so I can pick them out. She does it really well for my
mum but I need to learn to do it and show her that I am also confident about it.
2. Learn to recognise more of her likes and dislikes so I can write them in her Diva record book.
This will help me to me help her.
3. Go to our first show and have fun!
Why I Joined IH Kids
I joined IH Kids because I have watched both Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks on TV as well as my
mum having a large number of both of their books. I learn French and Hebrew as languages and
thought especially as I now have my own pony that I should make an effort to learn their
language and help to make Diva’s life as nice for her and as much fun as possible so she knows
that I care and try to understand her. I am also hoping to attend the Monty Roberts lecture in the
autumn if I mum will let me as it’s a school night and quite late and I am only 5 years old!
By Isabella
Thank you Isabella for sharing your
story and White Rosette Entry with us,
if you would like to earn your IH Kids
White Rosette go online and find out how!
www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk
Select IH Kids from the main menu.
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10. Herbie’s Horsebox
Herbie has some October riddles for you to solve and a tricky maze
with only ONE route—can you find it?
ere…..
From h
The Race is on!
Can you help the jockey navigate
Herbie’s horse maze to the next fence?
Good Luck!
October Riddles
Pick a riddle and find the right yellow
answer—but be careful there is a few
answers too many!
….. 1. It’s small and sharp but a
To here
horse will wear it…..
Curry
Tack 2. I may be stubborn but I’m
Shire always ready to listen…..
Dun 3. This brush isn’t made out of a
Grey
tasty dish.
Appaloosa Mul 4. Because it’s all ready. An eq-
e
uine of this coloring rarely needs
In Your Next Issue…… to do any work….
5. My hooves are striped but my
 The Must Have Equine Christmas List! body is not. I can run a great
 Monty Tour Report—Your Comments distance without getting hot.
 The Art of Longlining What breed am I?
and MUCH MORE! 5. Appaloosa—the remaining answers are there to trick you!
October Riddles Answers: 1. Tack, 2. Mule, 3. Curry, 4. Dun,
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