Guest Blogger Teddy 3: Work Shy Bruno

Pilgrim has asked that I continue as ‘guest blogger’ for a bit longer as he is still rather wrapped up in whatever it is he’s doing! I’ve tried asking politely without any success; it’s very unusual for Pilgrim to stay quiet, he’s normally bursting to tell anyone who’ll listen what he’s up to! 

I will find out somehow – I shall put my thinking cap on and come up with a plan.

We’ve been busy today – Well, all of us except Bruno that is! He’s managed to lose a front shoe (again) and his foot ‘is much too sore to work’.  

I wouldn’t mind too much; indeed losing a shoe can happen to the best of us.  BUT it seems to happen quite a lot to Bruno! He is either extremely clumsy or very clever, I haven’t decided which yet!! 

Clumsy Bruno or Clever Bruno?

It’s certainly a good way to have a few days off work; I only hope that the farrier comes sooner rather than later so Bruno can get back to work!

The Princess Visits Me!

Hey it's me, Pilgrim, the Mighty Atom!

I've been really busy and Teddy is doing a brilliant job of blogging for me, but I had to give you some exciting news!

Yesterday HRH Princess Alexandra came to visit me, and not only that, she gave me polos!

HRH Princess Alexandra

Apparently she had to do something with the new building as well, but I was definitely the highlight of her visit. I think someone got a photo of me with her, hopefully I can get hold of it soon and put it on here for you to see.

Bye for now!

Guest Blogger Teddy 2: Grooming

It’s busy as usual here at the Calvert Trust Exmoor. I regularly get to work with our guests on the yard as well as in the arena. I’m a bit of a softy at heart and love getting lots of attention, especially when it involves me being groomed!  
For us horses, grooming is quite relaxing and helps to keep us in good condition. I’ve heard the staff refer to it being the equivalent of having a shower – I know which one I’d  prefer!

My friend Bruno enjoying a grooming session - lovely!

I would like to clear up a misunderstanding regarding the incident a few weeks ago with a broken fence and a midnight stroll. Pilgrim seems to think that Brin, Bruno and I left him in the field, with no concern for his welfare or feelings.

I can honestly say that we all thought he had followed us out and was also enjoying the lush grass and sense of freedom.   We didn’t think that what was a small step over the bottom rail for us would be a big leap for Pilgrim! I did apologise to him, and so did the others; but he does have a habit of bringing the subject up from time to time to make us feel guilty!

Needless to say we are not planning any midnight adventures in the near future – and if we do you can guarantee a certain ‘mighty atom’ will be the first to know!

Guest Blogger: Teddy

Hello, its Teddy here. I’ve taken over Pilgrim’s blog while he’s doing ‘something of great importance’.   

Pilgrim has asked that I keep you ‘up to date’ on all that goes on this week while he is doing other things – and so I shall!
  
Firstly let me tell you a little about myself. I am an experienced and quite dapper piebald and I have been working at Calvert Trust Exmoor for 5 years. I am 15.2 hands tall; built for strength rather than speed.   

Teddy

My main role here is as a riding horse; with my calm manner and smooth paces I am ideally suited to working with guests that need extra support. However it’s nice when I carry a more experienced rider and I love being taken along the track by the reservoir for a bit of a run, as long as it’s not too far!

After a few weeks off with a minor injury, I am back in work and without any problems, at least so far! I feel great and my work load is back to normal; I even took a young person in my tandem saddle last week, so I must be back to peak fitness. I think the staff and I are both relieved about this, to say the least!   

I'm an author!

I’ve got a bit of news for you! you’ll never guess what it is, so I’ll have to tell you…..

Yours truly has been asked to write an article for Posability magazine!  It seems that they’ve read my blog and would like me to report on what we do with our guests at Calvert Trust Exmoor!

This means I’m going to have a busy week; I will still be working while I work on my article, not sure I can do my blog as well. 

I’ve decided to leave the blog in the capable hands of my friend Teddy. He’s not done a blog before but he assures me that he has a ‘wealth of experience’ and ‘just how difficult can writing a blog be?’  

I’m sure he’ll do a great job; but I’ve asked Pixie just to keep an eye on him just in case! It should be fine as he’s got lots of stories to tell and knows all there is to know about what goes on! I'll keep my hooves crossed just in case...

I love my job!

Good news!

I did some driving today & I was great! I had a person in my carriage plus one of the staff by my head helping them out.   I could sense that the lady in the carriage was new to driving so I was on my best behaviour.

As we went on I could feel her gain confidence, and we finished off doing a figure of eight round some cones, partly in trot.  I got lots of praise from both of them for being a little ‘superstar’ - their words, not mine - & afterwards a nice groom before I was taken out to my field. I love my job…

...but then who wouldn't!

Embarrassed Teddy

Do you remember the breakout a few weeks ago? 

Well, I had a chat with Teddy about it over a lush bit of grass last night. I could tell he didn’t really want to talk about it; I reckon he’s a bit embarrassed about leaving me behind (& so he should be!).

He muttered something about this field having more grass and a better view of the reservoir; but I think it’s more to do with it being harder for him & the others to push the fence!   

Brin told me later that he’d seen one of the staff walking round the field they broke out of with a roll of string,  banging metal bits into the fence. He thinks that they’re putting the same buzzing stuff on the fence that we’ve got in this field.  At least that means I won’t be left behind again!

I wonder if this was Teddy!?

I noticed last night that someone has attacked our sign, I wonder if that was Teddy too? He does have a good appetite, so maybe it was; don't think I'm gonna ask him though!

Shall we race?

It’s been quiet for me the past couple of days: I’ve done some agility and taken a few of our guests along the track, but no driving so far this week.    

The good thing about having a bit more time is that I can chat with some of the others here at Calvert Trust Exmoor & catch up on all the latest news. Of course any interesting bits I will pass on to you – but as a good reporter should, I will keep a confidence if asked to!

I've been chatting with Hendrix; we both love driving so we had lots to talk about! His main job is driving with the guests, he can pull both carriages but says he mainly works with the 4 wheeler.

Hendrix doing Carriage Driving

Hendrix told me that he’s been doing a few driving demos recently to show folks what driving is all about. He reckons the best bit is going round a course of cones as quickly as possible!

I told him about the demo I did a while ago and he said that maybe we could have a race sometime to see who’s the fastest!! I’d love that but I think I need to do a bit more practice first – it sounds to me that Hendrix is a bit of an expert!  

Welcome to the family Brin!

Me & a few friends showed some of the guests how we ‘talk’ to each other this week.   We are allowed to roam freely in the arena, just being ourselves with folks watching from above.
Having an audience doesn’t bother any of us……we’ve too busy catching up with each other or enjoying rolling (one of my favourite activities).   

Me having a lovely roll!

Good news; It sounds like Brin is here to stay, YAY!!!!!!

I know that all the new horses have what is called a trial period – which means that they are allowed time to settle & to see if being here will suit them. I must say I was a bit worried after the ‘breakout’, I hoped that it wouldn’t mess up his chances of becoming a proper member of our team.

It looks like his hard work & great personality has won them over at the Stables & I will have my new friend around to stay! whoopee!!

A little bit of rain..

Remember the ‘Great Escape’ from my field by Brin, Teddy & Bruno?  I am pleased to report that so far ‘the boys’ have stayed with me & not gone off on another adventure.  I made Brin promise that if they do it again they will take me with them!

It’s been raining again – surprise, surprise! I Didn’t have my rug on though; It’s when it’s raining & windy at the same time that I get a bit chilly.

Bruno made a comment about how some horses couldn’t stand ‘a little bit of rain’.  BUT I’m not the only one to have a bit of help to stay warm…….Pixie, Duke & Wizard also have a rug on when the weather turns wet & cold. 

I bet he wouldn’t dream of saying this to Duke (or Pixie for that matter!)

___________________

Apparently lots of you lovely people like reading my blog, so they sent out a photographer to get a picture of me writing - I've decided to use it as the new background for the blog! Here it is - a great shot of me in action!

Me hard at work, talking to you!

no more escaping?

Good news! All of us are now in a different field and not being kept in our stable overnight as I thought might happen. It almost seems like a reward for breaking out last night: is this too good to be true?

The answer of course is yes! Teddy told me that the top rail of this fence is making a buzzing sound – he say's this means it will sting if we touch it.  

Not a problem for me as I can’t reach it, but I think it will make the others think twice about making a bid for freedom again! - Perhaps Teddy will have to start work on digging a tunnel instead...

The Great Escape

I’ve just got to tell you this! Teddy was put in my field last night, the first night out for him since his injury. He was so pleased to be out again and got busy with eating as much grass as he could.

Next thing I know he, Bruno & my new friend Brin have all disappeared from the field!!!! I waited for them to come back, but instead one of the staff appeared and took me in to the stables.  And guess who was already there? Yes, you’re right, Teddy, Bruno & Brin!!!   

I think Teddy may be guilty of leading the other two into trouble, I remember he’s done this before!  Not quite sure what’s going to happen now as I think they’ve done quite a bit of damage to the fencing.    I’ll keep you posted!

Man I'm good looking!

I’ve got some good news for you today: Teddy is better!!
I saw him being tacked up & go into the indoor school.  He told me later that he’s being brought back to fitness by the staff so that in a week or so he will be able to work in sessions with our guests.

Teddy

Teddy was also allowed to go in the field for a few hours – he told me that he didn’t know what to do first, eat or jump for joy!   He then confessed that the lush grass won first place, but he did do both!   He’s still staying in his stable at night-time for the mo….but hopes to be joining me & the guys out in the field very soon.

As usual your mini reporter (that’s me) will keep you posted!


I overheard the staff talking today about how good I look this year in my summer coat! Of course I look good in my winter coat too, but due to my Scottish pedigree it can take me a long time to lose it.   Having a bit of both is not a good look….even for me!

I think it’s due to the extra attention I had earlier on in the year; my coat gleams in the sun & I feel good!   Grooming is very important to us horses, and something that the staff do for us every time we come in from the field.   Have you done any grooming lately?

Get well soon Teddy

Hi there! We are being kept busy at the moment here in the stables at Calvert Trust Exmoor, I heard the staff saying something about schools have broken up: I guess they mean that the children aren’t at school for a bit rather than the buildings have fallen apart!

Everyone here is working a bit harder as one of my friends, Teddy, has injured his leg and can’t ‘do his bit’ for our guests. He’s been off for a couple of weeks and told me the other day that he really misses working & eating in the field!   Teddy did add that he’s feeling better & hopes to get back to work very soon; I’ll keep my hooves crossed for him!

I’ve had a good week, showing folks just how friendly horses are and doing my agility course with them, but so far I’ve not done any driving this week.

I had a chat with Bruno, one of the horses that pulls the big carriage, and asked him how much driving he does. He said that it varies from week to week, and some weeks he might not be asked to drive at all!  He shares the job with Maxwell and Hendrix, so I suppose they all have to do their bit.   

The big Carriage

Bruno reckoned that I was very lucky to have my own carriage; he has to share the 4 wheeler with the others!   The stables also has a 2 wheeler (like mine but bigger), that Maxwell & Hendrix can drive – I think Bruno is a bit big for it, but I didn’t like to ask!

Whoopee!!!

Whoopee!!!  


Just as I hoped, I’ve done some more driving this week.    I’ve had a few people in my carriage; some sitting beside a member of staff and some on their own.

My Carriage

When I told Pixie all about it she was really pleased – she said something about me growing up at last…not quite sure what she means by that!! 


Anyway, I hope I get to do this again & soon!

...with these Rocher, you're really spoiling us

It’s another busy week. We’ve got quite a few smaller people with us and I have the job of ‘Ambassador’ for us horses.  Being closer to their size, I think it’s helpful to meet me first before they get to ride or drive with one of the others.


This has got me wondering, with smaller people around I might just get a chance to do some driving, keep your fingers crossed for me!


PS – I'm not quite sure what an ‘Ambassador’ is but it sounds important - & that’s got to be me, don’t you think?

Guest Blogger Pixie: 3 job well done

Hello everyone – it’s me, Pixie, talking to you from the stables here at Calvert Trust Exmoor. I promised Pilgrim to do at least one more blog, and an Exmoor pony always keeps her promise!


I’ve been demand this week as some of the guests are just the right size for me to work with, and being so experienced I am the ideal horse to take on this responsible role. 


I enjoy taking them round the arena, doing all kinds of exercises and especially hearing them chuckle when I move a bit faster.   Overall, as Pilgrim might say, ‘a job well done!’ 

My new friend Brin

I had a lovely day off, and now I’m ready for anything!  Hope I get a chance to do some more driving.  Don’t get me wrong, I do love doing my agility and I don’t want to give it up, but it’s nice to have another ‘string to my bow’!


I had a chat with Brin over a tasty patch of grass yesterday, he’s really enjoying being at Calvert Trust Exmoor, even more now he’s working with our guests. I love having him to play with; Pixie is great & my best friend ever, but she doesn’t see the point of playing what she calls 'silly games'! 

Playing with Brin

With Brin about I’ve got the best of everything - lucky me!

Collywobbles? Moi?

Guess what: I was driving again today, except I had some people watching me high up in the gallery!


We did the same things we did the other day, but I was a little bit nervous and I’m not sure it was as good as last time.  

But I heard the staff say they were really pleased with me as it was my first ‘public appearance’.  I think that means I will get a chance to do this again; I hope so as I did enjoy myself, and I’m sure all superstars get an attack of the collywobbles sometimes! 


PS – managed to get a couple of pictures and I look pretty good – what do you think?

I’ve just finished a busy but fun week with a group of children & their parents. The weather was great, so we were able to do stuff outside too, which I love.


Let me know what you think of my photos; pilgrim@calvert-trust.org.uk!

The Shadow revealed...

Hi there folks, it’s me once again – Mr short & sweet! 


Isn’t Pixie great – she knows just about everything there is to know (I think) and in case you hadn’t guessed….the shadow she talked about is me!


I’ve been very busy so far this week,not only have I done my agility but I’ve also done some driving! First I was long reined (that’s like being driven but without the carriage) then I did the same thing again, but with a bit of weight as well (but still no carriage!).  


Finally I was put into my carriage and once I was warmed up I had a bit of fun driving round a tricky course of cones.   I did some really neat turns and felt like I went very fast; they should make a proper competition like this for horses and carriages.  


I do love driving!!!!!

Guest Blogger Pixie: 2 Girl Power

Hello everyone, it’s me, Pixie, taking another turn on young Pilgrim’s blog.


Last time I mentioned my role as an ‘Ambassador for Horse Behaviour’ at the Calvert Trust Exmoor.I use this title as I am the most experienced at communicating with other horses, just like we do in the wild.


You might wonder how I gained this knowledge: I spent the first 3 years of my life living naturally with a herd on Exmoor, and believe me you learnt very quickly to understand what other horses were saying and who was in charge! I’ve since used these skills to establish my position in any herd I join – it probably won’t surprise you to know that I usually have the last word at the stables. I have heard the staff here call it Girl Power – not quite sure what that means, but it sounds good!


It is for this reason that I am often called upon to join a few of the others in one of the arenas.  We are let loose so that the guests get to see how we behave towards each other and communicate. I won’t say much more, except I often have a shadow on these occasions – guess who!?!

Pilgrim meets Bob!

Hi there, it’s me again - Mr short & sweet!!! (I like that!).  Wasn’t Pixie good as it was the very first time she’s been near a computer?   She promised to do the blog again and Pixie always keeps a promise.

Time for a news flash: I know who Bob is!


Or should I say what he is? Anyway, I was working in the yard when I went past his stable and the door was open.  It turns out that Bob isn’t a small horse at all!!! 
  
Bob (it must be a nickname) is a red barrel; he sits on a frame & has got a saddle on the top!

Bob in his stable!

I now see why ‘Bob’ is able to help our guests, as they can have a go at getting in the saddle before trying with one of us!   What a brilliant idea!

Guest Blogger: Pixie

Hello everyone, my name is Pixie; I am an Exmoor pony and have worked at the Calvert Trust for 11 years.

Pixie

Pilgrim asked me to write a piece for his blog – at first I said no, but he gave me one of his ‘looks’ and I relented.  It works every time and he knows it, the cheeky monkey!


My job at the Calvert Trust is to help the smaller people among our guests – I stand 13.2 hands and can carry up to 8 stone.  Being a mature lady I no longer pull the carriage – I leave that to the younger ones such as Hendrix and Maxwell.   


However I might be called upon to do my duty at Christmas time as I have the honour of taking Father Christmas in a carriage to the Centre. It’s a very responsible job, I and wonder if the younger ones will be ready for it. I might just have to have a word if the call comes.


Another important role I have is showing people how we horses communicate with each other. Most people think it’s all about neighing, but it’s so much more than that! I will tell you a little more next time – Pilgrim has said that we should keep the blog ‘short & sweet’.


Was he talking about the blog or himself?  To be honest, knowing Pilgrim it could be either!

Bob? who's Bob?

Just a quick hello from me this time - I’m going to help Pixie write her blog this week so mustn’t be long, but I must tell you this;


I’ve heard the staff talking about Bob & how he will help our guests get on a horse ‘cause he’s nice & small!!! 
What about me! I’m small & I would be very easy to get on… 


...I know I’m a bit too small to ride but I don’t mind having a go!


He’s in the stable next to Duke, but I’ve not seen him. I will have to find out a bit more about this; will keep you posted!

Fun with the little people...

I’ve been working with a group of smaller people today – for most of them I was the first pony they have been ‘up close & personal’ with!  Even though I’m the smallest at the Calvert Trust stables, I can imagine even I could look a bit scary if you’ve not met a real pony before.


Once they said hello & had a go at leading me on the yard,with some help, everyone was ready to walk with me round my agility course. They each did brilliantly & lots of photos were taken to show their friends & family when they got home. I must be one of the most photographed ponies in the South West……maybe in the world!!

_____________

Good news!  I asked Pixie if she would write something for the blog & she said yes - mind you I’ve got to give her a bit of help!   So watch this space!

My Friend Pixie

What did you think of the photo with me next to Brin?…..cool huh! (if you missed it, its here: Hello Big Guy!)


We are getting on really well, he’s quite playful and now he knows that I’m up for a bit of fun we get together more in the field.I’m not sure that Pixie, my best friend, is very impressed with Brin…


…she has a way of looking at other horses that lets them know exactly what she thinks of them! She’s always nice to me as I’m her favourite, of course I'm everyone's favourite! 


She is a bit older than me but we just get along really well. I’m thinking of asking if she would like to do the blog sometime; not sure if she’s even heard of blogging!  (I bet she would think it was something rude!!)

Bye Bye Nicky

Hi everyone, it’s me again with the latest from the stables at
Calvert Trust Exmoor. Had a bit of a surprise this week; Nicky, one of the staff, has left the stables after working here for more than 9 years! 

Nicky (with my friend Bruno)

All of us horses say a big thank you for looking after us so well and wish her well in whatever she does next. Of course this means that the staff will be looking for a new person to join the team at the stables – but they will need to find the right person so it could take a bit of time. If you are interested I've been told you can find out more on the vacancies page (whatever that is!)


In the meantime the remaining staff will do their best to keep things going for the all the guests that come to the stables. It might mean that the sessions are a bit different for a while; but I will do my best to keep everyone entertained!

Paparazzi

I’ve had an idea, I think I might ask if someone can come round one day when I am doing my agility so they can take some pictures.   Then for those of you that haven’t seen me in action you’ll get a better idea of what I do!


It needs to be dry & sunny so I can be at my best, things like the seesaw aren’t really safe for me when it’s wet, especially in these plastic shoes! So can everyone please keep your fingers crossed & hope for good weather very soon!!   


Field Update:
Brin is still playing it cool – but we did share the same patch of grass yesterday; I’m sure it won’t be long before we are proper friends.   Will keep you posted!

Am I agile or what?!?

No driving this week, but I’ve taken some of the guests round my agility course.  Now I’ve been thinking & I reckon that some of you may not know what it is I do for agility, so I decided to give you a rough idea.


I have my very own set of gismos that can be set out in whatever place and order you like.  These include;

• Cones (for bending round – the closer the better) 
• A big tyre with side barriers (I have to take big steps to go in & out of the tyre and stay straight), 
• A seesaw (specially made for me & one of my favourites!) 
• A ladder (I need to walk through without missing out a ‘rung’) 
• And my very own ‘parking space’ (I have to stand with all four feet inside the edge).   

You can see why I enjoy it so much as no two courses are ever the same!   Maybe you might be the one taking me round the course one day fancy a go?

Hello big guy!

You’ll never guess what happened today…


I got put into a different field (with my friends Pixie & Teddy) and the new horse Brin was put in with us as well!
I had to go up & say hello of course – he is REALLY big…..in fact I think he is the biggest horse that I have ever met!    

Getting to know Brin

I think he was a bit surprised when I went up & said hi – it might be that I am the smallest pony that he has ever seen; how cool is that!


Anyway, I didn’t bother him too much; I think he is a bit shy & I had to check out my new field & seek out the best patches of scrummy grass.

Mud, mud glorious mud

Hi! All’s well here at Calvert Trust Exmoor, except for the weather! I can’t believe how much it has rained in the past few weeks.


Some days we are even having the mud washed off our feet. It’s a nice touch by the staff to make sure we are comfortable in our stables, but it’s supposed to be summer!!!


Thank goodness we’ve got the indoor area to work (& play) in.


I heard someone say today that it’s going to be warmer & dryer this week…..I’ll believe it when it happens!

More about shoes... again!

These plastic shoes might not sound as good as the metal ones but they are very comfortable & they are staying on!    This means that I am able to do loads more, guess what; I did some more driving today, Yay!

After I warmed up in walk & trot, I did some circles & changes of direction; a couple of the circles were my best ever!  Then I was asked to trot figures of eight through some cones – with the turns getting tighter each time!   It was great fun & my driver was so pleased with me that I got another treat – a juicy apple this time!


I do love driving……..

Driving again yay!

Good news….did some driving today & I was brilliant! I ran through my paces & showed off how good I am at turns & changes of direction.  The lady who drove me was very pleased; so much so that I got a treat in my feed bowl when I’d finished!  Yummy!

Bring on the newbies!

Hi there everyone, it’s me again, Pilgrim: AKA the mighty atom! – keeping you up to date on what’s going on at the Stables at Calvert Trust Exmoor.   


I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new folks this week. Not only do I like showing off my agility skills but I also love it when they pick me a tasty salad.   I think it’s the best reward possible for a hard working Shetland – don’t you?


Earlier today I spotted the big fella (Brin) in the opposite field…..he seems to be getting on very well with the other horses, which is great.   The other day he was ridden by one of the staff in a group session; I heard he did really well & enjoyed himself.  This is all part of his trial to see if he will fit in with the rest of us – I hope so!

Here comes the Vet...

We had a vet inspection at the stables today –it has to be done every year for something called a 'licence'; whatever that is! All of us were walked & trotted with the vet watching very closely; I showed him my best paces & I’m sure I saw a smile on his face when I’d finished!


We all passed the test, so we can carry on helping our guests have an exciting time here at Calvert Trust Exmoor.  What a good end to a busy week – I think we all deserve the weekend off!

Escape!

Quick bit of news……we had a break out this week! One of the other horses, called Teddy, managed to knock over the top rail of the fencing & got out of his field! I saw him the next morning lying on the grass by my field, as cool as you like, and looking very pleased with himself.

Our Escapologist!

I know for a fact that this isn’t the first time he’s done this and I bet it won’t be the last! He’s now in the same field as me; so the staff must think that my fencing is stronger. Maybe if he breaks out again I can come too - the grass does look tasty on the other side of the fence……..

Neighbours, everybody needs good...

I’ve got a new neighbour in the stables; – he’s in the stable next door and although I’ve only seen his head, I can tell that he’s a lot bigger than me!


He’s called Brin and is currently on a month’s trial at the Calvert Trust Exmoor stables. 

Bryn in training

Brin’s only a bit older than I am & I’ve heard he’s very playful, just like me!    Have yet to meet him, but looking forward to saying hi & finding out more about this big guy – will keep you posted of course!

Pilgrim's Beauty Sleep

Had a great weekend; spent the time eating, rolling around in the field &chilling with my friends.  Now it’s back to work and a chance to show another group of guests my famous agility skills.  I think I’d get bored in the field all day every day so it’s good to come in to the stables after a few days off.  I also like to catch a few zzzz’s when it’s quiet and my stable is the best place for me to catch up on my beauty sleep.

Back to driving; YAY!

Stop press….. I did some driving today!!!!  It was great; we did loads of different things like bending cones & changes of direction. Heard the lady who drove me say how good I was and how much I have improved – cool!  What else would you expect from yours truly?

Busy busy...

Had a busy week, I've done a bit of everything; agility, showing the guests where to find the sweetest grass for a ‘salad’ and being a perfect gentleman. The weather has been varied, so a lot of my work has been in the yard so we stayed dry.  This suits me as my summer coat doesn’t keep the rain out quite so well.


The only thing I’ve not done is any driving. :-(

I miss my carriage

Because I keep losing my shoes I’ve not been in my carriage for a few weeks and I miss it. Hopefully now my shoes are ok I will get back to being driven; I was getting really good at it and I don’t want to get out of practice!

contact me!

Stop everything, I have some very exciting news!!


Thanks to all you lovely people reading this, (and of course because of my excellent skills as Equine Spokes Horse), the blog is so successful I have been given my own email address!


You can now contact me on pilgrim@calvert-trust.org.uk.

I'm so excited I don't think I am going to be able to sleep! looking forward to hearing from you soon!

New Shoes! (again!)

Do you remember a few weeks ago I was having some trouble with my metal shoes? (here: New Shoes) Well you’re not going to believe it but the other shoe came off! 

To be fair to Clive, my farrier, he has to stick them with special glue rather than use nails, and it seems that the metal shoes just won’t stay on!

This means that I’m now back in my plastic shoes – they’re OK, but I really liked the sound I made trotting down to the field! I suppose with these plastic ones on I can creep up on the others and give them a playful nudge; surprise surprise!

Nudge!

I'm back!

Hello again everyone, I’m back again to keep you up to date on the ins & outs of my life here at the Calvert Trust Exmoor.
I thought Maxwell did ok on the blog, what did you think? 


He does seem to take things a bit too seriously though! To be fair he does work very hard & I liked the way he clearly explained exactly what he did; there were a few things that even I didn’t know!!!


Anyway, all is well here in Devon – it’s been raining again but from what I hear it’s like that everywhere at the mo.  At least my summer coat has finally come through; the winter coat is great for keeping me warm but does nothing for my figure.  


Got to dash……..duty calls!

Pilgrim

Guest Blogger Maxwell: 5 I like driving in my... (carriage)

It’s my last working day for this week and today I did some more driving with the guests. 


You might think that they just sit back and enjoy the ride, but in fact they can help to guide me by working with my driver. A set of reins is attached to my pad and this allows them to help control my speed and direction. You might think that I wouldn’t be able to feel this but I’m quite sensitive and responsive to their actions. It’s fun having 2 drivers as I think it must give me an edge over the other horses when we play games!


Now I'm looking forward to a relaxing few days eating my way around the new field, and exploring every corner for tasty morsels.

Guest Blogger Maxwell: 4 more eating!

A very busy day; I was ridden on session instead of pulling the carriage, but I don’t mind as I like a bit of variety.


Once everyone was on board we went out into the outdoor arena which I like working in, It’s much bigger and has some great views of the reservoir and Exmoor in the distance – I sometimes like to look out at it when I’m waiting for my turn!


And I had a nice surprise when we finished work; me and some friends were taken to a new field with lots of luscious grass!  Wizard and Hendrix were very excited and played about to start with; however I got on with the important task of eating!

The view from my field!

Guest Blogger Maxwell: 3 Yum, apples!

Hello again, it’s Maxwell here, keeping you in touch with all that goes on here at the stables at Calvert Trust Exmoor!


I’ve just got back from a lovely drive along the tracks close to the reservoir. Rather than taking a guest I had 2 of the staff in the carriage.  I think they wanted to practice driving outside and I am an ideal horse to do this with.

I love pulling the carriage!

I got very warm on the drive but was rewarded with a nice bath when I got back, and even better, I was given a huge apple core as a thank you for being so good, which was delicious!

Guest Blogger Maxwell: 2 more about me!

I thought you might like to know exactly what my job is at the stables.  I am ridden by people of all ages and sizes as I am not too tall but quite strong.  I’ve heard the staff say that I have a smooth pace so that my riders don’t get bounced about too much. My riders don’t need to do very much for me to understand what they want me to do – I’m really quick to pick things up.
I am also trained for the hoist, which means that I stand very still while my rider uses a buzzy thing to help them get into my saddle.  This is a very important job and I am proud that I can help folks in this way.  Not all of the horses at the Calvert Trust can do this!
Another job I do is pulling the 4 wheel carriage – I share this role with 2 others, Bruno and Hendrix.  I love trotting round the arena and hearing how much the guests are enjoying it; I think I must look rather smart!
I do the same exercises when pulling the carriage as I do when I’m ridden, although moving round the cones is a bit harder with the carriage!  




I’ve had a busy week; with a mix of being ridden and driving the carriage.  It’s been really warm and therefore I get rather hot and sweaty; thankfully we all get washed down with cool water before we go out into the field.Bliss!
I am really looking forward to a couple of days off so I can focus on finding the sweetest bits of grass.  The grass has started to grow a bit quicker and I think I know where to find some rather tasty fescue.  Have a good weekend everybody – I will ‘blog’ again next week.

Guest Blogger: Maxwell

Hello everyone.  My name is Maxwell - Pilgrim asked me to write for his blog for a week or two; I hope I can do it justice.  He told me that the idea of his blog is to let you all know what we are doing each week.  Apparently some of his followers have been to the Calvert Trust before and others might wish to in the future.  So here it goes…..

Maxwell

Firstly, let me tell you a bit about myself.  I am a black and white cob standing 14.2 hands; this means I am technically a pony but I feel much more like a horse.  I am capable of carrying people up to 14 stone in weight – there can’t be many ponies that can do that!  I have been at Calvert Trust Exmoor for almost a year; I’ve settled well into my work and feel that I pull my weight at the stables.   I’ll tell you a bit more next time as it’s time for me to get back to work.

clip clop

Hurray – my shoe got put back on today!   Now I’m just like the other guys doing the ‘clip clop’ sound in the yard & on my way to the field.  I look & feel great – can’t wait to get back to driving my carriage!


Oh by the way, just wanted to let you know that one of my friends is going to be my ‘guest blogger’ next week.  I asked Maxwell and once he thought about for a bit he said he would give it a go!   So the next blog will be from him – good luck Max!

New Shoes!

Here’s the latest news hot off the press from the stables at Calvert Trust!


Forgot to say last week that I had new metal shoes instead of the plastic ones I was wearing.  They look & sound great & I make almost as much noise when I walk as the bigger guys!
But guess what…….I managed to lose one at the weekend; not sure where or how it just came off!  I’m ok but it means I can’t do any driving until I get a new one – hope it’s soon.


I’ve been told that the internet is a powerful thing & blogging is very popular – that’s why I’m doing my bit!   But what I didn’t know is that if you ask for something ‘on a blog’ it could come true!
Remember in my blog the other day (Nice Weather for Ducks)  I was fed up with the rain & wanted someone to push the button marked sun?Well this cool kid asks & hey presto it happens!!! It’s started to get drier & the sun is trying to come out – how cool is that?   Mini Shetlands rule once again!