Over 150 Highland Pony Enthusiasts arrived at the Stud for the Open Day, which began with a fascinating demonstration by Kelly Marks.

Starting with our 4 y.o. stallion Lyndcrest's Rhodri (Dougie), Kelly showed how easy it is to prepare and back a young pony, using the Monty Roberts method.

Ably assisted by Mike O'Brien, it took about 35 minutes to tack up and have Mike on board, very impressive!

Balleroy Ivy was a worthy candidate for the loading technique – she had travelled to shows numerous times since a foal and then decided ‘No more'.

Kelly showed how to solve and sort out several problems which could arise with a young pony who was reluctant to load. Within 30 minutes Ivy was going on and off the trailer without a care in the world.

An absorbing talk on Equine Dentistry by Lucy Smith (C/Eq.Dt.) showed the importance of proper care of the horse's mouth. Able to see inside the mouth of a heavily sedated Inca, Lucy gave an explicit account of when certain teeth come out naturally and what a well cared for mouth should look like.

The talk and demonstration of sidesaddle equitation by Jacqueline Fedi was fascinating. Our Katy stood in at the last minute for Jackie's Lumpy and Jackie tailored her talk to show how to tack up and put up a rider for the first time. Neither Kate nor her young rider, Gemma Leader, had experienced anything like this, and both excelled and looked naturals.

The talk on filling in the whorls for passport silhouettes, given by Stuart Shilston, was most informative, giving us all a much better idea of what is expected of us. Debbie Spears' was very professional in giving her advice on producing Novice Ridden ponies. With four ponies in the arena, Debbie explained the way of going and the format of a ridden class. She explained which bits and the correct tack needed for the Novice pony. There was then a question and answer session.

The day finished with a walk around the stud to see the ponies, who were delighted to have so many visitors to talk to.

Videos of the day available @ £5.00 + p&p.