Introducing Madie to the Hill

Madie near the barn, with the tree covered rise behind her where I found her at dark on her first trip out on the hill

For a variety of reasons, I’ve had my Fell Pony mare Willowtrail Spring Maiden housed with my stallion in the stallion pen since we moved to South Dakota.  Now for a variety of reasons, I’ve decided it’s time for Madie to get used to living on the hill here.  For instance, I want her to be in good physical shape when it comes time to foal, and moving about the hill landscape will help towards that goal.  And I want her to be able to run on the hill with her coming foal during the summer. 

In past years Madie has run with the other mares, so when it was time to introduce her to the hill pasture, I turned her out with the other girls for part of the day, trusting that she would learn from them the various trails and opportunities that the hill provides.  For the first several days, Madie stayed close to the barn and the stallion pen, not following the mares out into the hill when they occasionally left the vicinity of the barn to dig for grass under the snow.  I put out hay near the barn for Madie to make sure she still got something to eat.  And I noticed that my youngest pony on the hill, Drybarrows Calista, was often standing close to Madie.

I was pleased that Calista was befriending Madie because it served my goal well.  Calista, being fell-born, is very at home on the hill pasture and will often lead the herd to new places to graze.  Calista has seemed a little lonely since her buddy Willowtrail Henry left for his new home, so I was happy for her to have someone new to hang out with.  And I hoped that her relationship with Madie would eventually lead Madie out onto the hill.

It was of course on a day when I got a late start for evening chores.  Numerous phone calls kept me inside until darkness began to fall and it was time to return Madie to the stallion pen for the night.  When I arrived at the barn, Madie was nowhere to be seen.  Two mares were there, but Calista was not.  When I glanced out onto the hill, I noticed Calista’s dark shape against the snow-covered landscape.  I headed in her direction, hopeful that she would lead me to Madie.

When I got to Calista, she was alone.  I started feeling a little anxious about how I would find a black pony in failing light (though obviously snow-covered ground makes it a little easier).  When I asked Calista where Madie was, she looked to the east, so I headed in that direction around a small tree-covered rise.  Sure enough, there Madie was, rooting under the snow with great interest.

Despite having to take an unplanned late day hike in search of her, I was thrilled that Madie had ventured onto the hill and had begun to discover its many benefits.  I look forward to seeing how she explores, perhaps in the company of her friend Calista!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

You can read more stories about my life with my Fell Ponies in my book What an Honor, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.