Out of the Draw

Between the barn where I do most of my work with my ponies and the hill, there is a draw.  In the picture, the trees between Calista and me and the barn are in the draw.  The ponies are of course quite adept at following their favorite paths down off the hill into the draw and back up the other side, usually at a decent rate of speed.  I, on the other hand when traversing the draw, take a very thoughtful approach, seeking out the least elevation change possible to accomplish my goals.  Except when I am with a pony.

Most often it is my lead Fell Pony mare Bowthorne Matty who assists me with navigating the draw. Most of the time I’m navigating the draw when I’m bringing the mares in, and I use Matty’s influence on the rest of the herd to draw them along with us.  If I ride Matty, then we stop at the top of the draw on the hill side, and I dismount; there are numerous low-hanging branches that I’m not interested in encountering on her back.  Going down into the draw she is always very respectful, staying back so as to not step on my heels.  Going up the other side, though, she comes alongside me, and I willingly get her help to get out of the draw. 

The help I get is a handful of mane.  I grab on and where normally Matty would outpace me going up the hill, I am able to keep up because she pulls me along (as long as I keep my feet going!)  We have done it often enough now that she knows we stop at the top of the draw where I say thank you and release my handful of mane.   I am starting to realize how this quiet, undemanding mare has given me a partnership I didn’t know we had.  What a blessing this life with ponies is.

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2020

More stories like this one can be found in my book What an Honor, available internationally by clicking here or on the book cover.