With a Little Help from Madie

I was laying in bed thinking about my to-do list for the day, and I realized that a pony could help me with one of the items on that list. It had been a long time since I’d asked a pony to help me with ‘work,’ so I quickly got out of bed to put the plan into action.

It all started with a Facebook post a few weeks before by a very accomplished florist/wreath maker in the UK. Each year she advertises beautiful horsehead wreaths for sale. The first time I saw one, I was smitten. This year, when I saw her post, I decided I would buy one as a holiday gift for my pink pony princess friend Jackson. I quickly learned, though, that the florist is so popular that she sells out well in advance. Chagrined, I had to put my thinking cap back on to figure out a holiday gift for Jackson.

I just couldn’t get the idea of a horsehead wreath out of my mind, though. I used to have a wreath-making business back in Colorado; I regularly used ponies to bring supplies in from the woods. So I began wondering if I could make a horsehead wreath for Jackson myself. After I was able to find a frame, I got permission to harvest greens here on the ranch, so it was beginning to seem possible. I found suitable greens not far away, so I was even more encouraged, though the ones here are cedar so are different from the subalpine fir greens I used in Colorado.

Next was to put together the pony portion of the chore. I pulled out two plasticized nylon bags that I had purchased several years ago for a different pony packing job. They are connected together at one point at the top and are intended to be used for light but bulky loads. Because of the nature of the jobs I wanted to do with them, I didn’t need pack saddles; I could just lay them across my pony’s back and keep them in place by their shape and weight.

My decision about which pony to use was an easy one. Willowtrail Spring Maiden, called Madie, has daily been asking to engage with me, and usually I just mount her, thank her, and dismount. This time, though, I would be asking her to pack in the greens. About five years ago, I had worked with her for a couple of weeks in preparation for a packing job, so I was confident that she would be okay with the idea. She just had never dealt with those particular bags. So the first thing I did was take the bags to her and see if she would quickly accept them slung over her back. She did, so next I harvested the quantity of greens I thought I would need, filling the bags as I harvested.

I had strategically chosen the harvesting location to be close to the pony pasture, so that Madie would be familiar with the terrain, if not the particular work. Madie was at the barn with the rest of the herd when it was time to go get the greens. I haltered Madie, and with her son King following, I led her on a half mile walk to where I had left the bags of greens. One of the many unknowns of this outing was how well four-month-old King would follow his mother and how he would react to his mother carrying the bags. I quickly found out that he was more of a challenge that I had anticipated, but in a good way! He not only willingly followed us but was very curious and constantly trying to pull on the bags. It was mostly a challenge when I was trying to make sure Madie was comfortable with how the loaded bags felt on her body while King was tugging on them. We took it slow at the start and then were able to walk at a good Fell Pony speed to where we left the bags. I was thrilled with both of them!

Making a ‘wreath’ in the shape of a horsehead instead of a circle or garland was a new experience. It was also a creative challenge to figure out what native materials to use for mane and forelock. Small Ponderosa Pine cones were the obvious choice for eyes, though! Because Jackson is a fan of the movie Frozen, blue and pink ribbons were important adornments for her wreath. The one that hangs outside my door, though, is au naturel. Thank you, Madie, for making these holiday decorations possible!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2021