Every
pony that comes to live at Angelwings is given lots of TLC and our main
concern is their health. First we put them in a separate pasture away
from all the other ponies. This lets us evaluate the new pony to determine
if it is sick. This is a quarantine period. If he seems ill he is visited
and treated by a veteranarian. After this we worm the pony and give him
his vaccinations.
During this time we also determine what kind
of special feed he might need. Foundered or obese ponies get grass hay.
If they are lame they get butazolatin for pain. Thin ponies get alfalfa
hay. Malnourished ponies get a special grain with vitamins added and their
alfalfa. Old ponies with no teeth get alfalfa meal, which is a crushed
alfalfa with molasses. 
Certain
ponies are let out on the pasture to graze for several hours for one of
their feedings.
The Love Process
We leave the new ponies alone for several days to get used to their surroundings. After several days we start the love process. We feed them by hand, love on them and just sit in their pen so they get used to us before we ask them to do anything. We do this for 3-4 days. Next we see if they can be tied up without spooking or pulling back. Then we start brushing them and loving on them while they are tied up. They stayed tied for a while to practice patience. After they have mastered the tie lesson we take them for a walk. We take them on the 3,000 acres behind our ranch. If they do good then we walk them through the neighborhood. They learn to accept barking dogs, bike riders, cars and different types of animals including cows and llamas. This process could take anywhere from 4 days to 2 months depending on the pony.
Keep in mind the ponies don't live in the 12X12 pens. They are for feeding and training only. The ponies have green pastures and dry pastures they live in. Here is Dilly modeling in our 12x12 pens.
Click to see more pony pictures
After the pony feels safe and is used to people handling him and working with him it's bridle time. We do this only after the pony totally trusts us. In the pen we put on a snaffle bit with no reins and the pony has it on for an hour a day for several days to get used to the feel of it in his mouth. Next back to the neighborhood, this time with the bridle and saddle on a lead rope. We walk the pony through the neighborhood with all the gear on to see if everything is still ok and nothing is bothering the pony. The next day we tie the pony up with a halter and saddle and bridle him. Bradley or Coreybeth is lifted on him and they sit for a while so the pony can get used to their weight. If everything is ok at that point we untie him and I take him for a walk with Bradley or Coreybeth on his back. When we are comfortable that there will be no bucking or spooking then the next day Bradley or Coreybeth rides him in the big round pen. If that goes well Bradley and Coreybeth are off to the trails to ride in the open and in nature. Daily riding is fun for both parties, it keeps these ponies in great shape, gives them a routine and keeps them focused on being good pet ponies for sponsorship or adoption.
Our next training step is to put the pony in a 12X12 pipe corral. The kids ride scooters, bikes and big wheels by the pen while making lots of noise. We drop pipes and buckets and noisey things by the pen. This training is called desensitizing. We do this daily until nothing spooks the pony. Next is saddling. We tie them up and saddle them. There they stand for one hour. We do this for a few days. Then they are turned out in the 12X12 pen to walk around with the saddle on for 1/2 hour at a time for another few days.