Our Current Ponies
Our Current Ponies
Ben
Ben belongs to one of our volunteers, Kate Beim, who brings him to the stable yard every week in her horse lorry. He is a very well loved tiny 10hh family pony who has given many grand children, children and their friends their first rides. He does everything – general riding, pony club, gymkhana, show jumping, polo and even hunting. He is boss man at home in his field, even though he is always the smallest. He is adept at finding escape routes out of the paddock so being small is advantageous, and the bigger horses cannot follow him! He loves coming to RDA where he takes great care of all his riders.
Finn
Finn was very kindly gifted to Watershed by Claudette Lambert.
He is a Welsh Section D cob, very handsome and much loved. He was foaled in 1999 and is 14.2hh.
He had a previous career in the show ring and does like to show off and be admired! He is now an established member of our group of ponies and has adapted well to his new role.
Copper
Copper is a handsome 14.2hh chestnut gelding, foaled in 1999.
We are so grateful to the Belton family, who have kindly loaned him to us.
He is very well schooled, and responsive, having competed in many Pony Club competitions in his time. He is also kind and steady, and is brilliant at looking after his riders here at Watershed.
Talland Bobby
Bobby is a beautiful Welsh pony with a flaxen mane and tail. He is 14hh, which is slightly smaller than Copper, and was foaled in 2003.
He has lovely forward going paces, and is not at all bothered by traffic, or unusual sights and sounds. He been a very successful Pony Club pony, so he is good at dressage, jumping, hacking, and just about everything!
Sunshine
Sunshine has now retired from a very distinguished International career as a top level polo pony, and is kindly on loan to us by her owner and rider Tim Ward.
She is a 15hh German bred mare and is extremely comfortable to ride, with lovely relaxed forward-going paces.
Her beautiful palomino colouring and her kind nature makes her very easy to fall in love with!
Heidi
Heidi is a kind and steady Chestnut Roan Cob, foaled in 2012
She is a chunky girl, and at 15.1 hh is the biggest member of our pony team and is proving invaluable for our taller riders.
Before she came to Watershed RDA, she was owned by a private family and was ridden by a man with disabilities.
She knows her job well, and takes it all in her stride.
Some of our previous ponies:
Some of our previous ponies:
Jessie
Jessie was a very pretty coloured mare, foaled in 2004, and was kindly on loan from Di Alexander.
She had a very placid and easy going nature, and gave our riders great confidence.
Earlier in her career she spent a little time as part of the Gifford’s circus team.
She was with us for many years, and was always happy and willing to do what was asked of her. Consequently she was much loved by all of us, and a firm favourite of many of our riders
Very sadly she became unexpectedly unwell during the Summer holidays of 2023, and did not improve even with extensive veterinary care. In consultation with us and with our vets, her owner decided that he best and kindest thing was to have her put to sleep.
Siwan
Siwan was a very pretty 13.2hh chestnut mare, foaled in 2004 which made her the youngest member of our pony team at the time.
Being a Welsh cob, Section C, it was fitting that her name was Welsh too (pronounced Sue-Ann).
We are very grateful to the Waite family who kindly loaned her to us for well over a year, as she was a much loved asset to the Watershed team. She returned home to her owners in February 2022.
Smartie
Smartie was a piebald gelding, was born in 2000 and 13.1 hh. He was a very kind and gentle pony, and he always looked after his riders exceptionally well. He really loved his work with the RDA, was never worried about anything, and never wanted to be left out. He was such asset to the group as he could be ridden by both children and lightweight adults .
Due to an incurable problem with one of his eyes, it needed to be surgically removed. He adapted remarkably well to this, and carried on his good work with much happiness for several years. Sadly. however, the condition flared up in his remaining eye, and he also developed other serious incurable neurological problems. On the advice of our vet, he was put to sleep just before Christmas in 2021. He is greatly missed by so many.
Misty
Misty used to come to Watershed RDA with her little friend Ben, and is owned by Kate Beim.
Misty was a very perky 11.2hh grey mare, and her kind nature gave great confidence to many children, and grandchildren in her life time.
She started her RDA career at the grand old age of 25 years, and her riders and all those who knew her here at Watershed fell in love with her engaging ways and jolly stride.
She died at a very grand old age in March 2020, and is still missed by many.
Mozart
Mo was a 13 hh piebald gypsy cob. We believe he was foaled in 2011, which made him the very youngest of our team of ponies at the time.
He had a playful character and would get into mischief whenever he could, becoming a great favourite with our riders.
He was a steady boy most of the time but he was a bit too unreliable to be safe enough for our riders. Since he was so young, we felt that he would have a more fulfilling life with someone else.
He went off to his new happy home in May 2020. We all miss his mischievous antics!
Connor
Connor was a very talented 13.2hh Connemara pony.
He was highly valued and loved amongst us all for his energetic forward going personality and his ability to perform very accurate dressage tests for our riders. He was with Watershed RDA for many years, having originally come from the Isle of Wight.
Very sadly he had to be put to sleep in February 2019, due to incurable issues related to his ripe old age.