Bertie's Blog.

I've begun a new blog for Bertie.

It was confirmed today that the Fells do have strangles but I refuse to be downhearted or despondent. So far only Bertie has been really ill and he's well on the mend now, and only my own horses have caught it at all. I can only hope that continues to be the case.

With earthquakes and wars and people dying an outbreak of strangles is not the end of the world and I can't change anything now. It just has to be lived through as best we can.

Since he's been ill Bertie has developed an air of melancholy about him - "Nobody loves me, everything goes wrong and I'm so sad!!!" - or so his eyes tell me.

Today I began a little clicker training with him and within a few minutes s I saw the switch flick in his head. His brain went into deep thought mode as he tried to work out what I was asking and found that he could with ease.

My faith in clicker training, which I had questioned the necessity for as I have questioned everything I used to believe in, has been restored. Real, solid, strong communication between us has been established and our journey together has begun.

My dream is to get Bella and Bertie to be friends and to do liberty displays with the pair of them - a Dales and a Fell - to raise the profile and popularity of these two delightful, wonderful, intelligent, versatile native breeds that should never have become rare breeds.

Bella is very dominant with other horses and Bertie is terrified of her, and of all other horses, so it's a big dream but I like to dream big and I love a real challenge!!!!

Bertie's blog. The training of a six year old, unbroken Fell Pony who was a feisty working stallion until last June when he was gelded after being nearly killed by another stallion, and who has had his whole world ripped apart ever since.

I am more excited about starting this blog, and to trying to win the heart and mind of this new and very attractive character, than I have been about anything for a very long while. Please do join us for the ride:

http://helenandbertiebassett.blogspot.com/