I had a lovely surprise in the post today (makes a change from bills and junk mail advertising monogrammed silver toothpicks as the perfect gift for HIM!): Chris and Cherry Hughes sent me a DVD full of photos of the 2008 pony handling course. Here are some of the best (more of the best on the Exmoor pony page of our website http://www.westilkerton.co.uk/ )

Everyone was given a talk about how to handle ponies

Here's Claire with Rocky. He didn't like having his headcollar buckled to begin with, so Vanessa taught us a handy trick with baler twine

Nikki and Kirbie: love at first sight

The ponies appreciated Colm's laid-back attitude

Vanessa showed us how to use a rope to teach a pony to lift its hind feet

Then we had to do it (Boudicca was overwhelmed by my bottom!)

On the second day we took the ponies into the yard and introduced them to scary things like trailers, hoops, plastic and road signs

Nikki with Kirbie and Cathy with Bucks Fizz

Shaun with Sunny Delight

Lisa with Fanta

Cheryl with Boudicca

Nikki with Kirbie and Cherry with Sandy

Rocky, Lisa, Vanessa, Kirbie, Nikki, Sandy, Cherry, Philip, Boudicca and Cheryl

The grown-up Harry Potter, ready to fly off on his turbo-charged glove-on-a-stick to work his magic on more ponies