People Like Ponies

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

People Like Ponies Help People Help Ponies Like People.

“People like ponies”, and “Ponies like people”. Liking ponies cuts across every barrier, uniting people, regardless of race, religion, gender or age. 

Ponies don't recognise such issues. They just want lots of scratches, affection and the occasional treat. Not unlike humans.

“Ponies help People” and “People help Ponies”, are what this project is about.

With an aging population, and an increasing belief that the disabled have as much right to enjoy life as anyone, access to the countryside becomes important. But for those with mobility issues, mobility is an issue. 

Electric vehicles are limited in the terrain they can cope with, petrol vehicles are noisy, and difficult to drive cross country. 

Ponies live on and navigate extreme cross country every day of their lives and they have power to spare. The ponies can help the people, and if the ponies have a purpose, they don't need rescuing, they won't be shot for the zoos, or shipped for meat.

Ponies on Dartmoor are shot in their hundreds and fed to the big cats at the local zoos, and they are probably the lucky ones. Hundreds, maybe thousands, get exported for meat, and if they have pretty coloured coats, the handbag trade. Some foals get skinned and stuffed as upmarket rocking horses.

 Modern ponies are judged on their breeding, looks, colouring and the way they move. All judgments that would be illegal applied to people. They are either ridden by children who can afford the hobby, or shown, competing to be the best bred, best looking, most fashionable colour or whatever. And those that don't match up to the standard, go for meat and handbags.

They could do so much more. In the past they have, let's give them a future.

Our native ponies survived for two reasons, they are tough. Dartmoor, Exmoor the Welsh Mountains, Shetland, The Highlands, the Fells and Dales, even the New Forest, are tough environments, especially in winter, and ponies who live out in all weathers, toughen up.

Secondly, they are useful. The Dartmoor Pony Stud Book was started by the Polo Club, as Edward the 7^th thought Dartmoor ponies would make suitable crosses with Thoroughbreds for the progeny to be Polo ponies. This is not useful, and it doesn't preserve the Dartmoor pony as the quad bike, tractor, power plant, mine machinery, and transport system of the region. Thousands of years of West Country farmers didn't look at those tough, willing, strong, scruffy and friendly ponies and think, “One day we can cross them with inbred racehorses so the King can have better polo ponies.” They used them on the farm, in the mines, packing stuff cross country, anywhere they needed more power than a man could deliver, they used ponies.

Those ponies are still tough, they are still willing, they have power to spare and nothing to do. They need help. The elderley and the disabled would love to be able to enjoy the great outdoors, go birdwatching, go along the beach, ramble across Dartmoor or explore forest tracks. The ponies can help the people, which helps the ponies, which since people like ponies as much as ponies like people, solves two problems in one.

The iBex is a pony drawn vehicle designed for safe all terrain access. It enables ponies to help people, to take them to the beaches, or birdwatching, or across Dartmoor or just round the local park. The pony can help give people back their freedom of movement, and by being useful to people, the people give the pony a future. Ponies help people help ponies.

Safety.

Safety is the heart of this project. At the top of the page are tabs leading you to information on the iBex, and its safety features, the safety training of helpers, the safety training of the ponies and the safety training for users. To get really bored on the subject of safety read the risk assessment I produced for a customer who will be working with a major organisation providing services for the disabled.


But at the heart of the project is the knowledge that the only safe pony or horse drawn vehicle is one without a pony or horse attached. With the instant pony release system, everyone involved can release the pony, instantly. Which is why  Fidelius Insurance like the project. They like the vehicle and like the safety features and are providing insurance, not only for the Seal Hayne Project but will also insure any private users and all the other projects lined up.

This next picture shows Bex who demonstrated driving a safe, solo, pony drawn vehicle at the Royal Welsh Showground's Spring Festival.