A SPECIAL workshop dedicated to helping people learn how to handle feral ponies will soon be held.

The Dartmoor Pony Training Centre will be running a Dartmoor Hill Pony workshop for three days on October 9, 10 and 11 with Sarah Weston of Intelligent Horsemanship, renowned for her work with unhandled feral ponies including New Forests, Exmoors and Dartmoors.

The dates have been set to encourage people to work with a foal/pony they have bought at the sale before they take it home resulting in both owner and pony having a good grounding and knowledge for their new lives together.

People who are thinking about buying in the future are also welcome, as ponies can be provided. People who sign up to the workshops will learn to handle their own foal before it goes home with them. The foal can be kept at local facilities after the sale until the day of the workshop at no extra cost and they will be ready to greet their owner on the day.

The course will help guide owners on how to touch their foal and put a head collar on before teaching it to lead.

The workshops will run for two days on October 9 and 10 with Sunday, October 11 being open to the general public as part of the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre's annual open day. Workshops cost £50 per day to work with a foal and £10 per day for spectators.

Natalie Torr from the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre said: 'The idea of the workshop is to encourage people who plan to buy a feral pony to bring it to the workshop and learn how to handle the pony and get the best relationship with it before taking it home. In the long run this kind of training can save a lot of future heartache.

'At the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre we regularly see first people who cannot cope with their feral ponies when they get them home and have helped people with their issues and even had ponies given to us to re-home as the owner can no longer cope.'

More details call the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre on 01364 644224 or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected]