Akehurst Dales


Me, Akehurst Bluebell and Kellie

Hi! I'm Rachel Wilkins. I'm the one on the horse. I like riding and looking after horses,especially Dales Ponies. This picture is of Akehurst Bluebell and I before the Condition and Turnout class at Folkington Manor Horse Show in August 1999. This class looks at how well groomed the horse is and how clean the saddle and bridle are.

Akehurst Black Beauty(foal) and Akehurst Black Velvet(mum) Akehurst Black Beauty In these pictures, taken in August 1999, Akehurst Black Beauty is not yet black. This is because she is only a couple of months old so she has not grown all of her adult coat yet. You can begin to see it around her eyes, nose and on her back.
Akehurst Black Beauty's mother is called Akehurst Black Velvet.

Akehurst Black Beauty is now two years old and in September last year she won 1st prize at a Dales Pony show (below). Akehurst Black Beauty

Dirty Pony! This very muddy pony is Akehurst May Blossom. She has just come in from a night rolling in the mud. Blossom enjoys getting dirty but also enjoys all the grooming afterwards, she cleans up to a lovely shiny coat. This picture was taken in April 1998. Here is Blossom with her friends after a good grooming.
us! This picture is of Kellie riding Akehurst Smooth As Silk (left) and me riding Akehurst Bluebell (right). This picture was taken in early September 1999.

Me riding Bunny

click here for summer 2000 visit

All of the Dales ponies with their pictures above belong to my Great Aunt Delia,who has owned a farm in East Sussex for over 20 years.

The Dales Pony

The Dales Pony came from the Upper Dales in the Eastern Pennines. They were used for farmwork and carting, particularly in the lead mines.
The Dales pony is sometimes refered to as The Great All-Rounder. Under saddle they are steady, and full of stamina. They are calm enough for children, but are better suited to adolescents or adults. In harness they will perform any task asked of them; dressage, plowing or marathons. The Dales has a small, neat head and a strong deep body. They have short, straight cannons with hard, well-shaped feet and silky feathers. Dales ponies are usually 13 - 14:2 hands. They are usually jet black in colour but can also be brown, bay or occasionally grey.
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