Is Echo a Welshman?

I'm really happy because Echo is PONY size! I think he's about 13.3 hh. I have a feeling he's got some Welsh pony blood in him because of his face/eyes and size. I recall I read somewhere that Welsh ponies were used in the West for mining and were turned loose to become feral. I hope it's true because I love Welsh ponies and I am half Welsh myself. He'll also eat less than Wildairo and be easy to man (girl) handle. His full name will be Echo Taffy just in case he is a Welshman.

Echo is NOT like Wildairo was when he was the new kid on the block!

Wildairo was in my face and every move I made he saw as an act of aggression on my part. When I approach Echo's pen he steps back, whereas Wildairo would march right up to me in case I wanted to fight. I sit so quietly as Echo eats right next to my lawn chair and if I make any little move, even if my hair blows, he steps back. With Wildairo, I was on crutches and had to pull myself up on the gate, Wildairo would charge me, ears back, mouth open, even striking out a few times at the gate. I had to finally hit him and it was a quick and permanent cure. Wildairo would also let me touch him through the gate early on.

Now Wildairo is a big lovable sweetheart. We have to walk through his corral to get to Echo, so he gets lots of petting and hugs as we go through. I remember as early as the third week, he'd come to me when I called him. It came in handy yesterday when I let him out of his old corral to put him back in his new corral. He was following me through the gate, (he wasn't being led), and he lumbered over to the gate at the end of the alley where he's never been before, it's the gate where we unloaded Echo at. I looked back to see his head hung over it and looking out at a new view and I noticed it wasn't closed all the way in fact it was open about a foot! I started to get so scared and I called him, he turned around and came to me. Phew! He stopped by my lawn chair to help Echo keep his area free of dropped hay. That was so nice of him but look at his belly!






The first night I sat next to Echo for hours. The moon was bright and the coyotes were singing all around. I had my hand through the gate and I felt his soft nose rub all over the back of my hand.

Wildairo is used to being the center of attention and he did all his tricks to get me over to him. He bit large chunks of wood from the fence and was rubbing his tail off as hard as he could, almost knocking the gate off it's hinges. I had to keep getting up to talk to him. I finally sang the song I used to sing to him when he first arrived, The Boxer, by Simon and Garfunkel. Wildairo settled down and lowered his head so I could see his eyes shining in the moonlight between the boards, even Echo relaxed and started eating hay.

The next morning when I went to see them I noticed Echo had pulled his halter over one ear! Foxsun (my Morgan horse) was in with the herd, so I wormed him, then gave him carrots to take away the taste.

All the herd lined up to visit Echo through the fence. Even the calves and the bull politely got acquainted with the new boy. Here's the old cow wife, Dandylyons, waiting to say hello, Foxsun is next in line right behind her.




I'm trying to get him used to my hand.




The second evening I picked up Echo's lead rope and managed, with only a bit of resistance on his part, to get him within a few feet of me. I didn't try to touch him because he's still too fearful of me. I will do it on his terms. I wish I had a round pen or even a pen a better size. We have cattle sorting corrals and they're either too big or too small to work a horse. I have to be so careful because the halter is off one ear.

I'm 100% pleased with my new Mustang! I look forward to earning his trust.



UPDATE:

Echo and I are getting along very well. Today he sniffed my face and worked over my hair. I can get a hold of his lead rope with a pole to get him to come to me. He let me touch his nose a few times tonight. It was very peaceful in the moonlight. Echo is very gentle and sweet. He's getting used to me moving about and doesn't jump as much. He refuses to eat carrots or grain. He is SO different than Wildairo.