In May we were lucky enough to travel to England and Wales for a couple of weeks of relaxation, exploration and of course ponies! While the British Isles are known for nine breeds (Connemara, Dales, Fell, Exmoor, Dartmoor, Welsh, Highland, New Forest and Shetland) of Mountain and Moorland ponies I admit the ancient and primitive Exmoor is my favorite, and it was a pleasure to return for our fourth visit to this beautiful part of the world.
We rented a lovely, peaceful and comfortable cottage on Exmoor on a working sheep farm that had amazing views and was also conveniently situated on the moors. While the weather was changeable from bright sun to driving rain (in a matter of minutes) and also quite cool, spring was definitely well underway with new foals, lambs and calves in evidence everywhere and flowers blooming profusely. On the first weekend we were lucky enough to have the
Golden Horseshoe ride come right by our cottage and of course I couldn't resist grabbing my camera to get some shots of the riders. While on Exmoor we were lucky enough to hear our friend
Tracey Elliot-Reep speak in Simonsbath on her long distance horseback rides and adventures around the world. I have known Tracey for some years now and her life is exciting and fascinating, and she is also a huge advocate for the native ponies on Dartmoor, which is also her home base.
After we left Exmoor we toured around the southwest of England and stopped at the
Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth and spent a couple of days on Dartmoor as well.Then we travelled back to
Manchester to catch our flight home and enjoyed the Cotswolds and the Peaks district.
England is at its most charming in the spring, from the blooming gardens everywhere, expansive green landscapes with the iconic hedgerows and stone walls (and of course the impossibly narrow roads that aren't always so much fun!) and sheep grazing everywhere to the cream teas and friendly pubs England never disappoints!
To view my galleries from this trip,
here you go! Enjoy! And as always my images are available for various usages and licensing, drop me an
email to discuss your needs.
