I know donkeys, sheep, cows and dogs. I am getting to know Chloe, Maria’s new pony. She is Maria’s horse, not mine, but our paths cross continuously. She herds sheep, accompanies me to open the pasture gates, noses my hands and pockets for cookies and apples.

Here’s what I am learning about her:

– Ponies are different from dogs, they are different from donkeys, they are even different from other horses.

– They are strong, hardy, durable, willful. They have a mind of their own. They are not eager to please, they do so when they must.

– They are highly intelligent. Chloe knows when I latch a gate where I am, where I am going, and how much grass is involved.

– They can be very affectionate. They love people and need attention. I love hearing Chloe knicker whenever she sees Maria or me. She always comes right up to me, puts her nose against me, waits for me to stroke or touch her. She accepts the bridle. She loves to eat, and would do so continuously if we didn’t close off the pasture gates.

– Ponies need a lot more care than dogs. They need their hooves trimmed, their tails and manes brushed, they need to be hosed down they work and sweat. They need to have their hooves cleaned out with picks and the backs of their legs trimmed with special scissors.

– She is grounded. She accepts dogs running between her legs, is easy with the donkeys, has accepted the sheep. She has a very even temperament.

– She eats like a dozen mules, or maybe a couple of dinosaurs. She eats all day and all night, if permitted, which she is not.

– As with so many animals, people have lost touch with them and their needs. Many people don’t know that ponies were bred as riding and war animals. The Native-Americans rode them and so did  Genghis Khan and his army. They are tough and strong, they are work animals. Giving rides to children in farmer’s markets is no more onerous for them than carriage horses pulling light carriages in Central Park.

I am very fond of Chloe. We haven’t gotten to love yet, she is a strong and welcome presence here, she is good with people, iron-willed and has a lot of personality. She is also photogenic, a good Bedlam Farm animal.