BY NEV THE NEWSHOUND
Nev was sent on his biggest challenge yet, to interview working miniature horse, Lorien, of Lorien’s Circle Arcadia and he had a big surprise waiting for him…
Nev: I was all ready to start this interview with “Why the long face?” but you are TINY! What kind of a horse are you?
Lorien: A miniature horse! Some of my friends are shetland ponies. Nev: What is the difference between a Horse and a Pony?
Lorien: Officially it’s height! A pony is under 14.2hh (hands high) or 144cm. Just to confuse everyone, some of us are miniature horses: under 102cm and we’re both horses and ponies at the same time, but really that’s just splitting mane hairs 😉
Nev: What do you do here at Lorien’s Circle?
Lorien: My friends and I guide guests on walking tours in Galston. We explore the bridleway around Fagan Park (even small ponies like us aren’t allowed inside Fagan Park anymore). We show people how to live in the moment and connect with our beautiful countryside and animals. We also do online classes about ponies and horse care and we make the learning more fun.
Nev: Tell me a little about your fellow workers.
Lorien: There’s 5 of us and we’re all rescue ponies: Tiny Timmie, Tin Tin, Loki, Lunar and me – Lorien! We are between 6.3-10.2hh (64-103cm) and 7 to 27 years old. Most of us are grey, so sometimes people can’t tell us apart!
Nev: What is the best part of your working day?
Lorien: All the cuddles and carrots! We are trained using positive reinforcement and a clicker, so we love working and going out on adventures.
Nev: And the worst?
Lorien: When cars or bicycles don’t slow down to safely pass us 🙁 That can be scary for us.
Nev: What do you like to do when you are not working?
Lorien: For fun and exercise we compete in carriage driving and horse agility – my brother Tin Tin was the Australiasian Champion! Most days we just get to be horses in our pasture with our friends, where we enjoy lots of love and care from our people.
Nev: How can people get to meet you and your friends?
Lorien: Book a Pony Walking Adventure at www.lorienscircle.com.au or to see cute videos and photos of us, search for Loriens Circle on social media. If you’re lucky you may even spot us walking around Galston! Feel free to say hi!
If you would like your Pet @ Work interviewed by Nev, please email: [email protected] with NEV in the subject line.
