Charlie Parker is a horseman and forester who is one of a handful of horse loggers keeping this ancient art alive, and together with his wife Gina breeds the Roandale Dales ponies.
Snigging timber
Show notes
Charlie describes the Roandale stud and farm and the rarer colours of Dales that they breed.
Gina was brought up in Kirkby Lonsdale with working Gallowa’s.
Charlie started his working life working machines in forestry but took a turn when he went on a course to learn snigging (extracting timber with horses).
Learning the ropes with George Read and getting a pony broken to pulling timber.
Starting a breeding herd of Dales ponies and Wharfedale Prince Regent and their bay-roan strain.
The roan strain in Fell ponies.
Movement rather than action - a ground-covering and economical trot.
The differences between Fell and Dales
The history of the Dales pony
The war horse
The formation of the Dales Pony Improvement Society
F.I.S Foal Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Hardiness and the future of the breed
60 Dales ponies join The Presidents Ride to Barnard castle
Keeping ponies in work
The Presidents ride to Barnard Castle
Haytime with ponies