The characters of the two Exmoor ponies, Freddy and Monty, are based on real-life ponies of the same name. Both ponies were born on Withypool Common on Exmoor; Freddy in 2012 and Monty a year later in 2013.
Exmoor ponies live out on the moor all year round, except for when the herds are rounded up in the autumn gatherings and the ponies are brought down to the home farms to be health checked.
Then, the stallion, mares and filly foals are released back on to the moor.
As colt foals, Freddy and Monty, like most of the other colts, were not returned to the moor, but were taken to the Exmoor Pony Centre near Dulverton.
The centre is run by The Moorland Mousie Trust. Here, the ponies are handled before being found new homes.
As a volunteer at the Centre, I had the privilege of handling both Freddy and Monty. Working with what are essentially wild ponies, connecting with them and gaining their trust, is an amazing and deeply moving experience, never to be forgotten.
Monty spent some time at Arlington Court, conservation grazing, before eventually going to a new home.
Freddy came to live with us, along with his Exmoor buddy, Pascoe. We watched him develop from a scraggy little wild foal into the handsome Exmoor pony he is now.
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