ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dawn Westcott and her husband Nick Westcott are founder members of the Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group (MEPBG), run the Exmoor Pony Project (Moorland Exmoor Foal Project) and the Holtball Exmoor Pony Stud (Herd 11). The Westcott family has lived and farmed on Exmoor for over 500 years. Nick’s great grandfather A G Westcott was a founding committee member of the Exmoor Pony Society in 1921, and he and his two brothers established the original Exmoor pony herds 10, 11 and 21. After a career in glossy magazine publishing in London, Dawn (née Williams) moved to the Westcountry and in 2008 married Nick Westcott. Together they re-established Herd 11 with the Holtball prefix. Nick and Dawn are committed to the preservation of the Exmoor ponies of Exmoor National Park and encourage the use of positive, trust-based handling and training of the ponies which endeavours to understand the language of the horse. Dawn is twice International Horse Agility world champion with stallion ‘Bear’.
Nick Westcott sadly died from cancer in 2023 and Dawn continues to safeguard the ponies and run the Exmoor Pony Project.
Rowan The Exmoor Pony was published in late 2022 by Halsgrove Publishing
ROWAN THE EXMOOR PONY - Rowan is a moorland Exmoor pony, born wild and free in Exmoor National Park. He enjoys a carefree, idyllic start to life with his herd and forms a special bond with his brother Robin as a foal. The autumn pony gathering arrives with a shock and sets Rowan on a completely new life adventure - meeting new pony friends, learning to trust people, discovering agility, becoming a ridden pony and experiencing all kinds of activities - and a fair bit of mischief too!
But what happened to Rowan's brother Robin - and will we ever find out?
Written in rhyming verse in Rowan’s own words and illustrated in colour throughout,
Rowan The Exmoor Pony will delight children and adults alike.
The beautiful cover artwork has been created by acclaimed equestrian artist, Rebecca de Mendonca, who has done a fantastic job reflecting the essence of the story.
Rowan The Exmoor Pony is published in A5 quality softcover by Halsgrove Publishing, priced £9.99. ISBN 978-0-85704-357-3.
WILD PONY WHISPERING by Dawn Westcott was first published in Sept 2015 and became an equestrian best seller, with multiple reprints. It is the compelling real-life story of how an orphaned Exmoor pony foal helped us to tame and understand the wild ponies of Exmoor. The book follows Monsieur Chapeau, a wild, orphaned Exmoor pony foal found severely malnourished with pneumonia on the moors of Exmoor, and how he was rescued survived and thrived beyond all expectations – bringing with him the secrets of how to create a bond of trust and friendship with the wild Exmoor ponies.
Horse whispering becomes pony whispering as a wild Exmoor pony connects with man to secure his survival – with the character, wisdom and generosity of heart to inspire better understanding of the equine mind. This story will appeal to those with a love of Exmoor and its flora and fauna and also provides an invaluable practical guide for people interested in ‘connecting’ with horses through trust-based liberty handling and socialisation – from the perspective of the enigmatic Exmoor ponies.
Now Monsieur Chapeau reaches out from the moor and shows that there is more that must be done to ensure the successful preservation of the wild Exmoor ponies – and improve their welfare, wellbeing and opportunities – and the way they are handled and trained, in this superbly presented and richly illustrated book.The struggle to get Monsieur Chapeau recognised and registered as a true Moorland Exmoor highlights the plight of the free-living ponies of Exmoor National Park that threatens their very existence.
Format:
Hardback, 144 pages, 230x214mm, profusely illustrated in colour Price: £14.99 ISBN: 01643 862466 Halsgrove Publishing - available now. www.halsgrove.com.
If you would like to stock these books in your shop and make a trade order, then please contact: Halsgrove Publishing at Halsgrove House, Ryelands Business Park , Bagley Road, Wellington, Somerset TA21 9PZ UK.
Tel: 44 (0) 1823 653 777 Fax: 44 (0) 1823 216 796 Email sales@halsgrove.com
and www.halsgrove.com
Wild Pony Whispering: ISBN: 01643 862466
Wild Stallion Whispering: ISBN 978 0 85704 293 4
Wild Herd Whispering: ISBN 978 0 85704 318 4