Wild Pony Whispering & how to buy the books


Dawn Westcott's Books - Wild Pony Whispering, Wild Stallion Whispering & Wild Herd Whispering 

You can purchase signed copies of Dawn Westcott's books by visiting our BOOK SHOP here.

If you'd like a personalised message, or would like to Gift the book to someone then please add a note at the time of purchasing at Paypal. You can also email us at DawnWestcott@hotmail.com when you place your order. 

If you'd like to make a tailor-made order which is not covered by the options in the Book Shop, please also email us at DawnWestcott@hotmail.com.

Wild Pony Whispering,  Wild Stallion Whispering, Wild Herd Whispering and Rowan The Exmoor Pony

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 by Dawn Westcott

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.


READ THE BOOK REVIEWS HERE

BUY ROWAN THE EXMOOR PONY

Wild Pony Whispering by Dawn Westcott

 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.

Wild Stallion Whispering

Wild Stallion Whispering, by Dawn Westcott, was published in August 2016 and is a national equestrian best-seller. 

Wild Stallion Whispering follows the incredible story of wild-born Exmoor stallion Bear from unwanted foal to twice world champion in horse agility. The real-life story of a wild and tempestuous Exmoor colt foal who was rounded up from his moorland home and – after being weaned and multiple hot branded – found himself unwanted and facing a bleak future. He was offered a lifeline by Dawn who faced the formidable challenge of taming him. Wild Stallion Whispering explores how ‘Bear’ becomes a magnificent registered stallion – taking the showing world by storm, winning two world championships in horse agility – and how he conquers his fears and learns to build a bond of trust with Dawn. It is a candid account of the highs and lows of their journey – how they both strive to learn and find the resilience to overcome adversity to succeed – with amusing anecdotes throughout. It offers fascinating insights into the characters and behaviours of stallions, the wild Exmoor ponies of Exmoor National Park and their quest for survival. 

There are invaluable tips for empathetic trust-based horse handling – including backing to saddle – with a practical section detailing the Core Connection Warm-Up Exercises that Dawn uses to establish the foundation skills for liberty, agility and ridden work. The book explores riding bitless and the ethics of competition. It will appeal to people interested in better understanding the equine mind and developing trust and connection with any horse or pony. 

Most of all, it is the captivating story of a charismatic wild-born Exmoor stallion that will resonate with anyone who loves horses.

£14.99, ISBN 978 0 85704 293 4, 144 page, hardback Published by Halsgrove - available August 2016.

Wild Herd Whispering

Wild Herd Whispering, by Dawn Westcott, was published in October 2017 and also topped equestrian best-seller lists. 

Wild Herd Whispering is a captivating series of real-life stories about the incredible Exmoor ponies - as they reveal their true natures through the world of herd energy and dynamics. 

Starting with the dramatic winter arrival from the moor of a tiny five week old wild-born foal who faces the bleakest future, it is the big herd at Holt Ball Farm that decides how she will survive and thrive. The book follows the adventures of the ponies, revealing characters and behaviours that take you on a heart-rending, thought-provoking and enriching journey of equine enlightenment. This is an opportunity to catch up with adorable orphan Monsieur Chapeau and his friends and majestic stallion Bear, as their lives evolve and entwine with the wild herds of Exmoor. It follows the endearing, exciting and at times perilous experiences of the ponies – including unwelcome night time adventures, the quest to find foals lost in the wilderness and an entire moorland herd in jeopardy.

With an expanding herd and challenges to face, author Dawn Westcott looks to the ponies themselves for help and inspiration: they in turn respond in a way that offers magical insights into what is going on in their hearts and minds. 

This book is an invaluable reference for people interested in better understanding and winning the trust and friendship of ponies. It also highlights the challenges of safeguarding the endangered Exmoor ponies of Exmoor National Park.
New Paragraph
New Paragraph

To Buy Signed Copies of Dawn Westcott's books - visit Book Shop

Signed copies of both Wild Pony Whispering,  Wild Stallion Whispering and Wild Herd Whispering can be purchased here in our Book Shop.

All books purchased through this website enable more proceeds to go to supporting our work with Exmoor ponies. 

If you're a bookshop and would like to place a trade order, please see the info below. 

TRADE ENQUIRIES & Book Shops:-

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

Share by: