A Shetland pony brought a smile to a legendary Caersws based horse whisperer who is suffering from dementia.
The touching encounter happened when the 40-inch-high pony called Dottie visited Pendine Park’s Bodlondeb care home in Wrexham where Hilary Paul now lives.
Ms Paul is admired around the world for her compassionate training methods and remarkable understanding or horses – and was admired by the novelist Nicholas Evans, whose book The Horse Whisperer was adapted into a film starring Robert Redford.
Dementia has robbed Hilary of the ability to communicate but when she came face to face with the care home's equine visitor she was visibly moved.
Hilary's partner, Nigel Iskander said: "Hilary can't speak but when the pony went up to her and touched her arm she smiled."
Nigel and Hilary met during the public's fascination with horse whispering after the release of the film.
Mr Iskander said: “The novel, and the subsequent film, may have been the general public's first realisation of the work people like Hilary did but she has been doing it for most of her life. She was horrified when her parents took her to a riding school and she was told to use a whip to control the animal.
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"She said that hurt the animal who can feel a fly on its skin, and she started to treat the animal considerately, didn't use a whip nor a bit in its mouth."
Ms Paul travelled widely and spent several months in Australia and the USA learning how to be a horse trainer and later taught courses and workshops to horse riders, farriers and blacksmiths.
"No-one can teach a horse by ‘whispering’ or looking into his eyes. No-one can apply some ‘secret’ process and have horses instantly understand everything forever more,” said Mr Iskander.
"Hilary believes a horse responds to being treated properly and once it realises the handler is reliably treating it well it will do what it is required to do. A horse reacts differently to a dog who will respond to treats and rewards, a horse will respond if it is well treated and feels safe.
After Hilary was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago, Nigel, a photo-journalist, gave up work to become her carer and the couple moved to a smallholding near Caersws.
Nigel recalled how the petite 64-year-old, who is originally from the Manchester area, went into a stall with a large racehorse who was proving too difficult for the stable staff to handle.
"Hilary is an amazing lady who has worked with horses for years," he added. "I recall one time she went to Newmarket where a stallion was proving to be very difficult to handle and Hilary went along.
“Before meeting the horse she was chatting with the stable lads for about half an hour before one of them said 'we're just waiting for the trainer' and Hilary said 'well that's me'.
"The lads looked at her, this diminutive lady, was going to go up to this large horse who was too difficult for them to handle. In she went and worked with the animal for about 45 minutes and then emerged with the horse following on a loose rein her like a dog on a lead. The lads were speechless."
Dottie, who is owned by Paula Llywelyn and her two year-old son Ted, was brought to Bodlondeb by Maggie Bellis from her stables near Wrexham.
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