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Benson is friendly but cheeky with an unusual white marking on his right shoulder. Have a close look and see if you can spot a jumping kangaroo.

Benson loves to be ridden but he is also a backup carriage driving pony, excelling at both jobs. He’s an all-round team player who is very chilled with guests and enjoys being groomed.

You wouldn’t think Benson has a mischievous side from how good he is in the stables with guests, but there is a cheeky chap personality hiding away. He can be funny, quickly running into the field to be ‘the first’ to arrive despite his small size.

Overall, Benson is a very reliable and helpful pony who knows how to look after our guests and riders, so it’s always a pleasure to involve him with every aspect of Equestrian Centre life.

Bertie has been at Calvert Exmoor for the longest and has taught lots of people how to ride. With age comes great experience, and Bertie is a familiar face that everyone can trust, providing countless riding sessions.

Before coming to us, Bertie’s previous owner tried to carriage ride him from England to Belgium, a huge challenge for any horse! Luckily, they gave up and Bertie came to us instead for a more relaxed life – we haven’t put a carriage on him since.

Bertie may be classed as a pony, but he is strong and stable, with a big stride. This means he can be ridden by adults, but his specialty is providing riding for children; he’s without doubt the best pony for new young riders to have their first riding lesson on. He is wonderful with people, standing still to allow guests to stroke and groom him.

Bertie still has his playful, youthful traits, especially with his cheeky friend Moses. They enjoy their time in the field messing around, but Bertie always looks forward to coming in for food each morning. He may be greying but Bertie keeps going and is as helpful as ever, securing his status as a true Calvert legend!

Gordon is a big solid horse with a soft heart. He’s a very handsome chap, but he knows it and is a little vain. He loves attention and will kick up a fuss if he’s not getting enough!

Gordon enjoys being groomed and is very gentle and friendly with humans, so anyone can stroke, groom and hug him. He feels super soft too.

He also has to be the centre of attention in the fields and acts like he’s in charge. But the other horses make sure he behaves and they all get on well. Gordon seems to have a soft spot for Ruby, maybe love is in the air?

We don’t know much about Gordon’s past but he came from a loving family in Wales and instantly settled into our Equestrian family, making himself at home in the stables and our hearts.

Harold recently came from a little local village called Parracombe where he lived with Saffire and some donkey friends.

He’s still very new to Calvert Exmoor and has not been on such a busy yard before, but you couldn’t tell. Harold fitted right in and quickly got use to the every day routines. He is big, but very gentle and is keen to help out in sessions.

However, Harold is not a fan of the hosepipe. Maybe he thinks it looks like a snake, but the lovely stable team have helped him overcome his worries because it keeps him clean and cool in the hot weather.

We can’t wait for Harold to show more of his personality in the coming months.

Henry is one of the most useful horses on site, as he’s strong enough to be ridden by adults but short enough to be ridden by children without them being too high.

He is a real gentleman in lessons and treats everyone with respect. He enjoys being pampered by the stables team and accepts a groom of his beautiful shiny coat from the other horses too.

However, Henry has a condition called Laminitis, which affects his hooves. It means he cannot be out in the field too long, so he spends more time indoors chilling out. This means Henry is used to his personal space and enjoys the quiet time alone. Unlike others, he doesn’t want to be constantly fussed over and is happy to relax by himself. When he does spend time in the field, Henry makes the most of it and will play with anyone he can.

If you tickle Henry between his ears or offer him a tasty carrot, you’ll be his new best friend.

Indie has joined us here at Calvert Exmoor and has quickly become great friends with Rodney – they have become best pals!

As Indie hasn’t been with us long, we’re still getting to know him. However it’s really obvious that, at 16.3hh, Indie is truly a gentle giant.

He loves hacking out on the longer rides and is a real sweetheart who is a pleasure to have around the yard.

Indie enjoys a good scratch where he tastes the air in enjoyment and will then give you a muzzle back to say thank you! He also loves cuddles and lots of carrots!

Like all the newer horses and ponies in the stables, Indie has fitted right in and it already feels like he’s been here for years.

Lucky has a ‘6’ branded on the front of her shoulder from her days as a taxi pony in Ireland, which set her up perfectly to shine as our leading carriage pony, and she’s brilliant at the job.

At Calvert Exmoor, Lucky enjoys a peaceful and relaxed lifestyle that matches her chilled personality. She is kind, gentle and usually very laid back, but with a harness on, she perks right up!

Lucky loves taking guests on carriage rides and she never makes a fuss. It can be a little time-consuming to gear her up correctly and safely, and to attach her to the carriage, so Lucky shows endless patience and continues to be relaxed no matter what.

Between carriage riding sessions, Lucky enjoys being out in the fields overlooking the reservoir. Whatever her day involves, she’s cool, calm, steady and friendly; a pleasure to be around.

Everyone agrees that Moses is definitely the cheekiest of all the horses and ponies at Calvert Exmoor. Moses has a very playful and silly personality and is a huge attention seeker! One of his favourite games is to pick things up and throw them around. No cone or bucket is safe when he’s playing, but we also have some Space Hoppers for him to mess around with, which he loves!

Despite his mischievous side, Moses is wonderful with guests and never messes around during riding sessions. He is kind-natured and enjoys being ridden as he loves to please and receive praise.

Moses also has a very special skill; he can work alongside a hoist so riders can transfer from a chair onto his back.

Moses looks after our guests very well and is a pleasure to ride, he may just pick up a cone or two when no-one is looking.

Pixie, along with her best friend Rose, joined the Calvert Exmoor family in late 2023.

She has easily settled into our way of life, being a naturally inquisitive pony who is keen to meet the guests, staff and volunteers who come to say hello.

Pixie is a small but stocky pony who is popular with children. Like Rosie, Pixie didn’t have much riding experience in the past, so we built up her riding skills steadily as she got used to our routines. She shone in her training over the winter and picked up the role with ease, as we already know she has the perfect personality and cool temperament to exceed.

Pixie loves attention and, like most horses and ponies, will do anything for food. It’s been very exciting to see her grow in confidence.

Rodney is our gentle giant! He’s tall, proud and elegant, with a big heart and a soft personality. He is incredibly friendly and really enjoys a scratch on the neck, often scratching you back in return with his muzzle.

Being one of our biggest and strongest horse, Rodney gives adults and children rides around our arena, and down to Wistlandpound Reservoir. He never complains and enjoys the sessions, he’s such a good lad! However, he does have one slightly sassy habit; when he wants a treat, he’ll kick his
stable door until he gets his food!

His name may be Rodney, but most people call him Rodney Trotter for fun. The nickname has caught on. Maybe his original owner was a big “Only Fools and Horses” fan.

Rodney grew up in Devon, so is a local boy, so he’s perfectly content and at home here. Whether he’s having a day off in the fields or offering riding sessions for people with disabilities, he loves his days at Calvert Exmoor.

Rosie and Pixie joined as a pair from nearby Combe Martin in 2023, so together they’ve been learning our way of life and have settled in really well to our daily activities.

Rosie is used to getting her own way and needs people and horses around her to feel comfortable. She is very willing, kind natured and loves to be groomed. Rosie has the perfect temperament to be ridden, but she didn’t have much practice before coming to the centre.

So we took it easy and introduced her to regular riding over the winter to build her confidence up. Now Rosie is settled in, loving life and a part of the daily riding routine.

We’re still learning much about Rosie, but there was one thing immediately obvious: she loves food and isn’t fussy about what she eats.

Ruby is a Suffolk Punch, which is sadly one of the most critically endangered horse breeds. In fact, did you know that Suffolk Punches are rarer than the Giant Panda?

She is quite quiet and doesn’t make a fuss, so she has a calm and gentle temperament, which helps to put our guests at ease during riding sessions. Ruby can seem shy and wary of people, but she does crave human attention and loves listening to the radio when in the stables. We often like to encourage her to have a little boogie!

Ruby suffers from Sweet Itch, a common allergic reaction to insects. We must constantly treat her allergy as much as we can. The fact she copes with the Sweet Itch and still enjoys giving gentle rides to guests shows what an absolute star she is.

Saffire (or Saffie for short) is another horse who has recently joined our Calvert family.

She came from the small local village of Parracombe to be with her friend Harold, where she lived with him and their Donkey friends.

She seems to enjoy hacking and the longer rides, but is also very good being ridden in the indoor arena. Saffie also loves to be groomed and cuddled on the yard, enjoying the attention and being pampered.

Saffie is a social horse who is very friendly with everyone both on the yard and in the field with her fellow equines. She is such a sweet girl and we feel very lucky to have her helping our guests to enjoy their best equine experience.

Smartie belongs to Olivia, our very own Riding Instructor.

Smartie has been owned by Olivia for several years and competed at elementary level in dressage. Now he’s a little older, Olivia feels like Smartie has the right temperament and personality to offer riding at Calvert Exmoor. Since his dressage days are behind him, Smartie can now enjoy the company of other ponies as well as guests.

He’s made friends with everyone here since joining in 2023, with many years of riding sessions ahead of him; we’re sure he’ll be a huge hit.

Overall Smartie is a safe, content horse who fits in perfectly with the Calvert Exmoor family.

You may enjoy watching Smartie’s wobbly bottom lip that naturally bounces up and down when he’s ridden and when he’s excited. We think it’s adorable, just like him.