Training
The ponies
would arrive t the colliery either unbroken or just
trained to take a harness and it was up to the surface
Ostler to prepare them for their work underground.
An article in The Colliery Guardian in 1930 recommends
that pit ponies should undergo a 5 week raining period
on the surface and that boys who were potential drivers
should attend classes and lectures on working with and
caring for ponies. However, as far as I can ascertain
there is no evidence of any such classes or lectures
being held in Rhondda Valleys pits.
The colliery management wanted to know as quickly as
possible whether or not a pony was going to be suitable
for underground work so that it could be returned to
the dealer thereby lessening the outlay on that particular
animal. Most training, therefore, was fairly hasty and
there were many complaints that animals were sent underground
long before they were ready.
The best training usually consisted of 2 stages; the
first accustoming the pony to the harness and pulling
heavy weights on rails; and the second, getting it used
to the noise and chatter of mining machinery.
Once the surface training was complete, came the experience
of the descent into the mine itself. No matter how carefully
the trainers prepared them, there was no way of simulating
the drop down the shaft into the noisy darkness.
Below ground, the training was carried out immediately,
for the horse had to be assessed as quickly as possible
to see if it was suitable for work underground. If the
training was successful an it entered the regular workforce,
then its hair would be clipped and its mane and tail
shaved off. If it did not take to the work or proved
unfit or unmanageable, it would be returned to the surface
and send back to the dealer.
The early days of underground training often proved
traumatic for both the pony and the driver. Though most
collieries accustomed ponies to the harness on the surface,
the putting of the shafts [which in pit work are attached
to the pony’s harness, not to the vehicle being pulled]
was frequently left until the animal was underground.
Once they were used to these ‘extras’, they would then
start pulling empty drams. They also had to learn to
back load the drams, an experience that could be extremely
frightening. Another task that had to be learnt was
that of opening the ventilation doors.
As well as learning the different parts of his job,
the pony also had to learn various words of command.
In South Wales were taught from the beginning by word
of mouth, never wearing a bit, just one leading rein
from the bridle on the nearside. Common instruction
were ‘Come-me-yer’ [go to the left], ‘see-way’ [go to
the right],, ‘com-me-yer-back’[ turn right round], ‘come
back’ [reverse to be hitched to the next dram] and ‘ease
a bit’ [the pony eases into the collar to help place
a derailed dram back on the track].
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