Ponies and horses come in so many different shapes, sizes and personalities, as we all know. But when do you differentiate between "you little monkey" and "okay, what are you trying to tell me?"

I've been lucky enough to own and work with so many different characters over the years, and not one of them has been the same when it comes to The Line.

As we stand now, both my mares will try to tell you when they have an issue.

If Suzie decides she doesn't want the wormer today, or that the cotton wool pad you're about to clean her eyes with is quite obviously going to kill her, she tells you! She isn't subtle, but she would never intentionally hurt you. A firm but kind approach and she's generally fine. If, however, you decide you're going to lay down the law... well, my money is firmly on Suzie.

She is cheeky, but she's never unreasonable. If she's in pain or something is genuinely wrong, she tells you. It's then up to you to listen and work out what she's trying to say.

Lux is similar, but much more subtle.

She is the kindest person and will tolerate a lot of pain or discomfort before you even realise she's struggling. With her, it's the little things – a sideways look, the wrinkles underneath her eyes, a slight change in her behaviour. If you miss those signs, eventually she'll tell you more directly.

I trust her as much as you can ever trust a horse, so when she becomes unusually reactive, even towards the ponies, I know something isn't quite right.

That's where we are at the moment. I know she's trying to tell me something; I just have to figure out what.

She's been through a lot with her sarcoid treatment over the last year – which I may add has worked and she's looking fantastic – so we're working through things and hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it. I'm also very lucky to have a vet who knows Lux well and listens to her too.

And then we have Boris... 

We've only had him for a few months and so far cheeky is definitely his middle name, but we absolutely love him. He's incredibly solid and seems pretty resilient – I'm blaming the Shetland in him for that!

I'm still getting to know him, though, and I don't yet know exactly where his version of The Line sits. When is Boris simply being Boris, and when is he actually trying to tell me something? I think that only comes with time.

Ponies, horses and all animals can be incredibly difficult to read until you take the time to really learn who they are. What is completely normal behaviour for one could be a huge warning sign in another.

I'm privileged to be in a position where I can take that time with mine. On a busy competition yard, livery yard or riding school, I appreciate that isn't always quite so easy.