Smiler got his name as, from being a foal, if you tickled him on his withers he'd pull back his lips and smile.

I've been massaging Ollie with a rubber brush at the minute as he's moulting like mad and as soon as we get to his withers there we go with the smile!

Just wondered whether other Smiler babies do the same?! It would be nice if it was something that had been passed on!

Ann buster loves his tickly spot's 2, his are under his belly, just behind his front leg's, wither's and behind the ears!!! Oh nearly forgot just on the upper bits of his hind leg's (sounds mad i know its gets worse, as to get the full tickly spot he lifts up his whole back leg, it was rather a shock the first time he did it, i thought he was going to kick me!!
It works are treat with youngsters, without those spots i dont think he would let me go near him

Ann i hope your on about horses?
Sorry i didnt understand the "sheepwash offspring" bit

Hi Charls! "Smiler of Sheepwash" was quite a well known stallion running out on the Forest until he was very sadly killed a few years ago. He was the dad of my boy Ollie and I know a number of other people on here also have Smiler babies (or offspring) I just wondered whether they had inherited their dad's tickly spot!!

Sounds like Buster's certainly ticklish anyway!

Pickle (son of Smiler) used to always back up to my in the field to have his bum scratched.........well, the top of his dock anyway! He used to go all unnecessary when i scratched it! I am not sure whether his wither is his favoured ticklly spot but do kno he likes between his fron legs scratching too! I'll give him a good wither scratch later and check out his expression!

Hi Ann

Ozzie (son of Playaway) goes quite unnecessary if you give him a hard scratch just a bit under his spine towards the point of his hip bone (on both sides!). He arches his head/neck like a stallion and wiggles his lips. It took me nearly a year of owning him to find this tickly spot.

My old pony Decca used to have tickly spot under his armpits and loved to be scratched on the neck with a key!

(Not Smiler babies - hope you didn't mind me posting!)

Mx

Don't mind anybody posting Mandy lol!! All comments are interesting whether Smiler babies or not

Sounds like a lot of pampered ponies out there!!!

Well, in the interest of testing your theory, I gave Tibby (also a Smiler baby) a good scratch on her withers this evening. She walked off.

Thanks for experimenting! There's always the exception Judy! Maybe it just applies to the males?!!

Judging by recent posts about the stallions moving around, it's also possible she isn't by Smiler at all I suppose

I think you will be fairly safe Judy! Smiler was one of the older experienced stallions. The time I saw him out on the Forest with his mares there didn't look to be any danger than some young whippersnapper would come in and drive him away!

If you tickled my wither, I am sure it would envoke a smile or a grimace! Does that mean Smiler is my Daddy??

.

I doubt it - Smiler was really sane and sensible......

I've got a Smiler of Sheepwash grandson. He's out of Portmore Autumn Joy.

Go scratch his withers and see if he smiles!!!!