Monday 21st April - Pony Update - no ponies on site

The ponies were happily grazing near ///love.swarm.grub, east of the ammo compound, at 12:50 this afternoon. All three were very friendly, taking turns to come over, say hello, and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs. They were particularly affectionate, clearly enjoying their long neck and back rubs, and responding with gentle nuzzles and cuddles. The girls were happy, relaxed, and in excellent condition.

After our initial greetings, they returned to grazing and slowly moved to the area near ///chariots.soaks.axed. They frequently came back for more attention, thoroughly enjoying having the sides of their necks stroked. A couple of them also loved having their backs brushed as they grazed, shedding more of their winter coats. It was lovely to spend some quiet, peaceful time with them.

While grooming one of the ponies, I spotted a metal fence post hidden in the straw-like grass close to where they were grazing. It has since been removed from the site.

Nicky arrived at 13:55 to take the girls back to the New Forest for their holidays. Sadly, this means there are currently no ponies on the Hawley Lakes reserve. They'll be missed, but some of them should be back in about 6–8 weeks.

After Nicky left, I wandered over to check on the yearlings who were resting under the trees by the northeast entrance, near ///jobs.paths.dumpling at 14:35. Yearling 282 was particularly friendly, coming over to enjoy some strokes before lying back down to chew his cud.

Shortly after, yearling 276 came over and happily soaked up endless strokes and rubs. Even when it began to drizzle at 15:00, he simply moved under a tree so we could continue. He especially enjoyed a long back rub, wriggling around to make sure I reached every itchy spot. He rewarded me with gentle head rubs and licks. By 15:30, with the rain getting heavier, I said my goodbyes. As I left, yearling 276 lay down beside the others, who were all resting peacefully in the bushes.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.