Saturday 12th July - All 7 seen

At 17:15 this afternoon, the yearlings were gathered by the perimeter fence in the completely dry duck pond area, near //bowhead.saturate.obey. They were standing among the trees, enjoying a welcome breeze that helped keep them cool in the warm weather. The boys were very friendly, coming over one by one to say hello and enjoy some strokes. 

Before long, yearling 278 settled down between a tree and the fence to rest and chew his cud. Yearling 276 thoroughly enjoyed a long neck and back rub, rewarding me with head rubs and licks. Yearling 282 loved having the sides of his neck stroked and eagerly leaned in for a chin scratch, stretching his neck out so I could reach all his itchy spots. Yearling 283 was also keen on attention, clearly enjoying a relaxing head rub that helped keep the flies at bay. All four were happy, relaxed, and looking well. I left them at 17:50, contentedly resting and chewing their cud.

After a long search, I found the ponies in the woodland near ///vase.guilty.impulsive at 18:30. Polly saw me approaching and came out of the trees to greet me with soft nickers. She was very affectionate, thoroughly enjoying a long neck and back rub, offering gentle nuzzles in return. The other two ponies remained in the trees, and after a while, I heard them move off to the southwest. Polly remained with me, eager for more fuss and attention.

Shortly before 18:50, we made our way through the trees to find the others. They were standing side by side at the water trough, relaxing and taking occasional drinks. It was lovely to see them spending time together. Both ponies were happy to be approached and enjoyed plenty of strokes. The darker pony particularly appreciated an ear and neck rub, visibly relaxing and even closing her eyes for a while. Later, I returned to spend some more time with Polly, who happily received another long back rub, standing peacefully and resting a hind leg. All three ponies were content, relaxed, and in good condition.

Around 19:20, the ponies moved out into the pasture to the east and began grazing together in the last of the evening sunshine. They grazed slowly eastwards, but frequently returned for more attention. I said my goodbyes at 19:50, leaving them peacefully grazing.

Please be aware that the darker pony is an older mare who has never been with the other two before, and was not with them during their recent “holidays”. As such, they are still getting to know one another. The darker pony is known for being a little more reserved and distant with other ponies, so it won’t be unusual if she occasionally chooses to spend time alone. Interestingly, Polly — not typically a dominant pony — seems to have taken on that role in this small group. Recent blog posts suggest she may still be adjusting to it, and may be seeking a little extra attention, occasionally at the expense of the others, particularly the darker pony.  That said, everyone was perfectly fine today, with Polly both enjoying and sharing the attention. The group dynamic should naturally settle in time, though it’s worth continuing to monitor.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.