Saturday 22nd November - All 11 seen

At 13:55 this afternoon, yearlings 276 and 278 were grazing contentedly among the gorse and heather near ///tonal.scripted.swept, close to the main path at the north of the site. They both came over to greet me and enjoyed plenty of strokes and rubs despite the rain. They were soaking wet and had bits of gorse on their faces and necks, which they were happy for me to remove. As the rain grew heavier, we crossed the path to join yearlings 282 and 283, who were resting under the trees on the other side. They were just as friendly, coming over to say hello and enjoy some strokes.

After our greetings, all four settled around me in a huddle to rest and chew their cud. They thoroughly enjoyed long neck and back scratches, responding with gentle head rubs and licks. They also seemed to appreciate having the excess water brushed from their backs and sides, and their coats ruffled to help them dry. They were perfectly content sheltering from the rain and being fussed over. All four were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

After saying goodbye to the boys just after 14:30, I followed the track across the centre of the site toward the ammo compound to look for the ponies. About two-thirds of the way across, at 14:40, the ponies began emerging from the gorse bushes by the main path near ///bibs.fried.traded. They lined up and watched me approach, then came over one by one to say hello—several greeting me with soft nickers—and enjoyed some strokes. The girls were soaking wet and getting wetter as the rain continued.

After a while, they returned to grazing but stayed close, taking turns to come over for longer neck and back rubs. They were very affectionate, offering cuddles and gentle nuzzles. By 15:05, they had moved through the gorse to graze on the far side of the path, but still came back regularly for more attention. They gradually followed the path southeast toward the entrance by the car park, spreading out to graze on both sides. By 15:30, they had reached ///deprive.cello.buns, where a few chose to rest on the grass beside the path despite the heavy rain, while the others continued grazing. They were all happy, relaxed, and looking really well.

I said my goodbyes shortly after 15:50, leaving them resting or grazing peacefully. A few followed me as I walked away, perhaps hoping to shelter in the trees by the entrance, but they soon stopped and returned to grazing.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.