Saturday 29th November - All 11 seen

At 14:10, the yearlings were grazing among the trees near ///travels.gloom.recall, south of the path by the sailing club entrance. As soon as they spotted me, all four made their way over, greeting me with a couple of moos before we moved into the large open area to the southeast. The boys were very friendly, taking turns to say hello and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs. They were still wet from the earlier rain and had lots of gorse stuck to their heads and backs, which they were happy for me to remove. Their feet were extremely muddy too!

Once we’d finished our initial greetings, the boys formed a circle around me and began to relax and chew their cud. One by one, they came over for more attention, leaning in for long neck, shoulder, and back scratches. They enjoyed having the water brushed from their backs and sides, and their coats ruffled to help them dry more quickly. They thanked me with gentle head rubs and licks. All four were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

By 15:00, I was about to head off to find the ponies when I spotted Polly wandering through the tall grass to the northeast. She came straight over for her first neck rub, and the other six ponies soon followed. They each took turns coming over to greet me and enjoyed a few strokes. One pony always stayed close, soaking up lots of attention, while the others grazed nearby, enjoying the plants growing on the surface of the many large pools of water. The girls were also wet, but were drying quickly in the sunshine.

The ponies alternated between grazing and coming back for more strokes and rubs. They were very affectionate, offering gentle nuzzles and cuddles. They were all happy, relaxed, and in good condition. Whenever the ponies drifted away, and I found myself alone, I went back to spend more time with the yearlings, who had stayed nearby. By 16:35, the boys had wandered into the trees to the west for a bit more grazing after saying their goodbyes.

I said my final goodbyes to the ponies around 16:45, once darkness had settled across the site. They were peacefully nibbling on gorse but followed me into the woodland, almost all the way back to the main path. After one last round of strokes and rubs, I slipped away fifteen minutes later, leaving them happily grazing or resting.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.