Sunday 4th cows seen in morning by Tony and ponies seen too

 Adrian and Ziggy bumped into Tony and the ponies this morning 12.15. They all looked fine.

Tony had already seen the cows and was off to clear the trough

Sunday 4 Jan 26. (11.00 - 12.30) All 11 seen. All Appear OK. Trough De-Iced.

The NOFence was working, (for one cattle) on my laptop at home today, but not on my phone, when I arrived on site.

As I entered the range and crossed the cattle grid south of the the ammo dump compound, I heard the sound of movement  to my rhs and saw all four cattle on the rough track heading east off the tarmac road in the top rh corner of E9.

They were gradually heading east and I followed them for a short while, until I stumbled and alarmed Jura, who I was close to at the time.  All were friendly today.

 

I saw three of the ponies in G4, as I headed NE along the grassy track.  As I walked towards them across the light scrub, I saw some more in the deeper/taller gorse and vegetation.  I spent some time here as I could only see three or four of them at a time and had to move to see others.  After, about 25 minutes, I confirmed that there was only six ponies in the area.  Then two of them headed SE towards the grassy path, so I followed them, in the hope that they were heading towards the missing pony..  AS I got to the grassy path in H4, I saw Adrian heading towards me on his bike with Adrian.  As we talked all of the ponies that I'd seen in G4 came onto the grassy path and then the seventh pony arrived from the SE.  

Adrian and I spent about ten minutes together, during which he advised that Ziggy had lead him to the ponies from the lake access road about 300 yards away.  Adrian and Ziggy headed off for a circumnavigation of the lake and I headed off to check on the trough.  The ponies followed me from H5 for about 200 yards before peeling off the grassy northwards in F5.

As I arrived at the trough, the evidence of Gordon's work on Saturday was all round - pieces of thick ice still frozen lying on the ground around the trough. There were some pieces of ice in the trough, (which I removed), but it was not frozen over. 

Saturday 3rd January - All 11 seen

Happy New Year!  All the best for 2026.

When I arrived on site, I went straight to the trough and broke up and removed the layer of ice covering the surface. Once cleared, I gave it a quick clean, including removing any floating leaves. As I walked the site looking for the cows and ponies, I also broke the ice on several puddles to provide additional drinking water.

At 14:45, as I neared the cattle grid at the western end of the northernmost path, I heard a chorus of nickers from beyond the gorse bushes on the southern side, letting me know I had found the ponies. The girls soon emerged onto the path, taking turns to greet me and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs. They were very affectionate, offering gentle nuzzles, head nudges, and the occasional lick.

After our greetings, the ponies settled on the path and were happy to be approached for long neck and back scratches. They also enjoyed having loose gorse brushed from their backs and untangled from their manes and forelocks. All were relaxed, content, and looking well.

Within fifteen minutes, the boys had gathered at the side of the cattle grid. They browsed gorse while waiting their turn and occasionally mooed to remind me they were there. I went over to them around 15:25. After the ponies briefly followed—prompting the boys to move a little further west toward ///solving.coins.taxed—they came over to say hello and enjoyed some strokes. They then took turns enjoying longer neck and back rubs, while the others rested or browsed gorse and heather. All were calm, friendly, and in good condition.

After spending some time with the boys, I returned to check on the ponies, who were grazing nearby among the gorse. Several came over again for more attention.

By 16:00, the boys had moved further west along the fence line, continuing to graze on gorse and heather. They all enjoyed more strokes, with yearling 276 in particular leaning in for a long neck and shoulder rub, standing peacefully and chewing his cud. We then walked together to rejoin the other three at the corral. The boys were reluctant for me to leave and kept coming back for extra attention, which I was happy to give. I said my final goodbyes at 16:35, by which time it was fully dark.

The cows and the ponies were good today.

Note for Saturday Lookers

  Hi all, hope you've had a pleasant Christmas and New Year. Just a quick note to ask if the Saturday lookers would be able to smash and remove any ice in the trough, as its meant to be a cold night. We will be up on the Sunday to defrost the pipes

Thanks as always

Friday 2 January 2026 (13.20 -13.35) All 11 Seen. All OK.

 I found the cattle in E5/6, lying under pine the the tall conifers next to the blast wall bund immediately NW of the ammo dump.  All four were chewing the cud and pretty relaxed.  All were happy for a stroke /scratch. 

As you can see, I've resolved my phone/laptop photo interface issues.

The ponies were all in the paddock, (as I call it - flat grassy arear surrounded by a sandy/grassy bank to the NE of the ammo dump compound)in F4.  They all appeared well.  Three were grazing on the soft gorse & it's yellow flowers while Polly and the other two were just stood in the sun.  Polly and "Neck Scar" were happy for some attention. 

When I arrived to where the ponies were the was a man already stood with Polly.  He said that he lives only 10 mins away and often visits the ponies & cattle.  I explained about the SH&IoW and the Lookers.  He said that he would be interested in becoming a looker.  I gave him the office number and advised him to leave a message if there is no answer.  His name is Keith.

New Year's Day 2026

Happy New Year everyone! 

Found the ponies at ​///cries.collect.shippers (F3). Only found 6 though. I'm sure the last one was in there somewhere. The others looked good. I could'nt get close to 4 of them to get a good look though. 

Found the cows at ///polished.dreamers.victory (F6). All four looked well.