Friday 27th September - All 5 seen

The ponies were found near ///allies.starting.factor at 16:20 this afternoon. Poppy was resting in the sunshine, but happily welcomed a neck rub when I approached. The others were grazing nearby, surrounded by bracken. They were all very friendly and took turns coming over to greet me. I was surprised at how dry they were, given all the recent rain.

The foal rushed over when he saw me, giving me lots of cuddles. I noticed some hair loss on his face and I've shared some close-up photos with the owner. Otherwise, he was happy and enjoyed a long neck rub, lavishing me with lots of nuzzles and licks. After nursing from his mum, he returned for a back rub, though he was shedding quite a bit of hair as I stroked him.

By 17:00, the ponies had moved south towards Brock's Hill, still happily grazing. When the sun came out from behind the clouds, they paused to bask in the warmth. Pandora was very friendly and enjoyed plenty of neck strokes. She was completely relaxed, even resting a hind leg. After a short while, the foal came and joined us, wanting another neck rub. He soon lay down beside me as I continued to stroke him. By 17:25, he'd had enough and rolled around on the grass before getting up and wandering down to rejoin the others.

The ponies continued to graze peacefully on the eastern slope of Brock's Hill. Pandora and Tilly nibbled on leaves from bushes on the opposite side of the track, while the foal alternated between grazing and being stroked. Megan and Poppy continued to graze together at the foot of the hill. I said my goodbyes at 18:15 as it began to get chilly.

The ponies were all good today.