Tuesday 30th December- all 8 seen

​the ponies had a double check today. They made me work for it but all 8 in the very far wooded corner by the test track. Lovely to see some old and new faces

Tuesday 30th December - All 8 ponies seen

The ponies were gathered in the small clearing in the gorse just to the right of the entrance at 1030 this morning alternately sunbathing or browsing the gorse.  They all appeared well.

11.30am, Mon 29 Dec, all 8 seen looking well

Spotted them whilst coming down the hill, looking to the left in the distant corner. (D3/D4 area)  Went to see them and they were all standing together calmly amongst the trees.

Sunday 28th December - All 8 seen

At 14:20 this afternoon, the ponies were grazing on a chilly, windswept Brock’s Hill near ///lied.cork.insiders. As I approached, I was greeted by a lovely chorus of nickers. The girls were very friendly, each taking turns to come over, say hello, and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs. All eight were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

After our initial greetings, the ponies returned to grazing as they slowly moved north down the hill. They regularly came back for more attention, thoroughly enjoying long neck and back scratches. They were content to stand and rest while being fussed over, offering cuddles, nuzzles, and even a few licks in return.

Shortly after 15:00, the group reached the northeast corner of the hill, where they paused to drink from deep puddles before moving into the pasture to the east. There they grazed on gorse, heather, and long, straw-like grass. By 15:30, they had reached the waterlogged area near ///rips.looms.trail, where they munched on various plants growing on the water’s surface. Several ponies joined me on one of the islands for more strokes before I said my goodbyes about fifteen minutes later. As I was leaving, the ponies began moving into the woodland to the northeast.

The ponies were all good today.

Saturday

 All found to the north of the hill at 8.30. All looked ok but they were a bit feisty, chasing each other around for a few minutes then calming down. 

Friday 26th December - All 8 seen

At 13:15 this afternoon, all the ponies were together, resting or grazing along the side of the racecourse. Three were deep in the gorse bushes but came out to greet me when they heard my voice. The girls were very friendly, each taking a turn to come over, say hello, and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs.

After a while, the ponies returned to grazing, with a couple moving deeper into the bushes to browse gorse. The others alternated between grazing, resting, and regularly returning for long neck and back scratches. All eight appeared happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

Several of the ponies thoroughly enjoyed extended grooming sessions, having their backs and sides brushed and loose gorse removed from their manes and tails. They relaxed completely, often resting a hind leg, and afterwards offered plenty of gentle nuzzles.

By 15:00, a few ponies had wandered further up the path to graze in the gorse closer to the main entrance, while the others stayed nearby, still keen for more strokes and rubs. Tilly, in particular, was in no hurry for me to leave. She loved long neck and ear rubs and responded with the sweetest nuzzles whenever I paused. She was a joy to spend some quiet time with.

I said my goodbyes shortly after 15:30, leaving the girls peacefully grazing as the temperature began to drop.

The ponies were all good today.

Thursday 25th December - All 8 seen

Merry Christmas everyone. 🎅🌲🎁

At 13:00 this afternoon, the ponies were grazing contentedly in the southwest corner of the site, not far from the corral, enjoying plenty of grass and gorse. I was joined by Nicky, the ponies’ owner, who wanted to give them a thorough check. Despite the sunshine, it was still quite chilly, with a strong, cold breeze blowing. The ponies were very friendly, taking turns to come over to say hello and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs.

By 13:15, the girls had set off down the path and along the side of the racecourse, moving to graze in the pasture southeast of Brock’s Hill. One by one, they returned for more attention, thoroughly enjoying neck and back scratches and rewarding me with soft nuzzles and gentle cuddles. All were happy, relaxed, and looking really well.

A little later, the ponies moved on again, heading further east toward the stream before crossing the path and entering the thicket on the far side to browse among the gorse.

After chatting with Nicky and saying goodbye, I went to find the ponies again. Shortly before 13:45, they followed me out of the thicket and into the pasture near the test track gate, where they soon settled down to graze. They alternated between eating and returning for more fuss, enjoying more strokes and scratches. After a brief trip into the woodland along the racecourse fence line—where several enjoyed browsing crunchy holly—they returned to the pasture and moved west toward the pond.

I said my goodbyes at 14:15, leaving the ponies peacefully grazing.

The ponies were all good today.

Wednesday 24th December - Staff Check, Full House

12.05 

After over an hour of searching, all ponies found today at the very far end of the site near Test Track. 

All well and in good spirits 

Merry Christmas! 

Zoe 

Tuesday 23rd December - All 8 ponies seen

At 1410 today six of the ponies were grazing either side of the track near the point where the Gelvert Stream passes underneath.  The other two were just off the track to the east browsing the gorse.  All appeared well and quite engrossed in eating.

Mon pm, 22nd Dec, all 8 near the entrance

They were all busy eating a mixture of grass and gorse and all appeared well.

Sunday 21st December - All 7 seen

Shortly after 14:00 this afternoon, the ponies were grazing south of Brock’s Hill. Most were in the pasture opposite the hill, enjoying plenty of grass and gorse, while a couple were browsing in the gorse bushes lining the main path down from the racecourse. All the girls were very friendly, taking turns to come over, say hello, and enjoy strokes and rubs. They were happy, relaxed, and looking really well.

After our initial greetings, the ponies alternated between grazing, resting, and returning for more attention. They were incredibly affectionate, leaning in for long neck and back scratches and thanking me with nuzzles and cuddles. One by one, they joined me near the path, relaxing completely by lowering their heads and resting a hind leg while enjoying the fuss. I was never alone, with at least one pony keeping me company at all times.

Even during periods of drizzle and a couple of light showers, the ponies stayed close, clearly enjoying the attention. A few eventually wandered further east to browse gorse along the path near the stream, but they soon returned to rejoin the others.

I said my goodbyes shortly before 16:00 as darkness began to fall, leaving the ponies resting or grazing peacefully near the path. As I walked back toward the entrance, another shower passed through, so hopefully they moved off to find some shelter.

The ponies were all good today.