Sunday 16th February - All 7 seen

Six ponies were resting in the sunshine on the western side of Brock's Hill near ///splash.audit.bandaged at 13:35 this afternoon. They were all very relaxed but soon started coming over, one by one, to say hello and enjoy the first of many strokes. They were incredibly affectionate, showering me with nuzzles and cuddles. Tilly was especially friendly, resting her neck on my shoulder as she soaked up long chin rubs before rewarding me with gentle nuzzles and licks. Megan's eyes were good again today.

Poppy was grazing in the gorse bushes a little to the southeast but came straight over to greet me when she heard me approaching. She was just as friendly, thoroughly enjoying an extended neck rub. Before long, the other ponies must have wondered where I had gone, as they came looking for me, eager for more attention.

The ponies spent the afternoon alternating between grazing in the gorse on Brock's Hill and enjoying plenty of strokes and rubs. They took turns at coming over to spend time with me, clearly enjoying being made a fuss of. Poppy, in particular, took every opportunity to stand close and enjoy having the sides of her neck stroked.

The newest of the bay ponies has some thinning of the hair on both sides of her neck near her chin. On her right side, she also has a small patch of dry skin just beneath the surface. I've informed the owner and shared some photos. We should keep an eye on her over the next few days to make sure it doesn't worsen.

It was wonderful to spend a quiet, relaxing afternoon with the ponies. They were all extremely friendly and seemed to enjoy the company. They were happy, relaxed, and looking great. I said my goodbyes at 16:00, leaving them happily grazing.

The ponies were all good today, aside from a possible issue with dry skin on one of the bay ponies necks.