Thursday 3rd July - All 6 seen

At 17:35 this afternoon, the cattle were all lying down, resting to the east of Brock’s Hill. They were being bothered by numerous flies. Steer 178 was especially happy to accept a long head and neck rub, which helped keep the flies at bay. Steer 75 preferred me sitting close, occasionally swatting away the flies when they got particularly bothersome. Steer 257 seemed to be the worst affected, with many flies around his eyes and several horseflies landing on his back. He eventually had to stand up and use his tail to swish them off. Fortunately, as the evening went on, the number of flies gradually decreased. Despite the nuisance, the boys remained happy, relaxed, and looking well.

At around 17:55, just as I was about to head off to look for the ponies, I heard the sound of fast-moving hooves followed by soft nickers as they appeared through the gorse bushes behind steer 75. Pandora came straight over to say hello and enjoyed the first of many strokes, offering the sweetest cuddles in return. The other two ponies soon followed, each taking turns to come over for strokes and rubs.

They stayed close, happily enjoying long neck and back rubs. All three were very affectionate, rewarding me with gentle nuzzles and cuddles. When not being stroked, the stood nearby, resting. Like the cattle, they were attracting their fair share of flies too, so appreciated head and ear rubs to keep them away. The ponies were all happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

Shortly before 19:00, I went to check the water levels in the pond, with Pandora kindly accompanying me. There was even less drinking water than there had been on Sunday. After another round of strokes, we wandered back to rejoin the other ponies, who were now grazing contentedly in the pasture. The cattle had also moved off and begun grazing nearby. I said my goodbyes shortly after 19:15, leaving them all peacefully eating.

Before heading off, I checked the water levels by the fire hydrant sign, which looked much the same as over the weekend. There was still some pooled water in the area to the northeast, where run-off from the hydrant continues to trickle down.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.