Sunday 24th May - All 4 seen

Shortly after 17:00 this afternoon, the cattle were gathered in the cool shade of the bushes near ///scored.yourself.reef at the northern end of the site. I suspect they had all been lying down and resting, but steer 200 got up to greet me as soon as he heard me approaching, while cow 201 stood peacefully in the bushes to the south. Before long, they had all got to their feet and started grazing in the surrounding area, enjoying a mix of long grass and leaves from the bushes. The boys all stepped forward to say hello as I made my way around checking on them, with cow 201 initially being a little more hesitant.

All four were content, relaxed, and in good condition, showing no signs of distress despite the intense heat. I said my goodbyes shortly before 17:30.

Before leaving, I wandered round to make sure there was still plenty of drinking water in the ditch.

The cows were all good today.

Saturday

 Couldn’t find them today and ran out of time after an hour at9am. 

Thurs 21st May - staff check

All 4 seen seen well grazing along the southeastern fenceline. Still plenty of water in the ditch.

Mon 19 May, forgot to say I did try and see the cows but was locked out again

.

All 4 seen & well Tue 19th May

Saw all 4 in the middle of the site today and all looked well. 

I checked the water level in the ditch - it's still full of water, and is particularly deep at the far end, by the stone culvert, c. 1 foot deep and a small amount of water is still coming into the ditch from the reservoir sluice. No cattle hoof prints by the pasture pumps unfortunately! but plenty of water in those too.

I have tried to obtain more info on when test track is open to the public from my MoD contacts, but no luck so far! But the usual access always used to be every other weekend, so I agree that it's not worth trying on Friday's.  

Many thanks.

Sunday 17th May - All 4 seen

Shortly after 17:00 this afternoon, the cattle were grazing in the thicket near ///reinstate.riches.punt, about 100 metres southeast of the Test Track. Light rain was falling, and they were all browsing deep among the bushes, but they soon emerged to greet me. Steers 200 and 208 approached cautiously at first, before settling beside me to relax and chew their cud. Cow 201 soon wandered over as well. Steer 207 was the last to appear and, after coming over to say hello, he rested briefly before returning to graze on the heather nearby. All four were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

I said my goodbyes at 17:40 as the rain intensified once more, leaving steers 200 and 208, along with cow 201, huddled together resting and chewing their cud, while steer 207 continued browsing the leaves from the nearby bushes.

The cattle were all good today.

Note: I did attempt to check on the cattle on Friday 15th May at 18:00, but the gate was locked and the red danger signs were displayed. As this seems to happen every Friday, it’s probably best that I stop trying to check the cattle on Fridays.

 

Saturday

 All found at 8.30 just off the path near the pasture pumps although there was no sign that the cows had been using them. All looked good. 

Thursday 14th - STAFF CHECK

Found the 4 relaxing un a cleared area in the centre of the sote. All looked well.

Checked the new drinking troughs and both were ful and working. No idea if the cows are using them though.

Sean

2.30pm, Mon 11 May, gate was locked so couldn’t check on the cows

.

Sunday 10th May - All 4 seen

Shortly after 15:00 this afternoon, the cattle were gathered to the east of the reservoir, near ///elevates.destiny.shining. Steer 207 was lying down, relaxing and chewing his cud, while the other three stood under the trees. They occasionally rubbed themselves against the branches for a good scratch. After a short while, they slowly began edging forward one by one to say hello and give me a few sniffs. Afterwards, they drifted over to the area east of the trees to stand and chew their cud. About fifteen minutes later, steer 207 also got up, had a big stretch, and joined the others. All four were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

The cattle continued to rest peacefully and chew their cud, occasionally wandering off to graze on the grass growing around the gorse. Around 15:25, steer 200 wandered over to where I was standing and seemed content to simply stand beside me while relaxing and chewing his cud. I said my goodbyes at 15:45, leaving them all resting.

As I was leaving, I checked the pasture pumps. While there were no signs that the cattle had been drinking from them, there was some debris floating on the surface of the water, so I gave both pumps a bit of a clean. There was also plenty of drinking water available in the ditch.

The cattle were all good today.

Note: I did attempt to check on the cattle on Friday 8th May at 18:00, but the gate was locked, and the red danger signs were being displayed.

Saturday 9th May - Pony Update - Betty Boo has had her foal

Nicky let me know that Betty Boo gave birth to a beautiful filly foal this morning, and I’m happy to report that both mum and her little one are doing well.

The foal looks absolutely gorgeous. ❤️

Saturday

 Gate was padlocked and red sign was up at 9am so I didn’t enter the site. No sign of them from the gate. 

All 4 looking fine

 Checked on the 4 today - they were near the gate into Test Track from Brock's Hill.

I checked the water situation: the ditch still has plenty of water in it and signs that they have been drinking from there. No obvious signs they're using the pasture pumps but of course they were no where near them at the time!

Thanks

11am, Mon 4th May, All 4 found easily with help of the No fence tracking,

Actually in the same place as Saturday along the fence line near to Miles Hill

W3W I|/class.reserved.reputable

They seemed to be resting amongst the trees, sitting down and looking dozy

Sunday 3rd May - All 4 seen

At 14:00 this afternoon, the cattle were grazing in the thicket just off the main path, around 130 metres southeast of the Test Track gate, near ///delusions.tunnel.lousy. They were enjoying a mix of long grass, gorse, and fresh silver birch leaves. After a short while, they drifted north into a more open area, where they stood to relax and chew their cud. Steer 207 soon lay down to rest.

The other three were more curious and slowly stepped around steer 207, making their way towards where I was standing. They initially kept their distance before cautiously stepping forward, one by one, to stand fairly close and chew their cud. I sat down on a patch of grass, and they gradually began to relax fully. After a while, all three settled down to rest.

I said my goodbyes at 14:50, leaving them all resting peacefully. They were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

Before leaving, I took a walk to check the water levels in the ditch, and there was still plenty of drinking water available. There was no sign that they had used the pasture pumps, though.

The cows were all good today.

3pm, Sat 2 May, happened upon the 4 cows against the fence line towards Miles hill.

2 sitting and 2 standing amongst dense trees, appeared to be fine.  W3W Il/broadens.tribe.panther

Saturday

My first time looking for cows on this site for a few years and hasn’t the vegetation grown! Anyway I couldn’t find them today. No obvious recent signs of them using the pasture pumps either. 

All 4 cows looking well

 I checked the 4 today and they look very well. Btw just in case anyone was wondering, they are British White/ Shetland crosses. I haven't seen them before as they've been in S Hants for years. 

Re water: the ditch ( W3W; graver.clincher.tabs) running out of the silt reservoir does have water in it, about a foot, along the lenght of it, so Graham must have looked at another ditch!

We'd be really keen to know if the cows are using the pasture pumps (W3W; barbarian.notice.honest) ok; if anyone sees them using them it would be appreciated if you could blog that please. Thanks.

Speaking to Gordon earlier he informed me that some Landmarc staff do change the red Danger sign when unlocking the pedestrian gate, so sorry Carolyn my info wasn't correct. Although we both suspect that some don't change the sign! 

Thanks for your help.

29 April Staff Check

All 4 seen and ok. No water in ditch only pasture pumps.

Entry to Test Track

Yes it's fine to go into Test Track if the gate is unlocked.

The Red Danger sign is displayed there permanently, which I appreciate isn't very clear.

Thanks for the question Carolyn. 

 

2.45pm Mon 27 April, the red Danger sign was displayed although the gate was unlocked, so decided I shouldn’t venture in? I couldn’t see them from the gate unfortunately.

Please advise if the gate being unlocked means it is okay to enter.

Monday 27th April - Test Track Water - Pasture Pump

I had intended to get in touch today to ask whether the pasture pumps belonged to HIWWT and were for the cattle, so thank you for the update. I spotted them yesterday while making my way down to find the cattle. Below is a photo of one of the two pumps.

Water Test Track

 Good to see you managed to get onto Test Track Gordon. Apologies that it's not easy.

Just to add that I'd be very grateful if we can all keep an eye on the water levels please. They have 2 sources of water (there's no mains water trough):

the ditch flowing out from the silt reservoir at: graver.clincher.tabs

and (hot off the press!) we fitted 2 pasture pumps in there last week, at:

barbarian.notice.honest

We will train the cows to use the pasture pumps! if necessary, but they usually pick it up very quickly for themselves. 

Thanks for all your help. 

Sunday 26th April - All 4 seen

At 14:45 this afternoon, the cattle were gathered along the eastern side of the reservoir, near ///could.stitching.admit. Cow 201, along with steers 200 and 208, were standing in the shade of the trees, while steer 207 was lying down nearby, resting comfortably. The three standing cattle were curious about their visitor but initially kept their distance before cautiously approaching one by one to give me a sniff. They soon began to relax. It was a lovely, warm afternoon, although the sunshine had brought out the flies.

The cattle were happy for me to sit beside them, and by 15:10 they were all lying down, relaxing and chewing their cud. Before settling, each took a turn scratching against the trees. Steer 207 remained lying down throughout, even stretching out fully on his side at one point.

I said my goodbyes at 15:40, leaving them all resting peacefully. They appeared happy, relaxed, and settled into their new home. It was lovely to spend some quiet time with them this afternoon.

The cows were all good today.

Friday 24th April - No access to Test Track section

I visited the site a little later than usual this afternoon, hoping the gate into the Test Track section would be open. Unfortunately, even after waiting until after 18:00, it remained locked.

It was a warm, pleasant afternoon, so I passed the time with some litter picking before checking the fence along the eastern edge of the site, all the way to the far northeastern corner. Even from there, though, the cattle were down by the reservoir and still too far away for me to see them.

Cattle on Test Track - restricted access; only possible when the gate is unlocked

 Please note that public access to Test Track is very limited to times when the army are not using Test Track. 

Access is different from Brocks Hill, where the ponies usually are, for health and safety reasons, as the army trial new military vehicles and use the site for driver training; sometimes with large vehicles driven at high speed. 

You can only access from Brocks Hill when the metal kissing gate is unlocked. 

Unfortunately prior notice of access times is currently not possible as the army are on high security status due to the situation in the Middle East. 

Thanks

CATTLE ON SITE - Test track side

X4 large British White crosses are now grazing Long Valley Test track side of the site now (next door to the pony side Brocks Hill)

They have tracking collars on

Thank you for your continued support

The grazing team

Sunday 19th April - Pony Update - Tilly has had her foal

Nicky let me know that Tilly has given birth to a beautiful foal this morning, and I’m happy to report that both mum and baby are doing well.

The foal looks absolutely gorgeous. ❤️

Wednesday 15th April - Pony Update - no ponies on site

At 12:35 this afternoon, the ponies were resting under the trees in the far southwest corner of the site. They were both very friendly, taking turns to come over, say hello, and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs. Afterwards, they alternated between resting, nibbling on holly, and returning for more attention. Both ponies thoroughly enjoyed long neck and back scratches, and were happy to have the loose hair brushed from their backs and sides. They were very affectionate, regularly offering gentle nuzzles as they were fussed over. The girls were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

Nicky arrived shortly after 13:00 to take them back to the New Forest. The collared pony will be seeing the farrier in the coming days to have her hooves trimmed. Sadly, this means there are no ponies on the Long Valley reserve for now.

The ponies were all good today.

Wednesday 15th April - Pony Update - Poppy has had her foal

Nicky kindly let me know that Poppy has given birth to a beautiful foal this morning, and I’m happy to report that both mum and baby are doing well ❤️.

2.30pm, Mon 13 Apr, both at the base of Brock Hill, eating the grass, looking lovely in the sunshine after a heavy downpour

Both seemed fine today and engrossed in eating the grass

Sunday 12th April - All 2 seen

At 15:45 this afternoon, the ponies were grazing in the pasture northeast of the main entrance, near ///dance.cars.hazy. The girls were very friendly, taking turns to come over and greet me before settling in for plenty of strokes and rubs. There had been some rain shortly before I arrived, so they were a little damp, but they soon dried off.

After saying hello, the ponies returned to grazing, but regularly came back for more attention. The non-collared pony had clearly been rolling in muddy ground prior to my arrival and was delighted to stand while I brushed the loose hair from her neck, back, and sides. She seemed much more comfortable afterwards and thanked me with gentle nuzzles. The collared pony preferred long neck and ear rubs, really leaning in and thoroughly enjoying being fussed over. The girls were both happy, relaxed, and looking well.

By 17:00, the ponies had gradually moved south, crossed the path, and were enjoying plenty of grass by the corral. After a final round of strokes, I said my goodbyes shortly afterwards. As I was walking away, they continued moving towards the southwest corner.

The ponies were all good today.

Saturday

 Both found at 9.30 on the eastern flank of the hill nibbling away at the new grass. Both looked fine. 

Friday 10th April - Pony Update - Victoria has had her foal

Nicky kindly let me know yesterday that Victoria had given birth to a beautiful filly foal that morning. Both mum and foal are doing well.

I just wanted to share the fantastic news and pass on the photos she sent today. The foal looks absolutely gorgeous. ❤️

Friday 10th April - All 2 seen

At 15:35 this afternoon, the ponies were grazing in the pasture northeast of Brock's Hill, near ///reset.about.legroom. The ground in this area is quite swampy, and as I approached, they were feeding on plants growing in the pools of water and the surrounding soft mud. The girls were very friendly, taking turns to come over and greet me with soft nickers before settling in for plenty of strokes and rubs. Both were happy, relaxed, and looking in good condition.

After our initial greetings, the ponies alternated between grazing and returning for more attention. They both thoroughly enjoyed long neck, shoulder, and back scratches, offering affectionate nuzzles in return.

By 16:20, the ponies had drifted back to the area east of the hill, where they continued to graze, nibbling on fresh grass. They continued to wander over for more strokes, content to receive back rubs while grazing. After a final round of scratches, I said my goodbyes at 16:45, leaving them peacefully grazing.

The ponies were all good today.

Staff Check - 8th April

 Both ponies looked well, aside from the collared pony's back hooves still being cracked, but it sounds like the owner is aware

Superb photo Steve!

Tuesday 7th April - Both seen

The ponies were grazing just off the track in E5 at 1020 this morning, one cooling her heels in the ditch and cropping the longer shoots coming up through the sphagnum moss, while the collared one was enjoying the lawn next to the track.  Both looked well and glad to have the sun on their backs.  The site is rich with the 'coconut' scent of gorse again.

Monday 6th April - All 2 seen

At 14:30 this afternoon, one of the ponies was basking in the sunshine on the patch of grass at the start of the track up Brock's Hill, while the other was browsing gorse a little further up the slope. They were both very friendly, taking turns to come over and greet me before settling in for plenty of strokes and rubs. They were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

After our initial greetings, the non-collared pony moved a little further up the hill and into the shade. There, she was happy to just stand and be fussed over, thoroughly enjoying extended neck, ear, and shoulder scratches. She would shift position to ensure I could reach all of her itchy spots. Afterwards, she appreciated having the loose hair brushed from her back and sides before returning to rest in the sunshine. The collared pony patiently waited her turn and relished a long neck and chin scratch, offering affectionate nuzzles and licks in return. After a while, she began nibbling gorse from the bushes at the side of the track, content to keep receiving a relaxing back rub while she ate.

By 15:30, the ponies had crossed the path into the southwest-corner pasture, where they enjoyed fresh grass and gorse in the warm sunshine. They both approached for more attention, happily taking a break from their grazing for extra strokes and rubs. I said my goodbyes at 15:50, leaving them peacefully grazing together.

The ponies were all good today.

Sunday 5th April - All 2 seen

Happy Easter!

At 16:00 this afternoon, the ponies were grazing contentedly in the sunshine on the eastern slope of Brock’s Hill. They were both very friendly, taking turns to greet me and enjoy plenty of strokes and rubs. Afterwards, they alternated between grazing and returning for extended periods of attention, clearly enjoying long neck and back scratches. They were very affectionate, offering gentle nuzzles and head rubs, with the collared pony even giving my ears a lick.

The ponies gradually moved round to the northern slope of the hill, mainly nibbling on fresh grass and heather, but occasionally heading down to the foot of the hill to browse gorse. After a final round of strokes and rubs, I said my goodbyes at 17:20, leaving them grazing peacefully.

The ponies were all good today.