Friday 13th March - All 8 seen

At 15:10 this afternoon, the ponies were spread out grazing among the gorse bushes along the fence line to the northeast of the main entrance. Tilly spotted me approaching and slipped away from the others to enjoy a long neck and ear scratch. She was slightly damp from the earlier rain showers but was drying out quickly in the breeze. She was very affectionate, offering cuddles and gentle nuzzles in return. After nearly ten minutes, the other ponies wandered over to 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 but continued to take turns coming over for more attention. Several enjoyed longer grooming sessions, loving having their backs and sides brushed, and the gorse untangled from their manes and tails. The girls have started shedding their winter coats and seemed pleased to have the loose hair brushed away.

The ponies continued to graze, with most gradually making their way onto the northern slope of Brock's Hill to browse gorse in the sunshine. There were a few brief showers, but they didn't seem bothered by them at all. The girls continued to come over for more strokes and rubs, happy to be fussed over.

When I went to check the fence line along the side of the racecourse, all eight followed, clearly curious about what I was doing. When they realised it wasn't anything interesting, most began grazing in the pasture southeast of Brock's Hill, near the stream. The two youngsters followed me all the way to the furthest kissing gate, keen for more scratches. After a while, we made our way back to the others, stopping briefly for some grass nibbling near the pond. There were no issues with the fence or with the two new gates.

The ponies continued to graze, slowly making their way west towards the path along the racecourse. I said my goodbyes at 17:30, leaving them all peacefully grazing.

The ponies were all good today.