Tuesday 19th November - All 6 seen

We were lucky to spot them through the trees as we entered from the Aldershot Road as it would have been a long walk around, particularly if they had been hidden from my usual Brock's Hill look out. It was raining and the temperature was down to 3 deg when I left the car and I expected them to be in shelter somewhere so was surprised to see them in the open at the NW of the site (D4) at 1510. They all appeared well and were grazing amongst the long grasses in this boggy area.

3pm, Mon 18 Nov, all 6 grazing near the test track gate, looking calm and content

.

Mon 6th Nov - staff check

All 6 seen well

6

 6 spotted grazing around Brocks Hill. The 6 appeared well.

Sunday 17th November - All 6 seen

Four ponies were grazing among the gorse bushes near where the main path meets the track along the east side of Brock's Hill at 13:20 this afternoon. One by one, they emerged to greet me, each enjoying long neck and back rubs. They were happy, relaxed and looking gorgeous. Poppy was especially affectionate, softly nickering as she approached and giving lovely cuddles while I stroked the sides of her neck.

Curious about the foal's whereabouts, I wandered further down the path and spotted Megan and the little one grazing by the pond at 13:55. The little one was eager for his first neck rub and came wandering over to meet me. He was totally adorable, offering lots of cuddles, licks, and nuzzles. Megan soon followed, looking happy and relaxed. About ten minutes later, the sound of thundering hooves signalled the arrival of the first four ponies, who joined us by the pond.

The group continued grazing by the pond for a while before moving east into the pasture near the Test Track gate. They were all very friendly and frequently returned for more strokes. The foal ended up grazing in the ditch by the gate, but took a break to enjoy an extended back and neck rub. He completely relaxed, even closing his eyes at one point.

It was lovely to spend some quiet, relaxing time with each of the ponies this afternoon. I said my goodbyes at 15:15, leaving them all happily grazing.

The ponies were all good today.

Friday 15th November - All 6 seen

At 14:20 this afternoon, three ponies and the foal were resting near the northeast corner of Brock's Hill, while the others grazed in the nearby gorse bushes. Tilly was the first to greet me, offering gentle nuzzles and eagerly leaning in for a neck rub. Once we finished, the rest of the ponies came over one by one to say hello and enjoy their first strokes. Poppy was the last to emerge, clearly enjoying her time munching on gorse.

After a while, the ponies moved to graze on the northern slope of Brock's Hill, but they regularly returned for more strokes. They were all happy, relaxed and looking fantastic. The foal especially enjoyed a long neck rub, loving having the sides of his neck stroked and offering affectionate cuddles in return.

The ponies continued grazing and were happy to be approached for back rubs. Tilly preferred to munch on gorse at the bottom of the hill, but still welcomed strokes. I said my goodbyes just after 16:00 as dusk set in.

The ponies were all good today.

Thursday 14th November - All 6 seen

The ponies were happily grazing along the sides of the path near the Test Track gate at 14:30 this afternoon. They were all very friendly, coming over straight away to say hello and enjoy their first strokes. The foal thoroughly enjoyed his usual neck rub, shifting around to ensure I reached all his itchy spots. He gave affectionate cuddles and nuzzles throughout. After the initial greetings, the ponies returned to grazing, gradually moving into the pasture.

They regularly paused their grazing to come back for more strokes, happy to stand and soak up the attention. Tilly especially enjoyed a long neck rub, fully relaxing by the end, resting a hind leg and struggling to keep her eyes open. Pandora also appreciated a long neck rub and loved having the sides of her neck stroked. She became completely relaxed and offered affectionate nuzzles in return.

The little one kept himself busy grazing, but eagerly returned for more attention when it was his turn. He thoroughly enjoyed having his back brushed, followed by another long neck rub. After a while, he playfully pulled my hood over my head multiple times, clearly enjoying the game. It was great to spend some extra time with him today.

The ponies continued to graze together as a group, slowly making their way west toward the pond. They were all happy, relaxed and looking really well. I said my goodbyes just after 16:00 as the daylight began to fade.

The ponies were all good today.