The track is becoming increasingly muddier in places so today I tackled one of them by making a larger layby so the ponies can circumnavigate that patch of mud as well as having a bit more to eat.

And this is my next project.  Mud patch #2.  As you can see, it is nearly up to Newt’s belly but he is small (26″ or so) and manages pretty well.

Surprisingly, the ponies don’t mind this particular patch as it is very wet (septic tank run-off) so they almost swim through.  It was the mud from the first area I dealt with first that was getting them down.

But the thought of more food cheered them up.  However, I read them all the Riot Act about laminitis.

After working so hard, I reckoned I deserved a treat, so I went off to the other field with the dogs to see how the sheep were all getting on together.  Today was the first day they had  gone out together as a flock.

Everyone was around so I sat on a rock and waited.

Dahlia and Gussie came running up for a chat and that was lovely.  Dahlia is beginning to realise that Pepper is not going anywhere so she should just give up hating her and trust her instead.  It is work-in-progress.

Ted sensibly sat a safe distance away.

Gussie was on superb huggable form.

He and Pepper are very sweet together.

And this is the first time both of them have sat down close to me, which I take as a huge compliment.  These things can take time.

So a lovely morning achieving things that needed to be achieved. There’s always something.