Hungry

The Shetland ponies were all hanging around this morning, telling me that they were still hungry.

And I felt bad.

There is not much, if anything, to eat on the track and they should have some fibre in their bellies. “Horses have evolved to trickle feed daily for up to 18 hours….” – BHS

I tell myself that, although Shetland ponies can and should live off fresh-air, they do need some food so I gave in and put out three haynets for them. I have no will-power on their behalf and guilt is a nagging feeling.

And they all tucked in enthusiastically.

(Note how Vitamin has the whole haynet to herself while the other six share just one).

That is, all except, for Fivla who didn’t have the brain energy to work out how come everyone was eating and she wasn’t.

So I gently guided her around the gate and she made her way to her own box with a haynet.

You have to admire the Old Ladies, though, they have life sussed! No sharing with the Minions.

Now, I could relax, knowing everyone would eat what they wanted and then have a lovely full feeling. I am pleased with the ponies’ shape too – they’ve lost weight and their grass-belly, while exercising all the time around the track, looking for a blade of grass.