When you’re sitting down with knife and fork poised just about to eat your well-deserved lunch and the phone goes…..

“Please can you come and help. My horses have escaped.”  Immediately Floss and I put down our cutlery, grabbed a bucket of horse food (to rattle and entice) and some headcollars of varying sizes with ropes.

After going to the wrong location (the herd had moved on), we found them a mile or so down the road happily annoying another neighbour’s Shetland pony stallion.

The lead mares (Hetja and Brà) were easily caught.  Floss lead Hetja and my neighbour, whose horses they are, led Brà. I said I would stay in the car at the back and keep the pressure on any stragglers from having an independent thought!

And so they set off back to their field.

It rained intermittently.

Note the potential independent thought.  None of that!

There were five escapees in total – 3 Icelandics (2 mares, 1 gelding) and 2 small Shetland geldings who sniggered and giggled all the way home.

At every available opportunity, the Shetland ponies went off by themselves and then I would drive right up behind them and toot the car horn to push them back to the herd.

And eventually we reached their home.  There was one dodgy moment when I got out of the car to chase the little ones down their track.  I could see mischievous looks being exchanged between them while they realised that they were enjoying their newly found freedom.

Et voilà. They are all now back in their field remembering the excitement of a day out.

And Floss and I went back to our now rather cold lunch!