Really crap photos today and I’m sorry – it has barely been light all day and the weather has not improved (still freezing wind and rain).

Daisy has now seen the set up and agrees with me that the Shetland ponies need something or else they just stand around all day looking rather bleak and miserable in a muddy spot.

So the new regime is to give them three haynets hung on the gate for to share.

The ponies came racing up when they heard of this new plan.

Note how Newt has to have a cheeky nip at Waffle as he catches up in the race to the gate.

Tiddles and Albie brought up the rear with enthusiasm.

Clever Silver had already taken up pole position and was tucking in trying to shovel as much down as fast as possible before the others arrived.

I thought it was very sweet (or optimistic) that Newt would rather come and talk to me than eat his hay.

I told him to hurry back and go and get his ration before it vanished.  I know I said I didn’t want to give out hay and I know the ponies are rotund, but they don’t get a lot of hay (Daisy sized portions, so small), but I can sleep better knowing everyone had a little something to keep them warm at night.  Temperatures are going down to around – 8℃ tonight (windchill) which is not much fun, as well as the the wind and rain.