Today was dull and dry.
This morning Jackie photographed a great tit in the garden.
After lunch she drove us to Helen and Bill’s home in Fordingbridge. My sister-in-law was returning two grandchildren to their parents; we stayed chatting with Bill for a while and drank his coffee. We left birthday presents for Helen, then took a leisurely route home through the forest.
Three deer had wandered into a garden on Frogham Hill.
Jackie braved the shuddering potholes at Abbots Well in order to enjoy the landscape
which despite the sun’s feeble attempts to penetrate the cloud canopy remained rather murky.
A crow conversing with a bay pony
delayed its descent down the sloping woodland.
Another pony following the first passed one of the many
worrying signs that seem to proliferate in this area. Just after I photographed this example a young man having difficulty instructing his bouncing dog to sit effectually settled it enough for him to remove its lead and set it bounding off, quite close to this
grazing pony.
On Cadnam Lane a farmer squelched across the boggy green to leave a heap of hay for the waiting assortment of ponies. He wore wellies. I didn’t, so my walking shoes collected a coating of claggy clay as
I approached
the diners.
Mutual grooming was undertaken by some of the Shetlands carrying caked mud.
On our way home a couple of deer sped across Roger Penny Way in the glare of a car’s headlights.
This evening we dined at The Wheel Inn. We both enjoyed tempera prawn starters; my main meal was a succulent steak speared with a stick of prawns; crisp chips; and fresh salad. Jackie’s choice was equally good mushroom stroganoff and salad. She drank Becks and I drank Ringwood’s Best.
Adored your photos of the Shetland ponies Derrick…..
I’m pleased, Ivor. Thank you very much.
such beauty! seriously, I want to live where you do. 🙂
Thanks very much, Wendi. It has certainly been a wonderful place to end up.
🙂
I can see how those Shetland ponies collect all the mud in the neighbourhood. Quite a job to rid themselves of it!
Thanks very much, Dolly.
You are very welcome, Derrick.
Lovely pics – it’s been years too long since I spent time in the New Forest 🐴
I had only ever been once until we moved here 7 years ago. Thanks very much, Tiny.
Wonderful photographs – as usual.
Thanks very much, Roland
I hope photography isn’t considered “worrying”! Your title pun is brilliant!
I’m so pleased that wasn’t wasted, Sue. Many thanks.
Every post you make the New Forest just looks even more enticing for a visit.
I understand the socialisation difficulty, but if it could be overcome you would be welcome. Thanks very much, Gary.
The ability of dog owners to ignore reality is amazing.
Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal.
Today was a good day for getting washing out on the line and I found time to cut the grass.
I’ll pass up on the opportunity to comment on dogs and owners, my opinions would surely get me into trouble!
🙂 The equivalent of Liking your comment, Andrew.
I just put the information out there, Andrew; but I would have had words with the young man had his boisterous dog gone anywhere near the black pony. Thanks very much.
“Their Hay Day” 🙂
I didn’t even know what livestock worrying meant. I had to look it up. It’s a funny phrase–though it’s serious.
It sounds like you had a wonderful day. The close-ups of the ponies are wonderful, but my mind is caught on what the crow might have been telling the pony.
Quite a wonderful day!
Thanks a lot, Leslie.
There are definitely some photos in this bunch that need to be framed!
Thank you very much, Lisa. I think we would need a bigger house 🙂
A gloomy day brightened by a visit with Helen and Bill, and finishing up with those adorable ponies. 🙂
Thank you very much, Lavinia. We were resigned to limited photo opportunities until we cam across them.
Gosh, such a variety of ponies. Great photos, Derrick!
Thank you very much, Jill
Beautiful ponies! It would be fun to comb their hair. I like the sign and the light shining through the clouds.
Thanks you very much, JoAnna.
Fantastic photos as always, Derrick. I had to laugh at that sign because at first I thought to myself, “but the livestock can’t read!” It reads like instructions to the animals to keep their distance and that they’re not allowed to worry or they could be reported to the police . 😅
🙂 Thanks very much, Sylvia. There must have been a flurry of incidents, though.
☺️😅
I laughed at the phrase “livestock worrying.” I didn’t have a clue what it meant, but now I do. Of course, before I got to the true definition I was coming up with every sort of amusing possibility. Would reading the speeches of politicians to the ponies constitute worrying? What about market reports on the price of hay? Etc.
Neigh, Linda. Thanks very much.
Thoroughly enjoyed this post! Get your wellies on!
Jackie has just spent ages cleaning two year old crud off them. She is guarding them with her life.
Haha, get them under the hosepipe/outdoor tap when you get home!
🙂
Worth a photoshoot wouldn’t you say 😀
🙂
Poor livestock, what are they worrying about? 🙂
There is one pony that seems to have a mane that belong in some sexy shampoo ad! It’s the one tucked in between an adult bay and an adult grey.
Your meal sounds decadent and filling! I have left over pasta sauce to toss with some linguine and fresh basil from my daughter in law’s garden And, red wine.
PS The label on my red wine says “The Derek”. Pity they are such poor spellers.
Jill’s Derek probably wouldn’t agree 🙂
🙂 There are so many Veronica Lake lookalikes, Yvonne. You had a tasty meal. Thanks a lot.
The deer are dear…but I worry about them causing accidents and getting hurt or killed. We have that problem here. 🙁
Those ponies have such a variety of tastes in the coats they buy and the hairdos they sport! 😉 😀 HA! 😛
I wonder if I could get a sign that tells Human-Beans that “Carolyn Worrying is an Offence! 😉 HA! 🙂
At the San Diego Zoo, in California, they have signs that read “Please do not annoy, torment, pester, plague, molest, worry, badger, harry, harass, heckle, persecute, irk, bullyrag, vex, disquiet, grate, beset, bother, tease, nettle, tantalize, or ruffle the animals.”
My hubby bought one of the signs in the gift shop and changed the word animals to “teachers” and I put it up at the school I taught at. 😀 Just a joke…but EVERYONE enjoyed it! 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn. It was a bit careless to include ‘badger’ in the San Diego sign – OK in school though. 🙂 X
HA! Yeah, the badgers are probably insulted! 😉 😀 😛
The wardens at Wollaton Park, a walled estate in Nottingham, certainly used to shoot any dogs that got in and worried the deer or the cattle. I presume that the land owners would have those same rights where you live.
Mmm. Would’t it be worth putting that on the poster?
Wonderful gallery indeed.
Thank you very much h, Rupali
Beautiful selection of photos. The horses are very beautiful.
Thank you very much, Rabirius
My ponies look good – mud and all. Thanks for the ride through the forest!
Thanks very much, GP
Lovely close-ups of the ponies. I hope you got the clay off your shoes.
I haven’t looked at them yet 🙂
Amazing pictures with marvelous description. Derick sir all your contributions have been wonderful, pleasing to the eyes and informative. Regards.
Thank you very much indeed, Harbans. Best wishes.
Thanks a lot derrick sahib. Regards.
What wonderful photographs of those ponies! The photo with the bay pony looking over the back of the black pony would make a great companion with the close-ups of the cow’s and horse’s faces that you recently featured.
Thank you so much, Laurie
Those ponies are so endearing! I really like those beams of light coming through the clouds. Those deer look tiny. What kind are they?
Unfortunately I don’t know about deer. They were small and quite some distance away. Thank you very much, Lisa.
A lovely set of pony pictures – I can just imagine the aroma of fresh hay and ponies 🙂
I believe the deer are muntjacs – not native but quite widespread in the south of England I think.
Thanks very much, Peggy. I think you are right about the deer.
The fourth and fifth ones are my favorites out of this group.
Good choices, Liz. Thank you very much
Thanks, Derrick!
One can only imagine the conversation between the corvid and equine. 🙂
Indeed, Widders. Thank you very much.
Beautiful pictures Derrick and gorgeous subjects 😉
Thank you very much, Ribana
I agree with one of your earlier replies that there must have been a lot of trouble with worrying for the authorities to put up the signs.
I love the photo of the sun’s rays through the clouds and am amazed at the variety of ponies you see on your travels.
I love the picture with the “lightfall” from the clouds!
Thanks very much, Alexander