Tag: foals

Why Budge? The Road Belongs To The Hoof

Soon after lunch we took a forest drive in hot temperatures between overcast clouds beginning to leak intermittent drizzle which called upon little stirring of the windscreen wipers until gradually requiring more regular rhythm, especially when large blobs gathered on branches splashed down beneath trees.

Heather is now colouring the moorland as seen on a slope at Crow Hill and the verges of Holmsley Passage

hugged by walkers as we passed.

A pony and foal grazed beyond the house at the bottom of the hill. Note the brand on the mare’s shoulder.

The pony planted on the road at Mockbeggar disdained to move from the time we approached; when Jackie negotiated us around her; while I disembarked to photograph others; to the time we departed. She may be there still.

Perhaps she considered there were too many equines and bovines on the green already.

One unfortunate animal blended freckles and flies.

Other carloads of people also disembarked to wander with the ponies;

a young heifer joined in the fun.

Cattle dotted the landscape alongside Abbotswell Road where an intriguing path led into the inviting woodland.

A very new donkey foal on Blissford Hill, its mother apparently unconcerned further up the slope, seemed unaware that anyone might be expecting it to budge.

Did you remember to note the earlier brand? Neither of the foals with branded mothers have yet received one. Their turn will come at the next annual roundup, known as the drift, when all ponies have a health check. https://derrickjknight.com/2016/08/30/the-drift/

This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy pasta arrabbiata with tender broccoli in bowls in front of the TV whilst watching highlights of the second and third days of the second Test match between England and West Indies.

Exercising Her Priority


Soon after lunch today we set out on a forest drive.

A pair of ponies with their foals occupied corner of the bank of Beaulieu River. One rose to its feet and trotted off for a feed.

On our way into Brockenhurst several cattle stretched above a fence to crop garden shrubs; while a photographer examined her mobile phone to investigate the pictures she had produced of two ponies at the crossroads by the bank.

More ponies with their offspring wandered over the moorland at South Weirs. The last of my pictures in this set is of the prone foal lifting its head when startled by the sudden cough of a passing cyclist; Jackie’s are the last five images including the suckling foal and the last image of the pony exercising her right to priority over oncoming vehicles.

When driving home through Lyndhurst Jackie parked the car and photographed donkeys attracting attention on the opposite pavement.

A cow guided her calf across the road outside The Rising Sun, while

around the corner in Tiptoe Road, another mare and foal grazed on the verges.

This evening we dined on roast breast of lamb; boiled new potatoes; firm carrots; and tender green beans with which I finished the Cahors.

Where’s The Wagtail?

On this morning’s forest drive I was happy to disembark for photography, and, incidentally, to feel how much cooler the weather was than the average for the time of year.

Field horses, like this one along St Leonard’s Road, are now being equipped with fly protection masks for ears and eyes.

Beyond the flourishing hedgerows the grasses are now becoming parched because of the recent lack of rain.

The pair of frisky foals we have now watched developing since their first weeks have grown a good deal. They gambolled among their herd along Furzey Lane.

Another group had collected their usual avian acolyte. Can you spot the wagtail in either of these two images?

Late this afternoon Elizabeth visited and we had an enjoyable discussion. She did not stay for dinner when the rest of us all dined on the plentiful leftovers from last night’s King’s House takeaway meal, with which I finished the Fleurie.

I Didn’t Leave The Car

On a grey overcast morning, after Jackie shopped at Nisa Local in Stopples Lane, we took a forest drive on which I remained in the car while producing pictures of the journey. This was the first time I had left the house since my operation on 25th.

Nisa is fundamentally a refurbished subsidiary of the previous Coop shop. It is no longer a cooperative but happy to sell produce of the Coop. I’m sure there is some logical process to this.

Apart from having removed the useful hole in the wall cash machine, and changing the frontage, the outlet looks pretty similar to me, although as I said I remained in the vehicle while a gentleman leant on the railings while he enjoyed a phone conversation.

A determined cyclist made his way up the steeply undulating Holmsley Passage.

Further down we passed a large rambling wild rose and a damp moorland landscape bearing cotton grass.

From my passenger seat I enjoyed the sight of splendid magnolia blooms in someone’s garden; wild woodbine, rowan berries, and bramble blossom; and a five barred gate to an upland field.

Ponies, foals, and cattle had begun to gather sheltering along Forest Road, causing chaos by hindering the traffic.

The powerfully heady scent of privet rising above the hedgerow along Beckley Common Road permeated the air around and within our car.

This evening we all dined on King’s House Chinese takeaway fare, the portions providing second helpings for tomorrow.

Shove Off

This afternoon we visited Ober Water at Puttles Bridge.

I employed the walking stick that Elizabeth gave me a few years ago, otherwise I would now have found too many trip hazards from the

exposed tree roots from which the soil has been washed into the river over many years.

Along Rhinefield Road we encountered many ponies with foals.

The first picture in this gallery shows a parent on the right taking objection to foal canoodling with hers and buffeting it to encourage it to shove off, which it did, seeking the security of its mother who led her offspring to the safer side of the road.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy chicken jalfrezi; mushroom rice; vegetable samosas and parathas.

Prolific Pony Progeny

Our fierce winds and intermittent rains continued throughout the day, making it one for staying in and reading, until all was calm and the sun put in an appearance late in the afternoon, when we decided to set off for a brief forest drive.

We travelled no further than Tiptoe Road before we encountered

a pair of foals molesting the traffic until a driver chased them off onto the verge;

further along the road, more mares and their offspring found their own methods of disrupting the traffic.

One young foal showed great concern for the rolling discomfort of her mother.

Jackie’s picture makes it clear that the mare was trying to dislodge flies attracted to her area of recently having given birth.

Others wandered in the shrubbery. The first two of these four images are mine; the next two, Jackie’s.

Some of very frisky offspring dashed backwards and forwards all over the place. The last four images in this gallery are Jackie’s.

This evening we dined on roast chicken thighs with a spicy coating; boiled potatoes; tender cabbage and cauliflower leaves; crunchy cabbage and firm cauliflower.

Flipping Flies

Immediately after lunch, before I had a tooth extracted by Mr Matt Hefferen at Birchfield Dental Practice, We took a forest drive.

Rhododendron Ponticum is ubiquitous in our area. One, beside the ancient Burley signpost at the bottom of Castle Hill is reflected in pothole pools,

alongside which a young foal vigorously rolled in a vain attempt to flip flies from its nether regions.

One seemed to manage alone;

another tried scratching with a hind hoof or catching the breeze engendered by its mother’s twitching tail;

alternatively trying to distract her from a mutual grooming exercise.

This evening we dined on tempura prawns, spring rolls, and mixed vegetables on a bed of Jackie’s colourful savoury rice, with which I drank Reserva Privada Chilean Malbec 2022.

Garden Views From The Ground

First thing on this surprisingly cool morning, I took advantage of the diffused light to

walk round the garden with my camera. All these pictures are titled in the gallery.

Later, we visited Boots Opticians for my post-operative test for new glasses for which I was measured and consequently ordered for delivery in a couple of weeks.

We then picnicked in the shade at Mill Lane. Because, although I will have 20/20 vision with the new specs, my eyes had not readjusted after the drops making me light sensitive and seeing everything in a blur, Jackie took these

photographs of the scene (entitled in the gallery),

and ponies and foals on the way home (also entitled in the gallery).

Having recently posted about the demise of Red Chilli Indian takeaway we have received a flurry of leaflets advertising others. This evening we opted to try Royal Spice in Old Milton, which turned out to be a fortunate choice. A long established outlet we visited to check it out and brought home tandoori king prawn naga for me; ponir makhani for Jackie; and garlic rice, plain paratha, and onion bahji to share. We were given free popadoms with certainly passed our test. The food was plentiful, very well cooked, and quickly produced by friendly staff. There will be enough for second helpings tomorrow. Next time we will have it delivered. I drank Sangiovese & Syrah Toscana 2021.

Dappled Shade

This rather warmer day remained overcast for the morning when Jackie drove us to Hockey’s Farm Shop for lunch, while the sun laid claim to the skies for our return.

A group of ponies and their growing foals occupied Wootton Common and both sides of Tiptoe Road near to The Rising Sun.

The warmer weather has brought out the flies, seen on the last pony in this first gallery, with more irritating the foal and its mother on the verge of the road through Ibsley. The dam has developed the tolerance to ignore them whilst the little bay still hoped to shift them with constant shakes of its head.

Maybe the cattle huddled together for protection.

Further along the road this Toyota driver struggled to pass a pony blocking the way.

In the Farm Shop café we each brunched on our usual choices – mine the Hungry One, and Jackie’s, Laura’s Favourite. Jackie photographed one of the crisp yellow roses in a bottle arrangements that decorated each table.

Abbotswell Road, down which we ambled behind a young rider in training until she was led off the trail, was now as dappled as all the other roads.

Many streams were already drying up, but the one crossing the ford at the bottom of the hill continued rippling under the bridge.

The tour bus we followed along Roger Penny Way kept to a steady 30 mph, until delayed by cyclists, ponies, pigs, and one very successful donkey; when freed the bus picked up a little speed, which had us speculating that there was a schedule to be kept. Indeed there was – more passengers waited at the next pick up point.

Ponies on the verge at Cadnam were already adopting the nose to tail technique for keeping flies at bay,

while heavily panting sheep streamed down the hill seeking shade from the trees beside the shallowing ford. These are the Torddu or black bellied variety of Badger Faced Welsh Mountain sheep.

For this evening’s dinner, Jackie added hot and spicy, and tempura prawn preparations to last night’s Chinese Take Away leftovers, which we all enjoyed and with which Jackie and I both drank La Vieille Ferme rosé 2022.

An Original Sunblock

On this warm, sultry, morning I raised a healthy sweat bagging up, in readiness for the next dump trip, Jackie’s clippings from the path beneath the fallen arch.

I noticed an early mushroom nodding to mossy rocks bordering Margery’s Bed.

This afternoon, on a forest drive, we encountered several groups of

ponies, one sporting an original sunblock, either beside the skip outside the former village shop which had been their customary hopeful resting place;

or on the move elsewhere.

In this sequence, when enlarged, you may notice the distant gentleman pushing a buggy in the second picture, who becomes obscured by the Modus and emerges alongside the equines on the road.

More foals were in evidence outside Little Croft Farm on Bull Hill.

This evening we all dined on herb and garlic roast chicken and potatoes; carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, fine beans, and broccoli tender stems; and meaty gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Malbec.