The Percydale Ponies’ Diary – Week Three

The high point of this week was the visit of the man who sees to our hooves. The reason why we like him coming is because New Mum gives us loads of carrots. New Mum says he is a farrier. At first we thought she was calling him names but it seems it is the name of what he does as a job.  

As soon as New Mum comes up the field carrying our head collars we know he is on the way as it is the only time we wear them. Unless we’re feeling a bit lazy we go down to meet her or trot off to the place near the field shelter where the farrier trims our feet.

Sometimes we have to wait for ages before he arrives which we find very annoying because we can see the bag of carrots and we can smell the carrots because New Mum has cut them up in slices and she has a big pocketful of them but we aren’t allowed to eat any until the farrier is actually working on our hooves.

If we have to wait too long we go down to the gate where we can see him coming up the path and then race back up to New Mum. The first one there gets his feet done first and so has the first go at the carrots.

Whoever has to go second plays tricks on the farrier by sneaking up behind him and chewing the end of his belt or nibbling the leather apron thing he wears round his waist.

When he gets cross the next trick is to sneak up behind New Mum and try to get at the carrots in her pocket.

It’s nice to get something really tasty to eat because there isn’t very much grass about so we have a lot of hay. New Mum gives us horse nuts for breakfast and tea but we don’t think she gives us enough. She says it’s because too many would make us too fat. This is us in winter looking for grass.

Don’t forget to visit www.thepercydaleponies.co.uk or read some of the things New Mum has written at www.percydalehappyhorses.co.uk and send your letters and pictures to ponies@percydale.com .