I was just out of the front door with the dogs who were ready for their walk, when the phone rang. It was my neighbour to say that the Minions were in her garden! Damn, I said. I will be right over.
So I shovelled the dogs back through the door, muttering apologies, and drove down the road to corral the ponies back into their field.
Only they were having none of it. They cantered around the garden being very unhelpful. I could hear them giggling. Eventually, the ponies went through an open gate back into the field and I quickly shut it, concentrating my efforts on catching Fivla and Vitamin who did not act their age one bit. Bucking and farting. Meh.
Once caught, I shoved them through the gate. Meanwhile, Tiddles, who had not managed to escape, was hysterical trying to get to his friends. Eventually he got the plot and jumped the burn (stream) to rejoin his friends. Yes, the whole lot had jumped the burn that runs through their field. Something, no other Shetland pony has done but today they all felt they had to.
So I left the ponies in the field they are not supposed to have or be in until March and told them this was it. This was all they would get. It is supposed to snow for the next week or so, and I am not going to take hay. They can dig for the long grass they are living in and if they starve, well so be it. I don’t care. I tried my best.
I went back home and let the dogs out for their delayed walk. We walked the already-started track system and I thought to myself I can’t wait for the Minions to move here. Let them try that stunt again. It will get them nowhere.
And, yes, of course if the snow is really bad, I will lug hay over. Maybe…..