When Honey came her back legs were covered in mud fever and the coat was matted thick with dirt, dung and goodness knows what else. She's very warey about you touching her legs or brushing or moving her tail. She's good with me picking her feet now, but I always do it in the same order and I rub her fetlock to ask her to pick her foot up. She's still not comfortable with me running my hands down her legs. Her body is ok, but not her legs she's much more nervous of her back legs being touched and also her tail. I've been gradually trying to gently brush the worst of the hair off using just my hands. Over the last week because it has been so hot she has been sweating and rubbing. The hair has all came out between her back legs and there is just patches of raw skin. It looks really sore. I wanted to wash her legs down and apply some cream. She doesn't like the hose, but she will now stand next to me whilst it is running on the ground or if I am moving it filling up water buckets. I decided to see if I could hose her legs down, so I could try and clean her up and make her more comfortable. I held her rope and stood for 5 minutes with the hose running (it was hardly on and barely trickling). I gradually moved the end of the hose closer to her, so the water was touching her foot, she instantly started trembling and shaking all over. I've never seen a fear reaction quite like it. Within seconds she was shaking so much I thought her legs were going to buckle. I turned the hose off as quickly as I could and led her away to let her have a nibble of grass and calm down. She didn't try and move or get away, she was frozen to the spot shaking. I felt (still feel) so guilty. I did need to try and clean her legs, so I gently tried sponging her down. She was better with this, still not comfortable with you being near her back legs and she would panic if any drips of water ran down her legs, but I managed to get them fairly clean and she was fine when I applied the cream. I've introduced many horses to water being hosed, but I have never seen a reaction like Honeys. I don't want to imagine what has happened to her in the past, but I think that she has either been caught up in fencing or something or forcefully restrained. I've finally found some of her summer coat and it's a lovely deep red colour.

There's normally a bit of squabbling over who gets to look out the door, but they've compromised so they can both see.

Two of the boys have moved into the field next to the ponies for a while. The ponies were very interested in saying hello.

Bath time!

Buttons had a bath today. He was very good, he quite likes the hose being sprayed on him, it's the soap and being clean he doesn't like.

Obviously once he'd had his bath, he went straight out into the field to do this.....

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep, And can't tell where to find them.......

......Leave them alone, and they'll come to Kirky Show, Wagging their tales behind them.

Buttons and Zoe came second in the fancey dress class at Kirky Show. They did brilliantly and looked fantastic. I don't think there was one person at the showfield that didn't do a double take or comment when they went past. People were asking to take their photo and the Shetland sheep even got his own announcement over the tannoy. Buttons was a little star. Not to be left out, Honey also was a little dressed up for the occasion.

Doesn't she look pretty. Both ponies loaded and travelled well. The biggest surprise of the day was Honey. She seemed to really enjoy it and really wanted to see everything that was going on. She got a little over whelmed when we were waiting for Buttons class as someone threw the rope fencing and it was quite close to her, it was a small space and there were a lot of ponies, people and dogs. But she settled again and relaxed. Zoe was going to take her into the young handlers class, but it was the last class of the day and would have been really late on. I felt that they had been there long enough. It was a good day and the rain stayed away and the ground was considerably dry despite the torrential rain we've had. It was a bitter cold wind (Zoe did manage to smile through chittering teeth) and I think the only one who didn't feel it was Buttons in his fleece. We must say a very special thank you to our costume maker (next year we're aiming for first!). So proud of the little show ponies.

My Little Ponies

The ponies are doing great. Their winter coats are gradually coming out, I'm still brushing mountains of hair out of them both every day, but I'm starting to see a little summer coat. Honey is becoming very good at picking her feet up and is really enjoying being brushed. She seems to have patches of strange colour on her, almost as if the sun has bleached her coat. It's her winter coat, but I wonder if it's just dead hair from when she was in such poor condition. My friend at the yard's mum was at the stables yesterday and she said that she saw a huge difference in her from the last time she saw her. I don't think I notice the improvements so much as I'm seeing her every day. Buttons and Zoe are entering a fancey dress class at Kirky show in a few weeks. My friend's mum is making Buttons costume, he has his own seamstress! He was getting measured up yesterday, but I'll not spoil the surprise and say what he is going as yet. Honey will come with us to the show, but won't be dressing up.

These 3 were in grazing with the ponies yesterday.