2010 Christmas Card

Here is our Christmas Card for 2010:

Shetland Ponies in the snow

Its freezing outside and the paddocks are all covered in snow.  Yesterday morning the ponies were covered in snow as well:

Introductions: Moth and Billy (Part 2 of 2)

Billy is Moth's half brother and they have been together all their life.  Like Moth Billy has suffered from laminitis and so needs starvation grazing, although he would clearly disagree with this.

He is difficult to catch when you have a head collar in your hand, but loves having his photograph taken:

His stable name is Burford Buffalo Bill.

Introductions: Moth and Billy (Part 1 of 2)

Moth and Billy also came from the RSPCA.  They were both born at the Burford Wildlife Park and then sold on to another owner from whom they were confiscated as bother were suffering from laminitis.

The picture is of Moth; her full name is Burford Gypsy Moth, but she answers to "Moth" from her friends.

Introductions: Owen

Owen is a rescue case who came from South Wales.  The RSPCA found him and since then he has been undergoing remedial farrier work.

He arrived with us on a cold November evening after a long trip along the M4.  This is how he looked the morning after the night before:

Introductions: Puff

Puff has been with us for about 14 years, well before we moved to our current house.  He lives in the paddock and in the time we have been here he has endured all extremes of weather.

The Three and a Half Shetland Ponies of the Apocalypse

Yesterday we opened up the electric fencing and allowed all four ponies to meet each other for the first time.

It was later in the afternoon and the light was pretty poor, but the photo captured the atmosphere of the occasion: the primary thought of all four of them was to graze on the uncropped grass.