October

As it's the beginning of October everyone will have turned over their P4P calendars to find beautiful Topsy hiding behind a very autumnal tree!  This photo was taken in one of Topsy's special "grandmotherly" privilege fields where the other ponies are not allowed.  I went to get her in for her dinner and was met by this scene - obviously she was quite content in the field!

Autumn is well and truly upon us now - the ponies' winter coats are already quite a way along...they are getting quite fluffy!  The mud is on it's way too so we're trying to get the mats down before it gets too bad.  Archie came to lend a hand yesterday and we need to wish him a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY for tomorrow.

October comes with mixed feelings - it's great because the grass is changing and the ponies will come off their summer restrictions and have much more space and grazing as we move into the winter...

...But the pony markets will be starting next week - a hugely stressful time for the wild ponies...and we'll be back into that cycle of  hundreds of unwanted foals being shot and the whole media spin of trying to build a meat trade...the minority trying to influence the majority by refusing to remove their stallions from the moor and forcing ethical owners to have unwanted foals.  It's a year since Mousey was killed too - so many ethical issues come to the fore at this time of year...I often think that Topsy being so ancient is probably the only survivor of her generation from the Bodmin Common she came from.

...One thing's for sure...it always makes me think of how lucky our ponies are...thank you so much everyone for your support that enables us to be here!

Just a last note...The P4P calendar for 2017 has now been added to the "Shop" section of the main P4P website so copies can now be ordered from the following link:  http://www.people4ponies.co.uk/shop.html  Thank you to everyone who has already ordered their copy!

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