Living In a Dessert and A Pony Party

Ok I am being very English again and giving a weather report!!!!  Its been HOT!!
For the last 3 weeks its been up in the high 20's with blazing sunshine every day. Being by the coast we have had the odd cooling breeze, but NO RAIN. Being English we like a bit of rain, its what we're used to. Our grazing now consists of standing hay, the ponies leaving behind a dust bowl with no signs of life. We are already starting to think the grass will never come back.  Oh yes...Very English....Moan about the weather!!!!!  I actually like the heat, I have an awesome tan, But.......Just a bit of rain would be gratefully received.

We have been continuing with the kids lessons.....Polly who was born to teach children is loving it, and positively skipping around.  The big girls have had a few gentle hacks, and have been fairly laid back.  Charlie is being Mr Superstar. The clicker training is paying off.  I have been working at getting him to stand still at the mounting block whilst 'targeting ' a traffic cone.  Its working.  I can now lay a leg over his back, or lean on him.....when he backs up, I say target and he moves forward to the cone.  

As England are doing well in the World Cup (that is if you are reading this before the match against Sweden) , I have been playing with an England flag.  Charlie was more than happy to hold it in his mouth and wave it!!  Lu was very wary of it.  Funny how the baby is just curious, but the herd leader is cautious!!

Today we took Polly and the Shetlands to a local school fete. Yes we crammed all three into a trailer as it was just 2 miles away. We were given a spot next to the Bouncy Castle and I am happy to report that none of them batted an eyelash when it was inflated.  We spent a happy couple of hours with the children pouring glitter over the ponies (unicorns) and stenciling them. They were all really good......Until we were packing up.......

Although we had erected electric fencing it wasn't live, or very low!  Polly had been freed first as she never wanders off.  So we let the Shetlands loose to graze aswell. BIG MISTAKE!!  Never, Ever, Ever Trust A Shetland Pony!! After grazing near to us in angelic manners, they suddenly took off at high speed to the opposite side off the fence, ducked under and legged it down the school playing field. I started to run after them, was swiftly overtaken by Ellies Children and Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays, remembered my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker and slowed to a walk.  Out on the bridleway at the bottom of the school I could here lots of giggling, and the girls appeared with the somewhat chastised Shetlands in tow.  Like I said.....Never Trust a Shetland!