essayel: original art by Slinkachu (Default)
essayel ([personal profile] essayel) wrote2012-02-18 03:09 pm

Ponies are evil

No they are!

This morning I took the dog out to he lane where the horses graze. He likes horses and watches them happily so he was quite content to join me in watching a group of 4 ponies ganging up on a huge black cob/gypsy-vanner cross that was stretched out sound asleep. The gang leader was a little bay job - welsh mountain stock in full winter coat so he looked like a fuzzy teddy bear - and he started off by nibbling the feathering on one of the huge hooves. Swipe went the hoof. Pony dodged and darted back in to nip cob's belly. Then they all crowded round, nosing and nipping and generally being obnoxious. It was about 2 minutes before cob let out a shriek and lurched to his feet. I dread to think what they had bitten. It was like watching an buzzard being mobbed by jackdaws except that once he was up they just sniffed noses and left him alone to graze.

I'm wondering now if it was because they could see me and the dog approaching and thought the cob ought to be up just in case we planned to eat them all.

So they might NOT be actually evil but they certainly looked it. For anyone who's interested, this is what winter coat can look like, but they can look like this when properly brushed up. dinky little miniature war horses. Just lovely.

[identity profile] lee-rowan.livejournal.com 2012-02-18 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
It probably was "INTRUDER ALERT PREDATOR SIGHTED! GET UP, YOU LAZY BASTARD, OR YOU'RE DOGFOOD!"

Firefox won't show me the fuzzy pony, but the other one is gorgeous. I wasn't expecting it to yell STUD! at me, though.

Your post finally motivated me to look up what a 'cob' is. Thanks!

[identity profile] essayel.livejournal.com 2012-02-21 02:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I adore cobs. They were the beasts of all work in this area all through the 19th and early 20th century and some of them are stunning. "Running the cob stallions" at the Royal Welsh Show is the favourite bit. http://youtu.be/KGQmLJNxVi0 Have you ever seen anything prouder?

[identity profile] lee-rowan.livejournal.com 2012-02-21 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, gorgeous! I have to laugh at the running of the humans trying to keep up, though. Must've been fun keeping all those stallions from challenging one another.

[identity profile] essayel.livejournal.com 2012-02-21 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes! :D "Hah, run, puny human! the only reason I am still with you is because I disdain to show myself up by abandoning you."

I did notice one swingeing kick in the background where one got too close behind the other but they are very well trained.