Horses grazing on Minchinhampton common

My morning was spent in town meeting three different people to prepare for the council meeting on Monday and the important vote. Everything seems to be in order, which is a relief. After lunch I had a client to visit back up on the hilltops at Michinhampton where Helena and I blipped yesterday. L. has been advising us about the planning system but today was my turn to help her with setting up her new Macbook Air .

We talked about the arrival of the cows on the common this week which surround the houses on her road. she used to be a keen horse owner and mentioned that there are a few horses and a donkey which are being grazed on the common as part of the Commoner's Rights. So when I left to return home I thought I would go and have a look for them, which turned out to be very easy. They were grazing right at the top of the common close to the main area where visitors tend to congregate.

I parked and strolled up to where the donkey was standing very still looking away into the distance, and appearing somewhat mournful. The five horses were all grouped together and also standing still so I managed to get some pictures. Suddenly the donkey approached me quickly and then passed by without letting me pat his neck. The horses all followed immediately and also didn't hang about for attention. They headed of at a brisk walk for a water trough sited in the middle of a the common and then started to graze on the lush grass which allowed me time to catch up. I stood back watching them and watched listened to a few starlings that were very active, as well as skylarks somewhere high up above me.

The horses set off again for a a more distant point and i let them ho alone. As I stood I spotted several skylarks and tried to follow their flights and then watch where they landed. One of them landed on some open grass and I saw it digging and finding a worm which it flew off with hanging down from its beak, probably to feed its young. I tried to get close to another skylark that had landed in long grass but before I could get close enough to get good pictures it sensed me and flew away.

I have blipped this horse which seemed to be the most dominant and tended to go off on its own and was then followed by the others horses and the donkey travelling at its own pace with its much shorter legs. I will definitely return and try to get better pictures of the donkey as it is very appealing.