5th June - Pooh picking

I’ve been out and about recently, visiting a few schools to talk all things Pony Detective!

It’s been good fun sharing how I came up with the idea for the series, and how I grew up pony mad but pony-less! We were talking about some of the smells from the yard, and how I love the smell of horse feed, the hay barn (the Pony Detectives’ fav place to hang out) and – weirdly – manure!

I think next time I do a school talk I might take some in with me so I can share the horsey smell with everyone! Zano’s living out in the field at the moment, so there’s plenty of manure to gather up! I fill a wheelbarrow full of manure each morning when I pooh pick, and there’s nothing Zano likes doing more than wandering round with me from one pile to the next. I mentioned before that he loves sniffing manure and when I’m pooh picking he likes to sniff the pile on the floor, then check it again once it’s deposited in the barrow – I think he likes to know that I’ve found every last bit to make sure his field is kept ultra clean. He also loves grabbing the barrow handle and trying to tip it over – but only once it’s brimming full!

Zano getting involved!

Anyway, the other day I was just finishing the pooh picking, having searched all the patches of long grass for the tell tale flattened bits. Zano normally accompanies me all the way round, then follows me to the gate. But this time he didn’t follow me, he watched me go, then took a couple of steps to the right. He stood there, staring at me, then bobbing his muzzle to the grass. I walked over and found, to my amazement, a single pile of droppings that I’d completely missed! I picked it up, put it in the barrow and walked back to the gate. This time Zano followed me to the gate, happy in the knowledge that his field was, temporarily at least, manure free!