"Ponies meet pigs? No problem" say Pepper and Puppy

It's been exactly two weeks since the pigs' new pen was officially declared open for business. And it's been exactly the same amount of time since the 'ponies' have been excluded from the Church Field which abuts the pigs' new pen.

Why? Well, everyone knows (or at least the wisdom handed down says) that pigs and ponies do not get on. I know this for a fact since the occasion some three years back when when I innocently rode Rocco past a field full of Large Whites. Before I knew where I was, my normally sane, laid back horse had turned into a snorting, pouncing bundle of nerves; it proved impossible to ride him a single stride forward or back; as a last resort I jumped off his back and led him, at his own very fast and whirling pace, to a 'position of safety' a mile down the road. To this day, he will not go past that field without snorting and skitting about - and the pigs have been gone these two years past!

So, with no little trepidation I picked my moment in the middle of the morning when I knew the pigs were having a post-breakfast snooze in their ark. On seeing the open gate between the fields, the ponies merrily trotted through, oblivious of the surprise in store - more interested in chewing the fresh pasture than examining their surroundings. It wasn't long though before Mangel sensed something on the edge of his territory and came snorting and rumbling down to investigate. "What's that?" said Rocco, Ritz and Max. Up went their heads ... and their tails ... and their heels -- and off they charged to meet the strange creature.

For a short while they pretended they were scared; cantering close, then charging away with their heads held high and nostrils flaring. But curiosity drew them ever closer... and closer.... and within less than 15 minutes they were all nose to nose, sniffing and snuffling and nibbling and nuzzling........ Mangel made a bit of a show of digging into and defending his territory but really he was much more interested in exchanging views with his new found friends. Wurzel stayed well back in the copse; better let the Big Boar break all the ice and make sure it was quite safe before venturing any closer.

Meanwhile, Pepper and the Puppy were having a good old gossip about... well, about things that pigs and puppies have to gossip about. Probably how fast piglets grow and why all these humans always make a big fuss about nothing.....

For the next three hours the horses remained totally mesmerised by their porcine neighbours, only moving away when I called them home for tea. And even then I had to lead one away before the rest followed...

Problem? What problem......