At the Sentinel's Request

The Sentinel is my senior Fell Pony mare Bowthorne Matty. She has earned that name by repeatedly standing apart from the herd looking into the distance, as if watching for trouble. The picture here shows the same behavior in the corral, letting the three younger ponies nap while she stands watch.

When my ponies get their feed buckets, they are often tied to a fence so that each pony gets their bucket without competition. (The buckets contain vitamins, probiotics, and other supplements; minerals are available loose and free choice.) The other advantage of giving them buckets when they’re tied is I can tell if they’re eating what I’ve given them, instead of the bucket being emptied by someone else. Even when they’re tied, I watch to make sure each pony is enthusiastically focused on their bucket, eating its contents. If that’s not the case, I investigate to correct whatever is keeping the pony from eating.

Occasionally, the Sentinel will stand back from her bucket and not touch it. When I first saw the behavior, I was puzzled. I figured out the situation by going to her and standing next to her bucket to watch. She would then start eating. Once she started eating, if I attempted to leave, she stepped back again and quit eating. But if I stayed there, she would finish the contents of her bucket.

I have responded to the Sentinel’s request and she is finishing her bucket in thanks.

I can’t know for sure, but the conclusion I’ve reached is it usually happens when we’re having windy weather. She seems to be requesting that I take over the sentinel job while she eats. I assume it’s because she can’t hear what’s going on around her because of the wind, and her sentinel responsibilities mean she must keep watch rather than eat. Now when I see the behavior, I recognize the Sentinel’s request. I join her and don’t leave until she has completed eating. When I respond to the Sentinel’s request, she cleans up her bucket just like normal. There aren’t many beings in my life that take their job that seriously. Always something to learn from my ponies!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2023