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A Soggy Pony

By Miles ·

A wet, shaggy hill pony with a long mane covering its eyes stands beside a gorse bush on Belstone Common, its coat catching the warm light.
A wet, shaggy hill pony with a long mane covering its eyes stands beside a gorse bush on Belstone Common, its coat catching the warm light.

A thoroughly bedraggled hill pony shelters behind a gorse bush on Belstone Common, its shaggy winter coat soaked by the driving moorland rain.

There are few things quite as bedraggled as a hill pony caught in a winter downpour.

I came across this rather soggy character on Belstone Common, where it had taken shelter behind a large gorse bush in an attempt to escape the driving moorland rain.

Its thick winter coat was thoroughly soaked, with its long, tangled mane hanging across its face. Despite the miserable conditions, the pony appeared remarkably untroubled, standing quietly among the gorse as the weather swept across the moor.

The soft, golden light catching its damp coat provided a welcome contrast to the dark vegetation behind, bringing out the rich colours and textures of its shaggy winter covering.

Photographed in December 2008, it's a small, intimate portrait of life on Dartmoor, where even the hardiest residents sometimes need a little shelter from the elements.