many years ago, when my sister and i had 2 ponies, we were struggling to find grazing for them as it was the hot summer of 1976. we found a field about 5 miles from our farm that we could rent. we checked it out and it was safe secure and more importantly well shaded sloping down to a stream and so the grazing was excellent. we both worked but still checked on jet and mandy twice a day, one sunday we arrived and the field was empty, we found where a gate in the far end had been left open, accidentally or on purpose and probably by kids, weanaged to track the two ponies along the stream edge and through other fields along the disused railway and as we came under the railway tunnel we saw them both in a farm field. the lady farmer had taken them in about 30 minutes earlier, we were so relieved. as we put their halters on and told her how grateful we were that they were safe, she said snidly, 'better keep a closer eye on them then, might not get them back next time' it was so cutting! I was very upset and so was my sister, we hadn't left the gate open and it had had a decent chain on it but someone had unwound the chain on purpose. I have never forgotten her tone and her mean words.