Had I investigated further I'd have found a trail leading back to an open gate- and only one little horse in a field that should have held five.
Around the same time the horses' owners spotted a post on FB which showed some animals resembling theirs trolling down the road near Matfield Church.
They were finally run to ground in somebody's front garden. They weren't happy to have been rumbled. The wife got kicked.
Meanwhile the colt who had stayed behind in our field was going frantic with worry.
They're all back together again now. Julia has roped up the gate they breached.
Ailz was telling the owners- as is only courteous- that we're putting the property on the market and the wife turned to her husband and said, "Go get the money out the bank and buy it!"