Our Yorkshire Farm’s Amanda Owen has thanked fans for their “sweet messages” following the death of her kids’ favourite pony.
In sad scenes which aired this week, Amanda had to tell her nine children the devastating news that Shetland pony Little Joe had suddenly died overnight.
Asked by her youngest daughter Nancy what had happened, Amanda reassured her Joe, who was 40 years old, had not suffered.
“He didn’t suffer, he just dropped, he must have had a heart attack,” she told her brood.
Days after Joe’s death, Amanda – who is known as the Yorkshire Shepherdess – posted a tribute to him on social media.
She told her 400,000 Instagram followers: "Thanks to all the people that have sent us sweet messages about Little Joe.
"He had a heart of gold. He might have gone away, leaving earthly pastures to roam the Elysian Fields but his legacy remains. The children’s love of horses #notforgotten."
Fans were quick to offer their condolences following the sad news about Little Joe.
One wrote: "Rest In Peace little Joe, sending u all lots of love."
Another added: "He did you proud and his spirit will live on alongside you at Ravenseat."
While a third shared: "Watching that episode was truly sad. But how much you include the children is incredible."
Our Yorkshire Farm follows the day-to-day lives of Clive and Amanda Owen and their nine children at Ravenseat Farm in Upper Swaledale, North Yorkshire - one of the most remote farms in Britain.
The family first shot to fame in 2011 after appearing in ITV series The Dales with Ade Edmondson and Julia Bradbury’s Coast to Coast.
They also appeared on New lives In The Wild with Ben Fogle before landing their own show in 2018.
Our Yorkshire Farm is now one of Channel 5’s most-watched programmes.
Former model Amanda, 46, has been married to husband Clive, 66, for more than 20 years.
Their children are Nancy, three, Clemmy, five, Annas, six, Sydney, eight, Violet, nine, Edith, 11, Miles,14, Reuben, 16, and Raven, 20.
Other occupants of their 2,000 acre farm include 1,000 sheep, 40 cows and six dogs.
Amanda, who has also written four books, regularly documents the family’s idyllic -and somewhat alternative - way of life on her social media channels.
She revealed she restricts her kids use of TVs and iPads – and says they hardly get phone signal or internet where they live anyway as it’s so remote.
"We have got the internet. The signal has to bounce off three buildings and would you believe, a man has to turn on a generator to power it up," she told the Yorkshire Times.
"The mobile signal is very weak. I can only get a signal in certain parts of the farm. You can switch off from the outside world up here."
Our Yorkshire Farm is on Tuesdays at 9pm on Channel 5.
