I heard Mum coming up the hill at sparrowfart this morning as usual so I was waiting at the corral with the other ponies expecting our breakfasts. Blow me down but she had the saddle with her! I was a bit taken aback but there's no stopping her sometimes.
Anyway, it was a perfect morning for an outing, bright sun but cool enough for Mum to wear a gilet and me not to mind my half-sheepskin saddlecloth. We weren't out for long, just an hour, but we saw bunnies and squirls and badgers and deer with fawns and a fox and a family of buzzards and a firecrest (I think - it was very very small) and NOT ONE SINGLE OTHER HORSE or even a person. :cloud9:
We walked on the buckle, scrambled up and down banks to avoid muddy patches (including one spectacular bank descent under low branches - Mum says I am a 4x4 All Terrain Pony and she seems to duck quite well, anyway, I didn't leave her behind in any of the trees), had several nice relaxed canters and, when the going felt just right, one fantastic gallop with me stretched right out and Mum perched on top shouting like a loon, "Run like the wind, Ziggy!"
Then back to the house to lose the saddle and Mum hopped on bareback to ride up to the paddock, where I was so chilled that I fell asleep with my nose on the gate and forgot to open my mouth to let the bit out -
Then I got my long-awaited breakfast, lots of scratches and a special treat - I helped put together the afternoon feeds and tasted and approved all the ingredients individually :tongue:
Anyway, it was a perfect morning for an outing, bright sun but cool enough for Mum to wear a gilet and me not to mind my half-sheepskin saddlecloth. We weren't out for long, just an hour, but we saw bunnies and squirls and badgers and deer with fawns and a fox and a family of buzzards and a firecrest (I think - it was very very small) and NOT ONE SINGLE OTHER HORSE or even a person. :cloud9:
We walked on the buckle, scrambled up and down banks to avoid muddy patches (including one spectacular bank descent under low branches - Mum says I am a 4x4 All Terrain Pony and she seems to duck quite well, anyway, I didn't leave her behind in any of the trees), had several nice relaxed canters and, when the going felt just right, one fantastic gallop with me stretched right out and Mum perched on top shouting like a loon, "Run like the wind, Ziggy!"
Then back to the house to lose the saddle and Mum hopped on bareback to ride up to the paddock, where I was so chilled that I fell asleep with my nose on the gate and forgot to open my mouth to let the bit out -
Then I got my long-awaited breakfast, lots of scratches and a special treat - I helped put together the afternoon feeds and tasted and approved all the ingredients individually :tongue:
