I’ve always known Belle is as safe as can be out hacking but since we’ve moved yards it’s becoming very evident just how flippin awesome she is.
There are a few circular routes we can take here, the shorter ones are all road work but through a very pretty old village and longer ones (we haven’t tried yet) that are a mix of road and trackways/permissive bridleways.
To get to these nice hacking routes we have to ride on the road over the top of the M42, which as you can imagine is a tad busy at 7.30/8.00 am anyhow today I decided to take one of the shorter routes round the village so off we went over the motorway with a rapidly approaching tarmac lorry coming up behind, he slowed down and crawled along behind us until I waved him past as we got clear of the motorway, I always ride that bit as close to the centre line as I can because I worry that if Belle ever did spook I’d get chucked off over the railings and it’s a long way down
Few cars and a motorcycle past us on the way into the village, have to say the locals are on the whole very kind and considerate, next thing there is a bus coming the other direction, driver opened his window as he passed us to comment on how good my hi viz and flashing lights were put on his air brakes Belle just shoved her face up to the window to say hi
carried on a little further past some beautiful old timber framed buildings and turned left onto the main village road, it’s bin day, yay the bin lorry is just ahead clattering those bins for all their worth, banging and rattling, as soon as we got past them we met a tractor waving a big round bale of hay at us, more cars, vans and another motorcycle, then back over the M42 for home, oh and not forgetting the livery yard opposite ours where the horses by now were being turned out and one little coblet who was very excitedly racing up and down his paddock shouting ‘wee look at me’ to us as we rode past.
Belle never put a hoof wrong, never faltered, never so much as batted her beautiful eyes at any of it and I’m super, super proud of her, no wonder she’s such a great nanny horse for my friends youngster. I know it’s soppy and I’m not apologising for that, she really is one in a million out on the roads, you could not meet a safer horse.
Now to tackle my fear of open spaces and head for the bridle way that’s another thing altogether as Belle likes open spaces a little bit too much, having said that a few years ago I would have had a panic attack at riding any one of the things above, so I’m never saying never.
There are a few circular routes we can take here, the shorter ones are all road work but through a very pretty old village and longer ones (we haven’t tried yet) that are a mix of road and trackways/permissive bridleways.
To get to these nice hacking routes we have to ride on the road over the top of the M42, which as you can imagine is a tad busy at 7.30/8.00 am anyhow today I decided to take one of the shorter routes round the village so off we went over the motorway with a rapidly approaching tarmac lorry coming up behind, he slowed down and crawled along behind us until I waved him past as we got clear of the motorway, I always ride that bit as close to the centre line as I can because I worry that if Belle ever did spook I’d get chucked off over the railings and it’s a long way down
Few cars and a motorcycle past us on the way into the village, have to say the locals are on the whole very kind and considerate, next thing there is a bus coming the other direction, driver opened his window as he passed us to comment on how good my hi viz and flashing lights were put on his air brakes Belle just shoved her face up to the window to say hi
carried on a little further past some beautiful old timber framed buildings and turned left onto the main village road, it’s bin day, yay the bin lorry is just ahead clattering those bins for all their worth, banging and rattling, as soon as we got past them we met a tractor waving a big round bale of hay at us, more cars, vans and another motorcycle, then back over the M42 for home, oh and not forgetting the livery yard opposite ours where the horses by now were being turned out and one little coblet who was very excitedly racing up and down his paddock shouting ‘wee look at me’ to us as we rode past.
Belle never put a hoof wrong, never faltered, never so much as batted her beautiful eyes at any of it and I’m super, super proud of her, no wonder she’s such a great nanny horse for my friends youngster. I know it’s soppy and I’m not apologising for that, she really is one in a million out on the roads, you could not meet a safer horse.
Now to tackle my fear of open spaces and head for the bridle way that’s another thing altogether as Belle likes open spaces a little bit too much, having said that a few years ago I would have had a panic attack at riding any one of the things above, so I’m never saying never.