All downhill from here
As I've certainly mentioned in the past, one of the things I find hardest about riding is going downhill. I attribute this to the fact that long before I started doing anything around horses I used to do a lot of mountain biking and I got very accustomed to having some handlebars in front of me the whole time. When you're on a horse there is nothing in front of you except the pommel of your saddle and that tends to psyche me out a little.
After the last clinic where we spent a while working on this on some reasonably steep banks I decided it was time to try and ride the whole way down to the stream that runs along the bottom of the valley by the ponies field. Most of this is a gentle descent on an old hollow lane but the top bit is pretty steep and very enclosed with holly and blackthorn growing over the path where it leaves the road. I've managed to ride down most of it, but the first forty metres of so have always been too scary for me so I've had to get off and lead there.
After a bit of schooling time, Zorro and I set out on our own to see if we could manage it. As we turned the corner to the hill, Zorro got stuck and couldn't go forward. In fact, he couldn't go anywhere. After a while asking him to I hopped off and lead him around the corner, past the path I planned to go down and the houses beyond. Once he had worked out how to go forward, Zorro seemed quite happy so I took advantage of a log pile at the end of the lane and hopped back on. We headed towards home but as we reached the trail off down the hill I turned us towards it. Looking at the ground dropping away my adrenaline picked up and Zorro stopped again. For a few minutes we stood there while I got myself calm and then waited a little longer for a couple of walkers to come up. I considered turning for home and then thought that really, if I'm going to do this I need to just do it. Banishing the unwanted thoughts of Zorro's feet slipping on the steep, gravelly surface and of us running out of control until he crashed me into a low-hanging branch, I asked him on. Zorro tiptoed a careful ten strides down the hill and then paused and looked at me. I asked him on again with a little more confidence and he took us another short distance and paused to regard me again. The third stretch took us to the bottom of the steep bit and onto the trail we have ridden before. I have rarely felt so comprehensively looked after by a horse, although I've needed enough of that from them over the years.
We carried on to the stream at the bottom of the hill where Zorro took me over the bridge, pausing for another photocall, and then we circled round through the ford and back up the hill towards the yard.
I think we can safely say Zorro has entirely redeemed himself after last weekend's antics. To those of you who are horsey this hill would have been literally nothing to think twice about, but it was a big deal for me- particularly as I have been too afraid to ride it for the last couple of years so it had grown steeper and more scary in my emotional geography. It was also a good reminder that for all his grumpiness and the more perilous aspects of his character, I have a horse that I can count on when I need to and who will look out for me. He may not cut me a whole lot of slack but if he thinks I'm offering my best he will give his absolutely.
After the last clinic where we spent a while working on this on some reasonably steep banks I decided it was time to try and ride the whole way down to the stream that runs along the bottom of the valley by the ponies field. Most of this is a gentle descent on an old hollow lane but the top bit is pretty steep and very enclosed with holly and blackthorn growing over the path where it leaves the road. I've managed to ride down most of it, but the first forty metres of so have always been too scary for me so I've had to get off and lead there.
After a bit of schooling time, Zorro and I set out on our own to see if we could manage it. As we turned the corner to the hill, Zorro got stuck and couldn't go forward. In fact, he couldn't go anywhere. After a while asking him to I hopped off and lead him around the corner, past the path I planned to go down and the houses beyond. Once he had worked out how to go forward, Zorro seemed quite happy so I took advantage of a log pile at the end of the lane and hopped back on. We headed towards home but as we reached the trail off down the hill I turned us towards it. Looking at the ground dropping away my adrenaline picked up and Zorro stopped again. For a few minutes we stood there while I got myself calm and then waited a little longer for a couple of walkers to come up. I considered turning for home and then thought that really, if I'm going to do this I need to just do it. Banishing the unwanted thoughts of Zorro's feet slipping on the steep, gravelly surface and of us running out of control until he crashed me into a low-hanging branch, I asked him on. Zorro tiptoed a careful ten strides down the hill and then paused and looked at me. I asked him on again with a little more confidence and he took us another short distance and paused to regard me again. The third stretch took us to the bottom of the steep bit and onto the trail we have ridden before. I have rarely felt so comprehensively looked after by a horse, although I've needed enough of that from them over the years.
We carried on to the stream at the bottom of the hill where Zorro took me over the bridge, pausing for another photocall, and then we circled round through the ford and back up the hill towards the yard.
I think we can safely say Zorro has entirely redeemed himself after last weekend's antics. To those of you who are horsey this hill would have been literally nothing to think twice about, but it was a big deal for me- particularly as I have been too afraid to ride it for the last couple of years so it had grown steeper and more scary in my emotional geography. It was also a good reminder that for all his grumpiness and the more perilous aspects of his character, I have a horse that I can count on when I need to and who will look out for me. He may not cut me a whole lot of slack but if he thinks I'm offering my best he will give his absolutely.