A morning walk through dew and cobwebs
The weather forecast for today mostly related to gales, wind, blusterage with a side order of rain, but there was a small window in the morning where the met office had kindly drawn a nice shiny sun. Against my nature and all rationality I rose shortly after the sun and set about taking Iris out for a second trail ride of the weekend.
Setting out along the trail, Iris very attentive to everything ahead of her.
The dew was pretty heavy, in classic September style, the sun on the dead grass hillside and the birches still shapely in their leaves.
We walked along the path that passes next to the A3- Iris wasn't keen on the traffic noises and the movement that one can make out through the trees, but aside from picking up her energy a little she was pretty awesome about it. The only thing that put us into a proper big spook was a nature reserve sign.
Fuzzy ears catching the sun.
Making our way along the edge of the pinewoods. We had just passed a second nature reserve sign, so I asked Iris if she wanted to look at it. She couldn't possibly understand why I thought she might have any interest in that sign and why was I being so weird at her?
Not a bad area to be riding in if I do say so myself.
As we approached the junction where I planned to turn for home a rider coming the other way cantered up to the corner and around it- they were out of sight behind young birches, but I saw their shadow and we could hear their three beat footfalls. Iris thought maybe they were getting themselves out of danger and maybe we should follow them. After a short conversation about who was driving, we were able to be moderately orderly up the next section, although Iris would have liked to be racing because she does have a bit of thoroughbred in her breeding.
A little further up we passed this guy about fifteen feet away. He just watched us pass. I would have got a better picture but if I'm honest I was expecting him to spring away and spook Iris so I was mostly concentrating on where we were going.
That means we've clocked up very nearly nine miles under saddle this weekend, which isn't much by the standards of the world, but is pretty good for a first few trail rides on a green mare. One thing I noticed that I was particularly impressed by is that the things that flustered her tomorrow were hardly a problem today. It seems that she learns as fast out on the trail as she does in the school.
Setting out along the trail, Iris very attentive to everything ahead of her.
The dew was pretty heavy, in classic September style, the sun on the dead grass hillside and the birches still shapely in their leaves.
We walked along the path that passes next to the A3- Iris wasn't keen on the traffic noises and the movement that one can make out through the trees, but aside from picking up her energy a little she was pretty awesome about it. The only thing that put us into a proper big spook was a nature reserve sign.
Fuzzy ears catching the sun.
Making our way along the edge of the pinewoods. We had just passed a second nature reserve sign, so I asked Iris if she wanted to look at it. She couldn't possibly understand why I thought she might have any interest in that sign and why was I being so weird at her?
Not a bad area to be riding in if I do say so myself.
As we approached the junction where I planned to turn for home a rider coming the other way cantered up to the corner and around it- they were out of sight behind young birches, but I saw their shadow and we could hear their three beat footfalls. Iris thought maybe they were getting themselves out of danger and maybe we should follow them. After a short conversation about who was driving, we were able to be moderately orderly up the next section, although Iris would have liked to be racing because she does have a bit of thoroughbred in her breeding.
A little further up we passed this guy about fifteen feet away. He just watched us pass. I would have got a better picture but if I'm honest I was expecting him to spring away and spook Iris so I was mostly concentrating on where we were going.
That means we've clocked up very nearly nine miles under saddle this weekend, which isn't much by the standards of the world, but is pretty good for a first few trail rides on a green mare. One thing I noticed that I was particularly impressed by is that the things that flustered her tomorrow were hardly a problem today. It seems that she learns as fast out on the trail as she does in the school.