The grass is always greener...

Well according to Pinto... the grass is always just that *bit* more juicy on the *other side* of that mains-connected electic fence... still I guess it was well deserved after our nice trip out this afternoon *nods*

I woke up to rain this morning, and I was terribly disappointed as I had been looking forward to hacking out this afternoon. The weather improved - slightly - as the day went on, and I eventually got to a dryish yard at 3pm.

Pinto was right at the gate looking rather smug... no doubt due to the extensive mud bath he had been treating himself to. Honestly, men! My pone is actually half hippo I think, as there is nothing he loves more than wallowing in the mud. No doubt is is some subtle ploy for meto spend more time with him... like I said: Men!

He had the quickest de-mudding possible, and I didn't really do a very good job - but he was clean and dry where all the tack was going, and I wanted to get on and be off... nver thought I'd hear myself say that mind you. This time last year the thought of going on a hack, let alone by myself was enough to loosen my bowels and send my heart racing. Now I savour the time alone with my boy, where I'm not constrained to ride at a certain speed or in a certain direction, always watching for out for people and other horses in the manege... Nope... I'm well on the way to discarding my dressage queen hopes and turning into a happy hacker. No doubt Pinto will love me more for it, as there is nothing he loves more than going out and about ;o)

I had just chucked all his tack on and lead him down to my mounting post, when I met Christine and Joannie who were also going out, and I got invited along... just at a walk mind, C said... pas problem I replied... c'est bon!

So off we went again, and once again it didn't take me long to get completely and utterly lost. My confidence is obviously much improved, as I really felt the urge in places to trot, and now that the wheat fields are being harvested, there are lots of sloping hills just asking to be cantered up.

How Christine finds her way around I have no idea. We were in and out of the forest, obviously down little used tracks as I had to lie flat along Pinto's neck to avoid being taken out by the trees :oP

Then I realised where we were, though it has been more than a year sice I have been along this path and I couldn't quite make the route back to the farm. It was also here that Pinto had a proper spook... one of the first real spooks since I got him. He was staring at something, but I couldn't tell whether it was round the corner or in the trees. So asking him to walk on firmly we managed another step or two forward. He was taking these huge great breaths, and eyes on stalks... Then I could see what he problem was... since the last time he has been along this path the orienteering signs have been replaced and the new sign was bright white on a 1m stake... it was obviously plotting about the best way to ambush patchy ponies because Pinto scooted past cantering sideways to escape. At this point my heart was in my mouth as I very nearly became unseated... though Pinto being Pinto settled right down again after 3 strides... silly sausage.

A bit further on, I was musing to myself... never in a month of Sundays could I have done that last year either... last year all concentration was needed when riding - no mind wandering allowed *rolleyes* ... Pinto was feeling exceptionally bouncy. He obviously was doing a cob walk, bringing those knees up. I know he was asking for a trot, and tbh, if we had been alone I would have asked him to, but we had to be sensible and stay in walk... which was actually what brought on the musing. Pinto hadn't been ridden for 2 weeks. I brought him out of the field, jumped on, and just went on a group walking hack with all these wide open fields and inviting tracks. I couldn't really ask more from my pone... could I?