These boots are made for riding

At 6.17pm on 7th April, I drove away from Avonlea Farm Riding School with a heavy heart, I've just had my tenth and final riding lesson and will really miss spending Thursday evenings out in Darlington with Mac (horse), Tiff (trainer) and Amelia (fellow student). I'll also miss the five animals that I enjoy stumbling across - Chippy and Spike (cats), Penny (the hilarious goat), Bronte (kangaroo) and Sausage (dog). 

The sun sets earlier these days and unlike in the past couple of months, I'm no longer blinded for most of the drive home.

10 March, 6.18pm

7 April, 6.18pm

I look forward to riding again but for now, my jodhpurs and boots will be put away indefinitely...

I'm on a horse

Lesson #9 and we are off on a trail ride again, yay yay yay! The horse and I prefer being out in the vast openness :)

So I was supposed to get Mac to trot up a hill; I was nervous as I hadn't really mastered the whole posting rhythm thing. The gorgeous animal, bless his soul, decides to canter up instead. 

I have NEVER cantered a horse. Halfway into a scream, I was silenced by the blur of trees, drumming hooves and adrenaline rush. OMG it was glorious. Super friggin' incredible. Stuff dreams are made of. I want to bottle that moment up. Have it imprinted it into my brain. I want to remember it forever. 

I got to the top of the hill and I think I said "was that a canter? that was f**** nuts!"

I still can't wipe the smile off my face. 

I feel invincible.

♥

One eyed bandit

After nearly falling off a horse twice during last week's riding lesson, I'm really glad that this week's lesson is an easy, cruisy trail ride. This is my third trail ride and my second on Mac, my favourite.

I love horses, I think that they're powerful, intelligent and majestic. I love that I was born in the year of the Horse...wouldn't want to be any other animal in the horoscope :)

Mac is a handsome 15.2hh standardbred gelding. He has a shiny brown coat and a faint star marking between the eyes. He can sense that I'm nervous and tense (mostly due to my fear of heights and fear of anything bigger than I am) and he's always patient and careful with me. 

gentle giant

We see a mob of kangaroos frolicking in the fields. It's just incredible to ride among the trees and shrubs in gorgeous Darlington. The heat of the day has gone and there's now a constant, fresh breeze. 


Mac negotiates the slopes and ditches expertly and although he slipped a few times on loose rocks, he regains his balance before I can let out a scream.

When we get back, I brush him and tell him how wonderful and amazing he is (it's a bonding thing) while he chows down a well-deserved meal.

I love Mac. He's blind in one eye and I trust him completely.

♥