Sunday 9 February 2014

Danni in winter























I've riden the track and bridle ways around here ever since I was a young teenage I suppose and funnily enough as I turned off of the tarmac road to avoid the horizontally deriving rain I thought back to the days when I used to canter (I use this term loosely!) my pony bare back in a head collar up the same track many years ago. After wading through about twenty yards of flood water I was able to canter but these days Danni is happy to walk quietly under the overhanging branches whereas my pony tended to say "hold on tight and duck girl!" and continue on her way! And so as we walked towards the end of the track I spotted a tree across our path, abut telegraph pole size and a couple of feet off of the ground and really couldn't be bothered to walk all the way back down the track and so I jogged Danni forwards and he didn't hesitate for a moment but neatly popped over the little jump not bad for a horse that only had a couple of jumping lessons with my husband as a four year old! And come to think of it I can't think of the last time I jumped either! And so we returned home with a sort of glow of the unexpected treat.

Today I decided I'd been wet enough for the week and stayed at home to work Danni in hand - first I let him trot and canter around on his own before picking him up to start his lateral work via Giravolta (top)



He's halting with his hocks well engaged these days

Sheltering between the showers

























































Danilon trot in place - he says down hill is very difficult



















and that's all from me because I can smell roast chicken and definitely heard a cork!