We had an unusual hack today. I decided to go down to the valley, do a bit of roadwork on the lane, and then the plan was to follow the old railway line (now a well used horse, cycle and pedestrian path) to Chinthurst Hill and so back over to the Heath.
The first section of bridleway runs through the fields of a busy livery yard. Sid is OK, but he is always terribly slow on this section because he is look look looking at all the other horses to see what they're doing and whether he can join in. I was looking forward to the old railway line, where we can get a bit of a move on if it's not too busy. However, to get there we have to cross a section of the old Way & Arun Junction Canal. Imagine my surprise when instead of the old, comfortable bridge, we found this....
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Not surrounded by people, obviously, but the canal Restoration Trust have just completed the second of two lifting bridges. It's very big. And very bright green.
Sid was startled to say the least, and started to say that he couldn't possibly walk over it. But luckily there came up beside us a panting lady on a bicycle, who was glad to head straight over the bridge (slightly uphill). Sid likes bikes, and with her giving him a lead he walked boldly over it. Each hoof made an enormous noise like a gong, but that didn't seem to bother him. What a brave boy.
Once onto the railway line we trotted the whole way to Bramley, except when we slowed to a walk to pass prams and pushchairs. It's probably a mile or so. Sid carried on being a tit and spooking at small things all the way along, but he wasn't serious about any of it, just full of spring and the rather gusty wind.
At Bramley, though, our plans were scuppered because the bridlepath was closed. What to do? It's the only bridlepath in the vicinity. Well, needs must, so we rode along the road to Wonersh - quiet, fortunately, though Sid doesn't care about traffic - right through Wonersh village, and then, cheekily, headed up a path I know well from dog walks but also know to be a footpath, not a bridlepath. It is wide and has no stiles, though, and saved us a long detour and a busy road, so I felt justified. Sid realised at this point that we were heading for home (he had been hopefully trying to turn left for some time) and speeded up, with a couple of offered canters up the steep hill.
Here we are at the top. The woods on the right are full of bluebells but they aren't out yet.
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A couple more ups and downs and we were on our home lane and I got off to lead him back. He was in a rare muck sweat but seemed happy, and so was I, though my knees buckled after two hours with lots of trotting!
He kept stopping and looking as though there was something there, when there was nothing. Maybe something happened overnight that spooked him, I don't know, but he came in from the field quite normally. In his defence, he didn't actually do anything but stare, but it made me tense - I kept expecting a wild boar to leap out the bushes at us. Oh well, life is never predictable with Hogan
below - staring at NOTHING!!!View attachment 121937
