A longer (14 mile) fun ride today, met with our friends again and trundled off in another direction.
I avoid high lodge at weekends and school holidays as it’s too busy, but weekdays are normally ok there. Well today we met the school trip
dozens of kids that looked about 7 years old, all excitedly trundling through the forest with their rucksacks 
so we quickly diverted off rather than trying to walk past them!
After that we saw very few people for a few miles, it makes me chuckle how Monkey always has grumpy ears on behind but perky ears when in front, he likes to follow as doesn’t need to worry so much but he’d much prefer to lead.
We headed for Thetford Warren Lodge, the area is swathed in yellow gorse at the moment
What are these two scheming about?
Then down to the main road, it’s 60mph and very busy and this was the first time I’ve taken Monkey along it at all (only about 50m on a car width verge) and he didn’t so much as flinch as the cars passing us and they sure as hell didn’t slow down to 10mph, most didn’t slow at all.
Then we crossed and got back into the forest for some lovely long trots and canters. Eventually we popped out on a bridleway across a big livery yard with a cross country course, how very handy! So we had a play on the jumps along the bridleway. Monkey jumped 1 out of about 20 logs
but he’s got a very gymnastic trot on him 
fun none the less!
More speedy fun through the forest down to the river, but it’s still very swollen and fast and I’d guess would be up to the bottom of the boys saddles so we decided to go another way around. Monkey did very well facing the big highland cows, all 5 were in the holding pen eating straw, which meant less than 10m from the road we were on he was wary but had it handled until Frosty skitted and slipped, clattering shoes on tarmac made Monkey jump! We led Frosty back over the level crossing to his lorry then had to head back the same way alone, and he was a star about it with just 1 pause to assess the situation 
Then we just had the last couple of miles home alone, he was very chilled and feeling nosey, looking in every house we passed in the village
Once through there he happily picked up the pace and we whizzed home
I avoid high lodge at weekends and school holidays as it’s too busy, but weekdays are normally ok there. Well today we met the school trip
dozens of kids that looked about 7 years old, all excitedly trundling through the forest with their rucksacks so we quickly diverted off rather than trying to walk past them!After that we saw very few people for a few miles, it makes me chuckle how Monkey always has grumpy ears on behind but perky ears when in front, he likes to follow as doesn’t need to worry so much but he’d much prefer to lead.
We headed for Thetford Warren Lodge, the area is swathed in yellow gorse at the moment
What are these two scheming about?
Then down to the main road, it’s 60mph and very busy and this was the first time I’ve taken Monkey along it at all (only about 50m on a car width verge) and he didn’t so much as flinch as the cars passing us and they sure as hell didn’t slow down to 10mph, most didn’t slow at all.
Then we crossed and got back into the forest for some lovely long trots and canters. Eventually we popped out on a bridleway across a big livery yard with a cross country course, how very handy! So we had a play on the jumps along the bridleway. Monkey jumped 1 out of about 20 logs
but he’s got a very gymnastic trot on him fun none the less!More speedy fun through the forest down to the river, but it’s still very swollen and fast and I’d guess would be up to the bottom of the boys saddles so we decided to go another way around. Monkey did very well facing the big highland cows, all 5 were in the holding pen eating straw, which meant less than 10m from the road we were on
he was wary but had it handled until Frosty skitted and slipped, clattering shoes on tarmac made Monkey jump! We led Frosty back over the level crossing to his lorry then had to head back the same way alone, and he was a star about it with just 1 pause to assess the situation Then we just had the last couple of miles home alone, he was very chilled and feeling nosey, looking in every house we passed in the village
Once through there he happily picked up the pace and we whizzed home
I’ve been doing some TTouch mouth work on him, and he hung his head in my lap while I did it. Then demanded scratches in various places, including cocking his hind leg at me, right into my lap! Twice! Then he moved around behind me and was just generally pestering me and licking me, my clothes, my chair, weird horse!
I’ve still got his scoots if we need them, they rubbed on longer rides but worked fine on shorter ones.
got as far as neighbours new horse (who did nothing) and Monkey went rigid and pulled over towards him. My elbow has been horrible today and I just didn’t have the strength to hold him, and I knew if they got nose to nose we’d be leaping and squealing, then a van came along behind us so I jumped off to get past. 
physio exercises just seem to be aggravating it more.
