I lost my mojo for a couple of weeks running up to and after the cafe closure. This week I have to get it back! I started off today by taking Sid for a walk, a long walk. It was intended to be a couple of hours but ended up as 3 hours because of a couple of napping incidents, though honestly they didn't last more than 5 minutes each, and because our return bridle path was closed due to fallen trees and we had to take a long diversion. I was knackered and so was he!
We walked partly on roads and partly on bridlepaths. He was mostly very good, walking without complaint past, through and over:
- fields full of horses galloping over to see him, snorting and carrying on, trotting beside
- a cement lorry depot with crashy bangy things right beside the bridlepath
- wooden footbridges
and all the usual traffic and such.
He was concerned by:
- Fallen trees, especially freshly broken or sawn ones, and a field where someone is taking in trees and garden waste for chipping
- A children's adventure playground, with slide and swings shining in the sun (and the swings moving in the wind)
- Another playground with a red engine in it close to the path.
The last 2 caused napping but it wasn't that serious.
He was doted on by 2 tiny children, one of whom was so small she could barely get her arms around his muzzle. She was only just over 1. He dotes right back, he is so sweet and gentle with kids.
I was very happy with him, though exhausted by the additional distance and the very steep, deeply muddy track we had to come up. I was so tempted to turn his lead rope into reins and let him take the strain, but he was heaving himself through the mud and I thought my balance might not be up to it bareback.
Tomorrow or Wednesday - riding!