In the midst of a very soggy autumn, those few glorious days of sunshine which occasionally break through the monotony of the rain really do feel like gifts from God. And there cannot be any better place to really appreciate the phenomena than the Yorkshire Dales, or any better way to experience it than on the back of a horse, IMHO.
“I’m never going to be able to keep up with that dog with this woman on my back. Is it me or is she heavier these days?”
Sunday 10th November was one such magnificent day when I was fortunate to be able to spend an afternoon with my pony and dog on the hills above Appletreewick.
After many years lacking the confidence to ride out alone, it’s a newly discovered pleasure for me. My friend recently moved herself to Airton and Hercules to a swanky livery stable in Otterburn at the same time as my other riding buddy took herself off to Turkey for a holiday. Faced with abstinence or riding alone, I ventured out on Magic with the dog, Snow, for moral support. I found that far from being more difficult to handle when out on his own, Magic was transformed. It appears that it’s his equine pals that make him lead him astray, making him skittish and strong. Without them he is happy to follow Snow past any obstacle, through any traffic, and at a very restrained pace.
Good job Magic isn’t scared of his shadow like his old pal Hercules
I can’t decide whether it’s because he’s not being distracted by the other horses or whether he picks up from the dog that I am pack leader who is to be obeyed at all times (no, probably not that, then), either way both of them seem to behave impeccably when the three of us are out together.
In the light of my new found confidence, the aforementioned stunning afternoon saw me headed for the bridleway we refer to as ‘John Gill’s’. A white knuckle ride for me when riding with others because Magic seems to view it as a warm-up for Aintree, without his racing companions he seemed rather to think it was the sands at Blackpool and I had to keep checking his ears hadn’t grown or that a bell hadn’t appeared around his neck.
Gearing up for a canter
Joking apart, despite a very slow pace Magic was in a lather as his winter coat proved too much in the unexpected sunshine as we headed up the steep incline of the bridleway onto the tops, and the boggy ground was obviously very heavy going for him when we cantered. After a couple of slips it seemed wiser to take it steady anyway, so I sat back, admired the view and even managed to take a few snaps of the glorious afternoon on my phone.
Of course with no competent pals to manage the numerous gates, Magic and I had fun tackling them ourselves. We coped remarkably well, only fluffing one of them so that I had to get off to close it after it swung back and stuck fast in the mud. On a couple of occasions we even managed to strike lucky with the timing to get assistance from walkers.
Heading back down the New Road
Snow, of course, was in doggy heaven. Now that we have mastered me leading her from the horse on the roads it’s a nice reward for her to be let off when we get off-road, so she was scampering about in the distance wondering why the heck we were taking so long. She’s the white speck in the photos, not to be confused with sheep or limestone.
The leading and riding thing always attracts great amusement from drivers and cyclists who invariably ask me who is taking who for a walk. I explain what seems fairly evident to me; I’m a woman – I’m multi-tasking!