I woke up this morning and my first thought was that I wanted to ride my horse today.

This thought gnawed away at my heart all morning, no matter how I tried to ignore it, and I was putting horseshoes away in the shed, when I looked up to see they had all heard my heart screaming and arrived, ready to be chosen.

I took Haakon into the school and brushed him for a while. He was covered in bird poop (they sit on his back while he grazes, like a giant hippo).

I am not very good at this grooming thing. In fact it bores me and I was “this” far from tacking him up and going out for a ride hoping no one would notice but I have to respect my surgeon’s wishes (January at the earliest).  So I bunged BeAnne on instead.

OH was around so I suggested he came too and we went en famille for a walk down the road with Loki.  I haven’t taken Loki on this route for ages and wanted OH to be around just in case. Muchos bribery in the form of biscuits and everyone was listening.

Loki practiced his close lead work on the road.

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The local tarts called to Haakon. They could see he was a potential Handsome Prince.

In turn, he was intrigued by the ladies.  As a serving stallion in his youth, Haakon thought they were both a bit nice and kept stopping to gaze.

For the dogs, more walking to heel without a lead.  Very successful.  Well done chaps.

More bird-watching

and we grudgingly went home.

As a reward for his good behaviour, we gave Loki his first bone.

Bless him, he had no idea what to do with it but soon learned from the experts.