The kind folk at Transition Turriefield gave us a large bucket load of bolted winter vegetables for the horses.

So, instead of their usual silage, I thought I would give them a treat and distributed the shrubbery fairly amongst the feed boxes (old knackered but recycled fish boxes).

After a tentative approach, the horses and ponies soon realised that this was very good food.

I was always told that if you ate your greens, it would make you “Big and Strong”.  I passed on this information to those that needed to know.  I expect them to reach 17hh by tomorrow.

Anyway, I needed my horse to be “Big and Strong”, because I wanted to ride him.

Here is a lesson in riding an Icelandic horse….

To mount him, you stand your horse in a stream in the middle of the hill while everyone else waits for you to get on.

Then, having joined the others, you drop the reins while you put your gloves on.

Then you remember to take up the reins to re-establish control…..

…. whereupon you get bored of that, two seconds later, and drop them again so you can chat properly to your neighbour without all that actual hassle of riding properly.

So you take the lead of the ride because Haakon always has to be first and can walk faster than any other horse I know (ignore my feet – they do that despite my bestest efforts and I seem to be on a terrible wonk).

Next, you gallop up the hill wondering if anyone has any brakes, breathe a sigh of relief when you all meet up at the top and briefly admire the view.

Everyone then follows you back down the hill.

You drop the reins, chatting all the way home leaving the riding bit to the horses.  Mine seems to be more qualified than me.  I trust him. He knows his job.  He’s happy.

In the BHS book, it says something about walking home on a long rein and I do wish certain horses had read this book as Iacs came flying past us as he legged it with his rider (Daisy who gave noticeable encouragement, don’t think I didn’ t see) on the last stretch.

We had words.

(But it was bloody good fun)