As you know, no more horseriding for a while but I was told to walk, so walk I do, every day, weather permitting.

To paraphrase someone’s famous quote (I did try to find out), “golf is a good walk spoiled”.  For me, a dogwalk is a good walk spoiled without taking a horse.

So today’s volunteer was Haakon.

BeAnne appeared just as we were leaving, having already been on a long walk with my OH, so I bunged on her hi-viz harness and she asked politely if she could ride.

With the wind in her fur, off we set and walked to Watsness gate and back, about a 30 minute slow wander down a single track road.  BeAnne did jump off later to go and look for the pesky wabbits so she wasn’t a complete coach potato (what is the horse version?)

Later, on our return, BeAnne asked to get back onboard and Haakon immediately slowed up while she adjusted her seat, which I thought was very generous of him.  He does care about his rider, no matter who it is.

This taxi service is not, however, free. Payment is expected which comes in the form of an unlimited fissle (thistle) grab for as long as I my legs can stand or work.

Haakon bites the middles out of each one, searching them out, like Eeyore.

BeAnne is very happy to sit on his back as she can get a much better view of her territory. (I love her expression in this photo)

She jumps off to continue her walk home after a while, when she gets bored of the eternal fissle search.

Haakon loves his fissles.  He always has.  It is the done deal we make at the beginning of the ride.  He takes BeAnne and I let him have fissles on the way home.