A ride with Jan and Cochise and the scary Morris Dancers.

I got to ride with Jan for the first time since getting breeze. I wasn't sure it would go ok because I didn't know how B would be with a horse we haven't ridden with before. We may have got into too familiar territory with Bert and Sandra and it's always good to mix it up! I wasn't worried about it, just aware that it might feel different.

It turned out Breeze was feeling very confident! We didn't warm up in the arena, there were horses in there and it was raining lightly so we went for a mosey around the yard. She was very LB so saddling up was quick and easy. We had a wander around the yard then met up with Jan and Coch and headed off over the road. It took some approach and retreat but B decided the minute we got into the woods that she would be lead horse today for most of the time.

Cochise is so like my old Lizzie, so laid back and typical LBI! We spent a lot of the ride stopping, the horses eating and waiting for each other lol. I let B choose where to go and it was around the old woods. We went along towards the viaduct to where the new pile of logs are that B is so worried about. It took some time for her to be able to go anywhere near them after some discussion about actually going to the viaduct! With a lot of circling and waiting she could eventually go near them to sniff them and guess what she did? Ate some bark!

Then it was turn for home and up the Straight. We did some zig zag then I asked for trot and we got a very even, balanced trot all the way to the top. Nice. I have found if anyone suggests trot I get nervous but if I don't pre-arrange it I can just ask B and we have nice trot with the option to go back to walk. So Sandra and I have made a decision. We won't ask, we will just trot and it's up to the other person if they want to follow or not. Cool!

Breeze got tense as we got to the exit...it being New Year's Day the local Morris Dancers were putting on a show in the pub car park. Breeze was happy to wait and let me watch for a while but after about 20 minutes she couldn't stand still and we asked to be let through during a break.

I am glad we did because they were just doing a play when we watched. A little while later, when I took B to have a look while they danced properly, including waving hankies, it was all too much for her!

What a great start to a new year. I cannot put into words fully how much I am enjoying being with Breeze. It feels like my savvy has grown hugely in the last few weeks and I am really starting to enjoy riding. I mean really enjoy, not just sigh with relief because I got through another ride with some idea of what I did, consciously. What a relief after all these years of fear and terror! I feel so lucky. So privileged. To be able to share my life with a horse called Breeze and have a partnership. Brilliant!