After so many years - bar one most excellent beach ride with Julie last year, and a short stint on a Speights promo horse - it felt good to be back in the saddle.
I had forgotten the different view of life and surroundings you get from being on horseback, which is a place I spent so much time growing up.
My mount Jack was an earnest young fellow; well behaved and keen to follow the pack mentality he had been taught. A far cry from the jiggedy (but cute) half shetland and the temperamental (but beautiful) half arab whom I enjoyed so many happy years riding.
That said Jack's gait threw me off a bit (no, not literally) when cantering, and actually made me realise I would need a few more rides to have the gung-ho confidence of old on horseback back again.
We could not have wished for a better day weather wise; a shame the tide spoiled our beach riding opportunity, but all in all an excellent day out.
Yes it felt good to be back in the saddle - also felt good to be out of it after three hours, and I am wondering what my own gait will be like tomorrow...
