Sunday, September 16, 2012
They Should Bottle Horse Riding and Sell it as a Tonic
It'll be another early night for me, once I finish a spot of quick bio updating for the '100 Lightnings' anthology which I've just been informed is nearing completion. I'm very tired, but happy, after a lovely horsey day courtesy of my sister, who kindly ferried me about the countryside to reduce my expending energy on things other than actually horse riding.
There was none of our usual dusk to dawn derring-do wending through the forest at high speeds, but a more sedate 2.5 hour ride with lots of chatting and admiring of the countryside. However, we did trot and canter much more than I thought we would because, after a cautious start to test the waters, it soon became apparent that my poor, putupon internals were, apart from the occasional lurch, behaving themselves impeccably. At no point did I feel the need to scream, or even softly moan, with pain, so we picked up the speed and covered more ground than we'd originally planned. The horses were eager, the weather was grey but balmy, and the rain held off until after our ride was over. 'Twas a goooooood feeling to be back on a horse again.
Afterwards, we hit the jackpot foodwise, in that the people who own the place where we ride were having a family get together, celebrating a christening, and had whipped up lots of good country cooking for the event. My sister and I were waited upon like royalty, and served a selection of delicious homemade terrines with salad and a bread which, once buttered, we couldn't get enough of. But wait, there's more. As we leaned back in chairs on the veranda enjoying our cups of tea and our satisfied tummies as we perused horses shuffling picturesquely in the corals and the gorgeous landscape beyond, well-mannered kids appeared bearing the scrummiest pavlova I've had in years, and yes, it was for us. **
A great ride followed by great food - aaah, life is good!
The loooooong nap I had as soon as I got home was nice too :)
**Update: I realise now that the sequential logic of this sentence leaves much to be desired, the taste reveal coming before the sweet had been confirmed as destined for us, but hey, it was late and I was pooped when I wrote it :)
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2 comments:
Oh, that's just lovely. I read about your intended ride and eagerly logged in today to see how it went. It must be a wonderful skill. Sadly, I never learned to ride, though I did once bounce around like a sack of potatoes on a horse at a riding school in Healesville, for an hour or so, probably way back in the sixties. Omigod, I'm so old. I can actually remember the sixties. I thought no-one could.
I'm glad (and relieved) I had good stuff to report then.
As for your skill shortage - it's never to late to learn. Once you get past the sack of potatoes stage (and the hours and hours of pain that stage entails) horse riding is fun and freedom, and new way of seeing the world and having adventures. So go on, give it another shot.
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