A lovely grey, damp November day; just the day for a gallop through the misty woods! I love riding out in the woods at this time of year and I enjoy horse-riding more in autumn than in the summer time. Its so exhilarating, with the chill wind in my face making my cheeks rosy and the squish and squelch of the mud under the horse's hooves, the jump to clear a fallen log. Its slippery and a bit dangerous, but that adds to the fun for horse and rider; there is nothing to make my heart beat faster than the feel of a hoof slipping out from under my mount -- as they have four feet they are very unlikely to fall, but it adds to the adrenaline rush! Or the sight of a low branch I are not sure I can duck low enough to avoid and the feel of it brushing my jacket as I lie flat against my horse's neck. I admit that I do feel the need for speed and equine speed is second to none.
Then its back to the yard and the shelter of the stable. I love the rustling sound of hooves and boots through the straw; the rasping, crunching. munching sound of a hungry horse feeding from a hay net as I wisp him dry, groom him and rug him up for the colder evenings. Once the horses are bedded down, its time to clean the tack. The warm glow of the tack room beckons across the yard in the early dusk and tucked inside out of the wind my friends and I enjoy hot coffee and buttery crumpets, the delicious fragrance mingling with the scent of the saddle soap. Laughter, chatter, a shared interest and soon the tack is gleaming. One last pat, a nuzzle and a whisper and its time for me to drive home and begin writing. Days just don't get any better than this!
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