Today has been a lovely, active day in the saddle. One of my favourite things to do is go riding through the woods, so I got up this morning and off I went to the stables. There is no better way to enjoy a forest than on horseback and the view between a horses ears has to be one of the best views in the world! You get to see so much because you have a higher vantage point than if you were walking or cycling. Sitting atop a 15-16 hand horse means that you are able to command a great view of the surrounding area, so you see things that you might otherwise miss.
I am very lucky, in that I get to ride through an ancient woodland (169 hectares), which is hundreds of years old. It is very diverse, with the lower level of the woods being made up of mostly oak, holly, thorn and beech, then giving way to magical silver birch trees, which look amazing on a frosty morning in winter. Today however, I rode up to the highest point of the forest, with views over the beautiful Peak District. Here the woodland is made up of conifer trees, the tall straight trunks rising up majestically all around, looking something like a barcode and always reminding me of Scotland. I absolutely love it up there, its so magical and peaceful.
The forest was quiet today, so it seemed as if we had the whole woods to ourselves, just the soft sound of the horse's hooves clopping along, the jingle of the bit and the occasional happy snort from my mount. The May blossom was out in full array, the gorse is in bloom and of course, there was a full carpet of bluebells in the lower wood - the trademark of a genuine ancient woodland. It was so pretty and I had a huge smile on my face the whole time I was out riding, with the sun breaking through the clouds and even the odd shower not enough to dampen my spirits.
The forest is always familiar because I have been riding there for many years, since I was a teenager in fact, but it is also ever-changing with the weather and the seasons. There is always something different to see, something new to discover. Today my ride was shadowed by a couple of grey squirrels, like spies following on behind, their curiosity peaked as they hid in the treetops and leapt from branch to branch in our wake. I love watching them scampering around the tree trunks.
We took the bridle paths around the large loop of forest track, then headed higher and higher along the stony deer tracks, until we reached the peak of the woods, with the Peak District laid out like a quilt and stretching to the horizon, before completing the loop and heading back down, leaving the pines behind and returning through the deciduous trees and back to the stables.
It feels like a very magical, enchanted forest and you can easily imagine the Oak and Holly kings, the Green Man and fey folk residing here. It was such a lovely ride and I enjoyed it very much. It is still hard work though, because you're still riding, you are not just sitting there and allowing the horse to meander through the woods, so it hacking is a good work-out for both horse and rider!
I am always glad to get back to my car, happy to drive home and start writing again, knowing that I have pushed myself physically, because riding is tougher on me now I have chronic fatigue than it ever used to be. It would be easy to give in to the chronic illness and horse riding does take its toll on me, so I always feel proud that I've pushed myself and have been rewarded with such a lovely ride, chatting to a like minded friend and enjoying the company of both horses and pony pals. It's been a fabulous horsey day.
I'm not going to lie though - that first cup of tea, curled up on the chaise when I get home from the stables each week, is like the nectar of the gods! 😀
BB Marie x
No comments:
Post a Comment