a new route

I wasn't going to ride tonight, but Liz & Paul were going out and they kindly waited for me ( a pain, as usual Molly wouldn't stand still to be mounted ..... ggrrhh)

We went up the side of the geldings field and then down through the park, the reverse of a route Molly & I have done before. She was very tedious along the top of the field and I got quite panicky - kept napping back at a place where there's a quite steep drop off to the left and nowhere to go ... but did eventually go on, she wasn't allowed to go back as she was in front and there was nowhere to go, we had to do it. Anyway, down through the park she was slighly on her toes but ok, up to the gate, then the new bit, round the back of our farm. the route takes you right the way down a long genlte slope and then through a wood beside the river - you can imagine the type of thing, a coppice of trees and rosebay willowherb (will be when it flowers anyway) and waterside bog type plants, the sort of area that turns into a morass after rain and in the winter, narrow track, a really good ride.

Molly was pretty well behaved through there, particularly as she was behind Liz's horse and molly doesn't really like being behind except when she wants to be, the more so when Liz's horse jeffrey took major exception to some rather large leaves growing in the path (looked like false rhubarb....). So overall pretty good.

But I must take my stirrups up a hole.

And the new pad, whilst loads better than the old one, does insist on slipping back which can't be right, you end up with the edge of the pad under the saddle.

and Molly had to have a really good wash off when we got back, dripping with sweat she was....