damp

but not wet and the horses were not too wet and thank goodness not muddy, so we rode - with out macs on and when we got back it was starting to get out nice (so nice, i've now got my washing out on the line).

molly was annoyed she coudln't play with her bit but the whole experience was a lot easier. the other two - we were all on mares! - were having issues as well. Scarlett horse came to one gate and was refusing point blank to open then gate and then to go through it, she was behaving as if there was a major horror just round the corner (you go through that gate to a narrow track under a bridge, river wear on your left and bridge support on your right). ended up with all three of us having to wait whilst the last one through came through and took the lead.

then later on we came to a gate that is never shut, but this time it was. the third mare took the lead at this one, and it was going ok ... then she rushed it before it was fully open, the rider got her feet caught on the fence we think, got pushed off, did a somersault, happily kept hold of the horse who pulled her away from the gate she otherwise would have landed on. that was scary, looked as though it was going to be a really nasty accident and it was only luck that it wasn't. horse had cut on her right at the top of the leg, and rider wrecked her chaps (lucky she had them on, there was a graze on her leg) and landed on her back.

and Molly? wouldn't go in a straight line and at one point napped pretending she was going to tank off back down the field tot he river but allowed herself to be turned round, but generally was a bit of a pain going out and then settled once she knew she was going home. and bravely walked right up to some sheep and lambs that were on the track round the last field, which impressed me.

overall, we were very lucky really.