Phew...Back To Normal? A Bridleway Fight and New Year Goals

Wow, after that amazing royal visit, life is back to normal....whatever that means!! Basically it means its been cold, windy and hard work.  Roll on summer!!
I have outlined some New Year Goals...which includes riding Charlie, riding at least 4 hours a weeks (pathetic considering I used to ride 4 hours a day!), and err getting the ponies driving!!! Its a bit of a dream to drive the Shetlands....

So far I am failing.....Its been too bloody cold to ride! At my age! By the time we have hayed, watered and poo-picked, we are frozen. But we are trying to work Dora regularly.  She needs to lose several pounds....and learn some manners.  So far in the pen she has behaved impeccably. And she has a jump on her!

And I have ridden Daisy.......Epic ride. And part two of the Bridleway Fight..  Some of you may recall, Jo and got into trouble a few months back for setting a foot or two on land belonging to a local campsite owner....he chased us over a mile and scared Daisy, after having a shout at us! Jo then contacted the council, as the Bridleway goes through his land, via a gate which is impossible to open on horseback.  Apparently the Campsite owner, widened the gap to 2m beside the gate.  So I went to check on Daisy at the weekend.  

Not having seen my hat for a while now i was bare-headed. Nothing odd there then.  Except when I got to the gate.  I must point out, at this point its a narrow tree-lined path with lots of over-hanging branches. Daisy stood while I tried and failed to undo the gate. There is not room to turn the horse sideways on, and its not a horse friendly latch. There was no way she would fit through the gate, so I turned back.......reins loose and in one hand as usual.

Daisy took off like a racehorse from the start!  Which surprised me. 
As the track goes through a very nice mans garden, I frantically gathered my reins as I didn't want to gallop past his cottage flat out! No use pulling so I turned her into the trees, which stopped her.  Thoroughly over excited, she reared and plunged several times, while i ducked branches. First time i have ever wished I had my hat on!!!!  I managed to calm her enough to walk through the garden, then made her trot home. 

So Jo and i went down on the tractor yesterday with a surveyors pole and took lots of pictures of the gap which is less than a metre.  Bridleway War? Bring it on!!

Daisy Trotting out.

Jo with Dora ...Who can jump.