Post by racaille on Dec 10, 2008 9:51:12 GMT
It's set for Dec 14 and I'm guiding so set off last Sunday to reccie the route. It was me, a trainee (adorable) and the teenager on Racaille.
We were on our nags by 9.30am
and boy, it was very very cold. But the sunshine was glorious 
and we were in very high spirits ;D As you all know, Paco and I have our ups and downs but this is what he does well.
For the clients next week we're going to box the horses to a nearby village, ride back, then have a long boozy late lunch. But for the reccie we reckoned it would be more fun to make a real day of it so set out from the club with the goal of getting to the 'departure' village as quickly as possible. I'd found a new route that worked well for us but would be a bit demanding for clients and we went hell for leather! It makes all the difference to set off with other riders who can look after themselves!!!! We had some really brilliant fast bits, twisting and turning between the vines - the ground was good.
Racaille was very naughty though. He got so excited (not surprising) that he set off in canter each time with a little bronc session, in fact he leaped forward at every single upward transition and pranced at each downward. I was quite amazed the teenager didn't come off - there was one rounded back bronc session where she lost both stirrups but surprisingly had the right reflex to lean back and so stayed on.
We took great care on the way back to make sure the route was do-able for all level of clients and was varied and pretty but still managed to have lots of fun.
In total we were riding for six hours (excluding our saddlebag picnic lunch) and I can't pretend I wasn't tired! Even Paco was yawning when I untacked him.
It was a wonderful day, so happy and carefree, in amazing winter weather with lovely neddies and nice people. Life doesn't get much better than that. ;D
PS pix in the gallery
We were on our nags by 9.30am
and boy, it was very very cold. But the sunshine was glorious 
and we were in very high spirits ;D As you all know, Paco and I have our ups and downs but this is what he does well.For the clients next week we're going to box the horses to a nearby village, ride back, then have a long boozy late lunch. But for the reccie we reckoned it would be more fun to make a real day of it so set out from the club with the goal of getting to the 'departure' village as quickly as possible. I'd found a new route that worked well for us but would be a bit demanding for clients and we went hell for leather! It makes all the difference to set off with other riders who can look after themselves!!!! We had some really brilliant fast bits, twisting and turning between the vines - the ground was good.
Racaille was very naughty though. He got so excited (not surprising) that he set off in canter each time with a little bronc session, in fact he leaped forward at every single upward transition and pranced at each downward. I was quite amazed the teenager didn't come off - there was one rounded back bronc session where she lost both stirrups but surprisingly had the right reflex to lean back and so stayed on.
We took great care on the way back to make sure the route was do-able for all level of clients and was varied and pretty but still managed to have lots of fun.
In total we were riding for six hours (excluding our saddlebag picnic lunch) and I can't pretend I wasn't tired! Even Paco was yawning when I untacked him.
It was a wonderful day, so happy and carefree, in amazing winter weather with lovely neddies and nice people. Life doesn't get much better than that. ;D
PS pix in the gallery
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
