THE FIRST RIDE 3rd DEC.

Shoo, we are all up this morning after 09h00. The change in altitude, the fresh air, coupled with yesterdays exercise, grabs us big time. Be that as it may, we are still rearing to go. We await our instructions. Coffee is up – It’s still raining on and off. Mud everywhere. I go outside to chat with the horses. Tenacity comes up to the verandah and decides to have Dons’ coffee out of the cup. I take pictures. I am so in love with the horses and being here. The dogs and cats join us in the walks to the paddock by the house. They too play with the horses. Closer to nature, happiness and unconditional reward, you will not get. We mill around and do what we can to help Cheryl where we can. We spend the morning around the home doing odds and sods. Before we know it, it is now lunch time. We eat and Cheryl tells us to be ready by 14h30.
Cheryl says we are going to ride this afternoon. She tells us all about the horses we will ride. I am going to ride Buckle. Buckle is a Bay, 16 Hands, with a small blaze and white snout. Good natured. He does not like anyone riding behind him. Worse yet, he can bite when you put his girth on. AWESOME! This will be the first time I tackle up in ten years. Yes, I’m nervous.
I get my saddle and bridle to prepare Buckle. I’m nervous and wondering if I can do this on my own! I manage the bridle and then saddle but when it comes to the girth, Don comes to help. I think he knows I’m scared to be bitten ha ha. I put the girth on whilst Don holds the bridle. All goes well. We are all saddled up and off we go. We have a 3 hour ride towards the cliffs, which are just amazingly beautiful, past Morgans Bay Hotel. We have our first canter up the road and then turn and go towards the beach. Over the Morgans Bay Estuary, we are now on the beach and begin a long trot towards the rocks. Oh, Don has to go back to Luisa, who is riding Maverick. Maverick has just been backed. He is only being ridden for the second time. Luisa’s expertise and incredible knowledge of handling the horses is admirable. Maverick does not want to cross the trickle of the estuary. Don tells us to carry on to the rocks. We then canter on and wait. It is beautiful. Freedom abounds. The sound of the horses cantering hooves, next to the waves rippling on the beach, is something out of a movie. I’m in heaven. I’m alone, yet so complete, filled with the happiness of unconditional unison with Buckle. Some 10 minutes later, with no sign of Don and Luisa, we head back. Into another canter we go and meet up with them, still at the Estuary mouth. Now, Maverick crosses over and then leads us into the river to cross it and head home. On the way home, a lorry hoots as he passes Luisa on Maverick, who shies. Luisa handles this so well. Again, her expertise comes through. In the sable yard, we dismount – I feel like John Wayne. My rear does not feel like it belongs to me, let alone my thighs. They are numb! We put the tack away and head home.
We shower, sit, chill, talk, eat the lamb curry and I fall asleep on the couch, absolutely exhausted. Ashleigh in the meantime becomes a seamstress of note. She is hand sewing the edges to the nose bands.
M