Sunday with my boy… 🐴❤️

This weekend was a beautiful one, on the cusp between summer and autumn with a warmth still in the air but enough of a breeze that the flies and midges have eased up a little at least for my little pony, and his coat has begun to fluff up slightly – a little over all, but excessively, as always, on his furrball ears, slowly morphing back into my winter bear.. ❤

We had a lovely day at the farm on Sunday, meeting friends for coffee at the yard before heading out a wandering hack around the fields and hills nearby. Charm was well keen for the adventure today – these days his enthusiasm for work comes and goes, and some days he is decidedly less certain than others about the winding roads ahead, but on Sunday his feet were clattering ahead of his friend’s from the word go, ears forward and valiantly serving in the role of Lead Horse, chest puffed out and special attention given to the greeting of toddlers, dogs and admiring walkers as he passed them along the bridleway down from our farm – always popular at weekends with people enjoying the fresh air in so many different ways.

We were able to combine C’s two favourite routes in one – the ducking-and-diving meander down through the woodland track he likes best (plenty of opportunity to snatch at low-hanging branches on the way for a quick leaf or twelve to keep him going), the ponies deftly avoiding the thicker of the branches and leaving us riders to crouch flat along their necks to do the same; and the open stubble field on the way home – at this time of year lined on one side with the straw bales that will make the boys’ beds all winter all and on the other a strip left for the battering canters the horses jog towards, itching for us just to let them go and race each other to the top. I’ll never tire of that feeling, the rush of the rhymthic canter up, and the toss of Charm’s head as he slows back down snorting with the exhiliaration as I lean forward to pat his neck.

I love every moment of spending time with him and every aspect of life at the stables, but an autumn ride under falling leaves and billowing up a hill on a September afternoon is a feeling that can’t be topped.

Back at the yard, it was dinner time, and after a quick cool down, back to the field once more, grateful once more for the change in the air and slightly more comfortable turnout. The fly rug is forgotten at last, and it’ll be a month or two at least before we’re back into the cosy winter ones – for now just a swish of the tail and the start of the winter coat will do on both fronts, and it is lovely to just stand out in the field with my boy, enjoying the still of this season. ❤