Riding To Hounds
Blimey, a year has passed since I last posted.
Mainly because RIDER was in a car accident and can't hold the reins well enough to go eventing. That and a psychotic FELLA at the one event we did try for this year.
We sacked off the FARRIER and moved on to FARRIER 2. Who has turned out to be very good, and very punctual. The small matter that we box up and drive to him helps.
With a reliable farrier and no eventing there's not been a lot to say.
This autumn it has fallen to me, a mere groom, to take up and run with the cross country flame. FARRIER 2 also happens to be one of the Masters of the local hunt, and after much good natured joking I went along to one of the ambles or hound exercises last week. MONSTER was washed, groomed and trimmed for the evening, and I can't believe how gorgeous she's going to look once she's had her winter clip. It was RIDERs turn to drive. Well, she had to. My boots were so tight that my feet went numb.
We arrived just in time for a final offer of hard liquor before we were off for an hour and a half of mooching round the countryside with occasional mad cavalry charges. There was no need to worry about MONSTER not leaving the comfort zone of the lorry, as the herd instinct kicked in. I'm not sure which herd she thought she was in mind, as she was more interested in keeping up with the hounds than those who dallied cross-country. Apparently it is bad form to overtake the MASTER which is a lesson we need to teach MONSTER. She finished the evening still full of running and I popped a couple of logs for the photographers. Sadly failing light meant that we appear as nothing more than a monochromatic blur.
Such fun was had that I have now taken out a subscription.
RIDER and I (grammer) are now fighting over who gets the lorry at weekends.
Mainly because RIDER was in a car accident and can't hold the reins well enough to go eventing. That and a psychotic FELLA at the one event we did try for this year.
We sacked off the FARRIER and moved on to FARRIER 2. Who has turned out to be very good, and very punctual. The small matter that we box up and drive to him helps.
With a reliable farrier and no eventing there's not been a lot to say.
This autumn it has fallen to me, a mere groom, to take up and run with the cross country flame. FARRIER 2 also happens to be one of the Masters of the local hunt, and after much good natured joking I went along to one of the ambles or hound exercises last week. MONSTER was washed, groomed and trimmed for the evening, and I can't believe how gorgeous she's going to look once she's had her winter clip. It was RIDERs turn to drive. Well, she had to. My boots were so tight that my feet went numb.
We arrived just in time for a final offer of hard liquor before we were off for an hour and a half of mooching round the countryside with occasional mad cavalry charges. There was no need to worry about MONSTER not leaving the comfort zone of the lorry, as the herd instinct kicked in. I'm not sure which herd she thought she was in mind, as she was more interested in keeping up with the hounds than those who dallied cross-country. Apparently it is bad form to overtake the MASTER which is a lesson we need to teach MONSTER. She finished the evening still full of running and I popped a couple of logs for the photographers. Sadly failing light meant that we appear as nothing more than a monochromatic blur.
Such fun was had that I have now taken out a subscription.
RIDER and I (grammer) are now fighting over who gets the lorry at weekends.
posted by Nick on Tuesday, September 19, 2006
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