As the weather remains a bit dismal and the clouds over the fells look lowering – although admittedly it did not rain today – it is necessary to find forms of exercise other than climbing and fell-walking. (Yes we are still running, got soaked to the skin with freezing rain this week, made us feel like proper hard runners not just dilettantes, maybe we’ll be in the OMM next year….)
Luckily Nesta has two riding horses, as well as a donkey and an unbroken cob, so we took them out. It was ages since I’d used my riding kit, luckily jodhpurs are stretchy.
Jasper is huge. 17.2 at the withers. It is a long way down when you are up there and I do need to use the mounting block to get on board.
Jasper, Loki, Doris, the-other-Anna
Doris is either standing on stilts or is one tall donkey 😀
Doris is indeed a tall donkey. She is some sort of fancy French breed I understand, and has legs worthy of Betty Grable. Her figure is completely unlike that of the average barrel-like donkey we all know and love.
Beautiful horses. Such a lovely colour.
Did you go far?
Are you aching now?
Yes, almost a matching pair.
We just went for a gentle few miles as they had not been ridden for several weeks and have no shoes on.
No I’m not stiff, thanks for asking. Had we been cantering along the beach for an hour I might have a different answer for you!
You’re right Anna, 17 hands is a tad high (even for a mountaineer)! My riding gear hasn’t seen the light of day for 10 years – I really ought to dust it off have a gentle amble round Richmond Park sometime.
PS Are those light sabres you’ve got on your jacket?!