Atmospheric riding

Each weekday morning I walked to the station to take a train to work. The bright sunshine that bathed the valley with its river, fields and trees, and the faint haze that shrouded the hills in mystery, these gnawed at me with each step towards my city office. So the pleasure of a whole eleven days free from work is palpable.

Out on the hills the world became simple and beautiful, a pleasant realm stretching from the northern valley march to the southern woods, from the rolling hills that marked horizons to east and west.

My world was hot and sunny, smelled of admixed warm horse and fresh vegetation, and passed by at the pace of a brisk walk.

It was quiet and untroubled, completely without the sounds of vehicles or roads, the principal sound being that of unshod hooves on baked ground. More quietly buzzards cried and insects buzzed, all natural sounds distinctive of this countryside.

We walked ahead, me absorbing the timelessness of the scene, Brena eyeing lush vegetation. Being ever ready to eat she is a good travelling horse, though her appetite (and particularly the speed with which it overcomes forward motion) does lead to the occasional divergence of opinion.

I photographed Brena's first crisp dark summer shadow on the hard flinty ground of the Ridgeway.

Now truly she has entered my world, a land of journeys and views, of changing horizons, and of partnership between man and beast.

I sense that at last Brena has accepted her new home and surroundings, and the life that comes with them. So, it seems, she has invited me to enter her world too.

So our partnership is real, even if Brena might say that I don't let her stop and graze nearly as often as she would like.

But, as you will see, Brena did graze well.

Meanwhile here's me in my world.

That's Wether Down behind, a tranquil place that feels strangely spiritual as if it has slipped free from the grasp of the material world.

This is a place to be quiet, to relax in the simplicity of a journey with a good horse. It's a place to contemplate for here truths can be laid bare free from the baggage that complicates understanding.

The sky was blue, but so bright that the colour washed out on my pocket camera.

In this season riding is a hot occupation. I don't like to smother my body in chemicals so I tend to cover up. The scarf prevents my neck from burning.

Back at the car park Brena got to graze. She always does here, at length.

I enjoy riding, however simply being with horses gives me great pleasure. So I sat in the sun, drinking coffee and eating cake, whilst Brena grazed contentedly. People walked or cycled by and hardly seemed to notice us. We were in our own world, happy and aware mainly of one-another and the grass. This is a lovely soft cushion to sit in or to eat depending upon one's perspective.

When it was time to go Brena stood on the ramp for a couple of minutes silently willing me to let her graze some more. There was no argument. I just waited. Eventually, with the equivalent of an equine shrug of the shoulders, she walked in.

 

Comments

[Shirley]

Well howdy! Nice to meet you! I love those quiet rides when all the world seems right, amidst lovely scenery and perfect weather.
Happy Easter to you.

[funder]

Just lovely! You both look happy :)

I hate chemicals too, and after I get good and burned once a year I remember to cover up. I still itch horribly from last weekend... gotta dig out my favorite linen shirt!

[White Horse Pilgrim]

Shirley: welcome. A Happy Easter to you too. I must admit to only completing a short ride today having only got back from the Easter liturgy at 5am.

Funder: we were pretty happy out there. Covering up works well, though I uncover my arms enough to get a fair tan which at the office marks me as an outdoor type.