Black Mountains Pleasure Ride - by Gill Talbot
In 2007 the baby horse, 4yo Anglo Arab Zanthoss (aka Zippy), was
backed and ridden on quietly, regular schooling sessions with my
instructor and quiet hacks around home, with a *plan* to take him to his
first Pleasure Ride as a 5yo some time in 2008. I’d sort of
decided that Blaenavon & Black Mountains were not really suitable rides
for a Novice *baby*, but then I changed my mind…the year was
disappearing fast and Zippy had still not had an outing….. so the entry
for Black Mountains was posted.
Three days before the ride Zip loses a shoe (he only has two!), my
farrier is on holiday and several other local farriers are
unable/unwilling to come out and help… Gina Harris to the rescue!!
Gina’s farrier was tending to one of her horses on Saturday morning, and
he was willing to replace my shoe……Zippy is loaded into the trailer and
shoe replaced! Many thanks to farrier Chris, Gina and Barbara!!!
Sunday morning arrives, the sun is shining and Zippy loads easily into
his trailer. We arrive at the venue just slightly sweaty, but calm
and curious. He is quickly tacked up and Rob leads him to the
start for me. With little eyes out on stalks, and lots of puffing
and snorting, (Zip, not Rob), we start our 11.7 mile adventure!
We have only ever ridden with one other horse, and we haven’t done that
very often or for quite some time, plus he has never been ridden in an
open space, we have enclosed forestry tracks and quiet narrow lanes… so
this was to be (as Debbie Williams commented as she rode past), quite a
baptism of fire for the young man. I have to say, he greatly
impressed me and appeared totally un-phased, if not very curious, by the
procession of horses passing him on route. I had decided he was
not to be ridden up the steep climb onto the mountain, so I dismounted
and led him to the top (I’d forgotten just how steep and long this climb
was!) He took the steep climb in his stride just stopping a couple
of times to admire the view, (nothing to do with me gasping for breath),
but once on the top he obligingly stood whilst I clambered back on
board, and we were soon trotting steadily along with just one eye on the
sheep and the most incredible view, the other targeting those horses
just in front….!
Karen had been lucky enough to find us a new route off the top of the
mountain, thus avoiding the usual, steep, slippery decent to the stream.
This year we pass through a hunting gate near the top of the mountain
and onto a soft forestry track where several riders decide to canter…..
now we’ve only cantered once before with company, so this really excited
Zip - to have horses coming up behind and the small gang in front
disappearing at speed…. Wow, what fun!! He’s a big lad and, (so I
discovered on Sunday), quite strong, so I sit deep, and keep the body
upright – and pray for a steady canter, and just before I run out of
rein thankfully the track turns slightly up hill and stony, so the
horses in front slow to a trot - phew! Saved by a stony incline!!
The two routes (long or short) soon divide and Zip is happy to split
from the group and trot and canter his way along another soft track
before dropping steeply down hill. As we drop onto the road Rob is
waiting for us with a welcome slosh bucket. Here we have to cross
an open sided bridge with noisy, fast flowing water, so we let a small
group pass and Rob gives Zip a lead across the bridge – no problem!
We are soon pulling steeply back up hill and this time I stay on and
ride up it as I know it’s a shorter distance than the first, mammoth
climb, and once on the top Zip trots and canters until we catch up with
Chris Wray and Alison Knight, both also riding Novice 5yo’s.
Together we all trot & canter steadily to John Jones at CP3, then pick
our way cautiously down the steep lane off the mountain, and Zip and I
trot steadily back to the venue. Mission accomplished and our
first Pleasure Ride completed!
Many thanks to Karen & John Jones, Gina Harris, Belinda Stewart, and
all Karen’s many helpers out and about on the course, who I know worked
extremely hard marking the route on foot – it was appreciated, Zippy and
I had a lovely ride - thank you!