MizElz
Well-Known Member
We're off on holiday tomorrow - we're going camping on the Gower peninsula in Wales - and my OH said the other day, 'We should go riding while we're there!'
Anyway, I was not about to let that one drop, so I went straight away and found a nice trekking centre near our campsite. They offer two types of 'experience' - a three hour hack, or a full day's riding with a pub lunch halfway through the day. Excited by the prospect of drinking a beer on horseback (or at least, slightly prior to it!), my OH said, 'ah, the full day is much better value - let's do that!' So I booked it
Now, he has not ridden for YEARS - he did some RDA stuff when he was little, but he is now 31 so has been out of the saddle for at least 20 years! I did put him on Ellie once (when I had tired her out completely) and, leaning very much on his hands and gripping frantically with his knees, he walked her around the field - on the lead rein
He said to me, 'I can ride! I did the what-do-ya-call it, gymkhana stuff, when I was eight or nine!' - so when the lady asked me how experienced we both were, I wrote:
Boyfriend: TOTAL NOVICE
And he cannot understand why my family - all of whom are horsey - keep rolling around in fits of laughter when he states loudly that a day in the saddle will NOT crucify him and make his legs ache. He maintains the whole 'I'm fit and healthy, why should sitting on a horse all day tire me out?' facade....oh my word, I cannot wait to see his bow legs when we finish our ride!
Although having said that, I am a little nervous. Considering we are going riding on Monday, and our holiday does not finish till Thursday, is he going to be too crippled to walk around and sightsee on the remaining three days?
Oh yes, and a quick question - what should I make him wear!? He only has jeans, so I guess it will have to be that, but feet wise he's a bit limited in terms of what he can wear, as one of his feet is not as it should be. He has CAT boots which he wears for work - they have a heel, so do you think they'd be ok?
Anyway, I was not about to let that one drop, so I went straight away and found a nice trekking centre near our campsite. They offer two types of 'experience' - a three hour hack, or a full day's riding with a pub lunch halfway through the day. Excited by the prospect of drinking a beer on horseback (or at least, slightly prior to it!), my OH said, 'ah, the full day is much better value - let's do that!' So I booked it
Now, he has not ridden for YEARS - he did some RDA stuff when he was little, but he is now 31 so has been out of the saddle for at least 20 years! I did put him on Ellie once (when I had tired her out completely) and, leaning very much on his hands and gripping frantically with his knees, he walked her around the field - on the lead rein
Boyfriend: TOTAL NOVICE
And he cannot understand why my family - all of whom are horsey - keep rolling around in fits of laughter when he states loudly that a day in the saddle will NOT crucify him and make his legs ache. He maintains the whole 'I'm fit and healthy, why should sitting on a horse all day tire me out?' facade....oh my word, I cannot wait to see his bow legs when we finish our ride!
Although having said that, I am a little nervous. Considering we are going riding on Monday, and our holiday does not finish till Thursday, is he going to be too crippled to walk around and sightsee on the remaining three days?
Oh yes, and a quick question - what should I make him wear!? He only has jeans, so I guess it will have to be that, but feet wise he's a bit limited in terms of what he can wear, as one of his feet is not as it should be. He has CAT boots which he wears for work - they have a heel, so do you think they'd be ok?
