Full Speed Ahead.

Considering the Met Office forecast said there would be a 90-95% chance of rain today the weather has been very kind to me today.

It was cold but dry as I sat outside waiting for dawn and then it rained while I was eating breakfast indoors. More light rain as I drove to the stables but the only time I was caught by the rain was just before I left town for home.

I had my lovely Tex again for the lesson. It took me a while to locate him as he wasn't in the stalls with the other horses needed for the day. I eventually found him in the pony barn, built last year, where the ponies are tied up around the walls.

There were six of us in the lesson and for once we did lots of cantering, or tried to. Our instructions were to canter half circles across the school whenever there was a safe space to do so. It took a few attempts on my part with Tex trotting faster and faster with me laughing my head off instead of cantering but eventually we got there. That was on the left rein but when we all changed direction it was much harder to get the horses into canter. (I suspect horses are stiffer on that side because they are always led from the left.) In the end I put both reins in one hand, which stopped me from pulling on the bit and used the other to give Tex a smack on his rump with my whip. Quite cowboy style as I cantered round one handed. After doing that twice Tex cantered nicely whenever I asked him. 

 

I didn't have any need to go to the industrial estate so skipped my usual browse of Hahav but went straight to Morrison's then town and finally Lidl.

At home I put away the towels that had been airing, threw the washing in the machine and emptied and wiped the small cupboard in the inner hall. I'm chickening out of emptying the large cupboard but will have another look to see if any more of the contents can go.

After that I cut up and stewed a large bag of apples as we have finally come to the end of the stewed apples made from neighbours' windfalls. And then I got to rest.

The coastguard guys were out training on the cliff again today. I bet they were glad it wasn't raining all the time.