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The trouble with plans....
The plan for today was that I would dig over the new veg bed while Mike mowed the lawn, and then we'd move some hay bales onto it (we're going to experiment with putting the squash in hay bales, as we have plenty of spares) and plant out the courgettes (crossing our fingers for the weather, but they are about to flower and we can always put fleece over them if we have to). Oh, and moving lumps of concrete into the skip.
But first, lovely sunny day, I took Benny out for a hack. Tootling along the lane, a car came up behind us. Inconvenient place for it, as it's a long way until the next passing place, so we switched up to a trot so as not to delay them for too long. Benny was going along quite happily until he caught sight of a sheep through a gap in the hedge.
There are sheep in the field next to ours. They frequently stand around watching when I ride Benny in the school. He is entirely unconcerned by them when he's at home, so I don't understand why they suddenly become so terrifying when we're out on a hack.
They are, though, so he span 180, I went off the side and he tried to head for home but couldn't because I'd kept the reins. Unfortunately, when he tried to head for home I was between him and home, and one of his feet came down on my leg.
Fortunately, the people in the car were the (small animal) vets, on their way to their practice open day. After I reassured them that I was ok and only a little bit trampled (I think they were thinking that one of them would drive me home while the other led the horse back), they came and held Benny while I sorted myself out and got back onboard, and then reversed back down the road and went the long way around so I wouldn't have to worry about holding them up.
I decided it was probably best if we didn't go for a canter in the woods today, so instead we just pootled around the lanes a bit more, passing as many sheep as I could because really he needs to get over this, and then headed for home.
In our absence, Mike reports that GB was very well behaved, only calling for Benny once, when he saw us coming back down the hill, which is excellent news and does make me hope we'll be able to stop sedating him.
I was slightly worried that I wouldn't be able to walk (to the extent of having Mike stand ready to catch me when I dismounted), but I managed to hobble around the field to poo pick before coming in, being helped out of my jods, and inspecting the damage.
I am very glad that 1) the horses are barefoot and 2) that I didn't go with my impulse this morning to ride in short boots so as to be cooler.
I don't think I'll be doing any digging, though.
But first, lovely sunny day, I took Benny out for a hack. Tootling along the lane, a car came up behind us. Inconvenient place for it, as it's a long way until the next passing place, so we switched up to a trot so as not to delay them for too long. Benny was going along quite happily until he caught sight of a sheep through a gap in the hedge.
There are sheep in the field next to ours. They frequently stand around watching when I ride Benny in the school. He is entirely unconcerned by them when he's at home, so I don't understand why they suddenly become so terrifying when we're out on a hack.
They are, though, so he span 180, I went off the side and he tried to head for home but couldn't because I'd kept the reins. Unfortunately, when he tried to head for home I was between him and home, and one of his feet came down on my leg.
Fortunately, the people in the car were the (small animal) vets, on their way to their practice open day. After I reassured them that I was ok and only a little bit trampled (I think they were thinking that one of them would drive me home while the other led the horse back), they came and held Benny while I sorted myself out and got back onboard, and then reversed back down the road and went the long way around so I wouldn't have to worry about holding them up.
I decided it was probably best if we didn't go for a canter in the woods today, so instead we just pootled around the lanes a bit more, passing as many sheep as I could because really he needs to get over this, and then headed for home.
In our absence, Mike reports that GB was very well behaved, only calling for Benny once, when he saw us coming back down the hill, which is excellent news and does make me hope we'll be able to stop sedating him.
I was slightly worried that I wouldn't be able to walk (to the extent of having Mike stand ready to catch me when I dismounted), but I managed to hobble around the field to poo pick before coming in, being helped out of my jods, and inspecting the damage.
I am very glad that 1) the horses are barefoot and 2) that I didn't go with my impulse this morning to ride in short boots so as to be cooler.
I don't think I'll be doing any digging, though.