Horses.

Photo © Lady Magnon.

Lady Magnon enjoys the company of  horses much more than I do. She used to be an avid rider, but since her quite recent rib-cracking fall, has hung-up her jodhpurs and spurs. Now she restricts herself to feeding them carrots and photographing them, rather than climbing on their backs.

The last horse I rode myself was a lovely ex-London rag-n-bone man's Horse called Joe. 

Joe was a Welsh Cob, who arrived chez nous pulling a Gypsy caravan, owned by Anthony Wedgwood-Benn's niece and her boyfriend. They stayed for about a month, then continued on down to the South coast. 

Whilst here, I used Joe to pull our old farm two-wheeler trap, and also for a bit of bareback riding. As an ex-rag-n-bone Horse, he did everything by word of mouth. You didn't even have to hold the reins to give orders. He was the perfect ride for someone like me!

I've always been a bit wary of horses, ever since my sister's horse, Misty, used to eject me on a regular basis. However, it's always me who has to catch escapee horses and return them to their fields; which occasionally includes the one above. 

We don't have enough land to keep horses, but if we did I'd quite like a big Shire or Percheron. As long as it was big, slow, and had shaggy feet; I'd ride it. 

No frisky thoroughbreds, thank you.