DAY FIVE - Rollercoaster ride

I rode in the evening. Took Willow down the river track, upstream as usual. We walked for the first 10 minutes and then trotted along to the Rollercoaster, as I will now call the track between the river and the quarry. It is a loop that goes around with two steep downhill-uphill parts. Willow was very excited to get onto this track and bounced happily up the hills. We took the track out the back to Lancelot Rd, and then trotted along the grass verges in Camelot (the name of the subdivision. Daft name, yes. We stuck to King Arthur Drive, which is a nice road with big verges, although it does have a train track alongside which could have been a bit hairy if a train had come along! Fortunately, in the years I've been riding through there, I haven't yet met one, and that luck held. We walked across a road bridge without hesitation, and then came alongside a paddock with some sheep and 3 alpacas. One of them was black with a white face, and ran towards Willow, and she freaked out. I don't know if it was its behaviour, running at the fence (although it was saying Hello, not I'm going to kill you) or the strange colouring or what, but she was not impressed and we had to cross the road to regain some sanity. We trotted on and started up the slope next to the miniature pony paddock. There were 3 ponies in there and it occured to me belatedly that they might be stallions, because one of them came rushing over. He was stunning, flaxen chestnut with a mane literally down to his knees. He popped his little nose up on the fence rail and was very keen to meet Willow. Who was flipping out, apparently a tiny pony with an immense mane is a thing to fear! I think she might not have realised quite what it was, because when another one whinnied, she calmed down slightly. Danced all the way back down the slope though. Whether because she is feeling fitter, because she had yesterday off, or because she has decided that I can cope with whatever she throws at me and so doesn't feel obliged to behave all the time :) or a combination of all three, every time I ride her she's a bit more of a handful! She is safe though, despite her occasional propping and spooking, she hasn't bucked or reared at all.

We came back at a trot, past the scary alpaca, and all the way back to the rollercoaster. We looped right around it this time, down the steep slope carefully, then racing to the top...leaping over a bush as we rounded the corner...arguing with me (shaking her head) about having to slow down for the next descent... wigglingdown it impatiently...holding her back for a moment at the bottom before letting her go...shooting off like a rocket up the other side :) About 2 strides up a pheasant flew out of the bushes ahead. She chased it up the track until it veered off at the top of the hill and I pulled her in. We went back onto the river track and trotted most of the way home, past 2 very well behaved dogs, who were off their leads but when they saw us coming, moved themselves over to the side of the trail and waited for us to pass. We came back to a walk at the stony part and walked home on a long rein, Willow stealing a few bits of grass whenever she thought I wasn't paying attention.

Hosed her down which she was ok with, played the water gently over her back feet which she didn't like at all, then rubbed her down and turned her out. She rolled in her paddock (pics on my Facebook profile). All in all, an eventful but fun ride, and Willow is now greedy for candy canes :)