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Bridleway Buddies
Check out our Bridleway Buddies sister site, you will need to confirm wbra membership first but once this has been accepted you are free to look at the database and choose a buddie to ride with in or around their area, you may even like to be put down as a ride escort.
It so simple to use and will be updated daily to ensure new riders are listed promptly. We hope you enjoy this edition to the wbra site and enjoy riding in stunning countryside in company.
Kingdom Horse
I ventured out into the cold to deliver flyers for our tack sale to Gracelands Equestrian Centre @ Elmbridge and how glad I am I did, whilst chatting and watching a few rounds of showjumping along came a young lady called Vicky on her black Highland Pony called Lewis. After being asked by Trish the owner of Gracelands Vicky agreed to do a small display for the children on her amazing bond of trust and respect between herself and Lewis.
Vicky started bareback with a rope halter and performed some movements then she dismounted and showed the crowd how Lewis followed her everywhere and did some games, he jumped freely over showjumps with Vicky stood by his side, then she rode him bareback with no halter at all, and to finish off stood upright on his rump with no tack on what so ever.
Vicky is Parelli trained by Ingela Larsen and she now runs the Kindom Horse yard at Upper Bently nr Bromsgrove. As well as taking on horses with human issues, Vicky and her team have under privilaged children come to the yard 2 days a week to work with the horses and ponies they also explore and find out about themselves this way. There is always plenty of mission work going on as well in other countries which is where Ingela now spends much of her time with orphans and horses bringing the two together and Vicky and Her collegues go out to help. For more information please look at their web site: www.kingdomhorse.com
It truly was a suprise for me to be treated to such a display when I only popped in for ten minutes. Glad i did though!
Wearing 2 hats 'rider versus landowner
After attending the SSRC Equine talk about County Council responsibility to bridleways and then having a fab map session and quiz after, i got to discussing the matter of riders and farmers! Now this is where im afraid i do 'wear 2 hats' as much as i am an avid supporter of bridleways and access for horse riders i can also understand the anguish and annoyance to farmers that some riders impose. Not all, just some!!
So it is with this in mind that i decided to do this little piece to remind riders that when in the countryside and especially crossing over farming land to be totally respectfull of the job they have to do to keep the land and stock as they do. I work for a large agricultural machinery supplier and our main customer is the farmer, talking to these guys daily i can appreciate what work that goes into maintaning the crop and stock.
The last thing these farmers need is riders cantering through a field of new boarn lambs or going two or more across crops instead of trying to keep well into the headland. Now i understand that if a path takes you across crop 'follow it as best you can' it is your right of passage, but please do try to be as considerate as you can as this will help the cause against farmers who really don't like us on their land.
We all enjoy a good canter across fields when out riding but in future perhaps choose with caution where and when, if you know there is a field on a bridleway that isn't crop or have stock to worry then i see no problem sticking to the path 'headland' and enjoying a nice canter. Now it does seem that i am not supporting the rider but believe me i am, as this is my way of reassuring landowners and farmers that riders can be responsible and considerate, that way we make friends of them not enemies to encounter. so you see i have to wear 2 hats when dealing with both riders and landowners, so stop and think for a moment, it takes you a couple of minutes to ride through a field but it may have taken that landowner days of work preparing and planting the crop,
Dudmaston TROT Training Ride
Again the intrepid four were out training on Saturday 21st Feb, we decided to choose Dudmaston TROT Ride as it is located in gorgeous countryside and offered 8.5 miles of tracks etc to help get the horses fit. We parked up and got ready and duly set off.. The waymarking was suprisingly good and we followed some good tracks down to our first unusual obsticle 'PIGS' Penny and Louisa's horses looked at them a little, Mac just thought they were 'small pink irish cobs' and really couldn't be bothered by them at all and Alison's horse thought they were 'Men from Mars' and got quite excited. Human preservation kicked in and Alison dismounted and led her mare along a 1/4 mile stretch of snooty large pink pigs. It was great to see them being farmed orgainically and playing in straw bales etc, Its so nice to know farm animals can be reared this way and not intensively farmed indoors.
After negotiating this 'minor' obstacle Alison re-mounted and off we went again, we hacked through beautiful forestry until we reached a new horse gate,thoughtfully they had chopped down a tree on either side and turned them into mounting blocks 'clever huh' but the gate was locked and we had no key ? when i called there was no mention of a key or locked gate so im afraid we were vandals for a while and Louisa lifted the gate off its hinges, after all passing through, Louisa and Penny re-constructed the gate whilst Alison and i helld the horses.
Safely all back on board we set off again, up hills and across fields, as we approached a lane we lost all sight of any waymarking so hacked up and down the lane looking for the way, after a small discussion we decided to follow the lane back towards the pig farm, so at least we knew where we were.. This time Alison stayed on board and her mare decided that the 'Men from Mars were not so bad after all as long as they didn't snort !!
We met a National Trust worker who asked how we had found the ride and we all agreed it was lovely countryside and also pointed out the few issues we had come across. This noted we carried on back to the boxes and CAKE and FLAPJACKS.. yummy!!
Wichenford Training Ride
Yet again the weather held for us as the forecast was not particularily good. After we had all mounted up we set off in the direction of Martley, as we rode down quiet lane we came across our first bridleway over Bulmers Cider orchards, this led us out onto a lane and then back through some more orchards to a few field crossing and one bridleway track which brings you up onto the Martley Rd. Here you must be extremely carefull as this road is used like the M5. turn right then left and go through the gate onto a field, here you rejoin more bridleways. After a short while we were up on top of the Worcestershire Way looking down on creation. The tracks are excellent and going was very good.
We did a complete circular and on parts re-traced our steps but did come back through more orchards and in summer this will be stunning. Some of this ride is very hilly and a degree of fitness is required but there are also quiet lanes to catch your breath. We didn't go as far as we could because of time limits but we all thoroughly enjoyed the ride, i shall definatly be returning. This will also be a good Escorted ride route 'so watch this space'
