Dec 19 2009
Brrrrrrr!!!!!
Winter has (at long last) hit with a vengence. After what feels like months of continual rain the chill north winds has brought snow, only a dusting, mind you as most of it is being blown horizontal across the landscape, not being give the chance to settle properly. I woke this morning to the hail rattling the window and I looked out and my first thought was to get to the shops asap to get some food in… you know just in case the snow lingered longer. Next task was to clean the stable out but didn’t put the ponies out as had the mad idea that I would go and deliver my local Christmas cards. This is an annual event where the ponies suffer the indignity of being tinseled up and adorned with jingle bells and we tootle down the road to deliver cards. With the forecast not looking good for Sunday, I made the decision to go for it.
Dressed in layers - 2 pairs of jodhpurs, 2 pairs gloves and socks, thermal layers, tee-shirt and fleece and padded jacket I mounted up (carefully - I hadn’t ridden for about 8 weeks) and we set off, with Sigurd trotting along side. Within a short time the horizontal hit, but luckily it was coming from behind us, as Thorf carefully picked his way down the road. No shoes on mean he has a little more grip in icy conditions, but even so, I mostly rode him on the verge. I have him trained to take teeny weeny slow steps if we do have to cross icy stretches. Nine households were visited, but we only lingered at a couple for any length of time one for a dram and the last one for a hot toddy which both Thorfinn and I enjoyed very much. I do wonder whether one can get done for being ‘drunk’ in charge of a horse, or could one argue that the horse knows his way home and was actually in charge! The ponies also partook of pan drops and carrots (spoilt or what?).
So, that’s the card deliveries done for this year and it is now time to get into the final preparations for the festive day itself.
Aw! Knocks the spots off Royal mail delivery!!
Beautiful story. Loved the idea of hand delivering Christmas cards by horse and pony! And, to brave the cold weather too. True Christmas Spirit!
I wish you could come to my house with a Christmas card!
I think you can be done for drunk in charge of a horse, but only under the old legislation from pre breathalyser days. So Mr Plod would have to employ one of the old and tested methods, walking a white line (in the snow?) or reciting , “The Leith Police dismisseth us,” several times.
All jolly good fun and probably unlikely unless you were a total danger to all and sundry.