Do Horses like Cricket...or just eyeing up the grass?

Heather and Ouzo mirrored...possibly posing, as a flock of birds fly from the grass!

This time of year is fantastic..though very tiring! I seem to wake early with the birds singing and the early daylight. If the sun is shining and there's a blue sky, there is no way I can stay in bed. The weather has been generally fair and warm. At last...at long last, we got some rain. So I had a good chance to take Heather out and not feel guilty about how hard the ground was.
Heather down the lane, making sure everything is in order, blowing at anything out of place.!!

During the week I picked up a horsey magazine in W H Smiths. By chance there was an article on having horse leg injuries properly scanned for full diagnosis of injuries. A tale of warning, told of a poor horse with a missed stress fracture! I don't know what Heather's injury was. But she's had the best of my limited but enthusiastic attention and a good dollop of Mother Nature's best. So cautiously, I'm starting to take her out again.
Fallen tree along Kickety Brook halted our progress...then the flies started to bite!
Fetching her in from the field has become quite varied. I've learned that when she's in season, she will totally ignore my call and probably show displeasure at my approach...to which she gets a smack with a rope. On other occasions, I've caught her napping..literally and made her jump out of her skin by sneaking up on her...dozing! Once or twice I've called her, like last night, she's looked straight up and whinnied across the field. Started trotting towards me..then as Ouzo has joined in, picked up the pace. Then inevitably all the others see them running and, as horses do...run too!
Not much short of a stampede develops, into a big ruck at the gate. With one lucky fat mare being pulled from the chaos!
I'm so glad there was a river between us and the cricket ground..she looked very interested in the wicket!

I've taken her out a couple more times. once just after a big rain shower. I'd already decided that apart from exercise, a crossing of the "green bridge" was needed. This horse menacing structure has long been feared by many a brave steed! Not only does it clank frighteningly under shod hoof, it has a roaring weir in the crocodile, (logs) infested water below. Not to mention the road bridge carrying 50 mile per hour juggernauts just to the side!! So I wasn't surprised to find two riders attempting to cross from the other side...unsuccessfully! Heather waited patiently. Eventually the others gave up and it was our turn. With a little encouragement we were on. Oh but what a fuss. In the rain covered bridge, she could see her own reflection! Obviously she hasn't realised how scary she looks and shied from her own image!! She also poo-ed herself...at which she spooked on the return. After all, that wasn't there before!!!
The proverbial hungry horse with her head firmly wedged in yet another bucket of feed...

On another occasion I took her out on a very pleasant morning. I intended taking her down to Banky Meadow. We found the way down the lane blocked by vehicles dredging the ditches. Without wanting trouble, I turned round...now in the direction of home. Then asked her to go onwards over the green bridge. In the past this would have caused a big fight...but she went. Onwards down Kickety Brook, for the first time in months. To find our way blocked by a fallen tree. Which Heather was disgusted at and snorted so! Not to mention all the flies that seemed all to have been starved of horse flesh and now had a victim!! So we beat another retreat..in the direction of home. But I tested her again...turning left along the river...not right. She wasn't happy but I easily pushed her on with only leg..no smacking needed. We even stopped to watch some cricket across the river, before turning for home. Now that's something not many people have done! Watch cricket on horseback!!! Felt terribly "British" don't you know! Think it was all lost on her, the grass beneath her feet was far longer and tastier than the trimmed stuff on the wicket. She must think I'm strange!
Heather looks on jealously, at Ouzo's four legs in a line balancing act! Cheeky pony..

Her injured leg is standing up to this. No sign of stumbling or obvious lameness. On her weak right rein she is still stiff and not straight...possibly added to by the injury. However tonight I rode. On the way home I let her extend on this rein. She straightened...her action much better. She's also looking very good...in nice condition with a shiny coat. I'm so pleased!