I’ve been dying to get back in the saddle for years, but, to be honest, I’ve just been too unfit and fat to burden a poor horse with it. Now I’ve lost some weight, and am feeling a bit more limber, I took the plunge last month and hopped aboard this massive horse.

This was my burst face after the first half  hour. We didn’t even do a lot. I felt like I might die and I could barely walk for a week afterwards.

Flash forwards about 7 weeks or so and I can now last an hour in the saddle without death approaching, and without hobbling for days afterwards!

Look, ma, no hands!

Alex is a Clydesdale, about 16.2 hh to those in the know – a giant to anyone non-horsey. He’s very green and needs a lot of schooling – which suits us both fine. He has a dodgy sense of direction, and needs to be jammed against a wall so I can get on him (from the wall/stepladder/crane) but we get there.

He’s quite sweet, really.

And now I can fit in a skirt that’s 2 sizes smaller! Hooray! More horseing around, please.