Somewhere over the Rainbow...: Paradise hack

What else to do on a Friday evening than head out for some quality time with your horse and a few new friends. I managed to tag along onto a hack which ended up being five of us altogether. We went to see a new 'canter straight' which one of our group had been to and knew the route. The route took us through the deepest of forest, some country lanes, eventually winding up to an undulating but dead-straight sand road which isn't used by cars.

Most readers are probably aware of my hesitance over cantering Rainbow on a hack because, in the past, she has had tendencies of bucking when excited. Especially when behind others. So I was again concerned but also thought that I should take advantage of the situation, as the places are new for Rainbow and she's been very horizontal because of spending all her time in the field. Plus the canter straight was a road with uphill bit, so we would be cantering upwards and on a sandy ground, no grass ground to excite an English horse! Besides, I like cantering. Speed I don't have a problem with (as long as breaks work) but bucking I do (because I often don't stay on).

First part of the hack was through a deep forest with a very small meandering path passing trees very close by and nothing except nature surrounding us. There had been a bear sighting a couple of weeks back, so we decided to talk loudly, just in case :)... But none of the horses seemed to be noticing anything 'extra' so all were very calmly tracking after one another on the path. For Rainbow it was hard work, as she clearly wasn't used to picking her way around a forest floor. But I hope it was somewhat 'enjoyable' for her in being new and refreshing, maybe?

Finally we got to the canter straight and decided to pick up a trot and then move into a canter uphill. All I can say that Rainbow was exceptional. Not only were we out with four other people and horses – we've never even been in a group of that size out on a hack before, so was worried she'd really play up through excitement – but we were behind her field friend, a Finn Horse, so I stuck behind them and off we went. Cantered along and I noticed I even encouraged Rainbow to speed up! We did two or three canters and by the end the road – it's around a 2 km dead straight road! – we turned back. Couple of the horses, luckily not mine, was getting a bit warm, so we decided to stop canters while we were all still enjoying ourselves.