Nostalgia

When I popped in Finland last month, I dug up some old photos. Unfortunately, in the days pre-digital cameras, and even though I was lucky enough to have a camera as a kid, taking photos was a lot 'slower' than it's now, so these are really the only horsey photos I have from my childhood. (I have one more album from pony camp, but I couldn't find it... Will continue to look for it.) As you had to wait to get to the end of a photo film and then get them developed, plus cameras being that little bit bigger, it wasn't a daily occurrence of carrying them to the yard. ... And I guess there wasn't anywhere else to put them than in photo albums, instead of the current obsession to document everything on 'tinternet'.

But here they are – first few taken at my cousin's house in 1994 when she owned this lovely Finnhorse Rimmo. He was preliminarily a trotter and competed extensively in harness trotting, but he was really lovely and sensible with a 10-year-old girl riding him, as seen below.

Me and Rimmo (note the 90s-style riding hat, complete with chin guard!)

This was my first (and only) 'loan' pony in Finland; one that I could groom and look after at the yard I went 2–3 times a week, and in exchange got some free riding. She was a Shetland Pony called Xenia (she did have a full name but I can't remember it now). 

She was lovely and sensible too. Soon after I started to look after her, she was in foal, so they didn't use her on the lessons anymore, which meant that I was allowed to ride her without a saddle and take her out hacking a bit. In the summer, we also took our ponies for swims in the lake. We sat on top, as we made the horses go in the lake and once their feet couldn't touch the bottom, they began swimming! You had to be a sensible rider and remember to turn them back to the shore occasionally, so they could rest a bit after the swimming. 

Time flies.. It's hard to imagine these photos were taken almost 20 years ago... I'm old! 

Talk about time flying – I noticed I've already been blogging a year (and 100th blog post is looming)! It's been great to write this little diary. Mainly for my own 'benefit', but it's great if someone else can be bothered to read my ramblings on. Thank you :)