‘We find ourselves on the other side of the mountain’
Mountains, pony pitstops and views interrupted by thick cloud. Athene Turner updates us on her hacking journey
DURING LOCKDOWN I receive a shielding letter from the NHS. However, as soon as I am allowed out to play, I waste no time in getting back in the saddle. There are a few weeks I can ride with Matt (Mr T) before I go back to work and we want to make the most of it.
Shoop and Thor come out of their Covid holiday fresh and raring to go. Our first adventure is more by accident than design; we set off from our yard in Marple over to Hayfield, planning a canter up the side of Kinder Mountain, but the ponies are so keen and the weather perfect, so we carry on. Some 17 miles and 3933ft of elevation later, we find ourselves on the other side of the mountain with only some pony treats and polos in our pockets for sustenance. We find our way following bridleway signs and hoofprints in the peat.
And so, having proven ourselves (and the ponies) to be intrepid explorers, plans are soon afoot for adventure number two. This is more of a ‘miles under the belt’ ride to work on stamina and gain experience over bigger distances. The Longdendale Trail is our destination and Woodhead Tunnels the target: 25.5 miles in total. And it rained — the whole way.
Undeterred, we have a wonderful time and even enjoy a pony pitstop in our front garden on the way to the trail, much to the excitement of our neighbours. Shoop and Thor do us proud, with wonderful gallops and taking rush hour traffic, watermains works and the weather all in their stride.
Autumnal colours
Adventure three takes us back into the hills to ride what’s known locally as Stubbs Piece. I’ve never done it before and am promised breathtaking views of the Peak District hills and valleys. What I actually see is the inside of a cloud — the whole way. Yet again, Shoop is outstanding. Despite the rocky terrain she never falters under foot.
We are fortunate that close to our yard is a park with a dedicated horse exercise arena (a fenced-off field), so in between the bigger rides we head there for a little schooling, such as lateral work to support trying bridleless (I use a rope halter), followed by a paddle in the river or a quick blast up the bark-covered bridleway.
We decide to make the most of a lovely day and head up to the moors again. There is a lovely route up to a local shooting cabin and a bog bridge coming down beside Kinder Reservoir. The reflection of the light off the heather is golden with the glow of the autumnal sun; the clouds look like you can pluck them from the sky; the air has that fresh, earthy quality of mother nature at her best. Shoop, who had a small bib clip that morning, skips along fresh and happy to be out. It is, quite simply, perfect.