We went to the beach, and I don’t think I could have picked a better day for it.
I’d somehow managed to use very little of my holiday this year, the result being I had to take every Friday off in December – which seems great until you remember we have to deal with the Great British weather.
Anyhow, I woke up last Friday and decided to firstly look at the weather for the Peak District. I like to hike, so thought that might be an option, but no, the weather was not on our side. My next try was Holkham beach, and miraculously it said sunshine, actual sunshine – so without hesitation I decided I’d box up Arlo and take him for his first trip to the beach.
I haven’t actually been to the beach for many, many years with the horses, so on arrival I parked all the way at the top of Lady Anne’s Drive and also purchased a two-hour ticket for £3.50, both of which you are apparently not supposed to do. You’re supposed to park at the bottom and pay £20 for the day. The ticket man was very lenient though and told me I was absolutely fine, seeing as I hadn’t been before, and it wasn’t very busy. So, a good start for me.
I tacked Arlo up and off we trundled down the horse route towards the beach. As we walked around the final dune to get to the main beach area, I honestly couldn’t believe my luck. It felt like we were in a different country. A clean sandy beach, bright blue skies and barely anyone there – in fact, we almost had the whole place to ourselves.
We walked down to the sea, and if I’m honest I didn’t expect Arlo to go in with the waves (he can be a sensitive soul) but straight in he went, the waves breaking on the other side of us. Only at one point did he stop, stare at the wave coming towards him and panic as it did, resulting in a rear and spin. Luckily I stayed on, although I was actually having so much fun I don’t think I’d have cared if I hadn’t.
We then went for a gallop, and I can honestly say we’ve never gone so fast. In fact I think we shocked ourselves, seeing as we like to get time penalties on the cross country course. We then walked along the shoreline for quite some distance before turning and heading back for another lovely gallop. It really was quite serene.
I spent a whole two hours there with him, and I easily could have stayed much longer.
So for anyone considering the beach, find a sunny day in December or the winter months – you won’t regret it.
With things getting off to a rocky start – I think I read this is the worst rainfall in over 50 years! – what better pick-me-up than the “Fred & Rowena Cook: A Life After Racing” rehoming service contacting me about the most precious four-year-old gelding, who was looking for a new home straight from the British Racing School (BRS)?
The trio have been keeping me busy these past few weeks: Freya has had a saddle fitting, Bob’s had a lesson and Autumn’s been out with a new friend exploring lanes not too far from our yard.
Diva (Melland Queen of Scots) usually gets her summer coat quite early compared to other horses and ponies, but this year she has been holding onto hers for a lot longer.
Is it spring yet? It’s been teasing us the last few days, going from a few dry days when I could walk across most of the field and it felt like spring, to heavy downpours, including hail, which reverted the field back to a quagmire. I didn’t let it put me off too much, though, and I’ve now managed to get all three horses back into work! Eek!