My holiday mountain adventures - passing the story down the generations

As a youngster I had heard all the stories from the bigger ponies as they grew up about the rides they had had up on the hills and mountains next to the farm. The track up to our old field always seemed like a mountain to me, but the older ponies always laughed and said that it was just a little slope.

Wooded track leading from the farm

Well now I am riding qualified it was my chance to see what these rides were really like. I have to say my training to date in Wootton Bassett hadn't really prepared me for the rides I had ahead of me. We started by following some beautiful wooded tracks before crossing a big bright green field - I would have liked to have cantered across it but as everyone else was walking I thought I had better follow suit.

Please can I canter? No? OK I'll walk with the rest

Then up a narrow track past the very scary water tank. I had been past it once before when I was little but I was so scared then I sent young Joe ahead to check it out first and followed reluctantly behind John who was leading me at the time. This time I tried to be brave and with some encouragement from Mum I went past in the lead this time - to be honest I'm not too sure why I was so scared of it now. Once off this track we hit the main mountain trails which run all across and around the mountains.

Track having safely passed the scary tank

We were very spoilt with wonderful weather - evidently the sun does shine in Wales (sometimes!) The views were amazing we could see miles and miles and miles. All three days I rode out on different rides each time with more and more amazing views.

Admiring the views

On Sunday it became my duty to pass the legend of the mountains down to my young field companions Dave & Vince (and their new companion Yearling Brian). Dave and Vince are two years old and used to share my field. It was decided they needed a groom so one at a time they were tied in the stable next to me and while Mum & Delia attacked them with brushes and combs, I was able to tell them the stories of my adventures up on the mountains and the pony truth of being able to see the whole world below you.

I feel proud to have been able to confirm the pony legends and know that the next generations will be lying in their field looking up at the mountains just imaging what it would be like, and wondering when they will be big enough to go explore the views for themselves.