Slip sliding away

Mum has been on a mission lately to make me more traffic proof. Two days ago she took me and Benji up on the hill and instead of our usual route round the fields she decided to take us out on the road to Salthrope. It's a relatively quite road but there is a steady stream of cars. Benji was put on the lead and I happily walked and trotted along the road with Benji next to me and the cars going past with no issue at all. 

So Mum decided to up the anti today and take me along the main road, which does have a big wide verge, then through the housing estate and back down the hill home. By the time she finally had me tacked up it was raining but as she had put my bright yellow sheet on I didn't mind as it keeps me dry and warm.  Though with my legs bands, rein and reflective nose and I did feel like a glowing yellow target, but Mum matches me in her yellow coat and hat, so we were a walking ray of sunshine on a very dull and wet day. 

I really can't remember the last time we went down the main road, or even for that matter up the lane to the main road. Mum got on at the wall outside the house like usual so I went to turn right - well we ALWAYS go that way, but Mum said no and turned me left and then right up the little lane. 

I should point out at this juncture we had be treated to a marathon 2 hour grooming session the evening before but more importantly we had had our legs sprayed with pig oil in the morning - this will become very relevant very quickly. 

So I headed up the lane snorting my uneasiness at not going out on our usual route. It's hard work going somewhere new on your own, you never know where the monsters are lurking. I can tell you they were not lurking on this ride they were in plain view and HUGE. I soon discovered this when we turned left onto the main road and a massive juggernaut headed towards us, it was at about this point that Mum realised she had absolutely no grip on my reins - why? Because it was raining and she was wearing the same gloves she had been wearing when she had sprayed us with pig oil that morning - yeah not clever. 

I'm not too sure whose heart was beating the hardest or fastest at this point, but I had no intention of hanging around, so executed an immediate pirouette with the full intention of legging it home as fast as I could. Mum had other ideas but was being hampered by not being able to actually take a firm grip on the reins, so we ended up just spinning on the spot, which was making me dizzy so I stopped, and much to my relief couldn't see the killer Lorry anymore. Mum decided to press on (never one to give up!) we hugged the hedge side of the super wide verge while cars zoomed past us. I don't mind cars but the huge lorries scare me, and without my faithful Zippy or for that matter any other horse to hide behind I was finding it hard to man up, especially as Mum was struggling to give me any confidence down the reins. So several pirouettes later we made it to the roundabout and turned left.

Mum had planned to take me through the housing estate at this point but finally her common sense prevailed and decided we would head home, but not before another juggernaut descended towards me with absolutely no intention of slowing down, and this time I didn't have a wide verge to dance on.  He slowed down when I started spinning into his path.  The driver just gave us a dirty look, which Mum matched and some, as she had been signalling him for him to slow down. Having scared myself, Mum and all the traffic around us at this point we sedately headed for home, with the rest of the traffic funnily enough giving us a wide berth.  Two other lorries passed us but they slowed down, which made them much less terrifying. 

We finally turned left back into the lane, phew. I did take some time to stop and watch the traffic up on the main road as we headed home.  That was a big lesson for me, I kinda think I did ok really. But wow Mum learnt the biggest lesson of all - never, ever ride in gloves covered in pig oil, especially in the rain because they were just slip sliding away from her. Queue music from Paul Simon - Slip Slidin' Away!