Unusually I was down to a team of one this afternoon and working in an isolated field not very far from Beaulieu where horrifyingly a woman was murdered as she went to tend to her horses on Tuesday afternoon. I took Kestrel out for a walk on the Forest and we walked along in a companionable silence giving me time to think about the awful last few minutes that that poor woman must have endured. Many of us have horses and love caring for them as a form of retreat, respite from a busy, crowded life. We feel safe in the middle of nowhere, earthed to the ground by our horses. It's all terribly sad for her and her family*.
Kestrel, incidently, seemed to really enjoy his walk; his first proper one out on the open Forest. I introduced clickered halts as we walked up the track from the fields and by the time we reached the road we had it down to a fine art. This helped to keep his excitement levels down and he was able to explore the heather, taste some of the different grasses and 'read the newspaper' of other horses' droppings. Does the fact that we used rose-hips and blackberries as treats mean that it was truly natural horsemanship?
* I am relieved to be able to report that the police have arrested three people in connection with this murder. It doesn't bring the poor woman back of course but hopefully it means that the family can have some answers now.
