At first I thought I’d get a definite “No, Daddy, I don’t want to do that,” but on Sunday Monty took his first ride on a horse ever. He’d always been a little intimidated by horses, but the circumstances were different this time. We were at a party in Surrey hosted by some cousins. During the morning before lunch, children were being offered pony rides. The fact that we didn’t make a big deal about it probably helped Monty feel happy about the idea too.

After taking the obligatory photos I held his hand and walked next to Monty and the pony. I was surprised at how much he enjoyed it. When Charlotte asked him how it was he said he’d had a good time, pointing out how bumpy it had been. So far so good.

Let’s hope he has a few more positive experiences like this. I get nervous about riding as I haven’t done much of it and, as a boy, I once rode a horse which got a bit too flighty for me. It nearly put me off for life. I’d hate to see Monty, Tilly and Scott have the same experience.

Lone Ranger

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