Confidence regained

First hack after I my tumble. I’m not really nervous, but I don’t want it to happen again, yet! I make sure we ride out with Harry’s best friend Red, the weather is warm and sultry – too hot for massive spooks - and everything goes absolutely fine

I’ve only fallen off Harry four times in the seven years I’ve owned him, a testament to what a steady boy he is. My first tumble was when we were cross country schooling at Peper Harrow. He was being really good, then I pushed my luck. I asked him to jump a steep step down into the water complex, and after a few objections he obliged, but slipped as he went in and I fell onto the bank. Poor Harry looked bewildered, wading about in the water as I watched from dry land – it took me some time to persuade him that water complexes were not scary after that!

The next fall was out hunting. Harry swerved as we approached a fence, stopped, then jumped from a standstill, catapulting me over his head. I was winded, but he stayed around, thank goodness, I got back on again and did a couple more hours.

The third time was very much like my most recent fall. We were on familiar ground, I was feeling very relaxed in canter, then I went out the side door when Harry shied at a Labrador popping out of the bushes.

None of my falls have done much damage – thank goodness – but at my age, boy, do they hurt!