I am a lucky person. It was always my dream to ride in the bush with Arwen's future foal running freely by her side. Unfortunately, Arwen hasn't given birth to anything yet, but when Maya happened to come our way, I just couldn't resist the temptation of letting her loose, believing that the need to belong to a flock is a stronger urge to a horse than pure freedom. Which was proven to be true, at least in the case of Maya.
Although I waited until I had passed the main road (in order not to confuse traffic!), I let her loose when as soon as we reached the outskirts of town, and then, off we went! She ran first to start with, being so eager to stretch her legs, but as soon as we were out in the open, she just tagged along, switched sides with us with regular intervals.
Nettus met us for a brief photo shoot, where Maya unsurprisingly did not care to stand still (it was all so exiting and so many things to discover!).
We did stay a few minutes, before heading off for some "real" work in the bush! Need I say that we had a lot of fun...?
Ishtar
I have a special little friend named Aichatu. She's young and she always has a twinkle in her eyes. She's a big rascal who always gets into trouble with the boys. I don't know how many times I haven't saved her from getting whacked, but it's been a number of times now. Wouldn't want her without that twinkle though!
Although I waited until I had passed the main road (in order not to confuse traffic!), I let her loose when as soon as we reached the outskirts of town, and then, off we went! She ran first to start with, being so eager to stretch her legs, but as soon as we were out in the open, she just tagged along, switched sides with us with regular intervals.
Nettus met us for a brief photo shoot, where Maya unsurprisingly did not care to stand still (it was all so exiting and so many things to discover!).
We did stay a few minutes, before heading off for some "real" work in the bush! Need I say that we had a lot of fun...?
... that we love the spirit in our garden! Swings are not only for children, in case you wondered! And as we have one in our garden, we are pleased to see it being used by all sorts of people - mostly grownups!
Only a few days left until Nettus and I arrive in Zinder, which will be really green at this time of the year. Despite the humidity, it will be a treat (for the eyes!) to watch Niger in its green cover and although the rainy season isn't going to last for that much longer, it's been so long since I experienced it that even just a couple of weeks are precious.
I don't know when I'll have the time to ride, but I do know that I'll be quick to walk over and give our whinnying girls a hug. Don't know how soon I can move them in with us, but we'll just take one day at a time - the African way...
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