A Fine Horse in New Country

A very sad sale!

Beatrice of Caenlochan.

Four year old registered Highland mare. Currently just under 14 hands.

Emperor of Whitefield x Pepsi of Caenlochan

Grandparents: Garry/Debbie of Cairnbank; Sergeant Major of Whitefield/Isme of Whitefield

Beatrice is a quality mare with active straight movement, excellent feet, and a friendly, willing nature. She has been very well handled and is now ready to commence her ridden career. She has a bold and forward-thinking outlook and is currently happily going out for walks round the local countryside without a companion.

This is a really fun pony with bags of character but excellent manners: good to catch, bath, load and with farrier. Very good with other horses, including foals.

She is only for sale because with my forthcoming long ride I do not have time for her this year, and she shows every sign of being ready to go to work now.

We would be able to arrange for her to be backed if required.

Competitively priced for sale to the right home - email me through the site or telephone Kate Godfrey 01828 632463.

I haven't updated the website for a few days because I've been down to the Borders, looking at routes. I was very impressed with the clear signage and the horse-friendly gates. Many of the routes I will be riding in this area are part of the South of Scotland Countryside Trails network. A huge amount of work has been done (and a significant amount of money spent) in producing a network of linked trails. I have ridden down here before and truly think it's a rider's paradise - well, as close as we are likely to get in Scotland.

I know things will never be perfect, but the attitude of the local people was very welcoming and helpful, with lots of useful information.

It was also a chance to renew some old acquaintances, with a view to finding horse-friendly camping spots. I called in at a farm I have stayed in before, some years ago. The farmer remembered me - I suspect it was probably because it was at that farm that a young Doogs climbed into his henhouse overnight and ate all the layers' mash - however, he was too polite to mention it (and I certainly wasn't going to)...

But yes, we can stay there again!

I was particularly fortunate on this trip to catch up with Vyv Wood-Gee, who is not only a Long Rider herself, having ridden the length of Britain with daughter Elsa a couple of years ago, but who has also been involved with much of the route work in the Borders and elsewhere. I thought I had a lot of maps, until I saw the Wood-Gee archive! I was delighted to meet her at last - virtually every long-distance rider I've spoken to has said "Have you spoken to Vyv?" Well, now I have - what a fount of information and excellent advice.

I also found some time to visit the Northumberland National Park (well, a little bit of it). Vyv reckons this is some of the finest riding in Britain (and she should know). But - ahem - steep! Part of our trip involves the Five Valleys Challenge, and I could see where the 'challenge' might be...the steepness (and not a few warning about bogs from local riders).

Depending on who I spoke to, the advice ranged from 'you'll never get across there' to 'won't be any problem to those Highlands of yours'. Well, we'll see - I know quite a few people who have ridden it without too many problems, but I'll be taking further advice from those who know, for sure. Careful map-reading and route-following will help.

This highlights one of the issues for the free-range rider: what one person considers lethal madness, another considers a minor obstruction. Naturally, the ponies have to be safe and that is my responsibility. On the other hand, they're not stupid and don't panic - and if they say 'no' (or even 'Hell, no!'), I hear them.

One of the sincerest pleasures of stravaiging is coming across the unexpected - well, otherwise you might as well stay at home and practise your dressage, mightn't you? (Although in my case, practising dressage has led to some very unexpected moments.)

Nipping through West Linton, I came across this fabulous cast iron horse trough, installed in 1895 by the 'Broomlee Band of Mercy'. I especially loved the horse 'legs'! (Plenty of bone, like a good Highland.)

Later on in the trip, I was tickled by these stone fence strainers - there were lots of them, some still in use. I suppose there might have been a shortage of local timber when these beautiful objects were built - ironically the fence now largely surrounds a tree plantation.

My neighbour accused me today of having far too much fun planning this trip... nonsense, it's a total grind.


What I will say is that, much as I would have liked to just set off and see what happens, there are certain constraints - people who have arranged to meet me to ride for a couple of days, for example - so we're not totally free agents on this trip. I don't always plan journeys quite so thoroughly - but we will be on the road for a long time, so it's important to me to have some 'safe houses' to aim for in case of trouble. I also hope to minimise back-tracking by coming across insurmountable obstacles and having to retrace my steps. Undoubtedly there will be some - but I (and the ponies) would like to keep them to a minimum, if possible.

I've thoroughly enjoyed meeting locals, getting advice and discussing the trip too (although from now on, every person who predicts what my bum is going to feel like will have to pay a forfeit of a pound to World Horse Welfare.) That seems to be the principal point of interest for many folks - how shallow is that? I'm considering changing the name of this website to 'a fine arse in new country' - although I hate to think what the Google search engine would categorise that as.

The best-laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley,
An' leave us nought but grief and pain, for promised joy!

Returning from the route recce in the Borders, I stopped off at Mossgiel Farm, outside Mauchline. Robert Burns held the tenancy of the farm with his brother Gilbert from 1784 - 1786, where he wrote The Cottar's Saturday Night, To a Mountain Daisy, and of course, To a Mouse.

He wrote " I read farming books. I calculated crops. I attended markets but through buying bad seed and a late harvest, we lost half of both our crops." (Oats and barley).

As part of the 250th celebration of his birth, there was a horse ploughing match at the farm. Many of the participants were dressed in contemporary costume and it was a fine sight.

My enjoyment of watching the horses work was only slightly marred by the sub-zero windchill factor - not a mouse to be seen that day.

For more March News, click here.