Tuesday 3 February 2015

2015-02-01: Horsies!

Activity Review: Horse Riding in Mińce

50zł($20) / hr / person (compare to Australia where it is more like $150)
I haven't been on a horse in some 2 months and in the lead up to leaving Australia I was too busy to ride more than once a week. So I approached this with some trepidation. I have yet to fall off a horse and the anticipation is killing me (figuratively).
Steed Selection
We are riding with Iza and it is her first time riding so if I do manage to fall in a spectacular manner it may put her off riding altogether. We have ridden at some places with horsies that are slightly less relaxed so this will be interesting.
If you pat it nicely sometimes it remembers and is nice back.
Yes I should have brought carrots. I forgot.
Iza rode on the lunge for half an hour and looked pretty confident and happy. She even did some trotting. Her rising trot is nowhere near as good as mine, I win, hoorah!
Her posture might be better than mine though.
After Iza's ride she kept asking me when I was going to do some jumping. I was not that foolhardy today. Although I felt my canter was pretty good. Started to get the "front to back slidey" feeling I think. Quite happy with myself actually.
The horsies were very nicely trained, all screwups were completely my fault (yes, Megan I forgot about half halts for the first ten minutes), and they were very patient as well. Although I am not sure mine knew how to go backwards.
I was warned mine was lazy but compared to some horsies I have ridden in Australia he was no issue at all. I think horse riding is bigger here and obviously with Europe as a market there might be a different financial basis which could make training horses more lucrative. Also I suspect there might be more trainers around.
Smiling cowboy.
Riding indoors is a new thing for me. I liked it.

Rating 9/10 (We all agreed and are going back next Saturday)


Tourist Checklist: All The Small  Things

According to the internet travel should include nature and stuff. My "Learn to speak Polish" app has a lot of sentences about nature too. I have been paying attention!
Of course Kookaburras live in a hot environment but they grow up to be less pudgy.
In cold climates evolution tends towards smaller extremities, hence polar bears have tiny little ears.
Krakow Crows are not small and pudgy.
This is reflected in my favourite Białystok bird, the Wrona. The name translates to crow but it is all small and pudgy. This makes it look like a baby bird, especially the baby kookaburras.
The baby Krakow Crows are okay, skittish though
But these are the ones for me
The Białystok Wrona gather in groups of 20 or 30 and walk around like they own the place.


And I think I know why I like them, they remind me of the old Ladies with their dark coats and lighter collar trim.

Rating:8/10 (and a good thing I like them, they are everywhere)



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