Saddle up
In my youth, I was horse-mad, up every day at dawn to feed and water ponies, thinking nothing of walking miles to muck out someone else's horses' stable.
Not for money, but for the love of being around these graceful animals.
When I didn't have access to my own steed, I used to jog alongside other pony-owning friends.
I loved being in the Great Outdoors and that enjoyment of the countryside has never left me.
All things equine have now begun to obsess my younger daughter, Hope. We can't really afford the expense or the time for riding, but in a moment of weakness, I agreed to accompany her on one of her first proper lessons.
In Scotland, we are spoilt for choice for rural treks and rights of way, where you can get out and about on a horse and enjoy the fresh air.
Stables and riding centres abound so you are never far from the chance to ride, or an opportunity to develop your equestrian skills.
With bridleways and other trails in all parts of the country, you can experience a variety of landscapes; heaths and hillsides, leafy woodlands, glens and country tracks, all from the unique viewpoint of the saddle.
It's been decades since I was anywhere near a horse, so I'm more anxious than Hope. It's the complete basics for both of us, as we break ourselves in gently, with a half-hour private lesson at the family-run Houston riding stables, near Dechmont, West Lothian.
Established in 1972 by Ian and Elizabeth Comrie, who bring generations of expert knowledge, this riding school is approved by both the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS) and the British Horse Society (BHS).
So we are in safe hands.
For pony-mad youngsters, Houston Farm also offers pony courses which consist of group riding lessons and learning about stable management, feeding, safety and handling horses, which is an excellent introduction to find out how keen youngsters actually are.
Riding incorporates a combination of suppleness, stamina, muscle strength and flexibility and is not something you should blithely launch yourself into.
Our steeds are selected for us bearing in mind our equestrian capabilities, height and weight.
Getting into the saddle in the first place is made easier by a ramp for adults and a leg up for Hope.
Tack and girth are adjusted to prevent an early exit, and we head to the indoor arena to begin our lesson.
Angela, our instructor for the day, warns me I'll be sore in the morning.
I confess that she wasn't wrong.
She calmly gives us instructions on the finer points of steering and stopping before putting us through our paces.
Pretty soon we are trotting along nicely and even hopping over a low jump. Hope is in her element aboard Robbie, a lovely 12h 2in, chestnut gelding, while my mount Jessica is a very elegant thoroughbred bay mare, standing at 16h 1in.
The look of concentration on Hope's face as she followed the instructions was in stark contrast to the look of pain on mine as I tried to remember what I should be doing.
It's not quite like riding a bike but I hadn't forgotten everything. There are more than 60 horses and ponies in the stables, so it's a pretty busy place.
They range from the newest foal, Willow, born in May this year, to several who have now retired from work.
All too soon our lesson is over and we escort our horses back to their stables, remove their tack and give them a quick brush as a way of saying thanks.
I just might have to find another excuse to get back in the saddle.
Private lessons are available at Houston Farm Riding Centre
This article first appeared in Scotsman Magazine 06/09/2014
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