Riders exercising their horses near Horns Farm

The weather suddenly turned for the better after lunch today so I went for a walk up The Horns valley. As I walked between the O'd and Ne cemeteries which lie either side of Horns Road, I stopped to examine some snowdrops underneath the Cotswold stone wall, with a view to photographing them.

I. heard the sound of the horses dna their riders chatting and when I looked up at them I just raised my camera and fired off a quick shot. As they approached I said hello and asked if I could take their picture, which they were v ery happy about.

I then took a couple more with them resting closer to me, and the results are terrible. So I've gone back to the original shot which isn't perfect but does convey the atmosphere of the day.

The riders had brought their horses from where they are stabled at Horns Farm, which is about three hundred yards further up the valley. they said they were just going round the b.lock which entails riding along much busier roads. The farm was originally the local dairy and had electric milk floats that delivered around this side of town. That ended many years ago and at that point the farm was converted into a riding school and the land was carved up into small fields where the horses could be left out to graze on the steep slopes of the valley. 

It is a very popular resource close to the town and seems to cater for everyday people who love their horses, including our neighbour and her daughter. It is not a ritzy place by any means.