Have hobbies BECOME A THING OF THE PAST?

I have been riding since the age of 10. Now, before you start picturing rows of rosettes and shiny trophies, I want to be clear: I don’t ride competitively. And despite the amount of time I have put into it over the years, I am still not very good at it. Recently, I heard someone define horse riding as ‘the art of keeping the horse between yourself and the ground’ – and in my experience, that description is all too apt.

I do it because it’s fun. I love horses, despite wholeheartedly agreeing with Sherlock Holmes that they are ‘dangerous at both ends, and crafty in the middle’. Once a week I spend an hour out in the open air, trying to persuade a Clydesdale/ thoroughbred cross named Boston to listen to me. Clydesdales are known for being steady and unflappable, thoroughbreds for being flighty and a bit temperamental.