December

[Sweder]

Nasty underfoot this morning, the first few hundred metres climb almost impossible to navigate, feet sliding awkwardly through unpleasant slurry. Mindful of the possibility of the tiny muscle tears that such activity can cause I high-stepped in most ungainly fashion through the unkemp grass and brambles. Good job I left the leggings behind today - could easily have been mistaken for Max Wall.

A reasonable plod into a steady headwind today, 5 miles-ish around Blackcap.
The peaks were shrouded in fog, so much so that at times all I could see was grass and my muddy path appearing behind me from the fog, dissappearing into the murk ahead. Eerie stuff. Rounding the summit I glanced back to see two large, dark shapes emerge from the mists. Hooves thundered as two race horses belted across the open downland. Gypsy, my feather-brained Lurcher, decided to join in, much to the consternaton of the jockeys. They pulled up and one came slowly trotting back to me as I tethered the hounds.

We exchanged freindly greetings and he suggested I might restrain the dogs, as a collision at such speed could be catastrophic for all concerned. I agreed it would be best to avoid such a calamity, and further suggested that they might refrain from hammering the horses through thick fog across public land.

I'm not sure we reached a consensus. There is huge animosity between the Horse People and Other Downland Users. The stables has a gallops that traverses the South Downs Way. For years the militant wing of the Right To Roam campaign have taken to cutting wire fences and pulling up fenceposts in protest at what they consider use of 'public' land. The law is far from clear, and I have tried to stay out of the whole debate.

I do feel that as the stables has acres of gallops they don't need to be thrashing their chargers across the open downland. But life's too short to get on ones high horse at every opportunity. I'll have to see how things pan out.
It may be I adjust my route to ensure less contact with the horses.
Or I could consider running without the dogs.
Or I might just carry on regardless.

5 hilly miles banked. Looking forward to a substantial lope at the weekend.