The Call of the Wild aka Horse Riding with Boys.

I have wonderful memories of going horse riding through the Australian bush as a child. 

I never had my own horse. And I didn't get to ride often. But, my sister's dad would sometimes pay for us to go out and for a period of time in primary school bush-riding was my chosen option for sport. 

So, while we were in Armidale recently I decided to take my boys for their very first ride. The land around there just seemed like perfect horse riding land. Open, scrubby, inviting. I had to answer the call! H was in heaven - he could have kept riding all day and took to the trotting (which was as much as his guide would allow) like he was born to do it. 6 year old L was heavily disappointed that the instructors decided to lead his horse throughout our entire ride but I know that's only because he so wanted to be a free-riding horse man too :)