Jet...when I was a wee lad growing up on a working farm whose father was an aviator in the Second World War and Grandfather an aviator in the First World War, both flew and owned aircraft until their deaths (by natural causes), I was riding a horse before owning a bicycle which was a hand down from my older brothers.
Prior to becoming a teenager I was driving a hay wagon pulled by four Clydesdale Horses up and down rutted farm lanes.
Remembering standing on the stall rails to wipe them down on one side and then trying to get them to move so I could wipe them down on the other side.
The four legged beast could have stepped on me quite easily...
My three older brother only had to look at them and they moved, me, they just ignored like a fly.
I carried a lot of sugar cubes and green apples as a youngster to keep those four legged hay burners happy.
The two tractors we had were like the DeHavilland Tiger Moth...a God Sent...
It was awhile after my parents passed away that my older brother retired the six horses on the farm, by then most of us were away doing some sort of aviating.
I could ride a horse for two or three hours, after that the horse was tired of me and I was ready for the Tiger Moth...
Just a quick funny story:
We were doing a trail ride with the two riding horses we had. I was on Lucky and we worked well together. We started through this pond and one had to lift their feet out of the stirrup and place their legs/feet almost on top of the horses back so not to get wet.
Lucky stopped in the middle of the pond which was close to an acre in size and just stood there with me perched on top of her back. No matter what I did she just would not move.
Now my older sister riding our other horse saw my predicament and came back and said lean back for a minute. This I did making balance quite difficult, she gave me a push and off I went up to my neck in muddy water, yes, up to my neck. She then took Lucky by the reins and they walked out of the pond leaving me using words of English which would have turned dear grannies hair white.
All my sisters are like the Old Girl, they ride a Broom wherever the go....
