Steady,boys ... there's no finer way to see the high country than from the back of a horse.
Annie Stevens dons her riding boots and saddles up for a gentle trot around town and country.
There is a wholesomeness to be found in exploring Mansfield and the high country on a mild-mannered horse. It also gives you a mighty sore bum.
My horse is called Mouse. Which is comforting. Despite being decked in jodhpurs and riding boots,my only experience of horse riding is a trot around the pony pen at a country show.
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Horses,as the owner of High Country Horses trail rides,Chris Dunlop,explains,wouldn't intentionally try to hurt you but they can be unpredictable and skittish. They're also huge up close.
Dunlop,who has been running trail rides for 20 years,looks like he has lived his life happily in the elements. Sun-scorched and softly spoken,he can recognise each of his 55 horses on sight by their markings,or"by who their mates are".
After giving safety instructions - no sudden movements,which way to roll if you come a cropper - he demonstrates how to mount our horses."I hope you're a good girl,Mouse,"I whisper. Mouse ignores me and continues to eat grass.
It's a crisp and blue day. The tight knots of trees of the Dead Wood Forest stretch for kilometres but the peace seems infinite.
Along the way,Dunlop points out wombat holes and timid deer that peek at us before dashing off.