Thursday 25th April 1940

Signallers Riding School began yesterday; unfortunately I missed the initial lesson. We were on the “ride” for two hours today and I got mounted for the first time in my life. Didn’t fall off or get scared or anything but I felt rather a fool and less at ease than during my first lesson on an Army motor cycle, commonly called a “bogwheel”.

The method of adjusting and using stirrups and of holding the reins all seemed horribly strange. However, mounting and dismounting wasn’t too bad, either with or without stirrups. I managed to perform these evolutions without being quite the last on any occasion. The last man always receives the bitter edge of the instructors tongue.