This is where the magic happens on a regular basis. So many beautiful trails from wide and sandy, to narrow and winding. Plenty of spaces to trot and canter and five ravines with little creeks at the bottom where the horses can sometimes drink. 95% of my trails happen in this section.
It was a stinking hot day so I came prepared with water bottle.
Double wide trails with trees growing in the median.
Crazy as it seems, Im often alone on these trails rarely seeing another rider, jogger, or dogwalker. Occasionally we see foxes, deer, goshawks, wild turkeys, and owls. Some have also seen coyotes.
Some of the trails are narrow and windy, shaded from the sun.
Some of the trails are great for long canters or fast trots.
These trails are shared in the winter time with cross country skiers and snowshoers. Each sport has their own trail, and so the riders lose about 50% of the trails in section 2 from November to April. I dont mind, as it helps me better appreciate the trails when we get them back in the summer. The winter trails are groomed with machinery and are accessible all the time, even for my barefoot Q. We only stay in during the ice storms.
Our barn is smack in the middle of section 2 with the best trail access in the whole region. We always have tons of options for 20-30-40-90 minute trails that keep us close to home. So many loops, so many choices. The challenge of course is getting motivated to go on the trails that are further from home.
Every time I think Ive “got this”, Im proven wrong. In my defense, Q was so full of himself that he tried to balk and tell me that the trails were not safe today by shying at the trail entrance. I saw him coming, so I growled, leg on, and got ready for the 180 degree spin. That was the first time he did that, but my previous horse Jazz taught me everything I know about this stupid trick and it is SO much easier to nip these in the bud early on. Once in the woods he calmed down, but he was very very forward. Alone I had control, but once we met with B and started cantering all hope for control was gone. There was no cantaloping happening today. Even at a trot he was bouncy bouncy bouncy. Again, to his defense, his buddy Shadow was also high as a kite shying and spooking at every little twig on the ground which is not so amusing at a canter. So today we lunge, and then we ride solo on the trails and we trot and canter as much as we can. Footing should be good, and the weather is going to...
I lost my trail buddy this weekend. It’s not clear how much was determined by the ongoing barn drama. He packed his stuff and moved to another barn within 24 hours. So, I am sad. No doubt that having an activity buddy helps keep us motivated, and gets our butts in the saddle more often than not. Now, I feel alone. That our horses and our riding styles were so in sync makes the transition much more difficult. How will I find another trail buddy that is so compatible? This probably marks the beginning of a new chapter of riding solo. I do love riding my horse solo and not having to negotiate pace, direction, detours with anyone. Big bonus is that my Q is just as good alone. Add caption I might need some external motivation like one of those wearable gadgets that track pace, elevation, etc. Something that would push me to go further, ride harder, discover new trails. This week we have our exciting clinic to “despook, the mounted police way”. And soon after that Ill be off fo...
There was an accident on the trail yesterday and the rider was taken away by an ambulance. The horse tripped, got caught in the reins, panicked, the rider fell, and then the horse fell on her. The ambulance was able to drive down the trail in a special AWD vehicle and retrieve the rider that has probably broken her leg. We are still waiting for confirmation. It was a freak incident. Rider and horse are well tuned trail horses and have lots of miles under their belt. But accidents happen. So what did the horse do? The mare stood stock still next to its owner until help came. Friends and family made it to the trail section of the incident and walked the mare home while the owner got loaded in the ambulance to then spend several hours at the hospital getting x-rays. Clearly this wasn't a "mistake". But I thought I would spend some time thinking about the "correct answer" before I deep dive into the land of errors, snafus, and miscommunications. Having sta...
I was waiting at the barn for the custom western saddle maker, when the english saddle fitter shows up. Surprised, but delighted to see her, I show her the growing white spots on Qs withers and she says “uh oh”. I told her about some other issues (how everyone tells me the saddle is tipping left, and this weird spongey bump that appears after very long rides), she pokes, prods and measures and tells me that this will be a bigger job than usual (she refits every 6 months on my growing boy). So we got a surprise fitting, she took the saddle and said it would be ready in a week. No problem for me, because I had a very busy work week. Well I picked up the saddle a few days ago, had a magnificent ride and !surprise surprise! my left hip did not hurt afterwards. Huh. So, clearly hindsight is 20/20. But next time I will call saddle fitter sooner. Meanwhile, the custom western saddle maker came to test the tree. A perfect fit. It was cool to see the tree on Q in advance and imagine what is...
Last day before our departure and I just had to spend it at the barn! 😃 Didnt have time for much but lost myself in Qs deep brown eyes while doing his stretches and then entered into the fairytale forest of the first winter snow with a horse that was feeling bright, forward and attentive to have just the most magnificent ride amidst the slowly falling snowflakes. Gave him his last brushing, last carrots, last kisses. Magical. Q will be busy while Im gone. He has 3 massages booked. and will be groomed/lunged twice a week, plus his daily turnout with his bestie Chester. The barn family will be sending me picture postcards throughout. When I travel for long periods, I leave a type of “power of attorney” with the barn owner so she may take all decisions on my behalf and I will cover all costs, including, if necessary, euthanasia. I do not want my horse to suffer a trauma while staff are trying to reach me, and there is no hope for repair. But I also don’t want them to hesitate to sen...
honestly, you make me want to move to Quebec!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLa belle province!
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