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.
Annual Trail Rides: 129/200 (Bareback 6/12) It is the first day of my 6 week vacation and I celebrated by having a massive 3 hour trail ride with my best buddy B in the gorgeous sector 3 of my network. While I love sector 3 for the big skies (and deer flies), we need to cross a busy road with very fast traffic (90-100 km/h) and a blind curve. I really do not like to cross busy roads alone just in case I get separated from my horse and he decides to hightail it back to the barn on his own. Horses have been killed, and have killed, in our area for this very reason. Anyways, it was happy times, with a hint of thunderstorm in the forecast. But these days, weather forecasts are about as unpredictable as government confinement rules, so I decided to not trust the weather app and just proceed. I started with my usual backup routine, which includes the now very unusual pre-mounting leg stretch. I don't think anyone does this anymore ... and Ive even seen research that if done incorrectly c...
Q has improved tenfold his ability to calmly proceed on icy patches, instead of the panicked scramble that was his signature. I wasn’t feeling very optimistic this day, given the continued rain, cold temperatures and even snow of late. But I really felt the need to get in the saddle and try. We did a different circuit, almost cutting it short to a 30 minute loop, and got chased by some loose dogs with poor recall. But I was feeling confident, temperatures were rising and even the hardest slickest ice was doable. Most of the ice was soft, but if you listened to the hoof falls you could tell when things were getting dangerous. One thing for sure, it was definitely wet, as the ice created mini pockets of melt off that Q wanted to stop and slurp at every one. Some sections were devoid of winter and it gave me a sneak peek, and hope, of wonderful things to come. Tomorrow is my last teaching day for a while, so Im looking forward to more consistent riding and building up my endurance for 4-5...
So its the last night at the ranch in the steppes, or grasslands, of Hungary. Its mostly quite flat in an undulating kind of way with patches of forests and marshlands. This national park is a bird sanctuary and we see the occasional deer along the way. While much of it feels familiar because of the sand and pine forests, there are a few notable differences. First, the sand roads go on for long distances which has us often cantering 3-5 km stretches. Thats 3-4 times the distance we generally do at home. Second, there are no electric high transmission power lines to mar the view. Third, the grass sections stretch out for miles in each direction with a view that is not customary. The ranch is great. We figured out a good rhythm after a few days that had us gathering in the sauna and jacuzzi in the evening because there is literally nothing else to do. The beat here is very relaxed, and we have all achieved a great zen state. We had a good reining lesson this morning when they p...
Being at the barn today was like putting on my favorite old pair of slippers. Chat, groom, chat some more. So wonderful to see my good friends again. Q was a bit aloof, as he usually is after some absence. The best remedy is to just hang out, no pressure, and let him observe me from a comfortable distance. Eventually he comes in for the cuddles and safety. I decided to go for a stroll in the woods and Q was happy to comply after being so sheltered for five weeks. We slowly walked and got back into sync. A tree fell nearby, he spooked then looked at me, dropped his head and sighed. Much licking of lips. Am I not supposed to be in front? Ok, I follow you! Surprisingly still spring with sparse leaves. See you again soon! Trail ride plans coming shortly. For the most part, our walk was quiet and soothing. I met some old friends on the trail, got caught up and made plans for future rides. I also observed the various fungi and looked unsuccessf...
Zoom, zoom ... ouch. Finally one of the coolest days is here. Sunny, blue skies, low humidity and temps in mid-twenties. Perfect riding weather. Particularly after our surprise storm on Wednesday that left tons of debris and fallen trees and branches on the trails. Surprise storm brewing a few days ago. Within a few minutes, there were huge circular gusts of wind, almost like a Tornado. The next day volunteer crews were out removing the fallen trees. But some trails still have significant debris. I was heading out with trail buddy C and her azteca mare to explore section 5. I told her I needed some media for my summer challenge. She was happy to oblige not quite knowing what other objectives I had in mind. Most of the trail was lovely and I even tackled the jump trail, with a series of cross-country log jumps, for the first time. Q was just simply amazing, leading sometimes or in the back sometimes. The two horses have a trot that is simply in s...
honestly, you make me want to move to Quebec!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLa belle province!
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