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: 29/200 Here in Quebec, Canada, we have variable weather patterns in winter from springlike sunny days of +10C to arctic freeze of -40C. While winter officially goes from Dec 21 to March 20, we find that it really begins on November 1rst to April 30th. SIX MONTHS OF WINTER! Our other three seasons are much shorter as a result. Aside from the cold, winter also brings a new set of challenges for footing. Deep snow, sheets of ice, crusty snow can bring about dangers to horse and rider and also increase fatigue and injury if not careful. For the truly committed, a set of four winter shoes with studs and plastic snowball inserts, can make a world of difference. Particularly if icy conditions are commonplace and restrict turnouts. I currently keep my horse barefoot, and as a consequence there are a cumulative 2-3 weeks a year where turnout is limited if not impossible and trail riding is off the table. I also benefit from an indoor arena when this happens, so it really is ...
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...
Annual Trail Rides: 134/200 (Bareback 7/12) Heavy smoke from nearby forest fires have covered our city with a thick smog. But that didn’t dissuade me from a very unusual quest ... navigating through trails and residential streets to ride to T’s (our BO, and fearless leader) mom’s house. It was going to take at least an hour to get there ... so it was going to be a long trek (2.5 hrs in total). Boy oh boy did we make her day! She was so excited to see us approaching that she forgot how to use her ipad to record the big moment. We felt like celebrities roaming through the neighbourhood as kids squealed, dogs barked, and delivery trucks ceded the way. I was super proud of Q who saw lots of weird things and kept his anxiety in check. He is now a certified road warrior! It was a different kind of ride, which is always perfect for summer vacation.
Annual Trail Rides : 148/200 (Bareback 10/12) Ive been wanting to do this for a long time. Ive been amping up my speed on trail quite intentionally, being more consistent with canter departs, lead changes, and transitions. Ive also been working on much longer canter stretches, pushing my endurance and managing my breath. The result is that Q has now defaulted to a lovely cadenced canter on trail for long consistent stretches, while I have dropped all contact and sit on the buckle. Which helped introduce two bucket list items: 1) cantering downhill (Im so fearful of tripping hazards since my last horse was a daisy-cutter) 2) I managed to film a long sequence with my phone while cantering on the buckle Talk about trust! The small clip is below. Ive also been spending consistent time with my horse loose grazing under the power lines after a ride and bath. He loves it because his turnout is in a dry paddock! And recently he has been coming to graze next to me, while I sit in the grass...
Annual Trail Rides: 121/200 After six days of chasing a Kubota, I had gotten desperate. So I made an announcement on our Club Facebook that I was offering free chocolate to any volunteer who showed up with the club kubota at trail intersection GBD at 11 am. Lots of riders responded, so I figured I should buy extra chocolate. The pre-wrapped Lindt ball kind because ... covid. After my rides of the day before I was not really in the mood. But the sky was blue and I needed that Kubota pic. So I put the chocolate on ice in my pack, tacked up my tired pony and promised Q just a quiet walk. He sure was quiet all right. As I headed down the main drag that leads to the intersection I could see the Kubota ahead. It was 5 to 11. I started to trot and then I heard bells. Riders were coming out of every nook and cranny of our trail system, some wearing bells. It turned into a happy reunion of sorts, riders chatting and mingling. and eating chocolate of course. The funny part of this trail system w...
honestly, you make me want to move to Quebec!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLa belle province!
ReplyDelete