A spring ride

Last weekend I had a delightful trail ride with family, attended a surprise birthday party for a relative, and planned my riding lesson schedule (with horsemasters, through US Pony Club). It was a lot for one weekend (and a 3 hour drive with the trailer to get there) and it's just today I have started to feel human again!(Eleanor, Ishi, and Cappy going up the trail.)

Saturday's ride was after the surprise birthday party and horsemasters meeting, so needless to say it was late.

(Eleanor and Cappy with the color of the setting sun.)

I knew if we hustled we had a good shot of making it back before dark. We did, but just barely. We went through the last wire gate and were home just as it was so dark you couldn't make out the trail (or whether there was a wire gate in front of you).

(one last shot before the sun sunk. The layers of color on the hills are incredible this time of year).

The loop total was ~7 miles. My cousin I trotted every where we could and it still took us 2 hours. The terrain is SO STEEP and HILLY. There isn't ANY FLATS. I always have to remind myself when I'm riding at Yokhol that it's about the time in the saddle and the hills. It's really hard to do significant mileage here, or keep an "endurance" pace.


Sunday's ride was more relaxed. My aunt joined my cousin and I, and we chose a beautiful, difficult trail. I have always wanted pictures from this trail, but never remembered to bring a camera. It's a LONG steep up hill, some flat, and then a LONG steep downhill. I like this loop because it forces me to get off my horse and work on my own fitness!

(taking a grazing break)

(across wide, slippery rocks. You can see running water at the bottom of the photo. It's amazing how much "self-carriage" a horse has when they are moving careful across questionable footing. Emry - the grey horse - looks absolutely gorgeous in this shot).

(down, down, down, the trail goes)

This was my aunt's first trail ride of the year so we took it easy. There was no trotting, only walking. The 10.5 mile loop took us ~3.5 hours (includes grazing breaks, waiting for people to catch up etc.). Again, it's important for me to keep in mind, that while riding in Yokhol, not to get caught up in mileage and pace. It's all about spending time with family and getting some serious hill workouts in.

BTW - all horsey ears in these shots are Minx. Farley is getting the entire month of March easy (hand walks, jogs etc.). She showed she had plenty of fitness to get through a ride at 20MT, so we are taking a step back and working on speed control, strengthening that left front leg etc.

This will be a light horsey week. I feel that both horses are moving fairly solid. I think my next ride will be Wild West in May for both horses. Last time I took 2 horses to a ride I swore that would be the last time...however I have a short memory and it's starting to seem like a very good idea to take 2 horses to a 3 day ride.....