Sun, Apr 15 2007 - Spring Trail Ride (View Original Event Details)
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This is the third riding event we've done at Wildwood and once again we were not disappointed! The weather reports threatened rain and miserable weather so we had a few fair weather riders who turned down their chance to ride, but for the rest of us, we had an awesome time! The air was a bit cold while we waited for our rides, but once on our horses we got to share in their body heat and kept warm for the entire two hours. At one point a large tractor tire "appeared" at the side of the trail. This was a rather new development for the horses and not one of them was happy about having to walk past it. But the leaders were wonderful and coached every horse through. I think many of the trail riders who were new to riding were surprised by the horses reaction to something so mundane. "Yes, but it WAS NOT there before" is the usual horse response.
I asked all the participants to give me the name of their horse and one thing that they learned on the ride that they never knew before. I rode a lovely, sweet mare named "Nairobi" and while riding is nothing new for me, I did learn that there is a great pub in Georgetown that we'll have to visit again...
VIka: My horse Thunder--- a very nice quiet and i was glad that she knew what to do and where to go since as a rider I was ignorant.. Sometimes we have to trust animal instincts:-)
Jose: My horse was named Trinity.
I learned that horses get spooked by unfamiliar things very easily (tire).
Lora: My horse: Soleman (not sure how to spell that) Solomon
Something I learned about horses:
Average trained horse costs about $3,000.
Alana: I had a terrific time with a lovely horse named "Runabout". I felt very safe and secure on her and I appreciated that she remained very calm (I'm an inexperienced rider). In fact, I think she didn't take my direction at all; t he only time she obeyed me was when I pulled the reigns to get her to stop! At all other times, she only took direction from the women leading the trail ride.
What struck me the most about Runabout was how terrified she got when we had to pass the giant tractor tire; I never knew how easily horses spooked! It was quite a sensation to feel 1300 pounds of horse quivering with fear underneath me. But as soon as one of the handlers came to her, Runabout relaxed immediately and with some minor trepidation, went past the scary tire.
I can't wait until the next trail ride! I'm even thinking about signing up for horse riding lesssons.
Yi: The name of my horst is "Buckets" (not sure about the spelling). One thing I learned is horse shit stinks. So when your horse or the horses around you relieve themselves, make sure you keep moving.
Mel: As I arrive at the fenced area, this nice young girl holding a black and white horse at the entrance was shouting "Who wants to ride Shotgun?"
Yeah, right. Are you kidding me?
I insisted on a 'very laid-back' horse as myself and was not disappointed.
Turns out, his name was not given from a personality trait. It goes to show names and appearances can be misleading indeed.
When most of the horses ahead of me were spooked going by a giant tire on the path, Shotgun was walking with a 'collected coolness'. "way to go!"
We even cantered which was a great feeling. A slight pull of the reins and he was really paying attention to my direction.
For once, I could also dodge the trees along the trails. Some would agree, horses love to brush near them, so to get your legs caught and scraped against trees and branches.
I had a great time and would love to see shotgun and the wonderful staff again.
Thanks Steph for organizing!
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.