spirithorse21 | A Double Feature: Trail Riding Adventure and TPH Field Hunter Trials (Reply)

Last weekend, my good friend Allison came in from Missouri for our yearly get together. This year we planned to meet in Indiana for a horseback riding adventure--Allison's first! We had planned on camping and riding, but bad weather thwarted our plans and we revised them to stay at my family farm. It turned out to be a great decision. Allison turned out to be a great student of caring for and tacking a horse, and a natural rider. Of course, having Sam to work with makes this much easier! We trail rode all around the farm and neighboring properties for three days and had a blast. Allison later reported that she never felt saddle sore. She also showed her enthusiasm and strength by offering to help me mover 68 bales of hay from one stall to another so that Doc could have a place to sleep inside during the bad weather. Amazing woman!

The completed hay project!

I am also happy to report about Sam's new boots. He goes barefoot, but needs some sort of shoe for trail riding. I decided to try the Cavallo Simple Boot and we saw an immediate improvement. Sam was very happy to have them and they fit beautifully!

Then we took a break from trail riding to visit a corn maze. We also launched pumpkins in a huge sling shot. It was AMAZING! Best. Pumpkin Idea. EVAR!

Doc and I attended the Traders Point Field Hunter Trials along with our friend Jen and her horse Emma yesterday. The day dawned cold and overcast, but we were all determined to enjoy the day. We arrived at Traders Point at 8:30 and began our adventure at 10 am. Jen and I teamed up together to run the Pace. This is a timed event that sends riders out over a large field. We traveled 4 miles through the woods, open fields, and over jumps and finished with a time close to 40 minutes I think. This was good enough for a sixth place finish, which I'm very pleased to have earned.

After the pace, we headed back to the Hunt Club where there is a large, flat grassy field with many foxhunting-type fences. Here, Jen and I participated in a few classes to show off Doc and Emma's suitability for foxhunting. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding between competitors and the judge, I and several others were off course in my first class-the novice horse/rider class. However, in both the Handy Hunter and the Field Hunter classes, we placed fourth against very tough competition. I was most pleased with the results of the day. Around 4:30 we packed up and headed home to unbraid, unpack, and warm up. It was a fantastic day and next weekend I'm returning to the hunt grounds for The Blessing of the Hounds.

I have several more photos I'd like to share, but they need to be cropped and such. I will also have video available sometime next week after it is edited. Can't wait to share them both!