Parade Pony~

We head for the Parade Route

What a Spectacular Day for a Easter Parade!  No nicer old-fashioned town than Snohomish to enjoy it!  Butch was busy helping with the work involved in having over fifteen horses going through a downtown at maximum capacity with spectators lining the streets!  So... didn't have time to take photos.

Farah & Bella!  Photo by Janelle

Janelle, did her usual fantastic job at organizing,  this Saddle-up event, watching her running up front ahead of the horses, giving a loud whistle - to alert all the throngs of people that we were coming through was impressive!  Once up onto the main street, we again moved down to a quiet area by the river to wait until the signal from another volunteer - that it was time to move into our place in the procession.  As I've experienced before with Jas, that first view of a street lined with so many people was a real shock to Farah!  When the the horse next to us, started having issues - we found our friends Dena & Bella & just moved over during one of  our drill-team maneuvers to pair up with them :-) 

Our route through town, also where we started our CT ride on Thursday.

Many thanks to my friend Joyce, owner of Seamstress Unlimited - for sewing Farah's rump rug & paddle pad cover!  Also to my cousin Jackie of Quilter's Fix in Sheridan, WY for finding the bandana fabric - our Saddle-Up logo!  As always - a Huge thank you to my husband, the very best horse husband in the world!

Out & About~

7-mi. at Lord Hill

Good friend to me & my favorite "Trail Boss" Janelle managed to squeak away from her busy schedule & find time for a ride.  It had been forever since the two of us had been out.  Farah said;  "Hi" to Duke, Duke said;  "Oh - it's You Farah..."   Duke had done a wonderful job of babysitting Farah on one of her first rides on the SRT when we had a Saddle-Up ride from from the Red Hook Brewery to Farrel-McWhirter park back in November of 2011.

Janelle & Duke

 Today we just cruised around & had some good views of the construction on 522.  The trails at the park were in beautiful condition considering the time of year.  The new drainage pipe & gravel bridge are working great, super solution to what had been a very boggy area.

As much as we're enjoying our rides on our own, it was nice to ride with a friend!  Tomorrow - our "Great Adventure"!  Centennial Trail - point-to-point!

Bolender Horse Park! - Day 1

Farah & Connie, end of our second day~

When you're lucky enough to meet Great people, who own & operate a Super facility & plan a weekend for their guests as good as ours was...  it makes for many happy memories!

When our Sno-King Saddle Up group posted a meet-up at Bolender Horse Park for Valentine's Weekend, we made our reservation.  We usually plan a trip this time of year, it's our mutual birthday weekend & February can surprise us with decent weather.  I first heard about Mark Bolender & Mountain & Extreme Trail Courses from a friend.  When we pulled into the beautiful facility on Fri. afternoon, we were met by two interns who directed us to parking & had a stall ready for Farah!  We soon met-up with Leigh & her husband Jeff who had already managed to get a recommendation for what I think must have been the best restaurant in the area for dinner!  Yes!  Our kind of people!  I'd told Heather & George about the clinic - so they'd come too!  We all turned in pretty early, excited to get started on Sat.

Mark & Lee could not have been more welcoming.  On Sat. morning after we'd had breakfast, we met in the arena.  Mark gave us an overview of his plan for the weekend.  His low key, easy going attitude put everyone - including our horses at ease!  There were obstacles set up in the arena & we were to work our horses in-hand - learning to "send" them through the obstacles.

Mark explaining our goals for the day~

There have been many times in my years of riding when I felt like the obstacles we managed to clear were "extreme" - so I was really excited to get out on the course & see how Farah would do.  She was probably one of the younger & less experienced horses.

Mark taking Farah through the first of the obstacles~

Once outside, Mark asked me to send Farah through the first obstacle.  She evaded...  my intent was not clear enough!  He took her lead & she did exactly as he directed the FIRST time.  He handed the lead to me & she did it for me!  Yippee!

Farah Loved the teeter/totter!

I could not believe how easily Farah did the teeter/totter!  No problem!  Both directions & even turning a 180 in the middle!

She rushed the suspension bridge, but soon accepted it easily!

We had so much fun & did so much that it would take a book just to cover what we learned about ourselves & our horses on this day!  From the more experienced riders to we amateurs - everyone went away with a huge feeling of accomplishment!

That was far from the end of our day though - while we'd all be busy out on the course, Lee had been busy setting up for our "Valentine's Dinner"!  How nice, to clean-up, sit down & enjoy the company of some really special people.

Super way to end a Super Day!

We were all excited for the next day & riding our horses on the course!

More from the Trail Clinic~

Mark uses the barrel to keep Farah from evading the obstacle!

In answer to CG's comment, I do think we're lucky to live where we do.  I read somewhere that in Snohomish County we have more horses per capita than anywhere else in the US.  I believe it.  Some really nice stables for about any discipline that you might want to try.  It's only thanks to the tree farms that we have the incredible trails in the foothills.  There are miles & miles of logging roads up there - one of the things on my "list" is to find the names & numbers of the logging operations that have some kind of "control" over those same foothills - to see how we could possibly gain access for horses.  Area's where I used to be able to ride have been closed off with locked gates, rubble on both sides etc., making it impossible to get in.  I'm sure that it's to keep the ATV's out, so maybe there would be some chance to negotiate for non-motorized.

Janelle, organizer of our local Saddle-Up group is an amazing "Trail Boss"!   Now that she no longer works away from home & has two small children, she's turned her talents towards finding us some amazing "stuff" to do both with & without our horses!  She keeps the costs to a minimum - which makes it affordable for those who spend what disposable income they have on their horses!   Another member of our group posted this great video;  Trail Clinic - of different riders & some of the different obstacles.  At the very beginning you'll see Farah, near the end - you'll see us finally navigate the "creek" on our own!  I decided that was a perfect way to end our day!  

(Post Script) Nora hardly recognized Farah in the video, her color actually lightens in the winter!)

Fun at the Trail Clinic!

Karen & Mark Plumlee

Another Saddle-Up that was outstanding!  It was about 21 degrees this morning when I loaded Farah up & we headed over to Mission Farrier School to attend a trail clinic with Mark Plumlee.  We started in the arena, learning to guide our horses over, around & through a course of obstacles that were challenging & interesting!  Mark directed us on the safe way to approach each challenge & we started with our halters & 15 ft. leads.  Next, we mounted up to practice what we had learned before heading outside to a very challenging trail course set up on a hillside overlooking the Monroe Valley.  

Just a part of the course~

We're going to to through the water~!

Entering the creek before it was full of water was a non-issue, we had done it several times in the morning.  But... once afternoon arrived & it was full of water, it was another thing all together!  She watched as other horses went in & out, but was completely unwilling to go in...  Mark worked to send her through first, then I mounted up & we followed Karen's horse in, while Mark applied pressure from behind.  That worked & we made it through!   I already knew that puddles were not her "thing", so it was great to have a safe place to work & Marks experience.  The large stair-step tires were another problem for us.  Farah didn't think there was any reason whatsoever that we needed to climb up those!  But I did finally convince her to go up & onto the biggest one! She did this while I was mounted too. 

Mark used the barrel to prevent Farah from evading

 Later in the afternoon, after we'd played follow-the-leader with Mark in the lead.  I think everyone felt that they'd gained a lot of ground working with their horses,  I know I did!  Farah was tired, I was tired - it was getting cold again & we were ready to head home, but before we left, we did the creek on our own!  Success was sweet!   I was surprised to find that navigating the different obstacles was more mentally challenging than I had expected.  After all, most Endurance riders are a bit extreme anyway :-)  I can easily see that gaining competence for trail classes takes time, patience & practice! Now we're going to ask "Dad" for a tire full of gravel for our very own!  :-)

"My" Hitching Post at the Redhook Brewery gets used!

My hitching post gets used!

We were So lucky today!  Sunshine, clear blue skies, white capped peaks & good company!   Our SNO-KING Saddle Up group enjoyed a planned ride from Farrel McWhirter Park in east Redmond, along the Sammish River Trail to the Redhook Brewery!  

I met Janelle, our group organizer at the Brewery at 9 a.m.  Heading out, Janelle wanted to set a good pace, so we would arrive at the park in time to collect all the riders.  Farah was wide eyed at her first encounter with civilization!  It was one of those Wow moments for her!  Traffic, noise, people!  Some were running towards her!  Others were riding their bikes toward her!  Some went swishing by from behind her!  She wanted to take the lead, but soon decided that it was a bit too scary, so deferred to the more experienced horse :-)  

We made it to the park just in time to meet-up with the rest of the riders!  By 10:45 we were back on the trail & headed toward the Brewery for lunch!   Once Farah realized that we were heading back the way we'd come though -- all bets were off & she hit her rock & roll walk - along with her new friend Cap, an incredible, solid Paso Fino who matched her walk stride for stride!

Once at the brewery, even though we were an hour later than we'd expected, the staff at the restaurant found us seating in no time & lunch sure tasted good!  So did the Copper Hook that I had to have!  Great way to spend a beautiful day!  Good ride, Cold Beer, in the Saddle!
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Side-note.  Butch was one of the Construction Superintendents for Sea Con LLC when the Brewery was built.  I would trailer in when he worked weekends & rode the trail.  When I was asked by the owner at the time if I had any suggestions for the construction, I had to say;  "How about a Hitching Post?"  You can imagine my surprise when it became reality!