Cat & Mouse~

Kathryn Taylor Fide

Slipping in rides between weather systems is getting to be something like a game of cat & mouse!   Five Saddle-Up members met at Kathryn Taylor Equestrian Park for what was to be a faster paced ride.   It looked like we might get wet when we left the trailer parking area, but as the morning turned to afternoon - we stayed dry.  There was quite a lot of wind damage to the tops of the trees, several had been cut to keep the trails clear.  For the amount of rain we've had - the trails were in amazingly good shape.

Riding along Novelty Hill Road

For being in such a heavily populated urban area, it's so great that there is a connected system of multipurpose trails, most through beautiful woods.  The crossing above is one of several that we took, with long lines-of-sight to the crossing - it wasn't bad.  It was Khari's first time down in this area; she took the barking dogs, bridges & weird objects really well.  No spooks, but she preferred to follow :-)  We covered just under 15-miles in 3 hours & 13 min.  a really good pace for a really nice day.

On a ROLL!

Redmond Watershed Preserve Ride

Spoiled, no other word for it!  All these sunshine days have been so incredible that any horse person really feels the need to ride!  Farah had a bath yesterday - overdue!  Polito was kind enough to have her blanketed & ready when I arrived at the farm to pick her up at 7:30 this morning.  It was Cold!    I planned at least 1-1/2 hrs. travel time to get to the trailer parking at the Redmond Watershed Preserve.  Leaving the farm before 8 a.m. I took the back roads going down.  We still pulled in just after 9 a.m.  That gave me plenty of time to get Farah saddled & warmed up before anyone else arrived.

This ride was organized by Amanda - a member of our Saddle-Up group, ride out at 10 sharp!   Six riders had signed up, five made it -  for what was to be a faster paced ride.  Layers came off before we left the trailers!  Wish I'd thought to get a picture, but with two buckskins, a paint, a bay & Farah - we were a colorful group :-)

My "re-furbished" GPS recorded our ten-mile route.  I forgot to start it as we left the parking area, you see that at the lower right of the picture.  The other break in the path is at the left side, top corner of the square - where we stopped for a few minutes at Farrel McWhirter Park.

Farah clean & ready to go :-)

Farah soon let me know that she was too wound-up to have anyone behind her & let the horse behind know too... with a big Swish of her tail!  So we took up the rear position.  It took about six-miles for her to settle down to business & from then on she was a Grand ride!  She recognized the area when we stopped at Farrel-McWhirter Park for a short break.  I was amazed that no one was there.

On such a beautiful day, even with five horses who didn't know each other - we had a perfect ride!  We all felt that we made a very compatible group :-)  When we returned to the trailers, I was smart enough to get Farah's saddle off quickly & then lead her to some nice thick, damp grass for her mandatory roll!  My training has progressed!  :-) 

A Classic! :-)

Farah waits :-)

It was only about 30 degrees when I headed out to meet Saddle-up riders at Bracken Rd.  Our early sunshine, degraded to cloud cover & some fog, but we weren't dissuaded from a Great First of December ride!  We had a young filly, first time on the trails, another rider who was ponying her young QH, our group sponsor on a beautiful gray, Farah & me :-)

All the horses got on well, we ended up doing a trail that was a bit more "technical" that we'd planned - but making it through safe/sound made for a feeling of accomplishment!  Tamera did a super job of keeping us on dry trails & out of most of the mud!  Always a challenge here in Western, WA!  A good time was had by all!