Bolender Horse Park - Day 2

Farah remembers!

Sunday started with a short "Cowboy Service" by Mark.  A nice way to start the day, enjoyed by all.  After some work in the arena under saddle & over obstacles we headed outside into what was to be a beautiful afternoon.

Katie rides Farah through the water~

The "issue" was dropping back in!

With Mark & Checkers

Mark put Farah back on a lead & helped Katie put her back in the water from a lower point on the edge.   Farah finally enters again -

She exits even faster!

Not what Mark wanted, she was asked to do it again!

With a snarl from Checkers - a controlled entry :-)

I was so appreciative of Katie's riding!  She'd asked to ride Farah - so I picked a "golden moment" to put her in the saddle :-)

The suspension bridge was no problem :-)

 I mounted up for the rest of the course.  In photos this course looks very reasonable, but when you're in the saddle, heading down a steep downhill & Mark says;  "Give her the reins!" I had a hard time turning them loose!

Heading down!

After Farah rushed it & took off at the bottom, which is something that she tends to do...  Mark blocked her with Checkers & our next try - with loose reins - was much better :-)

Over the bridge~

 Other obstacles were "easy" for us, thankfully.  We were all so absorbed in our horses & what Mark was teaching us - that by the time anyone even looked up - it was past three in the afternoon!  We'd started at ten in the morning!

Without doubt I find this new discipline challenging!  It really shows you what weaknesses you have & where your strength's lie.  The goal of completing this kind of course as a competitor & scoring well - has been added to my bucket list!  We'll go back!

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!