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BEST RIDE OF THE SUMMER - SO FAR! The morning after we settled into EJ's Stable I was excited to head out on the trail. The night before, because I knew how EJ liked to "wheel & deal", I asked if had any saddles for sale. Heck, last time we were there Bitty 3 bought a nice Tucker. Granted, I wasn't looking for a Tucker, I was looking for a cheapo nylon saddle that I could toss on quickly to train in etc. Sure enough, EJ had something. And let me tell you, it was not at all what I was looking for, but it totally gets the job done. Inside his garage, he pulled out a 16" Double TT equitation saddle with the tags still on it. Thing is, it was a nylon show saddle . . . so the seat is full (fake) snakeskin, with more rhinestones than you can shake a stick at. However, it met my requirements:
Honestly, there isn't much to say about the ride because for the most part, especially for day one, the boys were super well behaved. We didn't have any issues. The Bitties and I rode the same path we had the first time we'd come to EJ, back in November. It was just a glorious as I remember, only this time we weren't cold. We crossed the Greenbrier River a few times, rode along the river trail, became lost in wild Rhododendrons and had a great time. There was a random man we found across the river who happened to be camping in the middle of the trail. Jean-Luc nearly took out his entire campsite, but when realized either going through or around, he took down his hammock tent and let us pass. Lesson - don't camp in the middle of a trail. The first day's ride was a good 3 and a half hours just meandering through the woods. I learned I'm not the biggest fan of riding on rail trails. They're perfect in many ways for horses, however, the people that ride along them have zero brains when it comes to interacting with horses. We encountered several bikers that just didn't know what to do when they saw a horse. While Jean-Luc isn't afraid of a bike, others I was riding with wasn't too fond of them. Some were didn't mind pausing their ride to allow us to pass, while others just barreled along at us. Again, Jean-Luc could care less if a bike was coming at him (good boy!), but Bitty 2 was having a tough time. More her fear rather than her horses. To be honest, I also get not wanting to stop your bike workout for a horse to pass. I was thinking we didn't need to, but for her safety, I was happy to put my hand in the air and ask a rider or two to pause. Regardless, we met plenty of kind people interested in learning more about horses, and probably chatted longer than necessary when we did stop. I tend to believe most people would like to know more about how to act around a horse, but they've never been given the opportunity, therefore, if someone is going to ask to be educated, I consider it my responsibility to do so. After the ride, EJ was kind enough to oblige and taking us to a little town called Cass. There we hopped in the river with some floats and soaked our muscles as we lazily tumbled along. It was about 4 miles to get back to the bridge which led to our cottage. As we floated we were able to get to parts of the country that are still relatively unsettled. The only things you really see from humans are railway remnants from Cass's heyday in the 1920's. The area was once a booming logging industry but has never really recovered from the Great Depression. Though I took no pictures, I think that is part of what makes the entire experience so special. It allowed me to truly feel what it must have been like to live in the area just as settlers from England, Scotland, and Ireland were coming over. I saw nothing but mountains, fish, birds, and bugs. Together the Bitties and thought about how the Native people must have used the land and river. The area is harsh, and can easily kill you if you don't know what you're doing. I believe people that live in the there today are still much heartier than your average human. They have to be. The highlight of the float had to be when Bitty 1 shouted to look up. I as I did, I saw it, silently flying between the mountains, above the river - a bald eagle. The sun was setting and everything had a golden glow about it. The eagle soared so gracefully above us, ignored our presence and continued its path along the river. It was the kind of thing that made you forget everything else and just be present. I know I won't forget that for a long time. Just as it was starting to get cold outside we found the bridge that would lead us back up to the cottage. It had been a long day, and I still had to cook dinner for the Bitties. While I was cooking, EJ rolled back into camp with this monstrosity. Yes, he even has a pair of 18-year-old Percheron's he gives wagon rides on down the river trail. By this point, we'd met nearly all of EJ's family, and now these guys. While dinner finished up, we watched EJ unharness the pair and realized a few things about him - EJ is one of the most gentle souls you will ever meet. His actions are serious but kind. He does everything with a purpose and takes great pride in all that he has. He's a very hard worker, but somehow incredibly gentle. Seriously, I would like to be more like EJ. I was relieved Bitties enjoyed the dinner I made (Spinach salad and a teriyaki shrimp dish). They end up making such elaborate food for trail rides I felt I really had to step up my game! Bitty 2's breakfast dishes were simply unreal - and that was breakfast! It was after 10 PM when finished up, and the bigger ride was yet to come. We all went to bed dreaming of what the next day would bring. Mule handler Mike had promised to show us "parts unknown" in the morning!
[TBC...]
2 Comments
Liz
7/18/2018 07:51:34 am
Aw the river float sounds so lovely!
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Chelsey
7/18/2018 08:14:28 am
It was glorious! And to do it all in one day was fantastic
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AuthorMy name is Chelsey. HorseGenerator's Cuevo Gold, or as he's known around this barn, "Jean-Luc Ponycard", was foaled in 2004 from Generator's Hurricane & Cheyenne's Little Bit. Top 10 Blog Favs.Archives
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