With a name like the “Horse Trail Chicks” you would think that we would be trailering our horses somewhere every weekend for a new trail adventure. Starting now, that’s just what we will be doing. You see, when we met, neither of us had a trailer and we had to depend on the kindness of friends to invite us when they had space for an extra horse in their rig, which usually meant that only one of us could go (and that one would be happy but also feel terribly guilty while the other stayed home crying her eyes out – just kidding!). Sometimes we could rent our trainer’s rig, until she sold it. Imagine our frustration at not having our own transportation! Yes, we know, this is definitely a First World problem so actually quite trivial in the big scheme of things.
Anyway…. everything changed recently when Kerrie’s boyfriend – the best horse boyfriend in the world – bought a truck. He would have been fine with a small truck, but he loves Kerrie so much that he bought one big enough to pull a horse trailer. I realized that I could afford the trailer part of the equation, so I bought a used 2-horse Kingston in awesome shape.
Kerrie’s boyfriend must have been thinking way ahead of us because the truck is so powerful it could probably pull a 4-horse gooseneck with living quarters, which I am sure will be our next trailer for when we head out across America to explore the trails (ha ha)!
Our maiden trail adventure with the new rig was last week when we attended a trail ride organized by Green Mountain Hounds (GMH). While most of GMH’s rides are foxhunts (or “foxless fox hunts” as I call them since there is no actual fox), they put on a few pleasure rides every year. Last week’s ride was at Lilac Ridge, an absolutely gorgeous estate in Charlotte, Vermont owned by members of GMH who generously open their property for these events. The terrain is mostly gently rolling fields with some woods including a magical pine forest. Paths had been mowed, very nice jumps were set up and well-maintained, and the Hunt leadership organized everything for a seamless ride and even provided food and beverages at the end.
About 30 people attended and we split up into 2 groups – one a little faster and one a little slower. Kerrie and I decided to go in the faster group. We walked, trotted, and galloped though the fields enjoying the perfect weather – sunny and breezy and not too hot for once – and the views of neighboring farms and the Green Mountains. Our horses, Tupelo and Prophet, were very keen and gradually made their way to near the front of the pack. Funny how on trail rides at home they both lag behind!
Then came the jumps! There were a couple of fields with circular mowed tracks sporting several jumps including log fences, roll tops, coops, and others. I held near the back because both my horse and I are new at jumping and he thinks his role is to rush at the jump and fly over it as high and fast as he can and my role, well, my role is not something I understand except to not fall off. Kerrie reminded me to sit back and not lean forward to “start the jump for him” as I am wont to do. We did the 2 smaller jumps in the first meadow and a couple in the second meadow.
I got a little overconfident and while everyone was milling around the field resting their horses I asked Kerrie to film me with her GoPro going over a jump a second time. Well, they say “pride goeth before a fall” or, in this case, “pride goeth before an almost-fall” because I ended up on Tupelo’s neck. Of course everyone saw it, and you can too!
We carried on and did some more of the smaller jumps, then I had a repeat performance in the woods where I went over 2 jumps in rapid succession on Tupelo’s neck and this time I even lost my stirrups but I stayed on! Meanwhile Kerrie’s horse, Phophet, who loves jumping so much he jumps stuff that’s not even meant for jumping, is flying over all of the jumps and Kerrie is staying beautifully upright on him, no problem. She (like everyone else on the ride) actually knows what she is doing, unlike me.
Despite my flailing about, I had a fantastic time and Kerrie and I both agreed it was one of the most fun rides we’d ever been on. One of the best parts was at the end. Several of us took our saddles off and swam the horses in the pond (thank you to the land owner for letting us do this!!!). They were all reluctant at first but after the first horse went in, most of the others decided it was safe enough. Tupelo seemed to enjoy the swim a lot and even Prophet went all the way in for the first time ever. I took a few bareback canters in the field (my absolute favorite thing to do on a horse) and then we finally went back to the trailers.
On the way home, bouncing along in the big red and white truck with our new Horse Trail Chicks trailer in tow, Kerrie and I could not believe our luck at having such awesome horses, awesome places to ride, and now – finally – the wheels to take us wherever ever we want to go, whenever we want to go. Given how much fun the horses had, we decided that they are just as happy as we are about the new trailer!
Monica
