We saddled up in the farmyard and rode to the river which at this time of year has some awesome 'beach' areas.
The ride to the river took not quite an hour. Below is the view from one pasture just before we start riding down toward the bank.
(you'll have to forgive the quality of the pics as they were all taken while mounted)
This is Julie (on her 3 yo) just before going down the last embankment to the beach:
This is the view Applejack and I had at the same spot:
I got to fulfill a life long dream, galloping down a sandy beach and through the water at the beach's edge. Here are Kimfer & Julie doing the same (we were escorted by the farm dogs Roxy and Jeannie):
Applejack really seemed to enjoy playing in the water. He'd duck his head and splash at his face while walking in the river. I thought he was trying to drink so I stopped to give him a chance. He started pawing the water though and I didn't want to risk him trying to lay down so on we went.
He was a bit nervous about walking into the river at first so I just kept riding a little closer and then walking parallel. Then I'd ask him to move a bit closer until next thing you knew we were in! After that there was no hesitation. Walk, jog, lope... water or beach he was fine.
This picture does not do justice to the steepness of the slope we had to climb on the way 'home'.
There was also a weird bee incident. There is a bush with some farmed bee hives that we had to pass. Julie has rode down to the river MANY times and never had a problem with the bees. She usually just rides on the road right past without any trouble. Yesterday we rode in the field b/c Julie's filly found the road too much on her tender feet. So there was the bush with the hives on one side of the road and the field we were in on the other side. And we got attacked! Kimfer was stung 4 times (3 through her shirt and 1 behind her ear - THAT one really hurt she said) Julie could feel them dive bombing her ballcap and bouncing off. I was between K & J and although they didn't bother me I think they were bothering Applejack.
On the way home we rode as far away from the hives as we could without damaging the canola crop and galloped by. We could see hundreds of bees in the air and as we passed I could feel a few ricocheting off me. I think if we had gone slower I would've been stung.
It was really strange. Julie has never had that happen before and she's not sure why it did happen. Other than that though it was a SUPERB day!
That looks like it was so much fun. Well, except the bee part. Jaz doesn't even like getting his prissy feet wet. Poco, I'm not sure, but I bet he'd like it. We live close to a lake and there are horse trails, but I don't know if you can actually get in the water. And we're not ready for prime time anyway, but it's something to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteGlad you didn't get stung.
I'm pretty grateful that the bees didn't get me. I react pretty bad to regular insect bites... don't want to see what would happen if a bee stung me!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome I have always wanted to ride horses along the water! I guess it was watching The Black Stallion as a teenager!! Bees! Yikes! I am glad you don't have a allergy.
ReplyDeleteNow that is on Megan and I's bucket list. Both of us would really, really like to ride on the beach, any beach. Heck, we don't even care if it is our own horses, although that would be ideal.
ReplyDeleteThose darn honey bees are territorial suckers. They may be used to people on the road, but perhaps were inadvertently disturbed by movement in the grass-who knows with bees. Glad you guys escaped fairly unharmed.
I'm not allergic to bees and have rarely been stung, but one day going to my mom's I had a honey bee bounce off my arm(yep-window down and arm hanging on the edge of the door) and it stung me. By the time I got to mom's house(about 5 minutes), I was sicker than a dog. My arm was going numb and I could feel my throat getting thick. Mom pulled the stinger out and within a few more minutes I was fine again. Now I give them a wide berth and roll my windows up going by the bee hives-LOL.
It was really weird, today Julie was swarmed at the end of her driveway. This is quite a way from where the hives are. Julie's man is going to talk to the bee farmer.
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh...it looks like you guys had a great ride...and nice weather too!!!
ReplyDeleteRiding on the beach is fun, but depending on how your horse handles all of the commotion--waves, wind, people, kites!!!--it can be either somewhat relaxing, or mostly terrifying...lol!!!
Of course, I am talking about ocean beaches, and it looks like your river beach was perfect :)
Yikes...bees??!! I am allergic, so I am always on the look out for them. Unfortunately I have been in the same situation as you guys, and it is not fun, is it?
Glad that it ended well for you all. So I take it that your horse is an Appy? I will have to do some back reading one of these days ;)
Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun - well, minus the bees! At least they didn't get the horses - that might have made the ride a bit more exciting! yikes.
ReplyDeleteI have ridden a horse in water 2x, it was so fun. Your friend is lucky to have such a cool setup so close to her! It's great that you guys can trailer in too!
Beautiful pics. My favorite is you galloping through the water and the dogs running after you. Looks like it was a ton of fun.
ReplyDeleteFor the record: the two riders & their horses are Kimfer on Isis and Julie on Blue. (Isis in the lead with Blue closing on her)
ReplyDeleteI love that pic too!
Cool pics Cnd! Looks like a ton of fun. Any skinny dippin? lol
ReplyDeleteI had a bad time once in the bush with some kind of insect attacking my horse and the girl I was riding with. We were in really really rough country and both horses bolted. It was actually really scary because the horses were running almost blind. I still dont know what it was! I am totally with train wreck, gotta love the Black Stallion and running in the water. I have never been to the ocean on a horse before and would love to do that one day.
Wow what fun! Bees now - that would have made me nervous (I would have started the 'what if one gets in my horse's ear?' etc. thinking). Beautiful place to ride though.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Love the pics! I rode Lester on the beach once and he would not go into the water, he was afraid of the waves:-( but it was still like a dream cantering on the wet beach:-)
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