Trail ride

Mama, Victoria and I thoroughly enjoyed this past weekend. We traveled to Quitaque, TX  which sits at the southern edge of Caprock Canyons. There is a ranch house on the Polk Ranch about five miles outside of the town that is rented out to trail riders with access to the 7,000 acres of the park as well as the 2,500 privately owned acres of the ranch.

We traveled in caravan with Danny Benson and a couple from Decatur who run a horse training facility just a few miles south of town, Ben and Kelly. Each trailer had three horses and all the tack to outfit them and at least two more. There was not much time wasted after we got to the ranch. We unloaded, got the horses ready for a ride and headed out into the juniper trees. The weather was beautiful. The mosquitos were horrible.

Ben gave me and Mama some pointers along the way and I think I picked up more information on proper handling of a horse on that one ride than ever before in my life. We headed into the creek that runs across the property through a small canyon – enjoying ourselves thoroughly in spite of the mosquitos – when Mama’s horse decided to lay down on her. The horse realized his mistake and quickly got up on all fours but not before he spilled Mama off.

Mama was able to get off while the horse was down and did not suffer any harm but it provided an awkward moment for all of us – especially Danny who owns the horse. The fact that the horse chose a soft sandbar for his attempt to roll was a blessing for Mama. The horse had been chosen for Mama because he was felt completely trustworthy for the ride. Danny was embarrassed and apologetic for the remainder of the time we were there. But is goes to show that there is no perfect horse. They can be unpredictable even if what they do is without malice.

Mama had to walk for a few minutes to calm her nerves but we found a spot for her to remount and continue the ride. One of the challenges us newbies faced was that all of the horses we were riding were very tall. Mama, Victoria and I were all too short or too stiff to remount without a small step to give us a leg up. Every time a hat blew off or Victoria dropped her lens cap someone else had to dismount to pick it up. All of the riders were very gracious about it.

Saturday mornings ride was plagued by mosquitos. The horses were suffering terribly from the pests even though we sprayed them with a strong repellent before we left the corral. Danny took Mama, Victoria and I back to the farmhouse early because he felt bad for the horses. Even at that, we were out for a little over two hours. Since we were a little saddle sore from the ride the day before none of us complained.

After a late dinner Saturday evening we headed home. It was a good trip. Good fellowship. Good food. Great horses. Beautiful scenery. New friendships with solid believers. Lots of pictures and even more very good memories.