Another review from Brenda....
Last weekend (July 19) Beth and I met our friends Carla and Tom for a ride on the new trail at Pleasant Hill Lake that connects to Malabar Farms. It is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Powell. When you get to the park, you have to pay a $3 per person day riding fee (I think the overnight camp fee is $16) at the front entrance. They then direct you to park at the end of the beach parking instead of at the horseman's camp (which is only for overnighters). There is a big grassy area by the beach parking, so we just backed the trailer onto that.
After you tack up you walk down the drive and across a stone bridge to the horseman's camp and catch the trail head there. We rode for about 3 hours (roundtrip) at a walk and trot and still didn't quite make it to Malabar. I think you would have to commit a whole day to do both.
The trail we were on was hilly, but not steep. There was one ~ 5 foot wide creek crossing that had very deep mud on both sides, but was fine at a walk. Most of the trail is in the woods. There is a section after about an hour of riding that goes right next to the fence of a campground (spooky), then you have to ride on a road for about 10 minutes to get to the next part of the trail (we found out that empty boat trailers rattling behind trucks are also spooky). Most of the trail is very well marked. We turned back after the big soy bean field trail which is a loop.
There is no gravel, but there are remainders of big tree stumps in the trail here and there that stick up just enough for your horse to trip over if they are tailgating the horse in front of them. I would say this would be an intermediate trail. It's a beautiful area with a lot of new things for the horses to experience (people playing volleyball, boats and fisherman right by the parking lot, etc).
Added by Beth...
The trails go through a variety of terrain although it is mostly woods. If you have a horse that is not used to cars, this may be a bit challenging as part of the trail is on or near a road. The bean fields were quite an easy ride. We did see deer a couple of times so watch for those if your horse tends to spook at them.
To date, there is no map for this trail so you have to keep your eye out for markers, ribbons and marked trees. All in all, I would highly recommend this trail to riders looking for a bit more of a challenge but one with few major obstacles and intermediate level trails.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Trail Review--Shawnee State Forest/Ben's Happy Trails
The following is a trail review created by Brenda....
Ben's is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Powell mostly down SR 23. There are no real scary roads (everyone who pulls a horse trailer knows what I mean by that). A few hills, narrow bridges, tight turns right before you get there, but not too bad. There is plenty of parking across the street from the main office by the cabins. However, the barn for the horses is behind the office. The best thing to do is park by the cabins (if that is where you are staying) and walk your horse over to the barn. We just left our tack in the trailer and brought the horses to it.
The cabins were nice (but had a layer of dirt/cobwebs). They are very small though. The bathroom is actually outside the front door on the porch with it's own door. There is a small bedroom and a futon in the kitchen - no real living room area. I wouldn't put more than 2 people in one.
Ben has about a half hour worth of trails on his property right behind the cabins. These are fairly steep/rocky loop trails. The Shawnee Forest trails are about 15 minutes away by horseback on rural roads. Those trails were also very steep and rocky, and most seemed to incorporate gravel roads as part of the trail. Our horses feet were pretty sore after the second day.
This would be a good place to ride if your horse has shoes on all four feet - otherwise, they will be sore. Even Liz's spotted saddle horse (who has been barefoot his whole life) got sore, and that was a first for him. Ben was a great guy and very helpful. He lives on the property and takes good care of it.
I would recommend this for an intermediate to advanced rider with a road safe horse. Keep in mind that the trails in the park are long, so don't start out on one you are not familiar with after about noon. We made the mistake of heading out for a second ride one afternoon around 4pm and didn't make it back until almost 9pm. The trail wasn't well marked, the last 1-2 hours were gravel road, and at times we were just hoping that we were going in the right direction. I'm sure you could hire one of the guides from Ben's - it might be worth it if you don't have a good sense of direction! Also, Ben will let someone in your group rent one of his horses for the day (if they pass a riding test) and take it out on their own.
All in all it was a great trip. We had perfect weather, awesome food, and a LOT of riding. Our horses were happy to see their home pastures at the end of the weekend!
Ben's is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Powell mostly down SR 23. There are no real scary roads (everyone who pulls a horse trailer knows what I mean by that). A few hills, narrow bridges, tight turns right before you get there, but not too bad. There is plenty of parking across the street from the main office by the cabins. However, the barn for the horses is behind the office. The best thing to do is park by the cabins (if that is where you are staying) and walk your horse over to the barn. We just left our tack in the trailer and brought the horses to it.
The cabins were nice (but had a layer of dirt/cobwebs). They are very small though. The bathroom is actually outside the front door on the porch with it's own door. There is a small bedroom and a futon in the kitchen - no real living room area. I wouldn't put more than 2 people in one.
Ben has about a half hour worth of trails on his property right behind the cabins. These are fairly steep/rocky loop trails. The Shawnee Forest trails are about 15 minutes away by horseback on rural roads. Those trails were also very steep and rocky, and most seemed to incorporate gravel roads as part of the trail. Our horses feet were pretty sore after the second day.
This would be a good place to ride if your horse has shoes on all four feet - otherwise, they will be sore. Even Liz's spotted saddle horse (who has been barefoot his whole life) got sore, and that was a first for him. Ben was a great guy and very helpful. He lives on the property and takes good care of it.
I would recommend this for an intermediate to advanced rider with a road safe horse. Keep in mind that the trails in the park are long, so don't start out on one you are not familiar with after about noon. We made the mistake of heading out for a second ride one afternoon around 4pm and didn't make it back until almost 9pm. The trail wasn't well marked, the last 1-2 hours were gravel road, and at times we were just hoping that we were going in the right direction. I'm sure you could hire one of the guides from Ben's - it might be worth it if you don't have a good sense of direction! Also, Ben will let someone in your group rent one of his horses for the day (if they pass a riding test) and take it out on their own.
All in all it was a great trip. We had perfect weather, awesome food, and a LOT of riding. Our horses were happy to see their home pastures at the end of the weekend!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A Giddy Up Weekend is about to begin
Our numbers have dwindled down to four for this weekend but it is still going to be a Giddy Up Girls Getaway..I guess we are the hard core group. We had two drop out....one that is understandable given her circumstances and the other one...well, let's just say that we found out a day or so ago and she was the ride for one of the horses. We have figured out a way to still make everything work, but that one really did make things alot harder on everyone.
We are heading down to Ben's Happy Trails near Portsmouth, Ohio and the Shawnee State Forest. The most I have ridden in that part of Ohio is in the Hocking Hills (Smoke Rise and Spotted Horse Ranch). I am imagining it is pretty hilly but people say it is a nice place to ride. I'll report on our trip when we get back.
I have been quite lax about posting lately. Since April, we had had a good amount of trail riding and other activities. So stay tuned for posts on
We are heading down to Ben's Happy Trails near Portsmouth, Ohio and the Shawnee State Forest. The most I have ridden in that part of Ohio is in the Hocking Hills (Smoke Rise and Spotted Horse Ranch). I am imagining it is pretty hilly but people say it is a nice place to ride. I'll report on our trip when we get back.
I have been quite lax about posting lately. Since April, we had had a good amount of trail riding and other activities. So stay tuned for posts on
- Equine Affaire wrap up
- Horse Grooming Clinic for Enrichment Day
- Knox County Cowboy Challenge (twice!)
- Julie Goodnight Clinic
- Riding at Deer Creek State Park
- Memorial Day Pace and Chase
- Smoke Rise Cow Clinic
- Fulton County OHC Obstacle Challenge at Maumee State Forest
Yep, it has been a busy 3 months...I love riding season. Now if I can only remember to bring my camera, I might actually have pictures to share. I do have some for a few of the events. Back to work for now....
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Raising a glass to Jim
We lost a friend last week. This is Jim Shaw.
He was 85 years old when he passed on. He died from complications from a fall a couple of months ago.
I really knew Jim through other friends and did not spend alot of time with him, but considered him a friend. He was a fixture at many parties we had. He always had a funny story to tell and a glass of red wine in his hand.
Jim was very involved in the Hunt community in Central Ohio. He was the MFH at the Rocky Fork Hunt Club for a number of years.
I will miss Jim...happy trails, my friend.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
A note from Brenda
Brenda wrote the following....
CLINIC JUNKIES
It has been a whirlwind of lessons and clinics this spring for Doc and I and Beth and Rio. I am starting to feel a little like a clinic junky. I am also starting to wonder why I feel the need to go to so many clinics. I am by no means an expert at riding, but it seems like once you get to a certain point (you’ve read all the books and magazines, you’ve been to several natural horsemanship clinics, you’ve watched every show on RFD-TV, you’ve surfed the net for all things horse related, etc) basic clinics may no longer suit your needs; especially when they cost hundreds of dollars and involve travel and time away from your family.
Our first big outing this spring was Equine Affaire. It was my first year taking Doc, and I was really looking forward to it. Beth and Carla had their horses there, and it’s always fun whether or not you take a horse. That being said, next year I’ll probably go without my horse.
My first clinic was with Barbra Schulte. She talked basically about centered riding concepts (which I was already familiar with from taking lessons from a centered riding instructor). Having those concepts reinforced would have been fine if we had also been riding while she was talking. Most of the clinic (except for 2 times up and back the arena) we were just sitting on our horses doing nothing. I could have saved my $75 and just sat in the crowd.
My second clinic was Tommy Garland’s obstacle clinic. I was very excited about this one, because Doc sometimes leaps creeks (which I told Tommy about in my application video). Unfortunately, there was no water obstacle. Instead there was a bridge, ball and ground poles. Doc did all of those in the first minute. So, basically I watched Tommy work with the other horse and rider in the clinic. Once again I could have saved $75 and watched from the crowd.
My third clinic was with Julie Goodnight. This was definitely the best one. She helped me keep Doc in a trot without nagging him (by swatting him on the rear end if he slowed down unauthorized). The better part of that clinic for me was when she stepped outside the planned presentation and helped me with Doc’s horse aggression. He pins his ears and will kick if another horse get right up behind him. She told me not to let him socialize in any way (good or bad) while I’m handling him. She also said to work him HARD if he actually did get aggressive with another horse. Another tip was to turn his nose towards a horse he is seriously threatening which will turn his hip (and his kickers) away.
Our next clinic outing was to Smoke Rise Ranch with some girlfriends to do some cutting practice. This was FUN. It was fun because it is completely different from what we normally do, it didn’t cost a fortune, and I didn’t go in expecting miracles. I still learned some things along the way, and I am looking forward to doing it again soon!
The latest clinic (this past weekend) was a two day Julie Goodnight clinic near Youngstown, OH. I had high hopes for this one since I liked Julie so much at EA. I have to say I was a little disappointed. There were 14 pretty quiet horses and very nice riders. The first morning Julie talked to everyone for about 1 ½ hours about horse behavior and our goals for the weekend. Already it was heading in the wrong direction for me – I live to ride (just like the song says). Then we got our horses out for ground work. We spent a couple of HOURS on having our horses stand still (which is Doc’s favorite gait) and leading them around (not a problem for us). Finally we rode after lunch, but it was basic skills review. The other problem was that she didn’t have a microphone and it was hard to hear at times (one of my pet peeves). The next day was more of the same – half day of ground work, which she never made anyone get perfect (Clinton would have been appalled). It turned out to be more of her presenting general concepts (saying that you could learn more about them if you bought her videos) and not enough individual evaluation and help. I can’t say that I learned anything new.
So, the lesson in the end for me is not to take non-specific clinics. I’d rather save the hundreds of dollars that clinics cost and use it for private lessons where I know I’ll get feedback and be able to work on the things I need to improve. I would still recommend any of these clinics to a beginning rider, but not a confident rider who already understands basic horsemanship.
Happy Trails,
Brenda & Doc
CLINIC JUNKIES
It has been a whirlwind of lessons and clinics this spring for Doc and I and Beth and Rio. I am starting to feel a little like a clinic junky. I am also starting to wonder why I feel the need to go to so many clinics. I am by no means an expert at riding, but it seems like once you get to a certain point (you’ve read all the books and magazines, you’ve been to several natural horsemanship clinics, you’ve watched every show on RFD-TV, you’ve surfed the net for all things horse related, etc) basic clinics may no longer suit your needs; especially when they cost hundreds of dollars and involve travel and time away from your family.
Our first big outing this spring was Equine Affaire. It was my first year taking Doc, and I was really looking forward to it. Beth and Carla had their horses there, and it’s always fun whether or not you take a horse. That being said, next year I’ll probably go without my horse.
My first clinic was with Barbra Schulte. She talked basically about centered riding concepts (which I was already familiar with from taking lessons from a centered riding instructor). Having those concepts reinforced would have been fine if we had also been riding while she was talking. Most of the clinic (except for 2 times up and back the arena) we were just sitting on our horses doing nothing. I could have saved my $75 and just sat in the crowd.
My second clinic was Tommy Garland’s obstacle clinic. I was very excited about this one, because Doc sometimes leaps creeks (which I told Tommy about in my application video). Unfortunately, there was no water obstacle. Instead there was a bridge, ball and ground poles. Doc did all of those in the first minute. So, basically I watched Tommy work with the other horse and rider in the clinic. Once again I could have saved $75 and watched from the crowd.
My third clinic was with Julie Goodnight. This was definitely the best one. She helped me keep Doc in a trot without nagging him (by swatting him on the rear end if he slowed down unauthorized). The better part of that clinic for me was when she stepped outside the planned presentation and helped me with Doc’s horse aggression. He pins his ears and will kick if another horse get right up behind him. She told me not to let him socialize in any way (good or bad) while I’m handling him. She also said to work him HARD if he actually did get aggressive with another horse. Another tip was to turn his nose towards a horse he is seriously threatening which will turn his hip (and his kickers) away.
Our next clinic outing was to Smoke Rise Ranch with some girlfriends to do some cutting practice. This was FUN. It was fun because it is completely different from what we normally do, it didn’t cost a fortune, and I didn’t go in expecting miracles. I still learned some things along the way, and I am looking forward to doing it again soon!
The latest clinic (this past weekend) was a two day Julie Goodnight clinic near Youngstown, OH. I had high hopes for this one since I liked Julie so much at EA. I have to say I was a little disappointed. There were 14 pretty quiet horses and very nice riders. The first morning Julie talked to everyone for about 1 ½ hours about horse behavior and our goals for the weekend. Already it was heading in the wrong direction for me – I live to ride (just like the song says). Then we got our horses out for ground work. We spent a couple of HOURS on having our horses stand still (which is Doc’s favorite gait) and leading them around (not a problem for us). Finally we rode after lunch, but it was basic skills review. The other problem was that she didn’t have a microphone and it was hard to hear at times (one of my pet peeves). The next day was more of the same – half day of ground work, which she never made anyone get perfect (Clinton would have been appalled). It turned out to be more of her presenting general concepts (saying that you could learn more about them if you bought her videos) and not enough individual evaluation and help. I can’t say that I learned anything new.
So, the lesson in the end for me is not to take non-specific clinics. I’d rather save the hundreds of dollars that clinics cost and use it for private lessons where I know I’ll get feedback and be able to work on the things I need to improve. I would still recommend any of these clinics to a beginning rider, but not a confident rider who already understands basic horsemanship.
Happy Trails,
Brenda & Doc
Friday, May 22, 2009
A new "horse house"
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A big step...
A few weeks ago, Brenda and I started discussing the prospect of having Doc and Rio live at my house for the summer. We are happy at Jane's but really like having the horses more conveniently located. My schedule makes it pretty tough to get up to the barn, clean stalls and then find time to ride. Sometimes I don't make it home until after 8:30. This might not seem late to some of you, but I normally still have to feed my kids (and myself maybe), spend some quality time with them and get them to bed by 9pm. You can see my dilemma. So frankly, I have not been riding nearly as much.
Currently there is no shelter out there for them with the exception of a very large tree that has a great leaf canopy. I don't know why this bothered me so much, but I really wanted them to have some type of shelter they could get under if need be. The last time they were home it rained and hailed and rained some more. They just stood out there like no big deal. I was more bothered than they were. This was keeping me from really making a decision to move them.
We saw a great run-in with a tack room made by McArthur Lumber at Equine Affaire. Loved it...and it was very well-made and affordable. We figured that with what we are saving in board, the run-in would pay for itself by the end of the summer. We are still not making any money on the situation though as we will still need to buy hay and grain (which is included in our board today), but that was not the point.
So, we took the plunge, ordered the run-in and gave notice. The horses will live with us all summer starting in June! I am really looking forward to it. It will be work but I'll save a tremendous amount of time not having to drive anymore. Plus, it is really cool to look out my back window and see them there..oh, and they nicker at me in the morning. Yes, I know they are just telling me to hurry up with the grain, but they never nicker at me in the barn so it still makes me smile.
I have the day off tomorrow --yippee and I get to do horse stuff. We were asked to participate in Enrichment Day for one of the elementary schools. We are presenting horse grooming/care to two different groups. The kids had to sign up for stuff they were interested in--we have about 15 kids total in our class. We are bringing the horses with us to demonstrate grooming and talk about general horse stuff. The weather is supposed to be really nice. Brenda put together some fun goody bags for the kids. Definitely something different to do with our horses. Here is hoping they are on their best behavior otherwise the kids will see what longeing for respect looks like...!
So happy that the weather is finally decent and that horse activities are picking up. Liz and I are going to run a Hunter Pace on Memorial Day, we are going to Smoke Rise Ranch for "cow day" on the 27th and then on to Julie Goodnight clinic for two days, May 30-31...oh, and my birthday is sandwiched in there too. What a week that will be.
Currently there is no shelter out there for them with the exception of a very large tree that has a great leaf canopy. I don't know why this bothered me so much, but I really wanted them to have some type of shelter they could get under if need be. The last time they were home it rained and hailed and rained some more. They just stood out there like no big deal. I was more bothered than they were. This was keeping me from really making a decision to move them.
We saw a great run-in with a tack room made by McArthur Lumber at Equine Affaire. Loved it...and it was very well-made and affordable. We figured that with what we are saving in board, the run-in would pay for itself by the end of the summer. We are still not making any money on the situation though as we will still need to buy hay and grain (which is included in our board today), but that was not the point.
So, we took the plunge, ordered the run-in and gave notice. The horses will live with us all summer starting in June! I am really looking forward to it. It will be work but I'll save a tremendous amount of time not having to drive anymore. Plus, it is really cool to look out my back window and see them there..oh, and they nicker at me in the morning. Yes, I know they are just telling me to hurry up with the grain, but they never nicker at me in the barn so it still makes me smile.
I have the day off tomorrow --yippee and I get to do horse stuff. We were asked to participate in Enrichment Day for one of the elementary schools. We are presenting horse grooming/care to two different groups. The kids had to sign up for stuff they were interested in--we have about 15 kids total in our class. We are bringing the horses with us to demonstrate grooming and talk about general horse stuff. The weather is supposed to be really nice. Brenda put together some fun goody bags for the kids. Definitely something different to do with our horses. Here is hoping they are on their best behavior otherwise the kids will see what longeing for respect looks like...!
So happy that the weather is finally decent and that horse activities are picking up. Liz and I are going to run a Hunter Pace on Memorial Day, we are going to Smoke Rise Ranch for "cow day" on the 27th and then on to Julie Goodnight clinic for two days, May 30-31...oh, and my birthday is sandwiched in there too. What a week that will be.
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