Circuit Tyrrell Park Ride

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Went out to the barn hauling the Brenderup and ran into LeeAnne B and she said, "go with us!" so I hauled down to the pasture.  I went out and got Biscuit and he was in the back of the paddock but he was easy to catch.  He loaded right up.  LeAnne P arrived and we threw our tack in, loaded up the horses and took off to Tyrrell Park.

The acrylic slats were on the 3 horse slant & when I unloaded Biscuit he was sweating all over!  I tacked him up after brushing him a little, cleaned his hooves which looked good.  I mounted up and he stood quietly.  We started out and went around the park to the left and he refused to go through the ditch to get into Cattail.  My knee was hurting too bad to kick....lateral movements aren't easy right now!!  I went around by the sign and he did that and had to bend around but he did it.  The rocks made him tender footed but he wasn't limping.  We walked down the overgrown caliche road with just a few tenderfoot moments...no limping at all.  Poor guy was just too sore last week.



We got down to Willow Bayou and saw several alligators in the water.  The City of Beaumont workers were using the drag line and Elan was on alert!  We crossed over the bridge and I got off and cleaned Biscuit's hooves.  They had some rocks but not bad.  We went straight down to the back of the park to Hildebrandt Bayou.  We did some trotting but not much.  Biscuit was stumbling and tripping some but nothing horrible.


We stopped down at the end and a boat appeared and startled some of the horses.  I think boats really flummox some of the horses.  They can't figure out what is on the water and why a human is attached to it.  We went down the new trail and it was really a fun ride back there.  Some little hills, went past a cypress swamp area, through a really woodsy area and of course, down the back of the bayou.  We ran into the same boat man...he was fishing.   We crossed over the little concrete bridge and stopped and had lunch.  The horses enjoyed munching on the green grass while we talked about riding in endurance runs.


We started off again and all of our brave horses STOPPED...and none wanted to go.  I think hogs had been there recently and they get all in a twitter over the hogs.  We went up the road and it is green and the grass is growing tall.  I think it is going to be hotter than a firecracker when July gets here!


We rounded the canal area and several times the horses STOPPED.  Where was Barry and Sarge when we needed a brave hearted horse?  LOL  we had a bunch of sissy horses today.  We went down the side of Willow Bayou again and I made Biscuit WALK up and down which didn't thrill him but he listened.  Wow - lots of alligators - we saw a pretty good sized one in the water - his head was pretty wide.  There was one curled up on the other bank that looked large - I am thinking 7-8 feet.  We continued on all the way around and up to the road where the big giant clay blob was.  It had been leveled down to about saddle high.


LeAnne P got off of Legato (who by the way, was riding in her new Sharon Saare sadde and behaving like an ANGEL.  LeAnne said she usually throws in a buck but not today - she was moving freely and was a happy camper!) and led her around the tree to the left.  Last time we went to the right of the tree, down the narrow path by the fence and hit the road.  LeAnne P led her to the left of the tree which meant she had to cross some of the clay dirt area so she climbed over that and around the fenced area, catching a stirrup on it and banging the saddle against a sign.


LeeAnne B decided to go UP the clay blob and Rogue just plowed up like it was easy..sinking a little but he went.  I asked Kellie which she was going to do...go up the blob or around the tree.  She thought a minute and up the blob she went.  I pointed Biscuit and said go and up he went, with me hitting a tree branch and scraping off my hat....omg...my brand new hat!  A very nice man was fishing off the bridge and came and got it for me.  Bless him!!  He complimented the horses and we walked over the bridge and GAAAAAA!!!  the gate back into the park was locked.  The path to the right of the gate was steep and full of trash.


I told them there was a trail just past the gate that I had rode Red on 2 years ago on my first trail ride out there.  We went down and found it...or kinda.  It was severely overgrown.  Down the ditch, up onto the hump LeAnne P led Legato.  The rest of us followed and blazed a trail as the other one may have been there or maybe a little over but anywhooooo....we got back to where we wanted to be.


We rode around to the entrance to the woods and Kellie said we'd take a peek and see if it was too wet to ride.  We discovered it was high and dry for the most part...some mud in some places and some standing water in ruts but mostly it was a go!  That was great - we had a fantastic ride, going down new trails, jumping up on a clay blob, blazing new trails even if it was just a little thing and riding in the woods for the first time in a long time!


Helen C. was in the arena at the stables with her Fox Trotter mare Ruby so we stopped and talked to them.  We moseyed on back to our trailers finally and all in all, it was a terrific ride.


Kellie said she is considering going to the Happy Horse with us!  Woot!  I hope she does.


I cleaned Biscuit's hooves and brushed him.  He was beyond filthy.  We loaded up and hauled back to the barn.  Something was up with the water pressure - we barely had any so cleaning the horses was slow going and cleaning the trailer too was slow!  The LeAnne's were attacking it with water and brooms but jeez...what happened to the pressure?  I scrubbed Biscuit's mane and tail and walked him back down to his paddock and then hauled home.

My knee is KILLING me.  I rode for just a few feet in LeAnne's saddle and that is all it took to aggravate my knee.  Gaaa....I hope my new saddle doesn't torque my knee.  That is what I love about my Aussie - I can ride with no pain.

The LeAnne's and I are supposed to ride tomorrow in the back.  Looking forward to it!