Here Come the Curls!

~Susan and AhD in Maine ~

They are coming in thick and fast now, and we are definitely experiencing some cooler nights, but the beautiful, sunny, warm days are continuing.  What a fall season we are having here in Maine!  The best one I can remember.  So, I am taking advantage of this by going in early to work and leaving work early all week to maximize riding opportunity.

Last night's ride was amazing.  I took a new trail that my brother-in-law Larry made last year.  Beautiful! Nice wide trail - new - so still lots of rocks, sapling stumps, and uneven footing, but my Curly is so surefooted that this is not a problem.

This is a beautiful little field at the trail head.  I let AhD have some of this rich green grass when we passed through here on the way home.  Just after this, we started climbing up, up, up! (Well, he did...I just sat there, haha!)

Again, the forest floor is littered with dead leaves yet there are still quite a few deciduous trees with green leaves!

Ooops tipping over!  Not really because my camera was at an angle, set on a tree stump.  Look at those soft and listening ears! I am wearing red because bird hunting is in full swing.

 

It was a long climb up to get to where the trail meets the power line.

We crossed over and continued on a trail that my nephew Jason made a few years ago.  This trail also is very challenging and not for beginners.  It has some steep and rocky places, and at one point it dips down into a low point which always fills with water and there are two saplings leaning strategically across the water hazard in such a way that they are waist high to a rider on a 14.2hh Curly.  Gymnastics on horseback!  Needless to say, I did not have my camera out when negotiating that obstacle (coming or going) but we made it through safely, thanks to my responsive and responsible mount.

AhD was somewhat lazy on the way out, but he played no silly games, so I was VERY happy with him and enjoying the ride.  When we hit the point on the trail where we could maneuver through a break in the stone wall to gain access to Rod's older, more-groomed trails, we took advantage of that.  We SAILED around those  pine spill laden trails, my pony suddenly realizing that there was more than one way home from where we were, so everyplace we went was an opportunity to head home to see his buddies. Ok, yes, barn sour, but it worked for me! He was lively and quick and very forward, fox trotting a lot, cantering up hills.  FUN!  I became lost, so I let AhD choose the way, and sure enough, soon there was that spot in the woods that led to the break in the right stone wall, and we wound through the woods to get back on Jason's trail. Every time I let AhD find our way home, I think of Harold, because he told me to trust my horse in that situation.

By this time, evening was setting upon us.  The air was cooling, and good thing because AhD had worked up a sweat.  He was forward, but very responsive and light on the bit. I was in heaven!

Thanks for coming along with me on this Maine trail ride.  On Friday, I have a riding date with my friend Terry's two foreign exchange interns, Leah and Sabrina.   Should be fun!