The obstacle challenge opening day !

I don't know what it is about obstacle time in the RAC but this is my favorite for sure ! I do not ever focus on the prize or the win -- I just plain LOVE obstacles :) I am always thinking up challenges anyway.. for myself and my horses .. this gives me the excuse to spend more time with it. All year -- I start thinking... what can I do this year that is different than last time ? To me an obstacle is an invitation to cross, solve, overcome and laugh about :) Like a mountain to traverse, a river to swim across, and a bridge to trot over.


First time Denise offered out the obstacle challenge I studied the CSB course and photo's on the Curly Horse Country site... bridges and car wash ? That year Zoe and I rode over as many bridges that we could locate within a 30 mile radius and also through the car wash downtown. Last year -- I put my thinking cap on and came up with the jousting course and the teeter totter.. both of which remained set up most of the year.. SO much fun ! The best part of this is when your horse is successful.. not only do they trust you more as handler/rider-- you come to realize you have much more trust in your horse.


Come 2010... what can I do this year - a fresh concept. In the back of my head I have been considering building a nice set of stairs and a better, longer, higher bridge -- perhaps a nice water hazard using the brook... Then .. since - as you all know-- I am back to feeling comfortable driving and loving it again ... I decided I would complete all the obstacles driving. Some of my obstacles will have to be altered to accommodate the cart width - but it's going to be fun.



A couple of weeks ago, after I posted a blog about driving Nimue and wanting to try her out on the snowmobile trail -- I became obsessed :) My brain cells began whirring... trails, add in bridges -- a snowmobile bridge ! perfect. Today - one of our lesson riders showed up for his first lesson without the appropriate paperwork - so we had to send him home... another group cancelled due to illness. Today is the day -- harness Nimue, grab the camera and we are off !!

Zoe is the camera person in the cart - not many photo's - mostly video. Photo's would not do the journey justice :)

We began the trip trotting down the highway - which Nimue has done once before but she was a bit worried since it was at the beginning of the trip and also in reverse. She settled right in so we made good time to the trail opening -- there we found - as you will hear on the video -- an easy entry cart is not well suited to snowmobile trail down through an old pasture ! It goes over snowbanks stiffly. We had to cross a narrow deep ditch - which is why we were giggling about assuming the 2-point position. The cart bounced quite high -- but Nimue did not even notice.

All in all -- Nimue went very well.. the bridge did not phase her too much -- the sound of the crunchy snow on the trails was nothing ... what a blast :) Call me weird -- I get so much satisfaction from an obstacle :)

Here is the first time Nimue walks over the bridge -- we then crossed the road to contimue up the snowmobile trail which we ride often past the bus graveyard.. loop around and head back across the bridge from the other direction.. trot home, with a small delay for a back country road traffic jam. There's a lot of video here - I hope you enjoy... if you are curious to see more of the trek -- visit you tube here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR_hOhvJJPc

Enjoy ~