Calling Recreational Riders

[Pasogirlz]

I was wondering what you like to do w/your horses most as far as riding habits.

[diswick]

I ride on my days off, weekends I usually work.

Planning to ride Cocoa in the Paso show here in Santa Barbara this year, see how he does. Will have lots of questions since I have never shown Pasos before

I will need to know about what tack to buy, how to ride him ( do I ride with two hands or one, etc) and what classes to show him in, what clothes to buy, etc...

Know you all will help me tho :):):)

[Mellifluous]

Don't forget parades!

That is what I really get a lot of enjoyment from!

[Pasogirlz]

I did not think of parades! Great idea.

I also added trail riding and PFHA shows for those who do both.

[Barbwire]

In the warmer months I trail ride several times a week, but don't do it competetively, so I don't know what to check off.

[DebbieS]

I'm riding in the mud tomorrow. It's supposed to be near 60 again, but the snow we got last week is making such a mess! Just going in to catch my horse is pretty treacherous. Can't wait for dryness again!

I like doing parades too, but trailriding is my #1 choice.

[pnalley]

There should be at least one vote for parades. I usually trail ride into town, then ride in the parades :lol:

I would love to try team penning with the Paso's, and Nieve would make a heck of a poles horse, she is very quick & catty moving. I just haven't had the time or place to practice.

[Terri]

Yeah, what Barbara said!!!! I also thought about checking off non-paso shows cause I've done that 3 times I think and plan on going to some more this summer, but haven't really gotten into it yet.

[Boyd R]

Well I can't just choose one. Life is no good without doing it all. But PFHA shows would be my least liked. No one to WOW and just to pocket emptying. Now I might change that thought if Batman was in my barn.

[ErinC]

I try to ride 2 nights a week here, or work on the ground,, then ride with Terri on the weekend, on the trail, and alone here the other day ...
But I want to show some in hand,
we will see.


maybe I will remember my camara tomorrow :roll:

Hey, Boyd, Batman loves to go trail riding with Alex, too. And as for pocket emptying for show expenses, some regions got smart and take credit cards so you can pay for the show for years. Besides, Batman is a little small for you isn't he?

Getting ready to freeze in Ocala tonight (27 degrees)
Marelyn (posting on Alex's account)

[lalecl]

Lori can we have 2 votes I want trail riding "and" parades so i didn't vote

[Boyd R]

Marelyn are you calling me fat or somthin. LOL. Ahhh so what if he gets a sore back Vicky can make him feel better.

[LeAnn]

I like camping with the horses. Nothing more fun then having the horses right outside the tent waking up at dawn and going for a trail ride. I would live like that if i could just me the horses and nature. Even tho i have to admit running water and electricity are nice.

[Pasogirlz]

I added some choices for you guys. Great suggestions.. Keep them coming. I would like to know what you all are up to w/your horses. 8-)

[CarolU]

I voted for camping with the horses too. I do all of the above (except I haven't been able to Team Pen yet), but of the choices given, horse/camping is what I "like" to do most.

Only by horse-camping can you go far from home and ride new trails and see new sights. I love them (but I have found I am neurotic - I have to camp where I can SEE my horses or I can't sleep!).

[KAB]

I voted trail riding on weekends cause that's what I do the most BUT I'd rather be camping with them.Then I would be doing both!

[Barbwire]

I voted before the camping option was listed, but that's what I love the most. It's the only time a princess like me will wash her delicate hands in cold water. :lol:

[Pasogirlz]

I personally hate to camp. Unless it's w/full amenities.
:lol:
Princesses don't sleep on the hard floor. They must have warm running water, and a place to plug in the hair dryer. ;-)

[CarolU]

LOL Lori, you'll have to come out to our White Mountain ride. The hotel is on one side of the street, the horse corals on the other. LOL

You'll miss a LOT of fun riding if you need a hairdryer! What about camping in a camper with 'most' of the amenities? (porta potty, but no shower...sponge bath only. Hair washing only for the truely hardy! LOL)

[Cindy]

Camping is no room service. There is a reason running water and electricity were invented.

[motorgypsy]

When we camp we have running water - it's called a stream. We also have electricity - it's called lightning! We also have indoor plumbing - they're called ziplocs!

Why does Kyle have a beard? Because he refuses to shave with cold water and National Park campgrounds don't have hot water so that's when he first grew his beard?

But I draw the line at sleeping on the ground. I have to have a good sleeping bag and a couple of camping foams and my very own pillows. I don't like camping in the rain or high winds either. We've been drenched from coast to coast and blown down all over the country also until they invented the new type tent poles and rain flies. Worst camping experience - we camped at Mt. Mitchell NC in April and forgot to bring sleeping bags or any heavy coats. We ended up sleeping in the car. Second worst one - we woke up afloat in our tent in the Florida Keys and spent the next three hours in the laundromat drying our sleeping bags and pillows. Don't even camp in the Keys or anywhere in FL in the summer unless you have shade and a fan.

Camping with horses is great fun but Kalua can untie herself when she's picketed. Ask Ed and Lindsay.

[reuben T]

The conveniences we live with and take for granted are only recent additions to society, it wasn't all that long ago the white house had an out house next to it. and running water ran by way of the legs of the servants.
people lived for thousands of years without it all, so why do we get so dependant on it for comfort?
I think there's an awful good chance those conveiences will fail on us sooner or later, and we'll be really well off if we're already mentally prepared to make do and do without. it may come down to having to pack the horses and take off cross country to find a better place to live. like some back land farm where all the food is grown on site. (guess those places are getting rare, it's making for a very vulnerable society.)
I like primitive camping, getting as far out in the wild as posible is like going home. (probably because i grew up wondering the woods)

[Moniece Dickerson]

Well I could not pick just one either.If Cola was already started and/or Chica was gaiting consistantly(my fault,I have not worked with her much)I would enjoy trail rides,endurance,parades,and camping.All of them when I could.I do know I like riding with other paso people better so far only because they can keep up.To me Chica does not have brio but she does go so much faster than the nonpasos i've had the chance to ride with.Moniece

[Terry Wallace]

Hmm...no "pick" on the poll for me...

It would be ... trail riding, open shows and PFHA shows....

[Beth Worden]

Horse camping and trail riding. For the past 20 years I am a weekend warrior and camp and trail ride all over the northeast. Primitive? Naw, I did my tent time. Used to be, but I now have LQ and my queen size bed, furnace, hot and cold running water, shower, etc. No TV, tho. LOL. I have a self-contained unit so I don't need hookups or a noisy generator. If I want to go native, I just take an extra horse, pony one with my gear and ride the other, leave my trailer at the trailhead and go out in the bush for awhile. I like the campfire and jamming at night (allthough, I really suck on my fiddle lately) with friends and meeting new folks, etc. Amazingly, 20-25 years ago it was rare to see other gaited breeds on the trail in these parts - Now the majority of trail horses gait.

[Beth Worden]

Forgot to mention that even tho I camp mostly weekends, when the horses are conditioned, we go 20 to 25 mile ride per day. Sometimes more sometimes less. My horses go from pasture/grass to hay on a picketline, rough trail, varied footing, back to pasture all summer long. That's why you will see "ridges" on my horses feet because they work for a living! It amazes me the people that don't recognise this - think the horse is/has foundered. Maybe they should try to keep up with me and my foundered horses. lol

[cowboy ed]

competitive trail rides and endurance rides let me combine camping, trail riding and competition. we also do some camping trips/horseback riding strictly as a leisure activity.

one of my favorite camping/riding excursions was the grand canyon winter pastures ride two years ago. we went out with a professional outfitter who is licensed to make pack trips into the grand canyon. he had all the provisions on pack mules. we rode and camped four days and four nights. it was about as primitive as it gets these days, but dang, what fun!

[Barb P]

The Osceola Horse and Wagon ride is a tremendous one here in Fl. that I have been on several times. Have not been in a few years tho but don't think it would be too different. I believe it is still held every March.
One can pick up the ride anytime between the Fri. it starts and the next Fri. it ends. The ride consisted of any where between 250 and 400 horses at any given day. One ranch is around 8,000 acres of just plain beauty with the eagles flying over head , cattle on all areas, stream to cross, etc. The Wild Turkey catering service went a long to prepare the meals or you could prepare your own. The fire depts had the swimming pools of water availabe to water if lakes or streams were not avaliable. After a few days on the 8,000 acre ranch the ride would be shorter that day to allow the ride to get the horse to the next camp site, and they pick up your drivers and then Blue Bird buses were chartered to take the riders back to pick up the rigs to set up for the day.
I loved my jaquima with the long lariat to throw over a tree limb and give my horse just enough to lay down or graze. Infact that is all I rode with is the jaquima so she could feel free to eat the grapevines, weed tops, palmettos, and anything eslse she decided to eat on the way. She gets by with this as long as she doesn't interrupt her stride.
They furnish portalets at the campsites and I was fine with this. I would make my grandson go with me in the night to go to a 1/4 mile away portalet for my privacy and guard the door until one night my horse set up quite a fuss. I got out of my trailer, saw the biggest Brahma bull I had ever seen after my horses's hay bag. My first thought is that I was crossing a 1/4 mile pasture to get to a portalet with that thing in the same pasture????? Believe me, the first thing I purchased was a Sears Porta Potty in my trailer!!!!.
One of the things I watch for on these rides is a better horse than the one I have( if there is such a thing as being better than a paso) for these rides. There isn't in my opinion. Barb P

[SandyMM]

Due to Greg's work schedule, we don't get in as much trail riding as we'd like, but have enjoyed the trails around Berry College in Rome, GA, and several other locations in the southeast, showed in a number of all-breed local saddle club shows, rode in a couple of Greenvile Christmas parades, tried a 10 mile novice endurance ride in Fl - which we absolutely loved, and Greg has tried his hand at a couple of PFHA shows. Hard to say which of all those we like more... :-)

[sherry k t]

Definitely camping and traveling with my horses and best riding partner my mom. we hope to do this in every state! Love to scope out new places to go. nonthing like spending all day on horse back taking in the sights then coming back to camp to relax around a campfire and listen to your horses munching hay and listening to nature. ahhh. cant wait til spring!!! My PF gelding first year I owned him we went to Rocky MTNS in CO for 6 weeks and hes been going every summer since to some new state or back to beautiful CO, he started as a 5 y/o now hes 13 and going strong. Hes run into all kinds of wildlife: Moose, Elk, Bear, Deer, Antelope, coyotes, even once a very rare wolf none of these faced him but he still hates the chipmunks! HA! Hes an awesome trailhorse, I have trusted him on unbelievable narrow ledges with unbelievable drop offs, he doesnt miss a beat. I love my horse!!!!!
Sherry

[Edurne]

I have never done ...... but would love to camp and/or do a ctr. Perhaps this year I will!

I did go out on a hunt meet fundraising trail ride. A first for me, 3 hours with 100+ horses which were broken into two rides - one being a canter/jump group. I went with the non-jumping group which proceeded slowly as calls of "rider down" came from both up and down the line. Most of these horses were aced - and Primero was described as being "full of himself" but controlled. (no ace for him). I ended up meeting a ctr/endurance rider on an Angloarab - so we headed the line for most of the way. The ride was so slow, and Primero so up, I think he finoed up and down all of the hills. I did hear comments of "what is that?".

And now after Primero being in this part of Hunt country for a year - two people who used to look down their noses at him, have either tried riding him and loved it, or want to. Even Mr. F. loves him now, but that may be because he is riding Primero's buddy and they go out together well. Primero shows himself well against those big thoroughbreds, and has no problem keeping up.