Trail Pace Second Session

Saturday was trail pace day. Riders are matched with a partner, given directions for riding a trail while following markers. We hope after a week of riding safely, they practice that safety on the trail. Adult staff are positioned at strategic points along the marked trail to make sure things are going well.

I mark the trails for the kids between 5:45 - 8:15 on Saturday morning. Everything is groomed and marked with surveyor tape. It is quite a day!

Each team is timed. We call that their 'real time'. Each team also gives 'a guesstimate' on what they think their riding time will be. The winner interestingly is the team closest to the average time of all riders. That avoids us having anyone think this is a contest for fast riding. Winners are announced at karaoke on Saturday night.

Each team is also given a topic for conversation. Sometimes they follow actual clues. Sometimes they create an original song or a poem or a story. This time we had them come up with a practical joke that Shrek might play on all his friends. The results were clever and inovative.

Best of all is the comraderie I see develop between riders and horses. It is also the looks on faces when the ride is complete and they know it went well. This is Meagan. She is a Counselor from Arizona. When she came through the finish line with her partner, both were all smiles, and you know those smiles are priceless.