Third session trail pace was a total success.

Trail pace! Yeah!

Saturday was our third trail pace for the season. That means I get up very early in the morning - way before breakfast - and mark a trail with surveyor's tape. It has to be a trail that will take about 25-40 minutes to ride.

Then about 10 a.m. we send out two riders at a time to make their way through the trail, following those colorful markers through the woods, over hill and dale as you might say. For many this is a bit of an adventure because it is independent riding. No senior staff are leading them.

This is a busy place on trail pace day.

After rides for the day are completed, horses are cooled down and pampered.

I will share that we station Hill Parents with walkie-talkies at three points on the trail so the kids can check in or shout that they're lost. Generally, it's an insurance that everyone is staying safe and directed. I rest better when I know there are folks out there offering support to the kids.

Now you may be interested to know that our wonderful riding staff spends hours making sure that riders are paired up well with horses and also with a good leader. In other words, counselors, CITs, and higher level riders are the leaders in each pair. They generally take a rider with them who needs ongoing dialogue about what to do and where they are going.

Sometimes two pair meet up in the woods and ride in as one trail ride. Surprise!

This is an interesting event. Riders aren't really competing. They are timed. Yes. They also give a guesstimate of what they think their riding time will be. The score is figured by taking an average of all the actual times. The riders closest to the average time are the winners. Three pair closest to the average take first, second and third place.

There are also three winners that come in closest to their guessed times. We do everything we can to make this a bit challenging and rewarding. At the least, it is memorable, building confidence in what riders can handle.

Did you call me?

Pretty horse. Pretty rider.

While the pairs are leaving and returning to the barn, others are cleaning stalls, helping riders mount and dismount, spraying horses with fly spray and checking girths. It is quite a cooperative effort. I am always impressed because while I am snapping photos, the kids are running the show.

The trail pace is also a time for riders to connect with horses. Trust is expanded. Quiet moments are spent as they wait for their ride or hold a horse for someone else. Often those moments give them time to 'just be' with their horse, certainly a connection that is often appreciated.

Another trail pace success. Safe and fun.

I love trail pace day. I love watching the kids manage their horsemanship skills, operating safely and responsibly. I love knowing how horses can enable solid character development and leadership skills. The tenderness with which the kids respect their horses is awesome. Best of all, no horse is treated like a machine. Their feelings are valued and praise for their efforts is endless.

In the next post, I'll tell you about our barn dance on Saturday night. That dance was the perfect ending for a wonderful trail pace day.

Leave a comment as you pass on through. Love hearing from  you.