I love riding with my friends and with John!  John signed up for the ride, but his main horse, Artemis do Summerwind was lame just days before the ride was scheduled.  (Later, we found out it was an abcess)

So, it was up to us, the three amigas!  Both Kristy and Adrienne had done this before, so I felt confident that the rookies, me and my MM horse. Caboclo, could do well with their helpful hints.  It was on St. Patrick’s Day, so Kristy brought decorations, Adrienne brought paint and I wore green.  There was a prize for the most green and NONE of us even came close!  I wish I had a photo of the winner!

Can you tell we had a great time?  These ACTHA rides are held everywhere around the country.  You can earn points and even prizes for you and your horse if you do well.  Each obstacle on the trail is judged and the time is not important.

Most of the obstacles can be practiced beforehand, but that isn’t always the same as doing them on the trail!   Some horses react to the plastic cones that mark the obstacles or sometimes the materials the obstacles are made of.    The horses go through each obstacle individually, so patience is a virtue and some horses don’t like to wait.  Nor do they like to be left behind, which is what it feels like for the horse going last.

It’s a pretty good way to meet people in your area too, if you are looking for people to ride with!  So, if you haven’t tried it yet, go visit their website.  http://www.actha.us