ALMOST "15 MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL"

Bright, sunny and in the 20s this morning.  The sun burned off the light frost and I was out the door to do chores.

Decided to feed in the pasture....Joe was the first horse out.

Then came the rest, and Gary and I finished cleaning stalls.  I hurried to hook up the horse trailer as I decided to go on a trail ride today and needed to be ready to roll by 11am.  Put everything I needed in a wheelbarrow so I would not have to carry it.  After I was all set...grabbed my horse out of the pasture and we were off.  I groomed her on the trailer, where I tacked her up.  I have a 16' Moritz Stock and it's like having a stall with me....tack in the front and I'm set for the duration.

This is where we started our ride.  The Erie Canal is drained in the winter and it has not been filled up yet...How much water must that take????

Berlin took one look at that big ditch and wondered what the heck it was.  She has never seen the Canal.

So, I got out my mounting block and got settled into my Dressage saddle (everyone else is Western).

The conditions were perfect....sunny, dry, an endless stonedust path, and good company.

These were the horses behind me.

Berlin was very relaxed and I could ride her on the buckle.  I used an English Hackamore.

On one side of me was a drop off to the Canal, and on the other was some great scenery.

In this picture you can see how low the water level is....along with the width of the Canal.

There were geese in this swampy area, but I could not get a clear shot...especially since my horse was walking the whole time.

I really have a thing for reflections in the water.

There are some geese here, but you would have to click on this photo to find them.

At the halfway point, we stopped for a rest and I was ready to go home.  This was my first ride of the season and I did not want to wear out my poor horse.  I turned around and rode back by myself...had to go under 7 bridges (some with cars driving over them) and past some scary things (like a gigantic boat covered with a blue tarp right next to the path) but Berlin was great.

When we were a few hundred feet from Sansocie Park, I dismounted and walked the rest of the way to give her a break and my body a chance to walk.  We probably rode a good 12 miles.

She walked right onto the trailer...

...took off the tack, and we were home within 10 minutes.  I took a video, but the movement of the horse walking made it very wiggly!  I think you would get dizzy....so you are being spared.  Now it is time for me to go out and do evening chores....then a nice HOT shower.  

Is everyone out there getting their fill of basketball?????