I’ld have to say that with the Great Smokies in my back yard… This is by far the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever ridden in. BUT I would think most of my memories come from hacking around with my buds when I was a teen w my first horse. Those days and memories can never be replaced 
[QUOTE=CBudFrggy;2805486]
Most recently and one of the best…
Sunday I rode with a group from the South Florida Trail Riders at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park. We went through swampy standing water over the horses knees, saw a bald eagle, a wild hog, deer tracks, turkey tracks, and a manatee. Just a glorious 3 hours. I love my horse!
Probably the best…
Our first horse campout, I had a beer and decided to ride him bareback with a halter and lead rope in the light of the full moon. I rode all over the campsite and introduced ourselves to everyone and then out in the woods and fields.[/QUOTE]
Cbud!!! You’ve been nailed:D When I was trying to decide to go to this ride last week with my soft footed horse, everyone said it would be high and dry!!! Glad I stayed home:eek: Even tho I did get picked on about it!
I rode there yesterday and it was gorgeous and just a little damp in spots!
P.S. I registered on the board, just to respond to this. This is my first visit and I found a buddy in the first 5 minutes. How weird is that?
is ongoing
Both my husband and I take our one big vacation in the summer and we load up the LQ horse trailer and head out for our annual leg of the the Chief Joseph Trail ride. This is one of the ApHC sponsored rides but you must ride a registered Appaloosa that is at least four years old. This year will be our seventh year and we have seen some wonderful sights, from the Bear Paw battlefield which is the end of the ride, to Joseph where the Nez Perc started their flight from the US Army. This year was a challege as we were on the Lolo Pass and it was the Lewis and Clark bicenteninal and the state of Idaho was burning up. We had just finished our ride and the group was pulling out on Saturday morning and by later that evening the Forest Service has closed the trail down due to fire. Beautiful horses, scenery and wonderful people.
Also like to ride in the Salmon, ID area with our friends that raise racing QH and Appaloosas.
Suzanna
2 rides stand out
i rode my retired mare along the beach with a group of friends, she was still in decent shape from being trail ridden around the local trails a few days a week, and i had promised her she’d never have to get on a trailer and leave home again when i really retired her but i had never done a beach ride before and took her one last time away from her field, she was so eager and fresh for it, like a young horse and i remember us leaving the rest of the group behind and we galloped off from the group and she felt so good, when i turned around my friends were like little dots on the beach
another ride was alone in the moonlight after a snowfall, we were the 1st footprints out there and the moon was very bright on the white snow, it started out as a quick ride around the farmbut we rode for most of the night over our familiar trails but it all looked so different on the snow and night
I have several favorites. One of my favorites is to hit the swim hole inside Yellowstone. The water is like a big bathtub and a wonderful soak at the 11 mile mark on the trail.
The 3 to 5 day trip into the head of the Yellowstone is also a good one. To sit at the parting of the waters and watch one stream go to the Atlantic and one to the Pacific. Beautiful country and BIG spaces.
The Salmon, Selway, and Frank Church are all fun places to horse around.
LF
LF and 911CG
LF Didn’t know you ride as well as drive. Bravo!
911cowgirl, Wow what fortitude to trailer all the way to Wyoming. I’ve driven over the Chief Joseph trail in a car a couple of times and would love to do it with horses. I can’t imagine hauling my horses al the way out there tho. How many days does it take just to get out there?
Also must be a shock for a Florida horse to suddenly be faced with that sort of terrain.
Dick
Yes I ride, those ponies have to earn their keep somehow. LF
I used to live in Half Moon Bay Ca and could ride right out of my place to a ridge behind my barn and the whole Pacific Ocean spread out before me! It was breathtaking. Also had a gorgeous redwood preserve down the street which was just a magical place to ride.
Now that I’m in Va. (not far from you at all, jazz!) I ride out from my farm but also enjoy going to Little Bennett in Md. Will have to try Patapsco and Sky Meadows next! My niece has done Gettysburg but says Mishouex (sp?) is much better…but bring a GPS! Hope to try that sometime soon…
We still need to try Little Bennett. December has turned out to be a difficult month – not a lot of riding opps. We missed a USTR ride at Micheux (not sure I’ve spelled it right either!) in October. I heard it was great.
I just love Sky Meadows.
CSH – Every time I see your screen name it makes me think of home – I grew up on the border of Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington in NY…:yes: But I know you’re here in Loudoun.
My best ride was my last ride on my 25 year old mare that I raised from birth. We camped at Fair Hill, rode the whole weekend, and she was like a 5 yr old. Two weeks later she came down with severe EPM and I lost her a few months later 
Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, Virginia; with a bunch of crazy fun friends. In the spring; before the leaves were on the trees so the views weren’t obscured. Appleblossoms/peach blossoms in full bloom & smell was delicious. Horse was perfect.
Another was one I took the night before I had major surgery. Wasn’t sure how it would go so I did some daring jumping/galloping. Wondered if me & this horse would ever do this again…it was magical. Anxiety CAN make you brave!! :winkgrin:
