Trail Ride on a Fall Day

We’re halfway through October and fall is officially here! Last Thursday was one of those glorious fall days that we Midwesterners live for! The leaves all looked like they had been dipped in bright paint, the breeze was cool and crisp, and the trees rustled in that fluid almost-underwater way. Needless to say, it was a day we would’ve regretted not going outside.

As you may know, I’ve been taking horseback riding lessons for several months. Last week, since I was concluding the final set of lessons, my instructor took me to a state park in Iowa on Thursday for a special, extra-long trail ride. It was the most perfect, idyllic, crisp fall day to be exploring outdoors on the back of a beautiful creature!

This is Duke. He is a stunning, amazing creature! I’ve ridden him for the majority of my lessons. Look at those eyes!

This one is blurry but I can’t get over Duke’s precious expression! 🙂

And then we went to A&W for supper (always a good idea!) and the horses got to hang out and eat supper themselves in the trailer. 🙂

I had been on a trail ride once before, as a ninth grader, but the horses there had been rather dull and the ride was short. Thursday’s trail ride in Iowa was an entirely different experience: I felt confident, the horses were energetic, and we were all exploring the woods together. It was wonderful!

What have your trail ride experiences been like? Have you done it as a touristy thing before, or have you ridden in the woods with your own horse? This is definitely something I’d love to do again in the future!