Climb to the top of a mesa in Utah desert tests horses’ conditioning. They excel.

Horse People, Horse Health, Riding Trails, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 17, 2021Utah, Moab, Mesas, Red Rock, Endurance RidingComment

Pagosa Springs Postscript

Pagosa Springs continues to deliver and road to Moab a beauty.

Horse People, Historical Sites, Itineraries, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 16, 2021Colorado, Pagosa Springs, Peloton Yoga, Utah, MoabComment

Days 12 and 13 – Across the Great Divide

Crossing Wolf Creek Pass worth it for Pagosa Springs with it’s cute hippy charm and great riding.

Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, Horse People, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 14, 2021Horse Lodging, Colorado, Elk Trace B&B, Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek Pass, Peloton Yoga Comment

Days 10 and 11 – Lesson Learned – Humans are Frail Too

Colorado Springs, a good place to get sick?

Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, Horse People, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 13, 2021Horse Lodging, Colorado, Colorado Springs, WZ Ranch, Food Poisoning Comment

Days 8 and 9 – An Unexpected Connection -- Me and KS

Kansas sings to my ancestral grassland nomads.

Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 10, 2021Horse Lodging, Missouri, Meramec River Comments

Day 7 – A Better Day on the Meramec River

After a long ride, we catch the ‘snipe’ and find a place to take our horses into the Meramec.

Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 9, 2021Horse Lodging, Missouri, Meramec RiverComment

Day 6 – Lots of N-O in M-O

It should be easier to get to ‘yes’ than this experience in Missouri makes it seem

Lodging with Horses, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 8, 2021Horse Lodging, Missouri, Meramec RiverComment

Hot Horses and Heavy Hearts

What we thought would be an uneventful day isn’t when a truly great hostess has a bad fall.

Horse People, Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 8, 2021Riding Trails, Horse Lodging, Illinois, Vandalia, sommers gate farmsComment

Days 3 and 4 in NKY (which is a bit gentler than NYC)

Days 3 and 4 are spent gently in delightful Norther Kentucky.

Horse People, Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 4, 2021Riding Trails, Horse Lodging, Ohio, Caves, Horse Camps, Wild West Comment

A Ghost Town, Cowboys and Caves; and It's only Day 2

Day two gives us some Wild West experiences still in Eastern Time Zone.

Horse People, Lodging with Horses, Riding Experiences, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 3, 2021Riding Trails, Horse Lodging, Ohio, Caves, Horse Camps, Wild West Comment

John Denver Forgot to Mention that This is a Big Damn State

Day one teaches us that West Virginia is really big!

Horse People, Lodging with Horses, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderAugust 1, 2021West Virginia, Highway Routes, Riding Trails, Horse Lodging Comment

If the Kids Aren't Coming, Can I Still Make Them Cry?

With 48 hours until departure, pre-trip logistics and jitters have me wondering if this is stupid!

Trip Prep and Logistics, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderJuly 30, 2021Trip prep, Packing, Pre-trip Jitters Comments

Lost River, Day 2: Slope-Side Shit Show

Day Two at Lost River finds us climbing to another stunning ridge but only after a hell-a-scary Juneau spook.

Riding Trails, Horse Training, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderJuly 4, 2021Mountain riding, West Virginia, Lost River State Park, Horse behavior, Spooking Comments

Lost River, Day 1: The Sweetest Sound

“Mountain” training for the boys (and their riders) finds us at the beautiful Lost River State Park in West Virginia. Horses perform amazingly though I spend a lot of mental energy worrying about their hydration.

Riding Trails, Horse Health, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderJuly 3, 2021Mountain riding, West Virginia, Lost River State Park, Horse dehydration

Antietam: That Thumping Isn't Cannon Fire

Antietam, site of the bloodiest day in American history, takes its toll on our horses

Riding Trails, Horse Health, Historical Sites, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderJune 26, 2021Maryland, Antietam Battlefield, Thumping, Electrolytes

Fair Hill: Carriage Trails and Stalls at the Rail

With carriage trails, woodland paths and a multitude of other horse amenities, a trip to Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area in northeastern Maryland shows me there may be some merit in driving north on 95.

Lodging with Horses, Riding Trails, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderJune 13, 2021Maryland, FairHill Natural Resource Management Area, Horse parksComment

Fixated on Feet

Natural hoof care, a great farrier, and some super sporty red boots for my horse knock one worry off my list of pre-trip jitters. Don’t worry … I still have other things to worry about.

Horse People, Horse Health, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderMay 7, 2021hoof care, horse shoes vs boots, bad drivers, farriersComment

Can Horses Lose Their Voices? Please?

Despite traffic, rain, high winds and horse serenades, first ‘away trip’ an amazing success! Even if we weren’t planning to drive our boys cross country, this trip to Valley Meadow Farm in Hancock, Maryland justifies our trailer purchase.

Lodging with Horses, Riding Trails, Itineraries, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderMay 2, 2021Bed and barn, Horse Lodging, Sidling Hill, Hancock MarylandComment

Two Steps Forward, One Giant Jump Back

To say we’ve had a bit of a setback would be an understatement. Not so great loading after an amazing ride leaves a grizzled cowboy riding a horse down the side of a very busy road in Maryland.

Horse Training, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderApril 14, 2021Horse loading, carriage trails, mountain bikes, Little Bennet Regional ParkComment

SVU and a Pile of Poo

Years of watching SVU taught me to fear white vans. Only plumbers and creepy people drive white vans. Funny thing -- my horse seems to share this fear, which could make our purchase of a white trailer problematic.

Horse Training, ROCSusan Mora-SchraderMarch 15, 2021Horse loading, Trailers, TowingComment